GUWAHATI, Dec 27 - Announcing the results of Gunotsav Phase II, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today claimed that the academic excellence in the schools have improved as compared to the first phase of the quality enhancement initiative held six months back and the exercise has had a positive impact in primary education in the State.
A total of 11,20,960 children from 18,811 schools participated in the exercise during which the academic excellence was assessed by 6,511 external evaluators, including politicians and senior government officials.
The minister said that while the percentage of student participation in the first phase of Gunotsav was 80 per cent, it increased to 92 per cent in the second phase conducted from October 10 to 13 in twelve districts.
A total of 1,672 schools (nine per cent) got A Plus grade, an increase of three per cent as compared to the previous Gunotsav. Similarly, 29 per cent of the schools (5,480 schools) got A grade, as compared to 19 per cent in the first phase.
The number of schools which got C and D grades decreased from 27 per cent to 19 per cent and 23 per cent to 10 per cent respectively when compared to the first phase of Gunotsav.
Among the twelve districts assessed in the second phase, Sivasagar, where 396 schools got A Plus grading topped the list, followed by Tinsukia (264 schools getting A Plus) and Kamrup (187). Of the total 840 schools assessed in Dima Hasao, only nine got A Plus grading and in Karbi Anglong, only 35 of the 1,301 got A Plus grade.
The second phase of Gunotsav has thrown up some infrastructural lacunas in the schools as well.
�We found that 8,905 schools required additional classrooms. The number of classrooms required is 9,102. Moreover, 8,178 schools need partition walls between the classrooms. Once we get the complete projection after the third phase of Gunotsav, we will make provisions in the budget for filling up these gaps,� Sarma said.
Moreover, the number of excess teachers is 443, the minister said, adding that the government would go for redeployment for rationalisation.
�Altogether, 652 schools which got either C or D grade had single teacher. We have immediately put one additional teacher in these schools,� the minister said.
The next rounds of Gunotsav will also assess facilities like power, drinking water, fan and other infrastructure in the schools.
The marksheets of the Gunotsav Phase II will be given to the students early next month and remedial classes for students requiring it would begin soon. A total of 1,37,959 students (20 per cent) got A Plus grade in phase II, compared to 15 per cent in the first phase. Children from Class II to Class VIII were covered under the Phase II of Gunotsav.
The third phase of Gunotsav will be held from January 3 to 6 in 17,883 schools in 13 districts.
