Page 20 - EW January 2025

Education News

gone? It’s gone for freebies. They are ly-respected independent Pratham celebrations, sports meets, educa-
borrowing money to give freebies. Education Foundation, which in a de- tional tours, camps and lectures by
Why is Siddaramaiah not giving schol- parture from past practice surveyed distinguished visitors. Approval for
arships to young people (instead) to the learning outcomes of youth aged these activities must be obtained in
go to college and train them? Karna- 14-18 in 28 rural districts across 26 advance from police and state and/or
taka generates 1 million jobs per year. states, in Karnataka almost one-third district-level committees. Moreover,
Only about 45-50 percent are filled by (32 percent) of rural teens aged 14-16 school principals must carefully vet
locals, the rest by people from other can’t read class II textbooks in their chief guests and guest speakers to
states. Nothing wrong with that… Why vernacular tongues and 62 percent ensure they have expertise in educa-
can’t you train our own people. He can’t solve simple math sums. And tion and psychology, are capable of
(Siddaramaiah) is not doing that. He only 28.5 percent have their own engaging students in age-appropriate
is giving freebies,” said Pai in a pod- smart phones. discussions, and “avoid controversial
cast last month. Astonishing statistics for India’s or unscientific subjects”. According
Unsurprisingly, with the state gov- premier ICT hub state. to the director of school education
ernment’s revenue being diverted into Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru) S. Kannappan, educational tours
consumption expenditure, investment should prioritise destinations such
in education is on a back burner with TAMIL NADU as museums, libraries, planetariums,
teachers. To make good the huge va- Creeping controls and historical sites. “For camps
an unofficial freeze on recruitment of
involving female students, mothers
cancy backlog, the education ministry can accompany their children if they
has resorted to hiring ‘guest teach- n mid-december, the tamil nadu wish, but other relatives will not be
ers’. Thus far, 45,000 guest teachers government introduced new allowed,” he adds.
have been appointed at Rs.10,000 per Iguidelines directing the state’s The new guidelines have been
month remuneration cf. Rs.25,000- government, aided and private introduced in response to recent
60,000 payable to permanent teach- schools (including CISCE and CBSE) incidents that highlighted oversight
ers. Guest teachers complain that with an aggregate 3.9 million stu- and safety lacunae. Four months ago,
even this meagre amount is not paid dents to obtain prior clearance from a guest speaker made controversial
regularly. Last September, after guest government for a range of school ac- remarks about physically challenged
teachers vigorously protested non- tivities — field trips, campus events, children at two government schools
payment of their accrued dues, the and guest lectures. in Chennai, sparking widespread
state government released Rs.249.41 Under the new rules, schools backlash from parents and disability
crore to clear them. are obliged to plan these and other rights advocates. Around the same
Full-fledged recruitment of govern- activities at the start of the academic time, allegations of sexual harass-
“ment school teachers has not hap- year to minimise disruptions to ment in NCC (National Cadet Corps)
pened for two years. After the Covid classroom teaching-learning. Every camps caused wide public outrage
pandemic, recruitment was stalled school is required to prepare a and calls for stricter protocols. These
with the government stating that chil- detailed month-by-month calendar incidents prompted several School
dren had moved to private schools. covering events such as annual day Management Committees (consti-
Now the government’s priority seems Children's day out: permission directive. Inset: Girija Devi tuted under s.21 of
to be fulfilling its poll guarantees the RTE Act) and
rather than investing in public educa- parents to demand
tion. The fallout of this huge number detailed rules to
of teacher vacancies is that students’ prevent similar in-
learning outcomes have plunged. cidents and ensure
There’s an urgent need for the state safer extra-curric-
government to conduct a thorough ular environments
survey of schools to determine teach- for children.
er vacancies and start a recruitment Although most
drive immediately,” says Maya Me- educators have
non, founder of the Bengaluru-based welcomed the
Teacher Foundation. government’s cau-
Meanwhile children’s learning out- tious approach,
comes are in free fall. According to the some have raised
Annual Status of Education Report concerns about the
(ASER) 2023, published by the high- additional adminis-

20 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2025