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K-12 education reform: Other voices preservation and sustainable development. Conversations
on digital citizenship — beyond digital literacy and skills —
“First, change the way schools are funded. in their formative years will equip our children to maintain
Instead of funding schools by way of that balance” — Bunker Roy, founder, Barefoot College,
grants, government should fund students Tilonia
directly through direct benefit transfers
(DBT). Households/parents should be “First declare digital learning platforms
given education vouchers of various a public utility like electricity and water
denominations to ‘purchase’ education in supply. Secondly, government should fund
schools of their choice. The voucher system would create students, not schools, through the much
competition between schools — to provide good education debated school vouchers programme. Third,
to attract and retain voucher-bearing students. Secondly, encourage promotion of private schools, and
government should separate its roles as funder, provider public-private partnerships. Education must
and regulator of government schools. Government schools become the country’s #1 national priority.” — Nooraine Fazal,
are unsuccessful because in its regulatory capacity, co-founder, Inventure Academy, Bengaluru
government is unlikely to impose punitive sanctions on its
own schools. Thirdly, I would recommend that government “First, incorporate blended and flip learning
recognition of private schools, including private budget in all schools. This will give more time for
schools, should be based on outcomes, not inputs. At students to develop creative and critical
present under s.19 of the RTE Act, government recognition thinking, communication and higher order
of a school is dependent upon complying with a range thinking skills in their classrooms. Secondly,
of infrastructural norms. Infrastructural inputs have no understanding revamp pedagogies to enable
proven relationship with learning outcomes — skills and real of concepts rather than rote learning.
knowledge — which is what parents and employers care Third, provide professional, vocational and skill-based
about” — Prof. Geeta Kingdon, chair of education economics training to students to enable them to chart out career
and international development at the Institute of Education paths after school” — Deepak Madhok, chairman, Sunbeam
of University College London Group of Education Institutions
“Teachers have been neglected for so long “Numerous research studies indicate that
that it will take at least 25 years of sustained foundational learning is the only way to
training and support before we make a improve learning outcomes of in-school
significant dent in improving the learning children. Ensuring universal foundational
experiences and outcomes of India’s literacy and numeracy skills prior to
school-going children… internationally our completion of class III, can bridge the
learning outcomes are embarrassingly poor especially for wide learning gaps that exist today, increase workforce
a country that has lofty aspirations of being a superpower. participation and improve overall quality of life. The FLN
My prescription for closing this big learning gap is to invest (foundation, literacy and numeracy) mission of the Central
in teachers — both pre-service and in-service.” — Maya government has high potential and every effort should
Menon, founder-director of the Bangalore-based The be made to ensure its robust implementation by state
Teacher Foundation governments. Simultaneously, there’s a lot of work to be
done to unlock the true potential of edtech to seamlessly
“The Central and state governments integrate conventional and online teaching-learning in
should sharply increase outlays for public classrooms as well as at home. Lastly, there’s urgent need
education. There should be greater to create an enabling environment and build a scalable
emphasis on vocational and skills training model for the affordable private school system where
to equip Indian youth with industry almost 50 percent of India’s school-going children study”
preparedness. And upgrade teacher training — Ashish Dhawan, founding-chairman Central Square
programmes in new technologies usage Foundation, Delhi
to enhance e-learning” — Grace Pinto, Managing Director,
Ryan International Group of Institutions “First, schools have to reinvent themselves. The
prime lesson of the Covid-19 pandemic is that
“First, government, society, should make teaching a truly technology must be infused into classrooms to
aspirational profession. Currently, except for a small aid and enhance learning outcomes. Secondly,
minority of mavericks, it is a fallback profession. From schools should learn to reduce their expenditure
investment in training, higher salaries, stronger quality to make education pocket-friendly. Third, the
checks at entry, to high-visibility recognition and well- Central and state governments should double their annual
marketed campaigns in media, a concerted national effort education budgetary outlays for public education, so
is needed to elevate the profession and bring back its value that quality education becomes accessible to financially
and dignity. Secondly, democratise education by bringing disadvantaged households” — Damodar Goyal, president of
parents and learners into the education system. Third, the Society for Unaided Private Schools of Rajasthan
educators need to balance technology with environment Source: EducationWorld 2017-2020

56 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2024