Mapping tech to help track facilities at schools

New Geographic Info System Will Allow Peek Into Available Infrastructure At Schools

HYDERABAD: In a bid to identify infrastructural irregularities in private and government schools, the Telangana school education department has introduced a geographic information system (GIS) that will help it map facilities available at institutes.

The GIS aims to revamp the functioning of the schools by mapping facilities available at each one of them. “As part of the project, schools have to upload photos of the building, compound wall, toilets, drinking water facility, kitchen shed, library and computer and science labs. The data will help us monitor schools,“ read a circular issued by the school education department to all schools in April this year.

The GIS will use

Google Maps

to make data available to the public. “Photos and videos uploaded by all the schools will help parents assess the facilities available in each school. The GIS will also help parents identify centres during the examination period,“ said Sreenivas Reddy, president of Telangana Private Recognised School Managements' Association.

With the Supreme Court expressing concern over low enrolment in government schools in Telangana, the introduction of the GIS appears to be an attempt by the education department to take stock of the dismal facilities at schools.

Information available through high resolution satellite images, the department hopes, will also enable it to devise strategies to meet basic infrastructure needs by next academic year in a phased manner. The recent district information education system report 2015-16 painted a stark picture of the condition of state schools.

While there are 42,632 schools across the state, the report highlighted that 27,495 schools didn't have computers, 11,334 schools didn't have playgrounds, 3,588 schools have no electricity, 2,558 have no drinking water facilities and 4,539 have dysfunctional toilets. To top it all, there is a severe shortage of staff.

Officials claim that GIS analysis will help the government meet norms in establishing new schools and upgrade existing ones. Through this system, distance between schools and residences can be identified.

Teachers, however, claim GIS will prove futile and add that vacant education officer posts are a bigger concern. “There are 444 mandal education officer posts and 44 deputy education officer posts vacant in the state.

The government must fill these posts on priority basis so schools can be monitored,“ said Raghushanker Reddy, state president of Democratic Teachers' Federation.