The renewed resolve to regulate fees charged by private schools in Uttarakhand in accordance with existing rules is a good idea. However, it is the job of the government to regulate business activities in a well-informed manner. In many ways, private schools function on business principles as the high standards required of them have to be paid for from resources generated from the means available. Their problems are exacerbated by the fact that expenses on students admitted under the Right to Education Act have also to be adjusted irrespective of what is actually paid by the government.
Education in the private sector is also competitive. So many parents select a school for their offspring based on its reputation for churning out ‘scholastic achievers’, even if the children end up spending hours commuting back and forth. With pressure for admissions based on these perceived rankings, business principles require that the demand be managed partly by hiking fees. It is not fair, for instance, to admit children on the basis of ‘tests’, particularly in the early years. It is only when such schools become ‘out of reach’ that the space opens up for new schools to be established. Another way of managing demand is through the neighbourhood school principle, under which only children living within a certain proximity of the school are permitted admission. This also serves to limit children’s commuting time. It would be, of course, difficult to enforce this in its entirety in a city like Dehradun, where schools are established in clusters. However, if properly thought through, a beginning can be made, which would result in a speedier spread of schools.
Very importantly, it should not be forgotten that teachers and other staff have to be paid in accordance with their qualifications and skills. Government needs to ensure that schools charging high fees are also paying the teachers at proportionate levels, with the necessary perks like provident fund, gratuity, paid leave, etc. It is only by allowing market forces to operate in a large, regulated space that schools can emerge catering to all sections of society. After all, if it was that easy providing quality schools, would not government establish Kendriya Vidyalayas everywhere? It does not because the costs have to be subsidised, essentially for government employees’ wards. The old socialist model, such as only AC First Class and Third Class in the trains, has to give way to services targeted at every category of customer – one size does not fit all.
