The Supreme Court's recent mandate that private unaided non-minority schools should reserve 25 per cent of seats for underprivileged children is being hailed as a landmark ruling. The spirit of the decision is indeed laudable as it reflects the egalitarian ethos of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Thus, as private schools open their doors to children from marginalised sections of society, the government pats itself on the back for engineering a social revolution. Aside from the logistical complications this entails, the government's congratulatory mood is both premature and misguided for a number of reasons.
Undoubtedly, education is the quintessential passport to greater opportunities — be they economic, academic or social. As the RTE Act holds, all children, regardless of their family backgrounds or individual profiles, should have access to a meaningful education that empowers them to read critically, problem-solve analytically and think imaginatively.
ASER study
However, our collective enthusiasm for the court's decision would turn out to be misplaced if anyone bothers to do basic math. According to a study published online by Dr. Wilima Wadhwa of Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), enrolment in private schools in 2008 was 22.6 per cent. While this figure is likely to have increased since, over 70-75 per cent of our children still attend government schools. Even as private schools reserve 25 per cent of seats for economically backward children, the vast majority will still be schooled in government-run institutions. Moreover, most children in rural areas attend government schools. According to the District Information System for Education 2010-11, as many as 84 per cent of children in villages attend government schools. If the RTE Act has to be implemented in letter and in spirit, the government cannot ignore the quality of education it provides under its roof just because it has “won” the reservation battle with private institutions. Even as the government makes private schools “socially responsible,” it still has to bear the onus of educating the majority of children. Further, the assumption that private schooling is superior to a government education is based on the fact that children in the former tend to outperform the latter in examinations. But that is a superficial reading of facts. Once we scratch the surface, we find that other factors also contribute to children's better outcomes in private schools, as indicated in a study conducted by Dr. Wadhwa. When parental education, tuition classes and economic disparities are controlled for, the difference in reading scores between government and private schools falls drastically from 20 per cent to five per cent.
In addition, we have to recognise that private schools differ vastly in terms of the quality of education they provide. This is why there are serpentine queues from the early hours of the morning for admissions into kindergarten in a few reputed schools. The scramble for seats is evidence of the dearth of quality education. Just herding children into private schools is not going to ensure their learning unless teachers are sensitised and trained to deal with children with different profiles. According to a study conducted by Wipro and Educational Initiatives, there are significant differences in the scores of children attending schools affiliated to the various national and State boards. Besides, children in the “top” private schools also exhibit rote learning and prejudiced thinking on sensitive socio-cultural issues.
Three factors abroad
Thus, we cannot overlook the fact that our educational system, both government and private, is in need of serious overhaul. In 2007, McKinsey and Company published a report that analysed why some school systems in the world ranked highly in international assessments of literacy, numeracy and problem-solving year after year. Top performing countries included Belgium, Finland, Japan, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore and South Korea. While the countries sported vast differences, both culturally and politically, three factors regarding their education systems were common to all high performing nations.
First, a teaching job in these countries, unlike in India, is a high-status profession. In addition to receiving salaries comparable to other well-paying jobs, teacher training courses are highly selective and admit only the cream of graduates. Second, teachers are provided intensive training and new recruits are mentored on the job. In our country, teachers tend to work in isolation and inexperienced teachers are expected to handle a class on their own without additional guidance. Third, in the top-performing countries, schools try to offer the best possible education for every child by supporting those who lag behind. These schools monitor student performance closely and intervene when children fall behind by employing special educators who are trained in remedial instruction.
Thus, both government and private schools need to implement systemic changes. The coming academic year is an apt starting point when the RTE goes into effect nationally. Private schools need to welcome poor children wholeheartedly and prepare to meet the educational demands that this reservation will bring. Our educational establishments are generally insensitive to children with learning difficulties with most schools lacking formal remedial programmes. As children from weaker sections enter their portals, the need for such services is only going to increase.
A U.S. study
A study in the United States revealed that the vocabulary of a three-year-old child of professional parents was 1,100 words whereas, a child whose parents were on welfare had a vocabulary of just 525 words. Under the RTE, poor children were admitted in 2011 into Shri Ram School, New Delhi. An article in the Wall Street Journal quoted the principal, Manika Sharma as saying: “The teachers have come into my office and broken down. They say, ‘Help us. There is no learning happening for the other affluent children. What we achieved in one week with kids before is taking three weeks.'” Writer John Gardner aptly says, “The schools are the golden avenue of opportunity for able youngsters but they are also the arena in which less able youngsters discover their limitations.” As private schools open their doors, educators have to ensure that children from poor homes do not feel threatened by their more able and affluent peers, both academically and socially. Schools need resource personnel who can counsel and help these children realise their potential. In addition to supplementary remedial classes that help students bridge the academic divide, all children should be sensitised on getting along amicably.
