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Education News
wake-up call to the state government in-school children. holds, s.12 (1) (c) of the landmark
to invest in education rather than Evidently learning outcomes of the Right of Children to Free & Compul-
in handouts such as free electricity, state’s politicians and establishment sory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 pro-
bus rides for women etc and to make are not high either. They still prefer vides a small window of opportunity
teachers accountable for raising stu- to distribute fish rather than teach the for their children to study in private
dents’ learning outcomes. This is a state’s high-potential population how schools where the quality of educa-
serious matter which requires urgent to fish. tion is far superior. Under s.12 (1) (c)
government attention as high-quality Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru) non-minority private day schools are
primary school education is the obliged to reserve 25 percent capac-
prerequisite for success in higher MAHARASHTRA ity in class I for children from poor
education and industry.” households in their neighbourhood,
Prof. B.S. Rishikesh, Head, Dashed RTE admission and retain them free-of-charge until
Hub of Education, Law and Policy, completion of class VIII.
Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, dreams Yet despite the RTE Act mandat-
believes the Karnataka government ing 25 percent reservation in pri-
needs to switch focus from higher to ith maharashtra (pop. 127 vate schools for EWS (economically
foundational literacy and numeracy million) experiencing con- weaker students) children, admission
(FLN) as some traditionally back- Wtinuous political turmoil — processes for these children continue
ward states have done to record the state has been ruled by multiple to be plagued by bureaucratic inef-
improvement in ASER 2024. governments, including the Maha Vi- ficiency and legal hurdles. In Maha-
“FLN learning levels in Karnataka kas Aghadi, the BJP-backed Shiv Sena rashtra, parents are obliged to await
are disheartening. It’s shocking that faction, and the current coalition, in admission (by a lottery process) right
a mere 34 percent of class V children the past five years — its 65,639 public/ until the start of the new academic
can read class II texts. This means government schools are going from year and uncertainty forces them to
that even after five years of school- bad to worse. enroll their children in neighbouring
ing, the majority of students in rural fees-levying budget private
Karnataka, irrespective of the type schools (BPS). Education ac-
of school they are in — government tivists warn that if the process
or private — are unable to read. The is not concluded by end-May,
National Education Policy (NEP) as mandated by law, thou-
2020 clearly states that FLN should sands of EWS children could
be the prime focus of all states. Kar- lose the chance of admission
nataka needs to launch a statewide into best neighbourhood pri-
FLN mission with missionary zeal to vate schools.
ensure that children acquire founda- “Every year, we hope for
tional literacy and numeracy skills by a smooth process, and every
class III,” says Rishikesh. year, we are disappointed,”
uch sensible advice to invest in says Nitin Dalvi, an educa-
Sdeveloping human resources tion activist and representa-
from earliest age is likely to fall EWS children: small opportunity window tive of the Maharashtra State
on deaf ears as the Congress state Student Parents Teachers
government has allocated 25 percent According to the Annual Status of Federation. “Parents wait until May
of its annual revenue to fulfill its Education Report (ASER) 2024 of the for RTE admissions, but with no guar-
handouts guarantees including 200 highly-respected Pratham Education antee of selection, many are forced to
units of free power for every ap- Foundation released on January 28, admit their children into a BPS.”
plicant household, 10 kg rice per 42 percent of class V children in rural With most private schools opposed
person in below poverty line (BPL) government schools can’t read class II to “partial backdoor nationalization”
households, free-of-charge travel textbooks, and 76 percent can’t solve despite the Supreme Court having
for women in government buses, simple division sums. upheld s.12 (1) (c) while exempting
Rs.2,000 per month for women Therefore at this time every year minority and boarding schools, every
heads of family and Rs.3,000 for there’s a huge rush in every household year, thousands of RTE seats remain
unemployed graduates. Against this for admitting children into the state’s vacant due to private school manage-
Rs.53,674 crore outlay for freebies, 43,305 private schools. And because ments delaying admissions, by raising
only Rs.44,422 crore was allocated private schools are unaffordable for legal disputes on definitions of “neigh-
for educating Karnataka’s 12 million poorest, bottom-of-pyramid house- bourhood”, “poor households” and a
18 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2025