Page 26 - EW may 2026

Education News

While the BJP-led Centre cannot merous scams and scandals in educa- children admitted into private schools
be absolved — particularly regarding tion under Mamata Banerjee’s watch scheduled to be released on May 20
funding disputes and the denial of ‘In- — and her conspicuous failure to re- and admissions finalised through lot-
stitute of Eminence’ status — the TMC form the education system — proved tery on May 22.
government’s day-to-day stewardship the TMC’s undoing. In a state with a Education ministry officials who
is primarily to blame for the sad de- glorious tradition of scholarship and conduct and finalise s.12 (1) (c) ad-
cline of JU, bearing in mind that it is erudition, the slow, visible decay of missions maintain that applications
a state government-funded and man- education institutions sealed her fate. typically surge closer to the deadline
aged higher education institution. For other politicians who persist (May 18). However, the current low
Recurrent teacher recruitment scams, in neglecting education of the world’s response marks a sharp departure
widely publicised — a senior minister largest child and youth population, the from previous years. In 2024-25,
in charge of the education portfolio is writing is on the wall: when education the Tamil Nadu education ministry
awaiting trial after a mountain of cur- systems collapse under the weight of received 1.58 lakh applications, and
rency notes were found in the flat of corruption and neglect, adverse politi- in 2023-24, over 1.1 lakh applica-
his mistress — and deeply resented, cal outcomes are inevitable. West Ben- tions from poor households indicat-
struck at the heart of middle-class as- gal’s 2026 verdict is a warning. ing strong demand for free-of-charge
pirations. Teaching jobs — once sym- Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) seats in private schools. The sluggish
bols of merit and stability — became response this year has aroused alarm
synonymous with corruption. TAMIL NADU among policymakers and education-
To a substantial extent, BJP’s ists, especially given that historically
“sweeping victory in the recently Private schools Tamil Nadu has been among the
concluded legislative assembly elec- more proactive states in implement-
tion is the outcome of TMC’s systemic mirage ing s.12 (1) (c).
neglect of Bengal’s education and in- Advocate M.J. John Arokia
tellectual foundations. TMC allowed ree-of-charge admission of poor Prabhu, vice president of the Tamil
recurrent teacher recruitment scan- children residing in the neigh- Nadu Private Schools Association,
dals to become a moral assault on the Fbourhood of private day schools discerns deliberate government
state’s heritage, effectively negating as mandated by s.12 (1) (c) of the Right delay in kickstarting the admission
academic excellence by administra- of Children to Free & Compulsory process. “The government portal
tive paralysis. This callousness — evi- Education Act (RTE), 2009 for the becomes active only just before start
denced by vacant leadership positions 2026-27 academic year, has begun on of the admission cycle and remains
in higher education and the swelling a disquieting note. Within the first two largely inaccessible for the rest of
unemployment crisis — left Bengal’s weeks of start of the applications cy- the year, limiting continuity and
youth with no alternative but to seek cle on April 20, private schools in the awareness. The government seems
a change of government. Ultimately, state have received only 18,000 appli- to be doing this deliberately because
TMC was routed because it priori- cations against nearly 80,000-85,000 it doesn’t want to encourage s.12 (1)
tised populist rhetoric over develop- seats available. Under the 25 percent (c) applications as it hits enrolments
ment and integrity of our schools and RTE Act quota in private schools, in government schools. If the process
universities,” says Prof. Pabitra barely 20 percent has been availed. commences so late, many parents are
Sarkar, former Vice Chancellor of the The application process is scheduled unaware of how many free seats are
Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, to close on May 18, with the list of poor available in private schools. There
founded in 1962 to mark the birth cen- John Prabhu (right): deliberate delay is little transparency in the
tenary of Nobel Laureate Rabindra- process,” says Prabhu.
nath Tagore. Observers also highlight
Since the dawn of the new millenni- the fiscal dimension of low
um thanks in part to the launch of Ed- s.12 (1) (c) admissions in
ucationWorld driven by the mission private schools. Under s.12
to accord highest priority to education (2), the state government
to develop India’s abundant human is obliged to reimburse
resource, there’s intense awareness private schools the tuition
that education is the sole passport for fee equivalent to the aver-
upward mobility of the great mass of age per-child expenditure
citizens toiling at the bottom of the in government schools or
country’s iniquitous social order. The actual tuition fee levied by
media’s relentless exposure of the nu- private schools, whichever

26 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2026