The class X board examinations conducted by the Uttarakhand Vidhyalayi Shiksha Parishad (UVSP) Ramnagar is appearing to lose its sheen with the student enrollment showing a declining trend. 1,74,862 students were enrolled in class X examinations this year while 1,78,738 students appeared in this examination last year.
The Ramnagar based board conducted Class X and class XII examinations in 1255 examination centers across the State from March 27 to April 17. When contacted by The Pioneer the Secretary of UVSP Ramnagar D R Mathela accepted that the number of students in class X enrollment is decreasing but he added that this loss is being compensated by increase in student enrollment in class XII.
He said that more and more weak students and class X failed students are opting for the examination conducted by the National Institute of Open schooling (NIOS) and after passing this examination they return to the State board to enroll in class XII examinations. Mathela said that the board is committed to increase its quality and has employed the scientific method of evaluation of answer sheets of students. He said that the curriculum of State board is completely based on the CBSE with minor alterations to inculcate the identity of State.
The educationists believe that there are a variety of factors responsible for this decline in interest of students in the State board. They cite the lack of infrastructure in Government schools, flawed transfer policy of teachers and politicisation of teaching community as the main reasons for this loss in student numbers. Many schools located in the far flung and inaccessible areas face acute shortage of teaching staff. The teachers who are posted in these schools take frequent leaves and lobby for their transfers to the places of their choices.
The school building and other facilities in the Government schools are not improving even though the huge budget of State education department keeps on increasing every year. The Government schools which are far behind in term of student numbers in urban areas are facing a stiff competition from the private schools in the rural areas also. The recent survey by Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) highlighted the fact that student enrollment in private schools in rural areas is fast catching up with the Government schools.
The private schools seldom opt for the State board as they find more liberty and convenience with the central boards. U S Gusain, a retired teacher said that more and more private schools are opting for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Council of Secondary Education (ICSE) board due to the better curriculum. He said that this trend would continue unless the state government comes out with a revolutionary change in its education policy.