Page 40 - EducationWorld October 2020

Cover Story

Why budget private schools need aid package

The Delhi-based National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), which has a membership of 60,000 budget private schools
countrywide, recently conducted a survey among its member institutions to ascertain the proportion of students in 22
states, who paid their school fees during the pandemic lockdown (April-June).

Himachal
Assam Chandigarh Delhi Gujarat
Pradesh
15% 7% 10% 22% 19% 10%
15% 4% 25.8% 4% 15%
Andhra Jammu &
Pradesh Bihar Chhattisgarh Goa Haryana Kashmir

Madhya
Pradesh Nagaland Rajasthan Telangana Uttarakhand
5% 36% 8% 14% 25% 35%
6% 20% 19% 15% 15%
Uttar West
Karnataka Maharashtra Punjab Tamil Nadu
Pradesh Bengal

Survey notes: 3,690 schools with 1.65 million children Source: NISA

the previous year 2019-20. However, ment schools since end-March.
no new or additional allocations by the “These children have started
Union government have been made to working as child labour, are vulner-
the education sector in the prime min- able to human trafficking with mil-
ister’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan lions pushed into early marriage. It
package of Rs.20.97 lakh crore. This will be a huge challenge to get them
is sad because the education and mid- back into school after the pandemic is
day meals of millions of children in tamed. Under the RTE Act, primary
the country’s 1.2 million government education is a fundamental right of
schools have been severely affected in every child in the 6-14 age group. But
the past six months. Moreover with the government has done nothing to
the Union and state governments suf- ensure that children in government
fering huge tax revenue losses because schools continue their education dur-
of poor economic conditions, we might ing the pandemic. No provision has
witness contraction of the education been made for providing them online
budget,” says Kundu. Dr. Kundu: no additional provision education, digital devices and Internet
U NSURPRISINGLY, educa- the world’s largest school meals pro- glaring public-private education and
connectivity. The country’s already
digital divide has widened further,”
gramme.
tors and voluntary sector
(aka NGOs) leaders are
According to Ambarish Rai, na-
Rai’s gloomy lament about the wid-
aghast that little or no tional convenor of the RTE Forum, a says Rai.
provision has been made in the prime coalition of over 10,000 NGOs, edu- ening digital divide and its deleterious
minister’s May 12 stimulus and relief cationists and social activists gathered consequences for bottom-of-pyramid
package for the 132 million children under the forum’s banner to enforce children is not unwarranted. Accord-
from low-income households who the Right of Children to Free & Com- ing to the National Sample Survey
are totally dependent on govern- pulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, 2017-2018, a mere 8 percent of In-
ment schools under lockdown for six an estimated 20 percent (30 million) dian households with children and
months, not only for education but children from marginalised house- youth aged between five and 24 years
also for their free mid-day meal — holds have dropped out of govern- have access to the Internet and com-

40 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2020