THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION ACT, FAR FROM HELPING REALISE A DREAM, IS A NIGHTMARE. THE GOVERNMENT IS INACTIVE ON THIS AND OUR CHILDREN ARE PAYING THE PRICE.
I WANT EVERY Indian child, girl and boy, to be so touched by the light of education. I want every Indian to dream of a better future and live that dream.” Those were the words of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his address to the nation on 1 April 2010, the day the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act became operational.
Seven years later, there is widespread acknowledgement that the Right to Education (RTE) Act (as it is popularly known), far from helping realise a dream, is actually a nightmare. A law that was supposed to be the solution to all of India’s problems in primary education has now itself become the problem. Far from increasing access of children from low-income backgrounds to education, it has imperilled it; far from improving the quality of education, it has led to deterioration in standards. And as if this were not enough, it has opened up more avenues for corruption.
Staunch defenders of the Act, though their numbers are dwindling, insist that the Act is not the problem; poor implementation is. The sceptics, whose ranks are swelling, concede that the RTE Act may have helped in a couple of areas, but point out that they stand vindicated in their initial assessment—that it is a fundamentally and conceptually flawed piece of legislation. It has focussed on infrastructure and inputs—teacher-pupil ratio, teacher qualifications and salaries, uniforms—rather than quality of education. At a time when the licence-quota raj in education needed to be dismantled and the market allowed to grow to meet rising demand, its provisions are designed to reinforce the licence raj and kill the market.
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Denne historien er fra May 2017-utgaven av Swarajya Mag.
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The Hesitant Orbit
In order to march boldly ahead into the deep space, New Delhi must work towards building a station, boost its techno-economic planning and use the Indian Space Research Organisation smartly.
Nudges And Narratives
The debate surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati brings India a complex network of portraits within a cultural world-system.
The Spell Of Specialisation
THE INDIAN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE NEEDS AN URGENT REJIG. THE KEY TO SPEED AND EFFICIENCY LIES IN PUTTING AN END TO A GENERALIST APPROACH AND IN GOING FOR A NEW SERVICE.
The Great Gamble
With demonetisation, the prime minister has taken a huge risk— both economic and political. He must succeed, because this move could transform both our economy and our society.
The Lies And The Truth
The government must be bold enough to up-end the activists who are coming in the way of the nation’s agricultural progress.
Figuring Out China
China’s economic footprint is being followed by its military footprint. To know that is not be belligerent but to prepare oneself adequately.
Management 108
The Upanishads Have A Lot To Teach Today’s Executives When Outcomes Are Unpredictable, Relationships Complex, And Change Is The Name Of The Game.
Sunny Days Ahead
THE NEW GUIDELINES FOR TAXI SERVICES ARE SENSIBLE, RATIONAL, AND MORE THAN WELCOME.
The Cultural World-System
Despite much talk of “soft power”, the fact is that whichever way you slice it, Indian culture fares poorly at seeking or exercising it
The Hard Way Forward
India has been focused on software, but there are large opportunities to be seized in hardware. A primer, and some busting of myths.
