Central scheme turns teachers into masons

Madurai, Feb. 4: The headmasters of the recently upgraded government high schools in the state now double up as head masons also. Under the Rashtriya Madyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), a central government scheme being implemented in collaboration with the state government to provide universal access for students to secondary education, headmasters have been vested with the task of supervising construction works of the buildings for the high schools.Last March, the state government announced upgradation of 200 middle schools into high schools and funds for buildings at an estimated cost of `49.67 lakh each too were sanctioned later.As per the guidelines of the RMSA, though a school management development committee comprising the HM, assistant HM, a member of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), ward member and a social worker was formed, only the HM and the PTA member are authorised to release funds.It is a noble scheme but problematic for the school heads. Some ward and PTA members demand a cut in the sanctioned amount. The PTA member will go scot-free but if any financial irregularity comes to light, the HM will be in soup, says a headmaster of a rural high school in Madurai district.Like him, many more express their concern and take exception to the education departments way of executing the scheme. About 70 per cent of those holding this post are women. We are given the job of buying construction materials like bricks and cement and arranging for construction workers. Those refusing to oblige are being threatened that they would be suspended, a woman HM claims. Samy Sathyamoorthy, state general secretary of TN high and higher secondary school headmasters association, says, It is only the headmasters who have been directed to monitor the day-to-day building work and not the engineers. The task cut out for us is teaching but it is regrettable that we are asked don the role of maistry.

&nbsp