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Education News



         another subject that is not offered in                                       which is empowered
         rural schools and colleges, at least                                         to  issue it  “subject  to
         not on the scale it should be,” writes                                       such conditions as may
         Madhav Chavan, president of the                                              be prescribed”. BMC
         Pratham Education Foundation.                                                has prescribed that it
           Nevertheless digital competence                                            should be renewed ev-
         is not an adequate substitute for                                            ery three years.
         conventional primary education,                                                Although the RTE
         especially basic reading and nu-                                             Act mandates that rec-
         meracy skills. ASER 2023’s revela-                                           ognition should be giv-
         tion that more than 25 percent in the                                        en  for  five  years,  state
         14-18 age group can’t read a simple                                          government educracies
         class II textbook fluently and over 55                                       across the country are
         percent can’t do simple math sums                                            attempting to reduce it
         after completing primary-secondary   BMC headquarters: de-recognition drive  to lesser periods for pri-
         education is bad news for the Indian                                         vate schools to inspect
         economy which is clocking GDP    ment blindspot is shared by India   them for violation of fire safety regu-
         growth of 7 percent per year. It   Inc and the academy. As a result,   lations, and playground provision.
         means India Inc is certain to experi-  there’s little pressure on government   However, old schools, some of them
         ence a severe shortage of sufficiently   to rework budgets to release greater   established over a century ago, are
         literate and skilled employees in the   resources for the education and   unable to adhere to all the norms pre-
         near future. Although self-learning   health of the world’s largest child   scribed by s.19 and the Schedule of the
         through digital media can ameliorate   and youth population. One of the   RTE Act. Some of these norms include
         the situation, it is no substitute for   most damning conclusions of ASER   a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:35, barrier-
         sound primary (and pre-primary)   2023 is that only 5.6 percent of the   free access and a one-acre playground
         education.                       surveyed youth are enrolled in voca-  — impossible in land starved Mumbai.
           “One of the consequences of uni-  tional training or related courses.  S.19 of the RTE Act states that “no
         versal elementary education is that it           Autar Nehru (Delhi)  school shall be established or recog-
         raises student and family aspirations                             nised under s.18 unless it fulfills the
         for an academic pathway leading to    MAHARASHTRA                 norms and standards specified in the
         white collar jobs. Not only does this                             Schedule”. For older schools, s.18 (2)
         lead to cutthroat competition for get-  Discriminatory            provided a grace period of three years
         ting into colleges, but it also closes                            for them to “take steps to fulfill such
         young minds to the possibility of   recognition                   norms and standards at its own ex-
         exploring other livelihood pathways                               penses within a period of three years”.
         for progress. The responsibility for   esponding to a query filed un-  That period has long since elapsed.
         creating a new highway for transition   der the Right to Information   Institutions failing to obtain this
         from school to work lies not only on  RAct, the Brihanmumbai Mu-  certificate  can  be  derecognised  and
         the education system but also with   nicipal Corporation (BMC) has dis-  heavy fines to the tune of Rs.10,000
         industry. Developing a variety of   closed that 218 primary schools, in-  per day and Rs.1 lakh penalty may be
         effective paths to help young people   cluding some highly reputed private   imposed by BMC. Notably this provi-
         find productive livelihoods so that   primary schools in Mumbai — Anan-  sion applies only to private schools, in-
         they can live fruitful lives is one of   dilal Podar, Santacruz; St. Michaels,   cluding institutions affiliated with the
         the major challenges facing India   Mahim; St. Andrews Primary, Bandra;   ICSE and CBSE exam boards. Hither-
         today,” writes Rukmini Banerji,   St. Aloysius, Santacruz; Alexandra   to, they required a mere no-objection
         CEO of Pratham in ASER 2023.     Girls, Fort; Rustomjee Troopers (Da-  certificate  from  the  state  education
           But with government (Centre    hisar), and Gloria Convent, Byculla —   ministry.
         plus states) expenditure for public   have been operating for several years   In defence of their alleged viola-
         education stuck in the 3-4 percent of   without renewal of their recognition   tions, private school managements
         GDP bog for the past seven decades   certificates.                query why these infrastructure and
         as against the global average of 5   Under s.18 of the landmark Right   other norms are not applicable to
         percent and OECD countries’ 7-10   of Children to Free & Compulsory Ed-  Mumbai’s 220 government schools.
         percent, the future of India’s chil-  ucation (RTE) Act, 2009, all schools   “After the RTE Act became law in
         dren — especially rural children — is   are obliged to obtain a ‘recognition   2010, the state and municipal gov-
         bleak. Unfortunately, this govern-  certificate’ from the ‘local authority’,   ernments  have  legislated  fire  safety

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