This refers to your editorial ‘Incentives and accountability’, June 29. Just as HRD minister Kapil Sibal has proposed to introduce reforms in higher education he now needs to make similar reforms in the schools. As is well known, school teachers do not come to classes in most government schools and this is why even poor children are migrating to private schools which, sadly, offer only marginally better quality education. The Pratham reports over the last many years give a good idea of this state of learning in most states in the country. On average, less than a third of students in most classes are able to pass the test in English, Math or their local languages. Sibal needs to encourage the state governments to link teacher-pay to the performance of students — Vidya Mahambare’s ‘Motivating teachers’, June 26 makes a valid point that linking this in a mechanical manner will have very serious consequences and will ensure that teachers concentrate on only the brighter students. How Sibal will manage this is difficult to say, but he will face opposition from even within his own party since teachers are a very powerful lobby group that no politician can afford to take on.
Arpita Sarkar, New Delhi
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