Page 10 - EducationWorld March 2022

Editorial

EDUCATION AS USUAL IN BUDGET 2022-23 private schools by according them
MSME (micro, small and medium
enterprises) status — a long-standing
he union budget 2022-23 pre- nologies), teacher training and school demand — which would enable them
sented to Parliament and the infrastructure. In this connection, it’s to avail concessional loans and en-
Tpublic last month has generated pertinent to note that the Centre’s hanced credit awarded to pandemic-
considerable confusion and anxiety allocation for public education as a hit MSMEs. Moreover with the exodus
within the small minority of educa- percentage of GDP has been steadily of disenchanted students from gov-
tionists and educators who look at the falling from 3.8 percent in 2000-2001 ernment schools showing no signs of
big picture. Although India’s educa- to a mere 2.6 percent in 2022-23. tapering, surely the time has come for
tion sector is emerging from the pan- Against this, way back in 1967 the Ko- deregulating private education.
demic crisis of the longest lockdown thari Commission, the Subramanian In the final analysis there’s only so
of education institutions (82 weeks) Committee (2016) and Kasturirangan much the finance minister could have
worldwide, and a huge challenge of Committee (2018) had recommended done with a revenue of Rs.39.44 lakh
extraordinary remedial education that annual expenditure on education crore of which interest on borrowals
confronts the educators community, (Centre plus states) should aggregate is Rs.8.13 lakh crore and the fiscal
the provision of Rs.1.04 lakh crore 6 percent of GDP. This means that the deficit is Rs.16.61 lakh crore. The big
which is lower than the Rs.1.22 lakh Central government needs to allocate hole in the budget is the Central gov-
crore budgeted for 2019-20 shows at least 2 percent of GDP for the states ernment’s revenue from its 358 public
no awareness of this. It’s a business- to follow its lead. sector enterprises. With over Rs.1,000
as-usual allocation for the learning Given rising income and wealth lakh crore invested in them, they
advancement of the world’s largest inequalities worldwide, the sentient should have provided an income of
child and youth population estimated rich are calling for higher taxation of Rs.10 lakh crore. Instead, the govern-
at over 500 million. the top 10 percent. But no such call for ment’s non-tax revenue is budgeted
A more determined effort should higher taxes is likely to emerge in In- a mere Rs.2.69 lakh crore. That’s the
have been made in Budget 2022-23 to dia. In the circumstances, Sitharaman strong argument for privatisation. But
get India’s high-potential children and could have provided tax incentives against the target of Rs.1.75 lakh crore
youth in public schools back in class for the rich to promote philanthropic last year, Budget 2022-23 expects a
and learning in right earnest. This re- education institutions, and support mere Rs.65,000 crore from privatisa-
quires considerable investment in ICT for promoter/owners of the country’s tion. The country continues to pay a
(information communication tech- estimated 400,000 low-fees budget huge price for socialism.

COMPLEX ISSUES IN HIJAB CONTROVERSY in school classrooms. If girls in pre-
university colleges are permitted head
covering in classes XI-XII because of
arnataka’s hijab controversy lent to freedom of expression. In fa- religious injunction, it could be argued
which broke out in early Janu- vour of the petitioners, it is also being that they should be granted the same
Kary when six girl students of argued that under Article 15 that the right in classes IX-X because Islam
a government pre-university college State (i.e, government college) is pro- decrees that they cover their hair upon
were denied entry into their class- hibited from discriminating against attaining puberty.
rooms for wearing hijabs (heads- any citizen on the grounds of religion, Against this the Karnataka govern-
carves) is spreading in ever widening race, caste or place of birth. Not al- ment contends that a judgement in
circles across the country, and has lowing students wearing headscarves favour of the petitioners could prove
even drawn the attention of the Jed- is tantamount to discrimination on to be the thin end of a wedge that will
dah (Saudi Arabia)-based Organisa- the basis of religion. Moreover under divide the country’s classrooms on re-
tion of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Article 25 of the Constitution, all citi- ligious lines and undermine the secu-
which has expressed “deep concerns” zens have been conferred the right to lar character of the Indian State.
about “continued attacks targeting freedom of conscience and free profes- Therefore, the judges of the Karna-
Muslims”. The matter is now being sion, practice and propagation of their taka high court have to walk through
adjudicated by a three-judge bench of religion. The petitioners contend that a minefield of competing fundamental
the Karnataka high court. prohibition of the hijab abridges their rights. But that’s why judges — indi-
Even as the matter is sub judice, right to freely practice their religion. viduals of great learning and experi-
it’s important for educators, parents, These three Articles included in ence of the law — are appointed. No
and students — our core readership — Part III which spell out the fundamen- doubt the learned judges will apply
to understand the complex legal and tal rights of citizens apart, Article 21-A their erudition and experience in the
constitutional issues involved. In Part which makes it incumbent upon the judgement they deliver. The issues
III, the Constitution of India grants State to provide free and compulsory involved in the hijab controversy are
three valuable fundamental rights to education to all children between the too complex for media pundits and
all citizens. The first is the right to age of six to 14 in such manner as the laymen to resolve. Therefore the con-
freedom of speech and expression un- State may by law determine, may also stitutional schema requires all citizens
der Article 19 (1) (a). It can be argued be germane to the issue of girl children to abide by the verdict whether they
that the right to wear hijab is equiva- being permitted to wear headscarves agree with it or not.

10 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2022