Author: JS Rajput
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: November 5, 2008
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/132313/Education-(not)-for-all.html
The Union Cabinet, at the fag end of the UPA
Government's tenure, may have approved the draft legislation to enshrine education
as a fundamental right in the Constitution. But this does not mean that things
will change in real life. The rot remains unaddressed
On October 31, 2008 the Union Cabinet approved
the draft legislation that guarantees education as a fundamental right to
all children in the age group of 6-14 years. Such a decision could have infused
a sense of great societal motivation across all possible diversities if it
was taken up in the sixth decade of the last century. Today, it enthuses none.
No one expects any attitudinal transformation in the system or any change
in the work culture in the departments of education in the States or their
relationship with the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
This 'sudden approval' is also ascribed to
the coming Assembly and general elections. What else could one expect after
such a long and painful wait of six decades that has been inflicted upon the
country, particularly the children from weaker sections of the society? In
these days of transparency, the details of the draft approved by the Cabinet
are to be made public only after the Election Commission is taken into confidence!
An additional outlay of Rs 12,000 crore per year would be needed for implementation.
One wonders whether State Governments are really in a position to contribute
their share. The long-promised allocation of six per cent of GDP for education
remains only on paper; it is just about half of it.
The neglect of education continues to be substantial
despite the increase in numbers regularly presented by the Ministry of Human
Resource Development as evidence of its achievements in education reforms.
Millions of children are still not getting enrolled in schools and a majority
of them who do join, drop out before they reach class VIII. A measure of the
existing state of affairs in schools is evident from another approval of the
Union Cabinet on that very day: Safe drinking water will be provided in one
lakh schools.
Should the Government not tell the citizens
why schools have continued without safe drinking water for all these years?
Decades earlier, it was pointed out, based on surveys and authentic studies,
that girls drop out after three-four years in schools because of lack of toilet
facilities. We have numerous schemes to encourage female participation in
education but basic essentials remain ignored in schools even today. The absence
of a firm-yet-supportive system of evaluation of plans and programmes after
implementation has all along been a serious drawback in education. India lags
far behind several countries which became independent some five or six decades
ago.
On the management side of education, several
lessons could have been learnt if only it was observed how China achieved
universal elementary education far ahead of India. It could do so through
people's participation. Obviously, certain amount of discipline was there
but the prominent factor was the devolution of responsibility to the village
level councils. Their responsibilities were very clearly delineated and the
measure of Government support was also indicated to them. They were authorised
to mobilise additional resources to achieve results. It gave rise to a healthy
competition. It is universally said about China that if you go to any village,
look for the best building and it shall be the school.
In India, after independence, education gradually
drifted away from community. Its management and administration became like
that of any other Government department. The results are before us. By the
time the Panchayati Raj Acts came into force, tremendous irreversible damage
had already been done.
Equality of opportunity and quality are the
basic pillars of the constitutional provisions on education and social justice.
All philosophical formulations and foundations on these aspects were also
ignored as an alien system was allowed to continue unchanged. The essence
of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of education through skill development was
quietly ignored. All recommendations on neighbourhood schools and introducing
a Common School System have been reduced to naught. The Government went on
opening schools for the privileged classes through public funds. Those who
did not fit in were encouraged to send their children to 'public schools',
which are touted as quality schools. Schools run on public funds deteriorated
in every respect.
Why should there be an enormous difference
in the schools for the children of a Central Government employee and those
of his brother who may be a small farmer in Jhabua? If the wards of Central
Government employees deserve good schools, why not the sons and daughters
of a Muslim farmhand working somewhere in a village in a remote area of Uttar
Pradesh?
The issue came up for considerable attention
in 1993 when the Supreme Court in its judgement in the Mohini Jain case declared
that right to education is a fundamental right and it flows from the right
to life in Article 21. Earlier, successive Governments took shelter behind
the claim that their obligation to provide elementary education was confined
only to Article 45 of the Directive Principles of the State Policy.
It was only in 2002 that the 86th constitutional
amendment was brought in to make education a fundamental right and Article
21-A was added: "The State shall provide free and compulsory education
to all children of the age six to fourteen years in such a way as the State
may, by law, determine." Further, Article 45 was also changed to "The
State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all
children until they complete the age of six years". The other significant
change was addition to Article 51A making it the duty of parents to provide
opportunities to their children/wards to get education till they attain 14
years of age. It was strongly argued that the State was abdicating its responsibility
for the children below six years of age.
When the UPA came to power, it had to make
'some changes' in the 86th constitutional amendment and it began to do so
with considerable fanfare. After nearly five years, the Cabinet has given
its approval. Nobody knows whether it will be put up for legislation in the
next session of Parliament.
