EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Students’ Name: Rajneesh Kumar Pankaj, Sudha Kant

Organisation: Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of
Gujarat
Reporting Officer: Mr. A. S. Sutaria (I. A. S.), Secretary, Department of Social Justice &
Empowerment, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar
Faculty Guide: Prof. Kameshwar Choudhary
Project Title: Evaluation of Ashram Shalas and Ideal Residential Schools (IRS) in
Gujarat
.
Department of Social Justice & Empowerment has been set up as government machinery for
uplifting the socio-economic status of under privileged class of Gujarat. It aims at improving
the education standard of socio economically backward class of the society as well as
improving their financial position through direct and indirect finance schemes.

1. Objectives: The broad objective of the study was to conduct ‘evaluation of

Ashramshalas and Ideal Residential Schools’.the specific objective of the study included:
• To understand the quantitative and qualitative performance of these schools.
• To understand the present management system of these schools.
• To understand the factors influencing the quality of teaching in these
schools.
• To suggest possible measures for improving the quality of education in these
schools.
2. Methodology: The methodology adopted was one of formal and informal interviews as
well as focus discussions with government officials, school management, teachers,
students and parents of some of the students. We also took help of PRATHAM, an NGO
working in education, with regard to testing the quality of education in schools. Also, an
in depth detailed analyses of the existing systems was undertaken to understand the views
of the employees in the Social Justice and Empowerment Department. To identify the
various variables, which play important role in providing quality education to students, a
descriptive approach was adopted.

3. Findings: The quality of education and quality of teachers in the Ashram Shalas is very
poor. School management has been found uninterested in education of students. The
Ashram Shalas have problems related to basic infrastructure like inadequate number of
teachers, inadequate number of classrooms and lodging facility. The school management
is not accountable to government for the annual grant which government is giving. IRS is
doing better compared to quality of education in Ashram Shala. However the quality of
education is also poor in IRS. There is no proper deployment of teachers in IRS, leading
to surplus of teachers in one school and scarcity in other school. There is severe lack of
physical infrastructure in some of the IRS. There is nexus between Government officials
and school management of Ashram Shalas and also between teachers of IRS and higher
government officials.
4. Recommendations: Department’s first task would be to make the school management
accountable for quality of education imparted in these schools. It needs to increase its
control over these Ashram Shalas. The annual grant given to Ashram Shalas should be
linked to quality of education imparted in Ashram Shalas. It needs to formulate proper
guidelines for deployment of teachers in Ashram Shalas. This should minimise the
discretion of government officials in transferring teachers across IRS. Quality of
education needs to be improved in IRS. The focus should be on important subjects like
maths and science.