Page 47 - EducationWorld September 2020

of students has declined from 126.2 low-skilled workers,” says S a n de e p
million to 102.3 million — a reduction D u tt, a reputed school coach and au-
of 23.9 million students. The result: thor of G ood Schools of India, first
the average enrolment has fallen from published in 1998 and reprinted in
122 to just 99 pupils per school over 2008. An economics graduate of Delhi
the seven-year period,” wrote Kingdon University, over the past four decades,
and Panagariya in an op-ed essay in Dutt has advised 176 mainly private,
the Economic Times (June 7). but also Army and Sainik schools
Curiously, Indian academics have countrywide, on ways and means to
maintained a deafening silence on the upgrade and improve institutional
issues of pathetic learning outcomes culture and holistic learning.
and unaccountability of government Quite clearly, it’s high time the
schools emptying out across the coun- country’s 450,000 private schools
try, and continuous harassment of pri- and 400,000 budget private schools
vate education providers. However, which host half the country’s school-
offshore academics of the diaspora going children get a square deal from
monitoring the embarrassing status the Central and state governments. It’s
quo in Indian education tend to be also high time that the judiciary, acad-
more forthright. Dutt: critically important role emy and fast-expanding middle class
I N AN OP ED ESSAY IN TH E rations around the world, and have cal role of private schools in national
unambiguously acknowledge the criti-
Times
(August
nurtured the over 300 million-strong
Economic
development. Scornful references to
21), D r. N e e ra j K a u s h a l ,
ploiting” parents and students — as
professor of social policy at middle class, is becoming — even if “commercialised private schools ex-
belatedly — more vocal.
Columbia University and author of “The critically important role painstakingly explained in PSIR 2020
the highly acclaimed Blaming Im- played by private schools in educating — are unwarranted.
migrants, N ationalism & Economics and developing the leaders of industry, The plain truth is that private
of G lob al Movement (2018), severely education, healthcare and the profes- schools are institutions promoted by
chastises government and NEP 2020 sions, has never been acknowledged. dedicated educationists driven by the
for its “whiffs of contempt for unaided Yet it’s undeniable that India’s private spirit of enlightened self-interest, if
private schools” and the well-known schools have developed the country’s not pure philanthropy. Moreover, as
charity Oxfam India in particular entire educated middle class and the confirmed by the Supreme Court in
for contending that the new policy overwhelming majority of the build- the landmark T.M.A Pai Case (2002),
encourages privatisation of educa- ers of modern India. Private schools every citizen has a fundamental right
tion. “Are private schools worthy of — particularly boarding schools — to promote a private school of her
such scorn? Is anything wrong with attract students from all parts of the choice, legitimately pursue the voca-
privatisation? Let the facts speak for country and promote national unity tion of education and derive a reason-
themselves. Over the past four de- and harmony. They provide the high able profit therefrom.
cades from 1978-2017, the share of quality foundational education that “Only thoughtful and structural
private unaided schools in overall en- leaders of Indian industry and latter- reforms will give students in private
rolment increased from 3 percent to day entrepreneurs need. On the other schools their best chance at learn-
35 percent. Enrolment in government hand because of continuous neglect ing. And we cannot make substantial
schools, meanwhile fell from 74 per- and poor administration, government progress towards better learning for
cent to 52 percent. The Indian educa- schools at best produce shopfloor and India’s children without facilitating
tion sector has seen enormous priva- this chance for the nearly 50 percent
tisation because government schools Curiously Indian academics of them in private schools,” says PSIR
failed to deliver,” she writes. have maintained a 2020.
Such impatience and exasperation These are words of wisdom that the
with successive governments at the deafening silence on establishment and middle class which
Centre and in the states which con- the issue of government entertain great expectations of India
tinue to rubbish private schools and transforming into a $5 trillion econ-
HEIs which have educated India’s schools emptying out and omy and a global super-power, would
most acclaimed scientists, engineers, continuous harassment of do well to heed, and ensure a level
authors and business professionals playing field for the country’s belea-
heading major multinational corpo- private schools guered private schools, sine qua non.

SEPTEMBER 2020 EDUCATIONWORLD 47