Educational Reform While Implementing RTE In India

Govt. tries to put a brave front by making legislation Right to Education (RTE). There are lots of problems which needs to be addressed to :

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It becomes a whole time job for parents to look after the children’s education. It is very difficult for working parents.

In Higher studies especially in professional courses, after appearing Common Entrance Test, some of the students need to go to other states even though the same course and seats available very near to them. It is definitely adding educational expenses and making lots of inconvenience for the parents and students. Due to this, there is trouble like ragging on linguistic minority students (coming from other states), additional expenses for hostel and food facilities apart from lots of insecurity and inconvenience. It can be avoided the state give first preference for the students who is staying at their respective states.

Govt. passed legislation for reducing child mortality among girl child. As per govt. policy, girl child get fee waiver/ concession upto High school. But at implementation stage, all the private institutions charging fully for girl child. Here govt. is a mute spectator.

There is a growing demand for professional courses across all spectrum and there is lack of seats available and professional education getting more and more expensive on every year. To overcome this problem, this colleges/ schools should function on shift wise like 2 shift or 3 shifts so that more and more students can absorb and ensure that deserving pupil did not deny the education. By implementing this system, the existing infrastructure ensures optimum utilization. For this some more teachers/ professors appointment needed. Schools and colleges should have right to admit whatever students they want. But students intake should be permissible based on infrastructure utilization, student – teacher ratio, availability of other facilities etc.

Ragging : Any kind of ragging at inside and outside campus should be punished with stringent law of present IPC and new sections of law. If a student going to school/ college, he and his parents want to get fair education, but not the art of barbaric method of ragging. Why should the so called politically motivated students federation and some vested interested not banning in ragging. It is nothing, but the wealthy kids of politician, bureaucrats, contractors and other elite and influential sections want to suppress poor students morally and make disinterest in education and these section don’t want others to live clean. Ragging is come out of jealous, animosity, high handedness, money power, muscle power , sex, drug, alcohol and other things involved. It is wrong notion to allow ragging at school/ college or at any other places. Respective state and central govt. and college authorities must act quickly and timely to prevent the menace of ragging. These students should en masse punished for such a crime without fear or favour.

Sex education: Sex education at school level is a bad idea. Why human being need sex education? Even animals without any education performing betters and wisely, why the students need sex education? I suspect there is a hidden agenda on this issue. In sex education which topics and what way present to the students, the method and manner of teaching and contents of the subject still a question mark? This writer have a strong reservation on this issue. Govt. must come out with clear guideline on this issue.

There is a media report about a school conducted English learning classes beyond their curriculum in govt. school. The education inspector gave notice to the school authorities and the teacher facing suspension. How tragic this kind of situation. What is wrong if the child get English education other than the vernacular curriculum? This report is coming from the so called Marxist ruled ‘progressive’ state of Kerala now. Instead of giving appreciation to the teachers and school authorities, they are punished for wrong reason. Govt. must avoid these kind of embarrassing situation.

Improvement of Public School System : Govt. must improve the standard of education by reducing unwanted theories and give more practical subjects should be included including technical education at secondary level. English subject at vernacular medium made compulsory from standard 1, and special subject of spoken English should be introduced to perform vernacular student at par with English medium student. There should be no politics on this issue.

In many schools/ colleges there are lots of facilities available for the students which usually not accessible to the students especially in Govt. run institutions. The state govt. under the Education Inspector/ collector or any other don’t know what is happening. They just give the material thinking that it will be utilized for students. But it is not so. Teachers who like the students should only get access to these facilities like Lab, Sports, Library, participating in other co-curricular activities etc. To avoid this and ensure equal opportunities for all students, govt. must start auditing all the materials provided and sanctioned under govt./ charity/ private institutions on a chart wise and ensure that it will be available to all pupil during school/ college days.

There is still no mechanism to assess teachers/ school management by their own students and parents. It will be a honest and most important decision if it is implemented and govt. can act promptly to rectify the mistakes. This will be implemented at all school both in private and govt. run schools and a register should be maintained and a complaint/ suggestion box should be made available at all school. This will avoid absenteeism and improve accountability of teachers and school management. On every year, (on quarterly basis, students and parents assessment needed on teachers and school management) and yearly assessment and skill test, skill development training according to new curriculum, new method and manner of teaching, new subject of teaching should be attended compulsorily by teachers and govt. should take assessment test on teacher and grade/ mark should be given on vacation period (only for 2 -3 weeks). This will help to perform better and adopt knowledge on the latest happening. Those who failed these assessments should be disqualified and new appointments should be made. The schools credibility will increase and compel to perform well.

Need better accessible and affordable education: The welfare state is withdrawing its responsibility in favour of market forces. Due to unregulated fee structure and corruption in education system, access to affordable quality education is a distant dream in India. While implementing RTE, how the students get benefit who is studying at private institutions. Right to education cannot be implemented without private participation. I think joint public private collaboration will be a better choice in the days to come, where the govt. run institution not performing well.

Other major suggestion is that govt. run institution should start nursery education instead of admitting from standard one. This will attract more students to public school and improve the performance of the students. Govts. decision to start admission at the age of 6 is not practical. Need a ban on interviewing parents/ students at nursery level in private institutions. In private schools, most of the students need to give tuition apart from parents care on teaching. Teachers are not serious in their teaching. In most of the well famous schools, when teacher start say alphabet A, the student must remember to say B. If suppose, the teacher is going to take lesson 5, she just read the lesson, students must have read and understand from their tuition class what is written in Chapter 5. They take lesson like review. They are not serious in teaching students and they are just interested in many other things, like Gift and favours from the parents. Rest of the work should be done from home or from tuition classes. It is difficult for most of students to learn without any external assistance. Students / parents cannot say anything and whatever say the school authorities like making horse ass, we have to say ‘Yes sir, you are right”. Hence a confidential assessment system needs to be implemented and govt. should ensure proper teaching is done and the teacher have enough qualification, experience and commitment in their profession. Nowadays parents are in dilemma in getting good education for their children. But private sector exploiting and putting lots of pressure making unwanted expenses and making them bankrupt. Govt. needs a serious look into the issue. Just not getting private grant and they are fulfilling their own problem cannot solve all this issue ailing in private sector. Schools and colleges in private sector need more accountable in their functioning and all their activities closely look into.

India’s strength is its Human Resources. We have cheap labour. India need to develop the skill development. It can be done by modifying their curriculum and at secondary level itself acquire necessary skill. Need more focus on English education and other foreign languages considering the globalisation, liberalization and privatization in the days to come.

To sum up, HRD Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal take note of the above points and take appropriate steps in this regard in the days to come to ensure that accessible and affordable ‘quality’ education not a distant dream for every Indian. Let us all hope that UPA-II make a brave initiative without any further delay in the days to come.