Page 14 - EW April 2021

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Missed liberalisation However, given the past record
opportunity of BMC in managing its state board
THANKS FOR your hard-hitting affiliated schools, I am skeptical
cover story on the Union Budget about the success of this initiative.
2021-22 (EW March). It’s not enough for the corporation
I appreciate your exposing the to invest in infrastructure such as
double standards of the BJP which digital classrooms, computer labs,
professedly believes in free-markets science labs, playgrounds and librar-
and private enterprise. This is ies, it needs to focus on recruiting
BJP’s second government at the and training high-quality teachers
Centre and it has not lifted a finger and efficient principals committed to
to liberalise the heavily regulated delivering quality education. This is
education sector. On the contrary, its what will determine whether BMC’s
education policies are a continuation new CBSE schools will succeed.
of Congress policies and continue Hemant Rathore
to discourage private edupreneurs MUMBAI
MARCH 2021 from promoting schools, colleges and
universities. As you rightly say, if the
government doesn’t have the money Misprinted rankings
to invest in upgrading Indian educa- THE RANKINGS OF Hyderabad
Scandalous neglect tion, it should move out of the way Public School, Begumpet are mis-
CONGRATULATIONS FOR present- and open doors to private capital. printed in EW February (pg. 64).
ing a well-researched analysis of the Jignesh T on E-MAILl Please note our school is ranked
Union Budget 2020-21 (‘Bare cup- #3 in India, #1 in Telangana and #1
board for world’s most high potential in Hyderabad in the day-cum-board-
children’, EW March). Slashing the Inspiring special needs ing school category in the EW India
Centre’s allocation for public educa- school School Rankings 2020-21. However,
tion by 6 percent in the pandemic YOUR EYEWITNESS reports includ- in your February issue our ranks are
year, during which all education in- ing your latest ‘Model school for printed as #3 in Telangana and #2 in
stitutions were shut down for almost special needs children’ (EW March) Hyderabad. This misprint may affect
ten months, is a telling indicator of never fail to inspire. Chettinad-Sath our image as it shows rankings which
the low priority accorded to human Sadhana, Chennai, is doing a fantas- are different from what we have been
capital development by the BJP/ tic job amidst all challenges of the sharing publicly. Please rectify the
NDA government at the Centre. pandemic to continue the learning of error immediately.
The overwhelming majority of special needs children. Dr. Skand Bali
children in government schools, es- It’s also creditable that the insti- Principal, HPS, Begumpet
pecially in rural areas, have no access tute is now focused on delivering life HYDERABAD
to online learning, and experts pre- skills development and skills training
dict that it will take decades to make programmes to enable children to We regret the error. Please see your
up for the massive loss of learning lead financially independent lives. award photograph and correct
they have suffered. It’s scandalous Reema Srivastava on E-MAIL ranks reprinted on pg.70 — Editor
that the budget contains no provi-
sion to enable government school
children to purchase digital gadgets More than money First edition
or access online learning. I WAS PLEASED to read that the THANK YOU for the book review on
It’s doubly curious that Union fi- Brihanmumbai Municipal Corpora- My Good School (EW March). Just
nance minister Nirmala Sitharaman tion (BMC) — India’s wealthiest local one fact needs to be corrected. This
didn’t think it apposite to provide government — has put its money to is not a “...second edition.” It is a
resources in the budget for imple- good use and launched ten greenfield new book and the very first edition
mentation of the National Education CBSE-affiliated schools (Education published by Rupa Publications.
Policy 2020 released in July last News, EW March). The children of Sandeep Dutt on E-MAIL
year by her government with great the poor deserve equal opportunity
fanfare. and access to high-quality schools The error is regretted and has been
Sarvesh Sarangi affiliated with CBSE and other pan- corrected on our online edition
PUNE India exam boards. www.educationworld.in — Editor

16 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2021