3-year deadline set for reclassication of Class 8

Updated on: Wednesday, May 02, 2012

One of the toughest aspects in implementing the Right to Education Act in Karnataka from the coming academic year is likely to be re-classification of Class 8 into higher primary schools, with the Ministry of Human Resources Development setting a deadline of three years for the State to complete the transition process.

The State had hoped for at least a five-year window period to achieve this, given the financial and logistical issue involved.

Secretary, Primary and Secondary Education, Kumar G. Nayak, said the ministry raised this issue in the Plan Approval Board meeting held in New Delhi on Monday. The Centre has been insisting on re-categorising Class 8 under the primary section, hitherto part of high school in Karnataka, since the legislation promises eight years of compulsory education to all children and it cannot be broken after Class 7. Though the State has already set up a nine-member committee headed by R. Govinda, Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), to study how transition can be achieved, completing the transition in three years is a tough call, say officials. One of the big hurdles in achieving the transition is the drastic shift in ratio between primary and high schools within the government-run schools as well as between private and government-run schools, as indicated by the District Information System of Education (DISE) statistics. As on September 30, 2011, the number of higher primary schools run by the Department of Education (up to Class 7) stands at 22,601. The numbers sharply drop in the next phase, with only 4,437 high schools run by the Department of Education. This huge gap means that over 18,000 higher primary schools, which do not have high schools attached, need to be provided Class 8, with additional classrooms, infrastructure and teaching faculty.

“We will have to do a thorough mapping of all the schools before taking up this exercise because the numbers in Class 7 in these schools vary from 70 plus to less than 5,” said Mr. Nayak. In contrast to lower and higher primary schools, private players dominate in high schools. There are 5,523 unaided and 3,335 aided high schools in Karnataka, which add up to more than double of those run by the government. All these schools will have to drop Class 8.

In the meanwhile, MHRD has promised a hike of “between Rs. 250 crore to Rs. 300 crore”, said Mr. Nayak. This will add up to about Rs. 1,700 crore allocated this year to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which is the primary agency to implement RTE, he added.

3-year deadline set for reclassication of Class 8

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