This refers to the report, "Raje government's studied silence on privatisation of education" (July 29). Most state governments thought that opening more schools and recruiting more teachers under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) would ensure quality education. But a slew of research reports have documented that even after the SSA's launch, there has not been much improvement in learning outcomes.
All government-run schools are not bad, but many of them are in a shambles. The political system of our country is responsible for the poor quality of education. In some states such as Bihar, the panchayat recruits teachers. Can anyone expect the panchayat to be competent to do so? Recently, the Patna High Court was told that close to 25 per cent of candidates with fake degrees got jobs as teachers in the state from 2003 to 2009. This might be the case in some other states too.
Just as the economy needs reforms, so does education. In fact, reforms in education should precede those in the economy. The government is chalking out plans to build hundreds of smart cities throughout the country, but it has not prepared any plan to provide quality education to the children of the poor. The poor too, expect the Union and state governments to ensure good education for their children. Although the present system may seem flawed, in my view the Vasundhara Raje government is heading in the right direction with regard to education.
Amit K Giri Roorkee
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