Page 8 - EducationWorld Feb 2021 Low

Editorial

IF YOU CAN’T INVEST STEP ASIDE well-intentioned edupreneurs driven
by enlightened self-interest, willing
and able to develop India’s neglected
y the time you read this edito- ensure that the country’s children and human capital.
rial, the Union Budget 2021-22 youth receive good quality education The third child-centric education
Bwill have been done, dusted and that is their fundamental right. For reform that the cash-strapped govern-
presented to Parliament and the peo- a start, it could direct public sector ment at the Centre could initiate is to
ple. Although the National Education banks to set aside Rs.5,000 crore to introduce the well-debated voucher
Policy (NEP) 2020 presented last July provide bridge loans to the country’s scheme for primary-secondary chil-
firmly resolved to double the national unique budget private schools (BPS) dren. It’s common knowledge that
(Centre plus states) annual outlay for which have an estimated 60 million per-child expenditure incurred by
education to 6 percent — a recommen- children on their muster rolls, as de- state and local governments well ex-
dation first made and accepted in 1967 manded by NISA (National Indepen- ceeds tuition fees charged by many
but unimplemented for seven decades dent Schools Alliance). BPS provide private, especially budget schools.
— this statement of intent is certain to education to children of lower middle Therefore, it makes perfectly good
be deferred to next year. Again. class households who’ve opted out sense for government to provide
According to the Reserve Bank of of dysfunctional government schools education vouchers which would
India, because of the pandemic lock- defined by rock-bottom learning out- empower parents to enrol their chil-
down of business and industry, GDP comes and English language aversion. dren in schools of their choice, gov-
is likely to contract by 7.7 percent Secondly, the BJP which professes ernment or private. Introduction of a
in 2020-21 which means that NPAs a free markets and free enterprise ide- school vouchers programme will also
(non-performing assets) of banks will ology could liberalise the over-regulat- have the socially beneficial outcome
soar, and nationalised banks in par- ed education sector to smooth the way of compelling government schools to
ticular will need budgetary provision for private initiatives in preschool to improve educational standards.
to recapitalise. All this means that higher education. Currently, 1,005 Admittedly, the grim post-pan-
provision for public education is not duly completed documents need to be demic economic scenario doesn’t al-
likely be increased. officially approved by the Directorate low the BJP/NDA government the
However, even if the BJP/NDA of Education of the Delhi state govern- fiscal space to ramp up investment
government at the Centre cannot ment to promote a greenfield school in in public education. However, it can
double its education budget which is the national capital. In state capitals, introduce systemic reforms by shed-
the prerequisite of making good the 6 bureaucratic requirements are even ding the dog-in-manger attitude of
percent of GDP promise of NEP 2020, more onerous. But for this disincen- officialdom. If government can’t lead
it can introduce education reforms to tive, there would be no shortage of or follow, it must get out of the way.

WHY PRESIDENT BIDEN MUST SUCCEED ing tested Covid-positive and over
400,000 fatalities, the highest world-
wide. Yet the greatness of America is
that all these and other issues that
n january 20, america awoke academy and media, tend to dismiss confront its society are debated with
to a bright new dawn. A new Americans as loud, crass, greedy and frank and fearless transparency in in-
Ochapter has begun in the his- ubiquitous — “over-rich, over-sexed dependent institutions of governance
tory of the United States of America and over here”. But this contempt and the media.
(pop.331 million), the world’s oldest is rooted more in envy than in ideo- In his powerful and inspiring mes-
democratic nation (estb.1776). Jo- logical or intellectual superiority. sage to America and the world, Biden
seph (‘Joe’) Biden, former vice presi- The plain truth is that warts and all, spelt out the daunting challenges
dent of the US during the presidency America is the world’s most highly in- confronting his presidency. “A once-
of Barack Obama (2009-2017), with tellectual, innovative, productive and in-a-century virus silently stalks the
a respectable 40-year track record militarily strongest nation worldwide. country. It’s taken as many lives in one
in US politics, was sworn-in as the This is not to say that the US is a year as America lost in all of World
46th President of the world’s wealthi- perfect democracy. Far from it. Over War II. Millions of jobs have been lost.
est and militarily most powerful na- 150 years after the country experi- Hundreds of thousands of businesses
tion, commonly acknowledged as the enced a bitter civil war (1864-68) on closed. A cry for racial justice, some
leader nation of the free world, i.e, the issue of abolition of slavery, there 400 years in the making, moves us… a
democratic countries which elect their is pervasive prejudice against the na- cry for survival comes from the planet
governments in free and fair general tion’s over 40 million black communi- itself... And now a rise of political ex-
elections based on the principle of one ty which remains poor and backward. tremism, white supremacy, domestic
man/woman one vote. Contemporary America is also expe- terrorism that we must confront and
It’s easy — and fashionable — to riencing deep and widening income we will defeat.”
sneer at Americans. Left-leaning in- inequalities, and a rising crime wave. All right thinking people around
tellectuals who despite the collapse Moreover, the country is an epicentre the world — and especially in India,
of communism worldwide mysteri- of the raging Coronavirus pandemic the world’s most populous democracy
ously continue to dominate the Indian with over 50 million citizens hav- — should wish him God speed.

8 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2021