Congress's Jully slams Rajasthan govt's school entry curbs, flags graduate unemployment

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Tikaram Jully, on Sunday, August 23, accused the state government of attempting to conceal the poor condition of government schools by restricting entry and photography on school premises, and called for a broader overhaul of the education system with greater emphasis on skill development.

Jully's remarks come a week after the Rajasthan government restricted outsiders' entry into government schools without prior permission from the principal, and barred photography and videography without written approval. The order, issued on August 16, followed an announcement by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) that it would inspect schools across the state found to be in "poor" condition.

Recounting a recent visit to a government school in Jaipur, Jully said students had first raised concerns about their school's condition on social media, prompting his visit. "After I went there, I was promised that the problems would be rectified within 15 days. When I returned after 15 days, I found a new order displayed outside saying that people and the media could not enter," he said, alleging that the restrictions were introduced specifically to keep the state of schools out of the public domain.

The Congress leader argued that the education system requires fundamental reform, saying that handing out degrees without corresponding employment opportunities does little to address the underlying problem. He claimed that 26 per cent of graduates remain unemployed and questioned the methodology used by the government to calculate unemployment figures, alleging that joblessness has risen while the government has failed to adequately tackle the issue. "The education system has to change. Along with education, we also have to focus on skills. Only then will we be able to overcome this challenge," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)