MP's dilapidated education department infrastructure: Ploy to draw World Bank funds

BHOPAL: State's higher education department is vying for World Bank funds to shore up its dilapidated academic infrastructure and its status report — Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Quality Improvement Project (MPHEQIP) — is an autopsy on the chaotic mechanism. It cites various reasons for the high rate of failures in exams and spiralling dropouts in colleges.
And it pegs it on long hours spend on domestic chores and pregnancy after marriage. These are part of the bizarre reasons offered to bag World Bank funds to overhaul the dismal higher education system, but the report nowhere mentions how dropout rate could be curbed with foreign funding. It says that with help of grant, the department intends to improve students' employability skills and draw students towards higher education. If MP bags World Bank funds, it could be the first state in country to get a grant from an international bank to overhaul higher education.
On reasons for students flunking exams, the report cites poorly endowed schools and students who cannot grasp basic concepts in college. Many students are unable to read or write in English, Hindi or Urdu despite scoring high marks in Class 12 board examinations. Report also pointed out that many students were not interested in college education, but felt a degree would help them get a better job or improve marriage prospects.
It clearly mentions many students spent several hours doing housework before and after college and did not have time to study at home. Students' social and economically disadvantaged background with no support system is given as another reason.
Citing Dhar and Indore, the report stated most ST students from the region go home to help parents during sowing and harvesting seasons. During first, third and fifth semesters, students were away for at least 15-20 days during each semester for agricultural work, impacting exam results.
The report also stated college infrastructure was inadequate with few classrooms, laboratories, computers, books and journals. Students also pointed out lack of hostel facilities. Report mentioned higher education system in state suffers from shortage of human and financial resources. Faculty vacancy rate is as high as 30% of 8,000 posts sanctioned for government-run colleges.
Higher education commissioner Sachin Sinha said impediments have been identified. "It is true girls drop out of college owing to pregnancy or they could not clear exams owing to household work. Through World Bank funding, we will be able to create better infrastructure, schemes encouraging students to continue with their studies," said Sinha. He said, "We will work on improving construction of hostels, colleges, labs, academic improvements and others in next six years," he said. Educationists say there has never been funding problem at higher education level. "I do not think there was any financial crunch for universities. The issue is intention of authorities to improve college conditions or they are just trying to draw funds by portraying a dismal state of affairs," said ex vice-chancellor of Jabalpur's Rani Durgavati University, Arun Gurtoo said. Former VC of Hari Singh Gaur University, Sagar Santosh Shrivastava said, "High dropout rate has been a big issue for long time. Colleges need more teachers and better infrastructure."
Short on teachers:
Number of colleges: 1,316
Shortage of teachers: 30% of 8,000
Total enrolled girls in colleges: 36%
Total number of students: 16 lakh