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I
was eagerly waiting for the School Reform
Commission Report which was chaired by eminent
Mr Muchkund Dubey and am sorely disappointed.
Now, I believe present School Reform Commission
Report is ill advised and ill prepared as what I
had seen in media reports so far. Rather than
talking about bringing public schools at par
with private schools, it talks about putting up
curbs on private schools.
Private schools sets higher standards for other
public schools to emulate. Rather than emulating
good standards we are harking back to days of
control and bureaucracy. Additionally, this also
might lead to more capital outgo from Bihar,
which is sorely needed for the development of
Bihar, for children of rich parents would
definitely prefer to study outside. Can't have a
greater irony for students moved out of Bihar
after high school in Laluji's time and now
students will move out even before their board
exams in Nitishji's time!!
There is a need for private schools to exist and
we should let them exist without too much curbs
though notes on transparency in private schools'
expenses and admission process is laudatory.
Let millions of flowers bloom and but let that
not be at the cost of high standards and
competition.
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Comments: |
I totally agree with the writer.
With all due respect to Mr. Dubey,
this is yet another hair-brain
scheme of the government that is
essentially more of the same that
has never worked in the past.
What makes Mr. Dubey think that more
government control would translate
into better educational environment
in Bihar? The truth is, anything the
government has touched, it has
turned into a total fiasco.
For a government to decide how a
private school should be run is
extremely dangerous and an exercise
in futility. Why would someone chose
to start a school when he/she knows
it would be virtually taken over by
the government? What incentive,
motivation he/she has to run the
school?
Finally, if the government is so
concerned about providing
high-quality education to its young
boys and girls, why doesn't it first
bring reforms in the government-run
schools?
While some government control in
private schools is desirable, the
very idea of starting a private
school is to provide something
different than what others are
offering, particularly what
government schools have to offer.
Introduce financial transparency in
private schools but leave it at its
administrators to run it, decide its
curriculum, plan its testing pattern
etc. If the government wants to have
a say in schools, they have
government schools to dictate to. -
Anil Kumar - June 11, 2007
Unfortunately, the full report is
not yet made public to me to make a
proper analysis. However, based on
what has appeared in the newspapers,
the report appears more about what
private schools cant do rather than
what should the government do for
the betterment of school education.
I see several gross lacuna:
1. No mention of how the resources
would be mobilized to achieve the
goals the commission members have
set - there are some very serious
funds and logistical challenges
here.
2. Again on resources - how would
the private schools function when
they dont charge fees till class 8 -
on govt dole or public charity.
3. No mention of how quality would
be maintained at the schools
The much maligned SSA has managed to
bring education within the reach of
a very large number of people which
the earlier system could not reach.
The Shiksha Mitra or para-teachers
have stepped in the breach due to
lack of teachers. I hope in our
misplaced idealism, we don't end up
discarding this system.
The earlier emphasis on 'merit' had
cost Bihar dear when the private
(donation based) medical colleges
were nationalised. Since then, there
has not been the addition of a
single medical or engineering
colleges in Bihar leading its
students to migrate en masse paying
capitation fee to Karnataka and
Maharashtra based colleges.
One hopes and prays that misplaced
idealism should not result in taking
the on going student migration from
Bihar down to school level. -
Thakur Vikas Sinha -
June 14, 2007
I agree with writers when they say
that there should no virtual taking
up of Private school by Government.
But my experience in Bihar compel me
to write that more than 50% of
Private school are only pocket
institution, meant for money and
establish to milk the poor Bihari in
the name of modern English
education. At the same time I am not
undermining the contribution of
Private schools like St. Columbus,
St. Xavier etc. started with
missionary support. - Dr. V. K.
Singh - June 15, 2007 |
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