Making way for real education

We were creating a new stratified society by imparting superior form of education to higher classes to students from rich families and we were not giving admission to students from poor families. Very high school fees and large donations deterred the aspiring parents to get best education for their children. Yesterday, the Supreme Court has made a ruling that 25% of seats in government aided will be reserved for economically and socially backward classes in government aided schools and fees would not be charged. ‘Right to education for all children less than 14 years’ has been merged with the ‘25% reservation to children of backward classes’ ruling. The previous Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 had given right to some school but not good schools. Now this ruling has made possible for admission to a good school without having to pay exorbitant fees. Those schools which do not receive government funds will also give seats to the children from backward families because government will reimburse the fees. If any one of the schools deny admission or punish the child, their recognition of that will be withdrawn. But the cost of books, notebooks and computer costs (e-library & internet) will not be reimbursed. Can we really give egalitarian education?

Facts: In India there are about 1250755 schools providing elementary education. In these about 80.2% are government run, 5.8% private aided and 13.1% are private and unaided. Enrolments in them vary as per costs of good education and affordability of parents.

Results: The backgrounds of students will vary greatly. Less advantaged (poor) will be studying with more advantaged (rich) students. There is good scope of real learning about each other’s conditions. And such environment is good for children to learn about social pressures from one another by sharing visions on the very different social situations,which they face and experience. Deep seated resentments may arise due to social distances that the gap in economic statuses generates. There is firm faith that this situation would be by itself a valuable social interaction which is an intrinsic part of real education.