EDUCATION FOR EQUALITY

EDUCATION FOR EQUALITY.

BY J.S.RAJPUT. Former Director NCERT.

Young Indians have brought laurels to their country from around the globe. They excel in science, technology and ICT innovations.

This is amazing when one recalls the stark reality that only around 20-25 per cent of children in India get school education of the desired level and standards.
What could be the magnitude of India's treasure of the cognitive capital if every Indian child got a learning environment in schools that could lead him/her to the expected levels of learner achievements in the initial years?

Is India really satisfied with the existing machinery that is responsible for the implementation of the education policy and programmes? This query must be raised in the second decade of the 21st century which, the developed nations claim, is the golden period of demographic advantage to India. In the Seventies of the last century, these very countries had termed India's population growth rate as a disastrous impediment to global development and poverty alleviation initiatives. Under that criticism and pressure, the Indian state tried even certain inhuman ways to curtail the population growth. The population growth rate has dropped down from 4 per cent to 2 per cent in the intervening period. The perceptions now stand drastically transformed. It is the manpower that is behind the accelerated economic growth rate which is now attracting global attention. In an estimated population of 1,160 million, those in the age group 15-64 are around 63.6 per cent. The demand for skilled manpower is increasing fast not only within the country but also amongst the developed countries. By 2020, US, China and Japan would each be short of young skilled manpower by 17, 10 and 9 million persons respectively. Even Russia would face the shortage of 6 million professionals.

Has the Indian education system readied itself to avail of the emerging opportunities for its young persons? The answer would be no because of existing realities like availability of places in higher education to only about 10-11 per cent aspirants, which is far below the global average of around 22 per cent and stands nowhere to that of over 50 per cent in several developed countries. This inadequacy extends equally strongly to polytechnics and ITIs.

The deteriorating credibility of government schools on quality aspects and on the skill development front are aspects of major concern before the education system. It is a consequence of the neglect that these schools suffer from policymakers and implementers whose children do not go to these schools but invariably join the private `public schools'. The Kendriya Vidyalayas and military schools also serve only select groups. Navodaya Vidyalayas do provide a competitive opportunity for the poor and deficient. Even there, the aspect of competitive equality is lost as government schools compete only in inadequacies and children studying there suffer because of it. Private schools are preferred even in villages and the trend is catching up fast.

English as the medium of instruction has gained currency everywhere in India. This development also contributes significantly in the growth of private schools. Several state governments have started teaching English from grade one but due to several factors like teacher readiness, its quality has not received public approval.

It all contributes to the perpetuation of inequalities through education. What an irony of the situation as universal education was supposed to be the great leveler.
The Constitution of India directed the state over six decades ago to provide equality of opportunity in education to every child up to 14 years of age, irrespective of any conceivable diversity, not only in access but also in success. Every year the gap in education is increasing. For governments, progress is determined only in terms of the increase in the number of schools and other institutions. As a specific example take the case of Gautam Buddha Nagar, a district in Uttar Pradesh which is also part of the NCR-Delhi. It is being claimed to the most well-planned and modern district. For 88,000 children in government schools studying up to Class VIII, there are only 1,500 teachers. They need 2,371 more teachers. No one knows when the additional teachers would be available.

The Seventy seven crore (Rupees) Commonwealth Games-2010 had launched huge construction activity in Delhi. No one cared about 60 municipal schools which are said to be running in tents. The public schools which charge self-determined fees and vehemently flout government directives and norms function properly and maintain the teacher pupil ratio. They care for the parents, results and also their competitors. They maintain discipline amongst teachers. One wonders why no one takes interest in introducing certain professionally accepted practices in government schools as well. When vacancies are not filled in for years together someone must be held responsible and accountable for this drastic inefficiency.

The consequences of growing disparities through the education-divide are manifesting in a serious widening of economic divide. If only the Indian state had sincerely extended the light of education and the confidence of skill-acquisition to the weaker sections and people in the tribal areas, their exploitation would not have resulted in Maoists taking them along on the dangerous route that they are made to follow now. They have lost everything. The context is most appropriate to recall Alexander Solzhenitsyn: "You have power over people only so long as you don't take everything away from them. But when you have robbed a man of everything, he is no longer in your power -he is free again." People who have been exploited for centuries together are empowered when they are supported to know their rights and duties. For that purpose, there is the global acceptance of education for all.
The aim should be to provide a learning place that treats everyone equally, including the last man, as defined by Gandhiji.