KKRDB plans to meet edu min, MLAs to address edu challenges in Raichur

Raichur: The Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB) has scheduled a meeting on April 23 in Raichur, which includes education minister Madhu Bangarappa and 41 MLAs. Ajay Singh, the chairperson of KKRDB and an MLA, remarked, "We will have an in-depth discussion on improving the education system in the KK region."
Despite numerous commitments from various administrations to enhance education in the KK region—comprising the districts of Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Vijayanagara, and Ballari—these areas continue to struggle academically. Their SSLC and PU examination results have consistently remained within 25th to 31st ranks.
Yadgir district remained at the lowest end of district rankings, primarily due to a lack of qualified teaching staff. Many schools in the area operate without teachers, necessitating temporary solutions where educators from neighbouring schools were brought in to fill the gap.
The shortage of subject teachers is also a concern, with last-minute guest faculty appointments failing to address the issue effectively. Gulbarga University faced significant staffing challenges, with 90% of its teaching positions unfilled, relying heavily on guest faculty.
Since assuming his role, Ajay Singh launched the Akshara Avishkara and Akshara Mitra programmes, which focus on distributing books and recruiting teachers on a contract basis. He suggests that meaningful improvements may take 2-3 years to materialise.
A report titled ‘Implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009: Where Do We Stand,' prepared by the RTE Cell and the Council for Social Development in New Delhi, points to the educational crisis in the region. It reveals that many schools lack both teachers and students.
The literacy rate in the region, according to the 2011 census, stood at 63.7%, which is considerably below the state average of 75.3%. A report from the department of school education and literacy and Azim Premji University for 2023-24 reveals that there are 115 govt schools with no students enrolled and 241 schools with enrolments ranging from 1 to 10 students.
Additionally, the report highlights that 11.6% of govt schools in the region have only one teacher, surpassing the state and national averages of 6% and 7%, respectively. The region is also facing a shortage of 14,139 teachers, a situation exacerbated by inter-divisional transfers.
The report stresses that due to the region's long-standing socio-economic challenges, it requires significantly more support from the state. In response to these issues, KKRDB chairman Ajay Singh has called for a meeting on April 23 in Raichur with local MLAs, MLCs, and the education minister to tackle these concerns.
The purpose of the meeting is to develop strategies for enhancing education in the region, focusing on improvement plans and future initiatives. Dr Ajay Singh is optimistic that this effort will lead to noticeable improvements in education by next two years.