Page 12 - EducationWorld October 2020

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finding that 70 percent of private the go-ahead for pursuing teacher
schools in India charge less than qualifications.
Rs.1,000 per month dispels many A major challenge confronting
deeply rooted myths about private principals and school leaders is of
schools, particularly that they are assessing would-be teachers for
exclusive elitist institutions that levy temperament and personality, love
exorbitant fees. for children and the profession.
Unfortunately the National Edu- Written exams followed by inter-
cation Policy 2020 endorses many views are hardly indicative of good
biases against private schools. In fact teaching and communication skills
as you rightly say, its ‘anti-privatisa- that enable meaningful teacher-pupil
tion’ stance will discourage private interaction.
investment and healthy competition Moreover, with 70 percent of
— widely acknowledged as the recipe the population living in rural India,
for excellence — in Indian education. it’s important for urban students
Moreover, the deliberate exclu- to be sensitised about life of their
SEPTEMBER 2020 sion of inputs of private education rural counterparts. My suggestion is
leaders in the NEP drafting process that private and government school
is alarming when close to 50 percent managements arrange compulsory
of India’s school-going children tours to village India to provide stu-
Implementing NEP 2020 are enrolled in privately promoted dents ‘beyond the school’ immersive
YOUR SPECIAL report ‘Implement- schools. Despite its seemingly fu- experiences.
ing NEP 2020 — Expert advice for turistic vision, the devil lurks in the Dr. Shayama Chona
Central government’ (EW Septem- details of NEP 2020! President, Tamana Autism Centre
ber) is well-timed as the public Devi Batra DELHI
debate has now moved to translating BANGALORE
this lofty document into reality.
Even as the newly renamed Union Huge edtech potential
education ministry has rather belat- Teacher training priority I AM A regular reader of Education-
edly invited suggestions from school THANK YOU for the excellent cover World magazine and enjoy reading
teachers and principals for ways and story on the National Education the excellent essays written by your
means to implement NEP 2020, Policy 2020 (EW August). I welcome columnists. I fully agree with the
the ministry will do well to heed the the renewed emphasis on teacher views expressed by international
recommendations of your carefully training and professional standards edtech consultant Roshan Gandhi
selected panel of education experts. in NEP 2020, with the hope that this in Expert Comment (EW August)
They have done an excellent job of too-good-to-be-true policy document that education technology has huge
recommending ways to execute NEP is implemented in letter and spirit! potential to assist in solving some of
2020. Drawing from my varied experi- India’s biggest education problems,
I believe the key to successful ence of several decades as an educa- and enabling implementation of the
implementation of NEP 2020 is dou- tor, I am of the opinion that more progressive recommendations of
bling spending on public education than anything, India needs high NEP 2020.
to 6 percent of GDP. Without money, quality teachers passionate about the This is a wake-up call for the
none of these grandiose plans to profession. But this profession can edtech sector. Over the past few
transform India into an education only become effective when teachers months it has experienced mas-
superpower will materialise. are paid respectable salaries on a par sive demand for online education
Mallika Bothra with corporate professionals. services. Edtech offers a short-cut
GURGAON I am in sync with NEP policymak- to develop a high-quality education
ers that teacher education — the system without waiting for NEP to
Achilles heel of Indian education — catch up!
Dispelled myths needs urgent overhaul. It’s notewor- Brijesh Agarwal

YOUR COVER story ‘Private Schools thy that in most foreign countries, PUNE
in India Report 2020: Brilliant case youth aspiring to qualify as teachers
for the defence’ (EW September) first work part-time in a school and Letters are welcome. Please email
makes a compelling case for support- based on feedback from the head to: editorial@educationworld.in
ing private education. The report’s of school, students and parents get

12 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2020