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ignore that some of them are profi- monitoring. I believe this way we can
teers. Even courts have found many ensure quality and accountability
instances of schools overcharging from private preschools.
and diverting funds to non-academic Priti Jagtiani
purposes. Education cannot become BENGALURU
a goldmine for private schools.
Dr. Asha Krishnamurthy
BENGALURU Timely reminder
THANKS FOR your well-written
You have the option of free-of- Eyewitness Report ‘Monumen-
charge government schools — tal enduring tribute’ (EW June).
Editor Congratulations to OP Jindal Global
University, Sonipat for establishing
and curating an imaginatively con-
Much needed spotlight ceptualised Constitution Museum to
YOUR EDITORIAL ‘Retest collaps- commemorate 75 years of adoption
JUNE 2025 ing cities managers’ (EW June) of the Constitution of India.
shines a much-needed spotlight on As the author says this isn’t just a
one of the most urgent challenges of museum; it is a living academy that
Thought-provoking our time — reversing the decline of actively fosters understanding of In-
I AM A regular reader of EW. Your urban infrastructure. dia’s constitutional journey, the hard
cover story ‘Private School Fees: Be- I fully support the compelling case work and efforts of the framers of
ware Government Regulation Trojan made for professionalising city man- the Constitution that empowers new
Horse’ (EW June) was insightful, agement and instituting specialised generations to protect and renew
thought-provoking and encourages skills training, performance assess- it. In an age when civic education is
constructive dialogue. ment, and stronger accountability disappearing from school curricula,
Your Trojan Horse metaphor frameworks for civic engineers and this museum is a timely reminder to
rightly highlights that even well- managers. To halt the collapse of our children of the importance of cher-
intentioned government fees cities, we must put well-qualified and ishing our rights and freedoms.
regulation can have unintended trained urban planners and special- Kudos again!
consequences. It will stifle institu- ists in charge, and demand data- Brinda Kapoor
tional autonomy and level standards driven, long-term planning. DELHI
of private schools downwards. I Mahendra S.
wholly agree with you that tuition MYSURU
fees should be privately negotiated Access precondition
between parents’ associations and YOUR EXPERT Comment essay
school managements. Welcome directive ‘AI-driven learning: An urgent im-
Reshmi Nair YOUR KARNATAKA Education perative’ (EW June) made interest-
MUMBAI News ‘Pre-primaries target’ (EW ing reading. Author Yogi Kochhar
June) was informative. As a parent, has ably articulated the benefits of
I welcome the government’s direc- AI-powered technologies which can
One-sided narrative tive for all preschools to be formally customize and individualize learning
YOUR COVER story (EW June) is registered. Many preschools are experiences, offer students real-time
a one-sided narrative. It downplays being run unauthorisedly from home feedback, and free educators from
rampant, arbitrary fee increases and basements and ill-ventilated sheds. mundane administrative tasks.
exploitation of parents by private If preschools formally register and However, with a majority of
schools and offers flimsy solutions. follow a stipulated set of guidelines, schools in rural India lacking func-
You dismiss parental anxiety of 20- it will boost the quality of early child- tional computers and internet con-
30 percent annual fee hikes as a mere hood education. nectivity, it’s far-fetched to imagine
“supply-demand problem,” without However, I don’t agree with the AI transforming education in rural
acknowledging the financial toll it idea of engaging an independent schools. Ensuring equitable access to
imposes on middle class families. private authority to monitor the technology is essential for realising
Moreover, you warn that govern- process. Instead, the state govern- the full potential of AI in education.
ment fees regulation will disincentiv- ment should take the entire process Malini Choubey
ise “edupreneurs,” but conveniently online for effective and transparent GURUGRAM

12 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2025