In Rajasthan Patrika dt.16.05.06 the editor Mr. Gulab Kothari has raised some questions in respect of the Education in Schools, Private Vs Public schools, Policy Makers vis-à-vis their dependent’s education. At some point, due to the present cross country protests on the proposed Reservation Policy, he also dwelt on the subject but this is just a brief mention.
Principally all and sundry should at least give a thought to the points raised by Mr.Kothari and if a debate is initiated and some concrete steps taken on the basis of this, we can at least expect a big thank you from the FUTURE EDUCATIONISTS AND HISTORIANS.
He has rightly pointed out the apathy of the policy makers towards the MASES. People in power take it as a given that they are sacrosanct, RULERS, THE MIGHTY and are governed by a different set of RULES FOR THE PRIVILEGED, ROYALTY. Mr.Kothari puts some blame on the Teachers in the Government Schools. I personally don’t agree to this. In my observations the poorest (NOT JUST FINANCIALLY BUT OVERALL) of the Government Servants are Postmen and SCHOOL TEACHERS. During my college days one of my most respected Professors Dr.N.K.Das Talukdar (a great scholar of Mechanical Engineering) used to say “TEACHING IS A NOBLE PROFESSION” to this day I strongly believe it is. Mr.Kothari seems very impressed by the Private Schools and the conditions of teachers there. The condition of Teachers in the so called Private Schools is no Better. In fact if we keenly observe, Schooling is a BIG business of the day and NO PROMOTER IS INTERESTED IN EDUCATION. Everyone is after the FAST BUCK, though we have constitutional restrictions to RUN EDUCATION AS A PROFIT MAKING ENTITY. Thanks to our political - bureaucratic nexus we are able to overcome all legal restrictions which come in the way. Research in the OWNERSHIP OF Better Known Private Schools may reveal the involvement of this Political – Bureaucratic Lobby. The only positive aspect of the Private Schools is the Staff is mostly involved in Teaching while their counter parts in Government Schools have many things to do other than Teaching. The School Premises is also subject to such extra curricular use THANKS TO THE SOCIAL – POLITICAL responsibilities of both the STATE AND CENTRAL Government. Typical example being ELECTIONS, SURVEYS sponsored by the Government, Child Immunization drives, public meetings of POLITICAL LEADERS. This SPONSORED AND forced support is so STRONG that in some cases even the STUDENTS are Forced in to it. Remember some time back in UP, School children fell unconscious, waiting for their BELOVED NETAJI in SMOLDERING AFTERNOON HEAT.
I can go on and on, but what I feel is needed is, we start realizing the problem instead of being PASSIVE OBSERVERS, EXPLOITED USERS OF THE SYSTEM, DUMB BY STANDERS. Undertake serious discussions on the future of OUR CHILDREN and THE FUTURE OF THE NATION. Come up with some practical solutions and stand behind them. See the implementation of the SYSTEM AND Day to Day Follow-up to maintain and refine it. People before us also might have had similar opinion and philosophy but along the way CURRUPTION slipped in and led to the present cancerous State. Now the need of the hour is DARASTIC ATTENTION. THE SOONER WE RISE TO THE NEED THE BETTER.