Even as the child who comes to school in a chauffeur driven car, studies alongside the chauffeur's child, the government cannot shy away from upgrading infrastructure, enhancing teacher quality and promoting educational attainment in public schools. As a society, we need to make a concerted effort to achieve educational excellence, both government and private. Private educators and the government have to work synergistically to loosen the shackles of our strictly stratified society.
(Aruna Sankaranarayanan is Director, Prayatna. E-mail: arunasankara@gmail.com)
Keywords: RTE Act, right to education, Indian education system
I agree that the Act is not a perfect one and many modifications and clarifications
need to be made. But nonetheless we should welcome the Act with open hearts as it
is after around 60 years of mentioning the same right (though under Directive
Principles) that it has taken the form of an Act. It is a step taken in the right direction.
I appreciate the debates taking place for the betterment of the act and the
suggestions made on how it can be implemented effectively, like this article, as this
will only help in making the general public aware of the issue in detail.
I have also noticed that apart from giving the socially and economically backward
children equal standing and equal right to gain elementary education, which is the
primary goal of the Act, what this act also does, is that it provides a way to tackle the
issue of unemployment in the qualified youth of the country, and also motivates the
people to attain higher education as an incentive to become teachers !!
I really appreciate the efforts of the writer in bringing out both the positive & negative effects of a reservation system in private schools ,but i would like to mention the psycological impact the decision would create on minds of children that are coming from underprivileged sections of the society .Firstly , they would find themselves in a complete different environment & secondly majority of them might be coming from regional boards so eventually they will have a slight difficulty in adjusting to the situation.So i urge the government to have a counselling session for all the kids before they join a private institution.
Government decision is very mundane and lacking foresight, its rather
late with minimal countermeasure taken to such severely damage system
of education in India. Let me quote my experience of how the children learns in rural india. I went to school in a village in Vidhardha just for sake of going to one but when I returned, was totally shocked to see a boy who was studying in seventh standard has complete lack of conscience about how to read simple passage in english which one would consider the least thing one can do after he she completes primary school education. This is the quality of education we have in rural part of Inida where majority of it resides. Reserving some meager percentage in private unaided school will hardly help the the seventh standard boy in rural part of vidharbha to read and write with ease as actual seventh standard guy should. Governments intentions regarding the poor children is just a pinch of salt size solution to sea size problem of education in India.
Good balanced viewpoint. It is absolutely imperative for the
government to take full responsibility to upgrade the educational
infrastructure. The reasons why most private schools exist is because
the alternate service - the government schools - are pathetic.
This act should he seen as a mechanism to raise the standard of
education and not seen to be lowering the bar... (if you can write
your name and sign - you are educated - principle). Every country has
a mechanism to handle bright and capable students, we need such a
mechanism also in India ( like AP courses, fast tracking etc). Private
enterprises and services thrive when the basic services breakdown or
are non existent. In the US charter schools and private schools are
possibly less that 5% of the enrolled students.
simply by making provisions will not enough to attain goal of 100% literacy.strict rules and monitoring of Private sector schools and transparency in their allocation of seats to economically backward classes should be assured. Govt. should also take initiative to make government schools in close competition with private one.
very much appreciated for the Govt.decision.At the same time if we monitors at micro level each and every govt.schools. most of the children will get chhance to get good education in Govt.Schools itself.Here I mean to say govt.has to fullfill the needs and necessaries of teachers as well as schools.We have to monitor the existing systems of the all school so that India will become the strongest country among the world in education
We saw sharp rise in the literacy rate of India from just 64.8 percent to 74.04 percent. With the Right To Education (RTE), article 21(A), we are expecting more rise in the literacy rate. Impact of increasing literacy among the common man is visible as uprooting the corruption, change of government, value of bringing Lokpal and many more. Growth of any country is directly proportional to the awareness of the public of that country, which in turn is directly proportional to the literacy of the public. If people are literate then they will be able to read about the malfunctioning of the government, through media, and good changes that are very much needed for the development of the nation. In all turn RTE is the good move to bring all the above changes.
To make RTE a great success first and foremost step is the contribution from general public. If general public start sending their children to the government school then quality of teachers will improve, because of the pressure.
A good article in context of the supreme court judgement for reservation of 25% of seats for underprivileged children in private unaided non-minority schools.But going through the socio economic mindset of Indian society where the affulent think they are the elite, the economically backward does not stand any chance unless there are concrete efforts made to change this mindset.There are serious logistical compilcations to enforce this law.The feeling of children getting threatened by their more able and affluent peers, both academically and socially is one factor and should be tackled in the school by good counselling.Next what about the training for teachers.Do we have the intensive trainings for teachers which help teachers to monitor the performance of the entire class?
Dear sir/Mam,
I whole heartedly appreciate the writer of this article for her profound understanding of the pluralistic nature of Indian students. I salute her for the meticulus work she has done on this issue.
