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Gujarat IAS Officer Points Out Flaws In Education System, Minister Seeks Report

An IAS officer serving in Gujarat has raised serious concerns about the quality of education in primary schools located in the Chhotaudepur district.
By Jitendra Jangid Jun 27, 2023, 08:38 IST
An IAS officer in Gujarat has claimed students of some primary schools in Chhotaudepur district cannot even read a word or do simple mathematical calculations, promoting the state education department to seek a report on it from authorities. Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Dhaval Patel, serving as the commissioner of geology and mining in Gandhinagar, expressed shock and anguish over the state of education in the tribal-dominated Chhotaudepur district. In a letter sent to the education department on June 16, Patel termed the education being imparted to tribal children as “rotten” and claimed such education will only ensure the next generation of tribals continues to work as labourers and never progress in life. State Education Minister Kuber Dindor, who also has charge of the tribal development portfolio as cabinet minister, on Monday said he has sought a report from officials about the observations made by Patel. “I have asked officials of my department to give a detailed report so that we can make required changes. There are some issues in the remote tribal areas. I also belong to that region. There is lack of awareness even among the parents of students. We will try to make them aware and fill the gaps wherever required,” Dindor told reporters at an event in Godhra. Patel was one of the several IAS officers in the state government who were sent to different districts as part of the ’Shala Praveshotsav’ drive to evaluate the overall education scenario in government primary schools assigned to them. Asked about Patel’s observations, Gujarat Minister of State for Education Praful Pansheriya said the purpose of sending IAS officers as well as other senior officials in the field is to find flaws so that they can be corrected. In the letter sent to education secretary Vinod Rao on June 16, Patel said he visited six different government-run primary schools of the tribal-dominated Chhotaudepur district on March 13 and 14 as part of the ’Shala Praveshotsav’ drive. Patel said he felt guilty after seeing the “extremely low level of education” in five out of six schools. Recalling his visit to Timla primary school, Patel in the letter said “students of standard-8 were reading every letter of a word separately as they could not read an entire word. They were finding it difficult to do simple mathematical calculations.” At Bodgam primary school, students could not give antonyms for simple Gujarati words, like “day”. Moreover, a girl student of Class-8 could not show where the Himalayas and Gujarat were on the Indian map, Patel mentioned. “At Wadhwan primary school, the level of education was extremely pathetic. Class-5 students cannot do a simple subtraction of 42 minus 18. They even failed to read questions written in English in their question paper they had attempted earlier. Since everyone had written the correct answer in English, I suspect the teacher might have helped them,” observed Patel. He said except for Rangpur primary school, all other schools that he visited in Chhotaudepur disappointed him. “I felt guilty when I saw such low level of education in five out of six schools. We are doing injustice to these tribal children by imparting such rotten education,” Patel said in the letter. “We are actually ensuring that the next generation of tribals continues to work as labourers and never progress in life. I wonder how a student cannot do simple addition or subtraction even after spending eight years with us?” he said.

An IAS officer serving in Gujarat has raised serious concerns about the quality of education in primary schools located in the Chhotaudepur district. Dhaval Patel, an Indian Administrative Service officer holding the position of Commissioner of Geology and Mining in Gandhinagar, expressed shock and dismay at the state of education in this tribal-dominated region. Patel went so far as to label the education being provided to tribal children as "rotten," fearing that it would perpetuate a cycle of labor-intensive work and hinder their progress in life. In response to Patel's observations, the State Education Minister, Kuber Dindor, who also oversees tribal development, requested a detailed report from officials to address the issues highlighted.

Minister Dindor acknowledged the challenges faced in remote tribal areas, emphasizing the lack of awareness among parents and students. He assured the press that efforts would be made to raise awareness and bridge any gaps in education. Praful Pansheriya, the Gujarat Minister of State for Education, echoed the sentiment that the purpose of sending IAS officers and other senior officials to various districts was to identify flaws and rectify them. Patel had visited six government-run primary schools in the Chhotaudepur district as part of the 'Shala Praveshotsav' initiative, which aims to evaluate the overall state of education in these schools.

In a letter addressed to the Education Secretary, Vinod Rao, Patel recounted his visit to the schools on March 13 and 14. He expressed guilt and dismay over the "extremely low level of education" he witnessed in five out of the six schools. Patel shared specific examples of the students' struggles, such as reading each letter of a word separately instead of comprehending the entire word, facing difficulties with simple mathematical calculations, and being unable to provide antonyms for basic Gujarati words. He also highlighted the case of a Class-8 girl who couldn't locate the Himalayas and Gujarat on an Indian map.

Patel particularly noted the deplorable condition of education at Wadhwan primary school, where even Class-5 students struggled with basic subtraction and had difficulty reading English questions in their own answer sheets. He raised concerns that the correct answers had been provided in English, possibly with assistance from the teacher. With the exception of Rangpur primary school, all other schools he visited left him disappointed. Patel concluded his letter by expressing a sense of guilt for subjecting these tribal children to such substandard education, emphasizing that it perpetuated a cycle of labor and hindered their progress in life. He questioned how students could struggle with simple addition and subtraction after spending eight years in the education system.

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