The Question is...Why is India's Public Education System Failing its Children?
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Dear reader,
Let me take you through a little journey before I tell you about The Quint’s latest State of Education series. I want you to think about picking a school or college for your child. How do you decide which one would be the best for your kid?
What parameters do you consider— a well-constructed building, a big playground, classrooms and labs equipped with modern technology, subject-expert teachers, and how future-ready would your children be once they graduate? Do these parameters, more often than not, lead you to a private school or college, potentially burning a huge hole in your pocket?
The question, then, is why don’t you think of a government school or college when you consider key performance indicators? Why is the chasm between public and private education in India so profound?
In the State of Education series, I assessed the condition of government schools, colleges and universities to identify the gaps which have stunted India’s public education system, compelling parents to opt for private education for their children.
For this, I assessed large sets of data including reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports; the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER); Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+); annual reports of the Department of Higher Education as well as responses from RTI applications.
What I found was disappointing but not surprising.
These public records showed that thousands of crores are lying unspent in numerous schemes, including the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and PM SHRI, despite schools lacking basic facilities like separate toilets for girls, clean drinking water, functional computer labs, etc. What’s worse, 9,82,662 teachers’ posts are lying vacant in government schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Underfunded, Understaffed, Underwhelming: Why Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is Failing
One-Third Budget Spent, Most States Given Under 25% Funds: What Ails PM SHRI?
11,400 Teachers' Posts Vacant, Crores Unspent in Kendriya, Navodaya Vidyalayas
The condition is no better in higher education institutes. The Film and Television Institute, Arunachal Pradesh was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and falls directly under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The first batch of students at this national institute told me that they had no classroom theatre or a main gate or boundary walls; no infirmary, no studio or shooting floors, no website, no logo, no official ID cards, no secure Wi-Fi, no automated power backup and not even have a full-time Director.
'No Classroom, No Studio; How Do We Study?': Students on Strike at FTI Arunachal
In fact, at least ten central universities are running without a full-time Vice Chancellor even as thousands of posts for professors are vacant. Meanwhile, elite institutes such as Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are brazenly defying reservation norms with no teachers from marginalised communities.
Missing Faculty! Thousands of Vacancies in Central Unis; IITs/IIMs Defying Quota
If this is the condition of eminent institutes, what would be the reality of the others? Will this quality of education guarantee workplace readiness?
In a rapidly changing world, driven by innovation and technology, India's public education system still seems to be playing catch up, in turn, risking the future of millions of children who depend on it. Both IITs and NITs have reported a drop in placements.
8 Years, ₹6,000 Crore Later: Has India’s World-Class University Dream Failed?
The objective of this series is to expose the gaps which have stagnated India’s public education so that they can be effectively bridged. Affordable quality education is every child’s right, and your support will go a long way in ensuring it doesn’t become a privilege for a select few. Help us by becoming a member today.
Thank you,
AAKRITI HANDA
Special Correspondent
The Quint
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