With the mushrooming of international and private schools, it may seem that the education system of India is healthy. In reality, only 29% of children are sent to the private schools, while the remaining head for government or state funded education. So, to check the reality of Indian education system it is better to look beyond the gates of government schools in the country.
Article 21-A, (Eighty-sixth Amendment Act, 2002) of Indian constitution states free and compulsory education for children between six to fourteen years of age as a fundamental right. In 2009, the consequential legislation of Article 21 was represented as The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act that states right to full time healthy elementary education in a formal school with certain rules and regulations, for all children.
When children specially in rural India walk in schools with the expectation of quality education to become better citizens of the nation, the scenario alters. Either they pause their education in between due to family pressure or the following discrepancies make them lag behind when compared to private school students.
Here is listing six real-time issues that are making the Indian education system lag in standards and are required to be amended at the earliest:
Lack of monetary funding
Though the RTE Act came out in 2009, three consecutive budgets of 2013, 2015 and 2017 did not allocate enough budget for implementation of the act. In budget 2017, increase of Rs. 1305 crores for the National Education Mission and Rs 300 crores in mid-day meals was definitely insufficient for a significant change. Though the Kothari Education Commission (1964-1966) recommended 6% of GDP to be used in the government education but at present only 3% of it is used. This surely reflects the lack of monetary funding that the government is continuing to do over the education sector and hence, there stands no scope of improvement.
Lack of academic resources
As fund is limited, so there is crunch in availability of academic resources in case of government schools. Minimal requirements like blackboards, books, stationery, desks are not available when compared to the roll strength in each school. During inspections, the school authorities arrange the resources for short time span and the rest of the year the scenario remains pathetic for government school students. Even infrastructurally, electricity, toilet and so on are at a very poor state within the premises of government Indian government schools. A survey from National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) found that only 5% schools run from kutcha premises.
Lack of teachers/trainers
One of the constant deprivations that the government schools struggle with is unavailability of teachers and trainers. Lack of fund leads to compromise on tutorial abilities of teachers. Some schools have one teacher training all subjects for all classes. This is one of the real challenges that Indian government schools face, yet no trivial action is called for change the situation.
Traditional examination pattern
There is hardly any rigid exam pattern that is annually followed in these government schools. Students are promoted every year to the next class without written or oral tests. This continues because most students leave school by the mid of fifth or sixth standard. Those who continue till class ten are then registered to the local boards. This hampers the quality of education in Indian government schools and is one of the primary reasons for the schools to stand away from private institutes.
Over admission than usual roll strength
Most government students take in students without any admission test. They admit students as they come in and request for education, overburdening the student class ratio. This over populates the government schools of India, resulting in adverse academic situation. As mentioned earlier, mass students are taught by relatively less number of teachers which is another step where Indian government schools really need to change.
Increase in drop out rates
In a nation of 282 million illiterate people, 18% of them represent those who left school before completing secondary education. This, of course, reflects the huge drop out rates that the government schools witness ever year. The country also failed to meet the Millennium Development Goal in 2015. Official data confirms 63 lakh children aged between six to 17 years physically work hard for over 180 days in a year to earn bread and butter for their family. Whether for family pressure or economic crunch, the huge rate of drop out in Indian schools should be altered to minimize the rate of illiteracy.
This real picture of Indian government schools can only be altered when the government takes a call not only with fancy names like ‘Teach India’ but literally going to rural areas and ensuring the education is catered at its best to children. To alter the present scenario, may take decades but high time to begin the initiative, to make the nation a real literate one.
Image Source: BASF
