Events & Issues

New Delhi, 13 April 2010

Right to Education

WILL IT HERALD A NEW ERA?

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

That the Government is serious about education has been manifest with the right to education becoming a reality and the current budget being raised for school education by over 30 per cent from last year’s. The allocation for school education expenditure has been hiked from Rs 26,800 crores in 2009-10 to Rs 31,036 crores in the current year. It is understood that the Centre and the States are expected to share over Rs 173.lakh crores over the next five years to implement this right.   

The Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education Act 2009 has been a landmark piece of legislation, whereby for all children between 6 and 14 years schooling is a fundamental right. It binds the Government in ensuring neighbourhood schooling in three years, bans capitation fees and bars teachers from offering private tuition. It also stipulates a student-teacher ratio of a maximum 30:1 for primary classes and for Classes, the ratio could be 35:1 while also ensuring that all private schools reserve 25 per cent seats for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. 

This is indeed a revolutionary step taken by the Government after years of wait. It may be mentioned here that Mahatma Gandhi had talked of universalisation of education way back in 1937. There is now great hope in this landmark law but only proper implementation of the Act would change the spectre of education in the country and ensure the much-needed schooling for children, specially from the impoverished and backward sections of society.    

There has, however, been criticism by a section of experts who feel that the Bill should have included children below 6 years and up to 18 years—i.e. covering the entire gamut of school education up to Class XII. This is no doubt justified and it is expected that after some time the Government would see reason and bring necessary amendments to the Act.

However, the implementation aspect remains the most crucial as most State governments do not have the mechanism or are unable to enforce rules or procedures in these sectors. As such, there are apprehensions that the provisions of the Act will not be implemented and poor children will not get the benefits. It is thus necessary that the Central government should give strict instructions to ensure that the Act is implemented in letter and spirit and that there should be revolutionary changes in the domain of education within a year or so. The States on their own have to see that the district inspectors are well-educated about the provisions of the Act and ensure its implementation in all the blocks under their control. 

It is a well known fact that the Act has been formulated to ensure that more and more children from the lower echelons of society join school and get themselves educated. This can only happen when there is initiative and sincerity by the State machinery, which can also take the help of voluntary organizations in this regard. Moreover, the private schools should also come forward and reserve more than the stipulated number of seats from children of poor and deserving families.

The question arises whether the private schools will abide by the Act. Such schools in low-income localities may adhere to the government decision but what about the elite private schools? The reimbursement the Government proposes to give them may not cover even 50 per cent of their costs and, as such, there may be large-scale dissent. Some believe that socialist politicians see the 25 per cent reservation as a way of hitting the elite schools rather than empowering them. While it is expected that the Government will seek to resolve the issue, it is doubtful whether all kids will be covered.

In spite of modernism entering out life styles, the approach to school education teaching has not yet changed much. The bookish system still continues while many things that students are asked to do obviously have to be prepared by their parents or private tutors. Moreover, students are over burdened with books and very lengthy syllabus (specially in the ICSE system), leaving very little time for serious students to concentrate on extra curricular activities.

Additionally, there is manifest tendency by teachers to neglect their classes and ask students to join their private tuition. It is well-known that most children, even from lower income groups, have to arrange for private tutors from Class V onwards. There are, however, some exceptions in a few States, specially Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. Sadly, there is a lack of initiative to make students understand what they are being taught and clarify their doubts. But the Act has been concerned only with educational inputs, not outcome -- improvement in quality.

A change in the whole system of education and teaching methodology from primary to post graduate sections is called for as also making teachers more sincere to their work. Possibly a change in societal outlook is necessary. How and when can this happen? Whose help is most necessary to implement this change and enforce implementation?

The Government has to ensure that the standards improve, specially in the schools in rural areas and even in some semi-urban parts of the country. While infrastructure of the schools will have to improve, which undoubtedly entails huge expenditure as over 40,000 schools do not have proper buildings, the lack of adequate teachers is also another big and crucial problem. It is estimated that there are around 2,700 schools that do not have a single teacher! And, most State governments are in dire financial straits and will find it extremely difficult to meet with its share of the funds.

Simultaneously, the content of education as also the methodology of teaching has to improve. It is very much necessary that there should be proper communication with the students for teaching to be effective. ‘Communication’, in psychological parlance, means that what is communicated should be understood and there should be enough scope for clarifying problems faced.

Though the Act is very much welcome, planners and educationists need to investigate the real problems faced by schools in rural and backward areas and the possible scope for improvement. Apart from Government inspectors, whose efficiency and sincerity is very much in doubt, there is need to give some responsibility to the voluntary organizations at every block level to analyse the situation and suggest improvements.

The Tenth Plan pledge of all children being in school could not be achieved due to various obstacles but even this becoming a reality by the end of the 11^th Plan appears remote. It is also well-known that the targets of completion of five years of schooling by 2007 and a 50 per cent reduction of the gender gaps in literacy and wage rates by 2007 could also not be achieved. Thus, there is an imperative need for strong political will in this regard and strong partnerships with NGOs at least in the sphere of primary education. The children are the future torch-bearers of the country and if proper education does not reach them, social ills and impoverishment will accelerate.—INFA

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