It has been some time since I created this blog on instigation from my daughter. Many vague thoughts on diverse subjects have crossed me since but my frequent mobilisations prevented me from giving them words. The situation remains similar even now, however, the thoughts that came across my mind today were perceived to be too critical for me to be able to pass them off in the garb of excuses.
Today while I was moving around in Bhopal city for some other important quest, I happen to land up in a government school, which had a close and current relation with me. Since I was new to this place, I decided to take the opportunity to familiarise with the framework that the school organisation functions with for my cause. Soon enough the information reached the concerned staff and I was welcomed with lot of warmth into the school and was shown around the available facilities they had. While the school had a sumptuous landed area, the infrastructure had nothing much to boast of. Though for a government school it still looked far better.
Subsequently when me and the staff sat down in a small room to enjoy a glass of coke and biscuits, we slowly got induced into discussing some finer aspects of running the school. What came out from these discussions was extremely painful and made my mind wander around for the causes and solutions for the extant problems. Some of these were already put across to concerned staff but the concerns need to be dealt with in detail and addressed suitably as well with promptness of an emergency situation.
The Government Schools in India
What I perceive and write here is what a layman thinks about a government school anywhere in India barring few exceptions. These schools control a large area with an oldish and fragile looking building. The open area within the premises is generally level but has no or meager beautification. White washing of the weak looking school building is seldom done. The entire setup gives an appearance of a mismanaged organisation, right at the first sight. The school I visited today was far far superior to many that I have visited in past.
The core activity of the schools, which is education/teaching, is generally poor. Many teachers would not even show up for the classes and many who turn up, would not take much interest in teaching the students. The students are largely from the low income group families and are mostly involved in earning the bread for their families. The families possibly consider the time spent by these students in the school a waste of time. Consequently, many of these students are irregular and most would leave the school half way through the school timings to catch up with their respective work. Education to these children is neither a requirement for their parents nor a necessity for the students themselves. Needless to say that many of such students are brought into the school forcefully by few keen teachers of the schools. There are no major selection criterion and almost anyone who can be enrolled in a class is enrolled. Merit, Cut-offs, selection test etc are alien words for these schools. The school I visited today was no different except that the teachers appeared to be very involved in their respective duties both in and out of the school.
The fee charged is a meager amount (roughly 1000-2000 Rs annually) whereas the teacher's salary is much better than many private institutions as they are decided by pay commissions.
The Private Schools in India
I will exclude those schools which are operating with substandard land area and meager infrastructure on transient basis. But the ones, which have comparable land area, are mostly provided with a much better building and the open area in the premises is better organised. A visible effort goes in to beautify the exteriors and the area within the campus by the school management. Needless to say that the first appearance is far better in comparison to a government school. In some case, both the exterior as well as the interior can put a five star hotel to shame.
The core activity is better organised, with teachers and students coming regularly. Family of the students are supportive to the student's education and both understand the importance of education itself. Most of these schools have a selection criteria based on merit or a cut off or an entrance test. Teachers are selected by the management and it is apparent that while selecting, the clan of English speaking or convent educated candidates are preferred.
The fee charged is high (ranging from 36000 to 5 lacs annually and even more in some cases) and the teacher's salary is negotiable. I have my doubts if any of them are getting salaries comparable to the teaching staff of government schools.
The Problems
1. Lack of interested students in government schools. Most students are leftovers from the private schools and belong to low income group families. A clear difference of class, both in temperament as well as intellect level, between government schools and private schools is established right at the beginning. As a result, the results of government schools are far inferior as compared to private schools.
2. Possible disinterest among the teachers of government schools because of security of job. However, they need to understand that the days are not far when the axe of austerity measures are brought upon them, even if the inferior results of the school is the doing of poor category of students in their schools.
3, No person who is from a slightly better income group is interested in putting his/her ward in a government school. There could be two reasons. Fear of wrong company and poor quality of education to the child.
There could be many more but I find these to be the main issues at hand.
Possible Solution
Given the infrastructure and the reputation earned by government schools, it is highly unlikely that the quality of students available to them is going to improve. There is a dire need to bring the infrastructure of the government schools at par with (if not better than) the reputed private institutions. This can be achieved by phase-wise development of the schools and the state will have to be closely and sincerely involved in this. These developments will reduce the events of "rejection at first sight" from those who stretch there means to provide better educational facilities to their children. I will never enter a shopping mall, which is posh from inside but looks like a BHOOT BANGLA from outside.
The teachers need to become alive to the situation that their survival is at stake. They not only need to take desired interest in the teaching process but should try and identify few of the students who show some spark in them. These students need to be given extensive attention to make them perform better than the private school toppers in the board level examinations. Even if there is one such student, people will turn their head and look at your school. And if this can be achieved by the teaching staff, many who are stretching there resources will migrate back to the government schools.
Where these are my limited views on the core issues, the experienced readers may give their valuable suggestions. I will continue to write on this issue every now and then because I do not want an important pillar, of our social structure and human development, get annihilated due to commercial interests of a selfish class of society. That is another story and the vague thoughts will soon be organised for it.
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