Page 30 - Education World July 2020

Cover Story

NETA-BABU BROTHERHOOD

DESTROYING PRIVATE EDUCATION

In the thick of the unprecedented economic disruption following the
ongoing national lockdown prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic,
India’s powerful 20 million strong politician-bureaucrat brotherhood
steeped in socialist dogma, seems to have discerned an opportunity to
deliver a hammer blow to private education

Dilip Thakore

T HE COUNTRY’S 375,000 PRIVATE un- spate of notifications and circulars ordering private school

aided schools, an estimated 400,000
managements to waive or defer tuition fees for the March-
budget private schools (BPS) and
June quarter. Coterminously, school managements are di-
300,000 private pre-primaries which
rected to continue to pay salaries and emoluments of their
provide superior education to over
teachers and support staff. School promoters, principals
50 percent of India’s 260 million in-
school children, are suffering severe
with prosecution under several provisions of the Disaster
institutional stress and are being and managements who fail to comply are being threatened
Management Act, 2005. With parents of school-going chil-
pushed to the edge of bankruptcy. Post-independence dren encouraged to breach their contract to pay their chil-
India’s establishment including the powerful 20 million- dren’s school fees by confusing government notifications,
strong neta- b ab u brotherhood steeped in socialist dogma and public sector banks reluctant to provide credit, a large
has never acknowledged the massive nation-building con- and growing number of private schools — especially bud-
tribution of private schools, colleges and universities. Now get private schools — are laying off teachers and staff and
in the thick of the unprecedented economic disruption contemplating closure.
following the 68-day national lockdown prompted by the “Although MSMEs (micro, small and medium enter-
novel coronavirus (aka Covid-19) pandemic, it seems to prises) and agriculture have been given stimulus packages
have discerned an opportunity to deliver a hammer blow to and interest payment moratoriums by government and na-
private education. In particular to BPS which have emerged tionalised banks, education is the only sector which has not
as formidable competitors of the country’s 1.20 million gov- been given any relief for the damage and loss it has suffered
ernment schools. for having to shut down schools and all institutions for over
State governments across the country have issued a three months following outbreak of the Covid-19 pandem-

30 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2020