Page 42 - EducationWorld March 2022

Cover Story

where airports and highways have
been built by government and leased
to private companies to manage. The
truth is that government — especially
state governments — have miserably
failed to manage public schools effi-
ciently,” says Dhirendra Mishra,
promoter-director of the Raipur/
Bengaluru-based Life Educare Pvt.
Ltd, an education consultancy which
has aided the promotion of 55 K-12
private schools countrywide
Economists and media pundits ad-
vise that nations should never waste
crises. The Covid crisis presents the
Central and state governments a
unique opportunity to implement
long-delayed reforms in the education
sector. If single window clearance is Parikrma's Shukla Bose: tripartite government schools development model
given to private school promoters
with the option to promote taxable spite the fact that government school this project, an individual or family
for-profit, non-profit and charitable teachers are very well remunerated in contributes a mere Rs.5 lakh to es-
schools, education institutions of comparison with their private school tablish a modest library in a govern-
all types will mushroom at all price counterparts. ment or NGO school to commemorate
points and competition will drive Little wonder there is a continuous a dearly departed parent or family
down tuition fees. Moreover, if a large flight of children to private budget member. After failing to persuade sev-
number of government schools are schools. According to Prof. Geeta eral government schools to accept this
forced to shut down, a school vouchers Kingdon, professor at the Institute donation (and responsibility), in 2016
scheme can be introduced for parents/ of Education, University College, Lon- your editor and siblings established
children to enroll in schools of their don, the average number of children the Malati and Vinoo Thakore
choice. Nothing but good can flow in (state) government schools has Memorial Library in the Hebbal
from the overdue liberalisation and been reduced to a mere 34. (Bengaluru) primary-secondary of
deregulation of Indian education. Quite clearly state governments the Parikrma Humanity Foundation.
which have thus far been laid back Unfortunately, despite consider-
6 Provide better infrastruc- about primary-secondary education able publicity, this initiative failed
ture, sanitation and health-
to inspire the country’s hard-hearted
and have permitted all sorts of rackets
care in government schools related to issuance of NOCs (no-objec- middle class to follow the example.
tion certificates), various licences and However, this library is a live model
truism that post-independence permits, textbooks writing and print- for other small-scale philanthropists
A India’s omniscient central plan- ing, teacher appointments and forcing to emulate and replicate. Moreover,
ners and educationists forgot is that their dominant languages as media of there are numerous options available
schools have to be comfortable and instruction (see https://www.educa- to state governments to involve corpo-
attractive institutions to draw and tionworld.in/12-uninterrupted-rack- rates and NGOs which are ready, will-
inspire children. While private school ets-destroying-indian-education/), ing and able to contribute to the uplift-
managements have grasped this real- need to get their act together and ment of government schools in their
ity, the educracy that manages and make a genuine effort to raise re- states. But for this to happen, states
monitors government schools have sources to improve the infrastructure have to make a determined effort to
not. Therefore to this day, govern- of their schools. co-opt and/or regulate the educracy
ment schools — especially the great Inevitably with most states running which is a major stumbling block.
majority of primary-secondaries run budget deficits, the excuse of paucity Registered way back in 2003 by
by state governments — are defined of funds is routinely advanced. How- Shukla Bose, at one time the most
by ill-constructed buildings, deficit of ever, there is considerable scope for well-remunerated woman CEO in In-
libraries, laboratories and lavatories initiatives such as the ‘Million Memo- dia, over the past 19 years Parikrma
and multi-grade teaching because of rial Libraries Now’ project launched Humanity Foundation (PHF) which
widely tolerated teacher truancy, de- by EducationWorld in 2013. Under runs four free-of-charge K-12 schools

42 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2022