There is an ample opportunity for comparision between Rich and downtroden in the life style, if this system is introduced.
There will be psychlogical set back for the poor students, our teachers are not moulded in such way to tackle both bright and dull students in the same class. fifty percent of our rural children do not have even basic facility at home, their parents are not educated, children of those family's have to do some work for their parents also in the agriculture field or in the parent's job along with their studies. Teachers cannot expect children coming from downtroden excel at par with city based children.
So it requires
1. uniform dress code throught the country for school children
2. Teachers who got spl training to handle both bright and average students.
Recently I found out in hyderabad that many private schools insist that the parents be educated, for their kids to be enrolled into their schools. I am just not sure how legal is this? I had asked for confirmation and got confirmed information from atleast 3 private schools, that at the time of enrollment, they enquire about parents educational qualifications and if they are not educated, their children would not be allowed admission into the school. Whatever the commercial motives (i can think of a few) behind this, this is absurd and I think this should be curbed. Where is a strict regulatory body which can rip such schools apart and also schools that flout guidelines about play time, play grounds, sports facilities etc? If education is such an important tool for a country, wouldn't you think there would be a strong regulatory body to ensure quality and equality? Lets fix these issues, do whatever you can, discuss these issues on facebook, twitter and in person. Jai hind.
@Ahbishek ahbinav - I have two points - 1. Your proposal to put these kids of underprivileged parents into separate classes would defeat the entire purpose of the bill. Kapil Sibal has said that the primary motivation for the bill is social integration, where kids from various classes mix together and learn together. I agree it will be a challenge because many kids who come into first standard already have 2-3 years of pre-schooling behind them and I wonder what the teachers are going to do. But putting children in different classes would defeat one of the main purposes of the bill. 2. Can we all stop using the term 'underprivileged children'? can we instead say "children of underprivileged parents"? If we all did that, would that raise our collective consciousness to the fact that these children should be seen and treated on par with other children? After all, children are children and it is not their mistake that their parents are 'underprivileged'.
Why can't we open up education to the private sector? Why can't the private companies be marshaled to do what they did with the telecom sector, for example? Why can't the Reliances and TATAs and smart, young Indian entrepreneurs across the country come up with novel solutions and feasible business models to the problem of educating our masses? We all know how our world was before 1991 and what, post-liberalization, the private sector has achieved since. Every home now has affordable televisions, washing machines, cellphones, cars, a range of entertainment, all in dazzling variety at an affordable price range. This is all the result of the private sector.
Of course, I do acknowledge the problems with the private sector. Education, being a fundamental right, should be guaranteed to even those kids to whose parents do not have any money. Surely the government can step in here with subsidies. Also, profit-making should not become "profiteering" and the need is good government regulation.
One thing which can be done to bridge the gap between privileged and
unprivileged children,without slowing down the learning pace and diluting the quality of education is to take the classes of unprivileged children separately, but providing them at par infrastructure in same private schools and quality teachers. Once they are groomed to a certain level,they can be mixed with other students.One apparent benefit of it will be is that it will create more job opportunity for teachers,and will draw participation of socially motivated volunteers,who can teach these kids in off hours. So the thing is good private schools should follow practices which most corporations follow today,operate in shifts ,keep flexible teaching hours ,recruit more people, never sleep, to ensure awakening of a bright learned and educated India.
25% reservation to EBC(Economically Backward Class) in Private Institution is a "Catch 22" situation. Government just thrown their ball in Private Institution's court.Aruna sqaurely highlighted the fact.Need hand in hand effort to make it successful.
A great piece of op-ed as usual. The article does justice to exploring
a list of factors that are needed to make this policy a success.
I can very well relate to the situation of the under-privileged kids
who lag behind their better-off peers. My school ran evening classes
for these kids and it was very helpful as I can see some success
stories coming out of that arrangement.
Of course, extra teaching and admin staff might be needed and it also
undermines the opportunity that kids from all strata of society might
get by mingling together. Nonetheless it can still be a way to start
the change.
I'd also like to commend the Supreme Court for this ruling. Would love to see it being implemented with same flair.
The supreme courts ruling on RTE which affirms the 86th constitutional
ammendment act will provide a filip to the indian education system..The
private unaided eductional institution have become a money minting place
and its a dangerous trend..The schools should act as think tanks and
human resource development centres for the future and they should be
made accountable to the needs of the society by allocating 25 percent
free seats to begin with..Not only will it alleviate illiteracy and
educational disparities but also ease the burden on states for providing
free education in limited resources as our country is still developing
and there are other sectors such as agricultural reforms , PDS
,healthcare which require equal attention...The 42nd ammendment act
introduced the word socialist to the preamble and i think its time for
the centre to define socialism to the private sectors in order to make
india a welfare state..
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