Even those in the low-income groups are eager to admit their children in the smallest of private schools rather than have them go to government ones. This is despite the fact that no fees need to be paid, and free midday meals are served in the latter. It is an indicator of the kind of education and facilities being provided in government schools. Of course, while this is the general state of affairs, there are exceptions where things are as they should be.
Free school education of a high standard is one of the primary objectives of any developing nation. That the poor feel pressured to pay for a better education for their children indicates that even the requirements are not being met. This should have been the highest priority of the nation after independence, but it was neglected. It may be noted that Kerala was one state that paid attention to this need and benefited in a big way from having a literate population.
Attention is being paid now to this problem with it becoming a major part of political parties’ manifestos. The Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, for instance, benefited electorally from this approach before the people realised that much of it was show and not genuine reform. It is true that good infrastructure is necessary for schools, but it is important that the children are seen to benefit from the education imparted. It is not just enough to have qualified teachers but also motivated ones. There must be the entire gamut of activities that go into providing students the opportunities to develop their talents and pursue their dreams.
Considering that it has been a difficult task delivering quality education even in the nation’s capital, one can only imagine the challenges faced by schools in difficult terrain like the hills. Uttarakhand, for instance, is facing the consequences of having continued with a dysfunctional system. It is good that attempts are being made to introduce reform, particularly in the form of clusters by merging primary and upper primary schools. The claim is that children will have the necessary number of teachers and the required facilities. The promise also is that the children will be provided safe transport to and from these schools, which is undoubtedly necessary. However, all things considered, it is proving to be difficult to implement. Even so, the effort has to be made otherwise the first necessity of modern existence will be denied to a majority of the population.
