The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit has found several gaps in the implementation of the Samagra Shiksha scheme in West Bengal, mentioning high rates of students leaving school, teacher shortage, lack of proper planning and inefficient use of money. This audit covered the implementation of the scheme during 2019-20 to 2023-24.
The audit has also revealed that the Paschim Banga Samagra Shiksha Mission did not develop required long-term perspective plans which affected planning and monitoring of educational activities. Moreover, another finding of the audit reveals that lack of availability of teachers at various schools was another challenge causing poor pupil-teacher ratio.
However, according to the CAG, another major issue was the problem of student dropouts, especially at the secondary stage of education, which was due to poor infrastructure and lack of academic support systems. In the management of finances through the scheme, there were numerous deficiencies, since annually only 46 percent to 65 percent of the available funds were utilized.
Furthermore, the report pointed out flaws in safety aspects of the schools, including non-availability of any disaster management plan and safety audit in several schools. It was suggested by the Comptroller and Auditor General that a more robust planning strategy be adopted along with recruiting teachers for vacant posts, better fund utilization, and improved monitoring process in order to implement Samagra Shiksha efficiently.
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