Page 40 - EducationWorld September 2020

Cover Story

I d i a ’ s p r i v a t e s c h o o l s : Bi g p i c t u r e Pr i v a t e Un a i d e d Sc h o o l s
n
350,000 | 87 million students

Pr i v a t e Ai d e d Sc h o o l s
84,000 | 28 million students
Pr i v a t e
G o v e r n m e n t
n
1 1 9 m i l l i o n I 1 6 s t a t e s , m a j o r i t y o f c h i l d r e n s t u d y
1 3 2 m i l l i o n 4 7 . 5 % s t u d e n t s i n p r i v a t e s c h o o l s (%)
5 2. 5 % s t u d e n t s
Goa 83.8
Maharashtra 74.1
Kerala 73.9
Manipur 69.1
Uttar Pradesh 64.2
Tamil Nadu 61.1
Total in-school students: 251 million

Source: U-DISE (2017-18) & Unesco Statistics (2020) Source: PSIR 2020

children from middle and low-income reference to legislation enacted by
families — India’s next half billion — several state governments imposing
are enrolled”, need to be brought out ridiculously low fees and ceilings, and
of the shadows and given encourage- prescribing impossible infrastruc-
ment and support. “Nearly 40 per- ture norms for private schools under
cent of children studying in private s.19 of the Right of Children to Free
unaided schools come from ‘aspiring’ & Compulsory Education (RTE) Act,
or deprived segments (of society). 2009. Nor does it comment on the
However as the report shows, learn- “partial backdoor nationalisation”
ing outcomes in private schools are of private schools under s.12 (1) (c)
not materially different from govern- of the RTE Act under which private
ment schools. Therefore given the schools are obliged to allot 25 percent
scale of the sector, improving learn- of capacity in classes I-VIII to poor
ing achievements in private schools children in their neighbourhood. To
needs to become an essential part defray the expenses of such poor chil-
of the human capital agenda for In- Anand: NEP 2020 blindspot dren, state and local governments are
dia,” says Kudva, an IIM-Ahmedabad obliged under s.12 (2) to reimburse
alumna and former managing director say about private schools is that “the private schools the equivalent of per-
of CRISIL (Credit Rating Information current regulatory system has not child expense incurred by government
Services of India Ltd), the country’s been able to curb commercial and schools, or charged by schools thus
pioneer credit ratings agency which economic exploitation of parents” by admitting poor children, “whichever
provides ratings, research, risk and “many” private schools. Moreover, the is lesser”. Moreover in a brazenly in-
advisory services to corporates and new policy makes a mealy-mouthed iquitous provision inserted into the
financial institutions. distinction between “private philan- RTE Act (s.18), government schools
K UDVA’S CALL FOR gov- i.e, not-for-profit, and for-profit structure and other norms prescribed
are exempt from adhering to infra-
thropic efforts for quality education”,
for private schools by s.19.
ernment and public atten-
schools and higher education institu-
As if this overt discrimination
tion to private, especially
affordable budget private tions (HEIs). The policy document’s against private schools isn’t enough,
several references to “commerciali-
schools (BPS), is overdue. Because sation” and “exploitation” by private according to K u l b h u s h a n S h a r -
despite almost half of India’s school- education providers is indicative of m a , president of the Delhi-based Na-
going children having voted with their deep prejudice ingrained in the es- tional Independent Schools Alliance
feet to learn in private schools, there’s tablishment, unlikely to be corrected (NISA) which claims a membership
barely a mention about them in NEP in the foreseeable future. of 60,000 mainly affordable budget
2020. All the policy document has to For instance, NEP 2020 makes no private schools, arrears of reimburse-

40 EDUCATIONWORLD SEPTEMBER 2020