EDUCATION AND CULTURE

SECONDARY EDUCATION

The progress of secondary education in the district is also quite rapid. The institutions providing secondary education are adequately dispersed in rural and urban areas of the district. The number of high schools increased from 12 in 1950-51 to 60 in 1960-61 and to 129 during 1967-68. The number of students enrolled in 1962 stood at 22,457 including 3,112 girl students, while it was 38,869 including 9,350 girl students in 1967-68. In 1962 the Bhandara tahsil had the largest number of schools, i.e., 37, while Gondia and Sakoli tahsils had 15 and 8, respectively. The number of schools increased by 68.49 per cent in 1965-66 over that of the year 1961-62, whereas the strength of boys and girls enrolled increased by 51.20 and 135.13 per cent, respectively, over that of 1961-62. The increase in the number of girl students is mainly due to the extension of secondary school facilities in rural areas and also due to the change in the traditional outlook of villagers who were reluctant to send their wards to schools.

During 1961-62 private institutions managed 48, i.e., 65.8 per cent of the secondary schools in the district. The Government's share in the total expenditure on secondary education was 78.9 per cent and was incurred through grants-in-aid, salaries, equipment, freeships and scholarships, etc., and special concessions to the backward class students. Other indices noted by the 1961 Census pertaining to secondary education as compared to the State average are as follows: —

The district provided seven examination centres for S.S.C. and Higher S.S.C. Examinations conducted by the Vidarbha Board of Secondary Education, Nagpur. In 1962, 1,458 and 258 students passed the S.S.C. and Higher S.S.C. Examinations, respectively.

The problem of school buildings and necessary equipment is gradually solved through grants-in-aid extended by the Government. Inadequacy of training facilities coupled with unwillingness of trained staff to serve in the rural areas creates difficulties in the administration of these schools. The district is served with the facility of basic training colleges. There are 5 such basic training colleges situated at Bhandara, Bela, Sakoli, Dandegaon and Gondia, providing training in spinning, weaving and agriculture. The colleges at Gondia and Bela are managed by Government. The basic training college, Bhandara, is exclusively for female candidates.

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