This article (well curated TBH) by B.S. Hooda published in The Hindu editorial has a lot of key takeaways for public schooling education system in Haryana.

Discussion🗣️

Some key takeways from the article (extracted using Gemini-Flash-2.5 in Google AI Studio)

The Dire State of Haryana's Education System

An article by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda paints a grim picture of the public education system in Haryana, highlighting several critical issues that require immediate attention.


Catastrophic Learning Outcomes & Systemic Failure

  • Shocking Exam Results: Recently released Class 12 results from the Haryana School Education Board reveal a "catastrophic learning crisis."
  • Zero Pass Rate: Alarmingly, 18 government schools in Haryana had a zero percent pass rate in the latest board exams.
  • Widespread Underperformance: Across the state, 82 other schools saw fewer than 35 percent of their students pass.
  • Specific Examples:
    • At Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Shikara (Nuh), only one student passed the board examination.
    • In Autha and Nuh, all 13 students failed.
    • At the All Boys Senior Secondary School in Punhana, 95 out of 105 students failed.

Severe Teacher Shortage & Mismanagement

  • Massive Vacancies: Despite sanctioning over 115,000 teaching positions, more than 15,000 remain vacant.
  • Subject-Specific Deficiencies: Districts like Nuh are critically short of qualified teachers for essential subjects such as science, English, and mathematics.
  • Misallocation of Teachers: Generalist teachers are often assigned to fill specialist roles. For example, Hindi teachers are sometimes forced to teach English.
  • Single-Teacher Schools: Over 500 schools are operated by just a single teacher, and more than 3,100 schools cater to fewer than 50 students.

High Dropout Rates & Social Factors

  • Mass Exodus: Government schools have witnessed an exodus of 230,000 students.
  • Significant Enrolment Drop: Haryana's school enrolment has plummeted by nearly 140,000 students compared to the previous year.
  • Girls Disadvantaged: Girls, particularly from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, face overwhelming pressure to marry early, especially if they are perceived to have "failed" in school.
  • Boys' Plight: Boys are often pushed into informal, low-wage jobs, diminishing their chances of returning to education.

Fundamental Learning Gaps

  • ASER Report Findings: According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), only about 54% of Class 5 students in Haryana's government schools can read a simple text at a Class 2 level.
  • Basic Math Skills Lacking: Fewer than one-third of Class 5 students can perform basic subtraction.

Proposed Mission-Mode Response

The author, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, calls for an urgent, mission-mode response to overhaul the system:

  • Fill All Vacancies: The first step must be to fill every sanctioned teaching vacancy, particularly in science, mathematics, and English, by March 2026.
  • Robust & Transparent Hiring: Teacher postings must be made rational and transparent, with incentives for those willing to serve in challenging areas.
  • Bonded Scholarship Programs: Implement scholarship programs for science and engineering graduates from Haryana's colleges, offering tuition waivers in exchange for three years of rural teaching.
  • Invest in Early Warning Systems: Use technology-driven systems to identify students at risk of dropping out and provide timely interventions like counseling and transportation support.
  • Professional Development: Essential components should include subject-specific online refresher courses and peer mentoring circles.
  • Consolidate Schools: In areas with sparse populations, students should be consolidated into cluster schools to provide subject-specific teachers and access to labs and libraries.

Posted Jul 19, 2025, 7:41 PM UTC

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