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Education News

lion students is suspect, the question enroled children who have
arises, who are these state-appointed dropped out of the school
teachers teaching? Such huge incon- system. The National Coali-
sistencies cannot be due to technical tion for Education Emergency
glitches alone. The state already has (NCEE), a pan-India alliance
a precedent of school managements of individuals, organisations
misusing teacher appointment funds and networks, has demanded
under the protection of corrupt edu- that the state government
cation officials. We are pressing for a immediately launch a door-to-
CBI enquiry because each time there is door survey to determine the
a scam, the department sets up a com- actual number of students in
mittee comprising education ministry schools across the state.
officials who give a clean chit to their “The state government
colleagues,” says petitioner Brijmohan needs to immediately conduct
Mishra. Education minister B.C. Nagesh a household survey to ascer-
Clearly a deep dive enquiry is nec- tain student drop outs and
essary. cost private schools — many ‘unrec- total new enrolments. Such a survey
Dipta Joshi (Mumbai) ognised’ by state education min- will provide the basis to launch
istries — established by education initiatives and programmes to bring
KARNATAKA entrepreneurs to cater to children children back to school,” says Guru-
Political disinterest of upwardly mobile lower middle murthy Kasinathan, Bengaluru-
and working class households flee-
based director of IT For Change, an
ing dysfunctional state government NGO, and member of NCEE.
HE HIGH COST OF THE PROLONGED and municipal schools defined by CEE has made several recom-
pandemic-induced 82-week crumbling buildings, chronic teacher Nmendations to the Karnataka
Tschools closure in India — the truancy and English language aver- government to get children back
most prolonged of any major country sion. With government schools going into classrooms after the pandemic.
worldwide — is becoming manifest. from bad to worse as testified by the Among them: conduct a house-
Even though education activists have Annual Status of Education Report hold census, contact all private and
been ringing alarm bells that over of the highly respected Pratham government schools at village/block
the past two years several thousands Education Foundation, the number level to identify children who have
of children have dropped out of the of BPS countrywide has risen to dropped out, organise back-to-school
education system and have been 400,000 with a staggering aggregate campaigns, ask teachers to contact
forced into child labour, early mar- enrolment of 60 million children, absent or disengaged students and
riage, child trafficking, etc, official according to the Centre for Civil So- persuade them to resume their
confirmation and data has been ciety, a Delhi-based think tank. education, while strengthening the
sparse. With the economy devastated state’s child protection services to
However on March 13, Kar- during the repeated pandemic prevent child trafficking and early
nataka’s primary and secondary lockdowns of industry, business and marriages.
education minister, B.C. Nagesh, trade, a large number of parents have “There’s no doubt that over the
divulged data confirming the worst pulled their children out of BPS. The past two pandemic years, several
fears of cassandras. Responding to acute financial distress suffered by thousands of children statewide have
a question posed in the legislative MSMEs (micro small and medium dropped out of school, especially in
assembly, the minister disclosed enterprises) explains why a substan- rural Karnataka. The government
that 1,400 government and private tial number of children reverse mi- needs to launch a student enrolment
schools across the state reported grated into government schools. The drive in all districts with special
zero new enrolments in the recently Annual Status of Education Report focus on primary schools and girl
concluded academic year 2021-2022. 2021 says that enrolments in Karna- children. Simultaneously, it needs to
Of the 1,400 schools reporting nil taka’s government schools increased introduce intensive remedial educa-
enrolment, 966 are budget private by 10 percent in 2021-22. tion programmes in all government
schools (BPS). Nevertheless, although the educa- schools. Unfortunately the govern-
A unique third world and espe- tion minister revealed that 1,400 ment has not announced any such
cially Indian phenomenon glorified schools statewide have reported zero initiatives as yet,” says Dr. A.S.
in Prof. James Tooley’s book The new enrolments, there’s no official Seetharamu, former professor of
Beautiful Tree (2009), BPS are low- word yet on the number of already education, Institute of Social and

20 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2022