Page 49 - EW July 2024

ages 1.20 million primary-secondary
schools, it also strictly regulates
450,000 private schools that educate
48 percent of the country’s 260 mil-
lion in-school children. To its credit,
the K’Rangan Committee highlighted
this “conflict of interest” and recom-
mended a division of these roles. Ac-
cordingly, NEP 2020 mandates es-
tablishment of an independent State
School Standards Authority (SSSA) in
every state of the Indian Union.
A CCORDING TO PROF.

GEETA KINGDON, Chair-
person of education eco-
nomics and international
development at University College Kingdon: level playing field call Menon: depoliticise education
London, and also President of the City
Montessori School, Lucknow, certified secret that government schools suf- teacher training and development
as the world’s largest one-city school fer from chronic teacher absentee- progammes currently being provided
by Guinness World Records (57,000 ism and lack of teaching effort. It’s by state SCERTs are sub-optimal. Un-
students, 2,196 teachers in 17 cam- of utmost importance that the pro- less the teachers resource stock is ur-
puses), currently (state) governments visions of Chapter VII are rigorously gently improved countrywide, there’s
are “judge jury and executioner” of implemented in government schools little chance of the several excellent
K-12 education across the country to ensure teacher accountability and recommendations of NEP 2020 be-
inasmuch as they run government better institutional governance. In his ing implemented in the country’s 1.50
schools, regulate private schools and second innings, Mr. Pradhan should million schools,” opines Menon, an
routinely punish the latter for actual give high priority to these issues to im- alumna of Delhi and Leicester (UK)
and alleged infringement of myriad prove teaching-learning outcomes in universities and Promoter-Director
laws, rules and processes legislated K-12 education,” says Prof. Kingdon. of the Bengaluru-based The Teacher
by the Centre and states. Teacher training and accountabil- Foundation (estb.2002) which has
“It’s well-established that in gen- ity are also flagged as sharp focus ar- trained and mentored 62,000 teach-
eral, teaching-learning standards and eas for education minister Pradhan ers over the past two decades.
learning outcomes of private schools (or his successor) if he does survive Moreover, Pradhan’s top priority in
are better than of public/govern- the NEET-UG entrance exams scandal his second innings should be to build
ment schools. As such, government (see Special Report story in this issue) a national consensus for depoliticiza-
which runs its own schools, tends to by teacher educator Maya Menon. tion of education for orderly develop-
be prejudiced against private schools “There’s a lot of truth in the cliché ment of 21st century India’s massive
— which enroll almost half of all that a school is as good as its teachers. child and youth population, says Me-
school-going children countrywide The general quality of teachers in the non. “Although NEP 2020 is a vision-
— and often imposes harsh restric- country’s schools, especially govern- ary charter, four years on, there is little
tions and punitive action upon them. ment schools, is very poor and little is evidence of its implementation, espe-
Therefore, early constitution of truly being done to improve it. Therefore, cially in government schools. For in-
independent SSSAs to regulate pub- building teacher-resource capacity is stance, although NEP 2020 mandates
lic and private schools impartially is an issue of utmost importance. The merger of preschools with primary
of critical importance to create a level schools, it hasn’t happened in Ma-
playing field in K-12 education. The harashtra and Karnataka where gov-
second urgent imperative is for state Appointment of truly ernment anganwadis haven’t expe-
governments to heed the mandate independent SSSAs is of rienced any change. Moreover, there
of Chapter VIII in NEP 2020, which is excessive and irresponsible politici-
sets out teachers’ accountability and critical importance to create zation of NCERT textbooks which are
governance norms which are specially a level playing field in K-12 chopped and changed because of po-
important for the country’s 1.20 mil- litical compulsions to the extent that
lion government schools. It’s hardly a education — Geeta Kingdon their authors are agitating to be dis-

JULY 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 49