NASHIK: Justice Prasanna Varale of the Supreme Court on Saturday voiced concern over the deteriorating condition of Marathi-medium schools and inadequate educational infrastructure, saying that many schools could have been saved from closure with timely support and increased funding from govt.Speaking during a visit to his former school in Shirpur in Nashik district, he said spending on infrastructure projects should be matched by investments in education.Speaking in Marathi, he said, the state govt was spending Rs 32,000 crore on Kumbh mela. “Recently, chief minister said govt is spending Rs 34,000 crore on Kumbh infrastructure and Rs 11,000 crore on a corridor project. I have no objection to such spending. But if just 0.1% of the Kumbh allocation of around Rs 32 crore, was spent on education, more than 100-150 Marathi schools could have been prevented from shutting down.”He highlighted the poor condition of residential schools, referring to the recent deaths of students in an ashramshala. “I read about three girl students sleeping on the floor in an ashramshala who died of snakebites, while another is undergoing treatment. The overall condition of many residential schools remains pathetic,” Varale said.He said education spending has failed to keep pace with growing needs and stressed the importance of modernising schools.“This is despite the rising number of students. There is an urgent need for structural improvements, interactive classrooms, digital screens, early access to computers and modern laboratories in primary and secondary schools to ensure quality education for every student,” he added.Varale also pointed out that the budgetary allocation for education, which earlier ranged between 8% and 12%, had declined instead of increasing to meet the needs of a growing student population.
