To improve the quality of secondary education (up to Class X), the state government has embarked upon an ambitious project to ensure high schools within a 5km radius for every student under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).

The RMSA, meant to universalise secondary education, was implemented in rural areas last year, while this year the state government has started the process of upgrading middle schools into high schools. The state has a limited number of high schools, forcing students residing in remote areas to discontinue studies after completing the elementary level.

In Ranchi district, there are 2,498 middle and primary schools (Class 1 to VIII) while the number of government high schools is a paltry 64. In the entire state, there are 530 (excluding Ranchi) government high schools.

Apart from continuous upgrade of middle schools into high schools, the state government is also planning to set up new high schools, as well as lay more stress on improving quality education and basic infrastructure.

According to available information, in Ranchi district 59 government middle schools have already been upgraded into high schools.

Speaking to The Telegraph, district education officer (DEO) Maheep Kumar Singh said they had carried out a mapping process in Ranchi district to find the total number of high schools, which was way to less when taking into account the number of students who clear their elementary level of education.

“After mapping it was found that many middle schools could be upgraded into high schools, which was done,” Singh said, adding that the process of upgradation will continue through three phases.

However, in order to meet the basic requirements under RMSA, the state government has to provide additional classrooms, teachers, basic facilities, human resource, academic inputs, apart from effective monitoring of implementation of the programme.

“This scheme will initially cover up to Class X,” the Ranchi DEO pointed out.

Besides, the state government has also allotted Rs 41 lakh to improve infrastructure of each upgraded high school mainly for providing furniture (benches, chairs, almirahs), toilets, laboratory apart from provisions for library.

“We are also planning to appoint 10 assistant teachers and one head master in each high school for which the examination will be held in the month of May,” Singh added.

“Apart from upgrading the middle schools into high schools, we are also planning to come up with new government high schools in near future, for which the proposal is in pipeline,” he said.

Notably in the rural areas of the district, students residing in remote hamlets have to walk almost 10 km to attend high school, which has resulted in high dropout rates.

However, after implementation of this scheme, the dropout rate might be minimised.