Page 38 - EW JULY PDF

Cover Story

Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), examination boards need to obtain
which has a membership of over approvals from state education min-
60,000 mainly budget private schools istries, the Delhi-based CBSE/CISCE
(BPS) with an aggregate enrolment of examination boards prescribe their
10 million children. own infrastructure, teacher-pupil ra-
T HE ‘OTHERING’ OF private affiliation. Even so, all affiliation ap-
tios and other norms prior to grant of
plicant schools are obliged to produce
schools by the State was
at its apogee during the
Covid-19 pandemic. The an NOC from their state governments.
In the national capital Delhi, to pro-
flood of GOs worsened during the mote a greenfield private school, an
82-weeks lockdown of schools — the edupreneur requires to submit 125
longest education lockdown of any documents to the Directorate of Edu-
country worldwide. For instance, cation, which pass through the hands
the Rajasthan government released of over 40 education ministry officials.
a GO every week of 2020 to regu- (see box)
late private schools, culminating in The fallout of pervasive, licence-
a detailed 133-point guide to “oper- permit-quota rules and regulations
ate during the lockdown”. Not a few Chandra: bankruptcy threat — most of them discretionary — is
state governments across the country that education has transformed into
issued arbitrary circulars directing government regulation to provide one of the most corrupt sectors of the
private schools to reduce tuition fees quality education to children,” says Indian economy. Despite the credit-
during the lockdown, and in some Dr. Amit Chandra, CEO of the able contribution of private schools
cases even imposed a moratorium Centre for Civil Society, a Delhi-based to the national development effort, at
on fees collection. As a result, private think tank. every stage corrupt educracies of state
schools, BPS in particular, which are Harassment of private school pro- governments harass, intimidate and
wholly dependent on tuition fees rev- moters begins when plans to promote shake down private school promoters
enue, suffered heavy financial losses. greenfield schools are on the drawing and managements.
According to U-DISE (2022), 2 per- board. Edupreneurs have to fulfil a be- In Karnataka, continuous and ris-
cent of the country’s BPS shut down wildering number of conditions to get ing official corruption in the educa-
during the pandemic. Yet during this the green light from state education tion ministry forced an association of
very trying period for private unaided ministries. Private school promoters, private schools to complain directly to
schools, the government didn’t extend whether a collection of like-minded Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On
financial aid such as the COVID Emer- people or a corporate entity, must reg- August 26, 2022, the 13,000-mem-
gency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme ister under s.8 of the Companies Act, bers-strong RUPSA (Registered Un-
(ECLGS) made available to micro and 2013 as a not-for-profit company or aided Private Schools Association)
small enterprises. under the Societies Act, 1860, or as a wrote a letter to the prime minister
“During the pandemic, challenges charitable trust. Thereafter, they have accusing government officials of this
faced by private schools, specifically to get land acquisition clearance, con- then BJP ruled state of extorting
BPS, multiplied. Thousands of budget struction, fire safety approvals, pro- massive bribes for renewal of school
private schools were confronted with vide evidence of adequate infrastruc- recognition, issuance of no-objection
the prospect of bankruptcy, as unpaid ture and teaching facilities — library, certificates to new CBSE and CISCE
tuition dues accumulated during the playgrounds, number of teachers and schools, RTE fees reimbursement,
lockdown because of confusing fee students etc. and other routine administrative func-
deferment directives issued by several Moreover, while promoters of tions.
state governments. Simultaneously, greenfield schools affiliated with state “Over the past decades, corruption
schools were mandated to continue has struck deep roots in the educa-
paying teachers’ salaries and provide tion bureaucracy of Karnataka. Laws,
online education. Bureaucrats went Edupreneurs have to fulfil policies and regulations governing
into overdrive, believing this was a a bewildering number of private schools are twisted for extor-
good opportunity to get students back conditions to get the green tion and bribery. Right from registra-
into government schools, if private tion which requires clearance from the
schools closed down. Fortunately, the light from state education land revenue department, fire safety
majority of private schools survived ministries and PWD departments and comple-
the lockdown and continue to brave tion of over two dozen documents to

38 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2023