Jamia Millia Islamia -- A minority institution....??

Jamia Millia Islamia -- A minority institution....??

The National Commission for minority Educational institutions(NCMEI) granted minority institution status to Jamia Millia Islamia University on 22nd Feb 2011. Now the university would hold at least 50% seats exclusively for the muslims and it no longer needs to reserve its seats for the scheduled castes and tribes. The decision was taken in light of the fact that Jamia Millia Islamia was set up by the muslims for the benefit of the muslims. When the judgement of the Godhra case is being pronounced in one part of the country we have another move being made at another part which might actually further alienate the communities instead of bridging the gaps between them.
A Minority institution aims at safeguarding the rights of the minorities and ensuring their socio economic development. But a move like this would only further stratify our nation which has already been divided on the basis of caste, creed and religion since its genesis. When the universities across the world are stressing on the need to diversify their intake of students, is such a move by the government justified? It really amuses me when people say we are part of a globalised world.
A university is a place where young minds interact, learn and build up an understanding towards their fellow students coming from various regional backgrounds. It helps in building up a feeling of tolerance and respect towards different cultures and goes a long way towards contributing to the building up of a united nation. But, a verdict like this would seriously undermine the spirit of secularism and religious tolerance. It might even widen the existing differences and acerbate the relationship further .
Is this a welcome move in this era when we should concentrate towards building a casteless nation?

Kudos to Jairam Ramesh!!

Amidst all the controversy about the clauses 17(b) of the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill, and the intent of the Central Government behind using ‘Supplier ‘s intent’ in the clause, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh in what must be regarded a bold and commendable act , rejected the application of the Vedanta Resources to start bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills in Orissa. The way the Saxena Committee appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests , went around examining and assessing the impact the mining activity could have on the environment and the life of the tribal people deserves commendation, especially in an era where industrial lobbyists design new laws to serve their business needs. In rejecting the application ,the Ministry has justly rated saving the forests and the livelihood of the people above the bauxite that could have fed the Vedanta aluminum refinery for a mere period of four years. Moreover, this judgment was taken in a scenario where the State Government was bent upon getting the application cleared because of its own vested interests in the venture. This stands as an example where in the Forest Conversation Act and the Environment Protection Act were actually implemented contradicting the beliefs of all those who vehemently complain that the recent amendments and acts being passed are an additional overhead, as they hardly serve any purpose staying unimplemented . The report has also revealed illegal mining activities being carried out by the group in Jharkhand which lacked valid Environmental Clearance.
In saving the 7 sq Km area of forest lands in the Niyamgiri hills, the Centre has definitely taken a long sighted effort which would go a long way in averting a lot many grave problems like massive unemployment, growing naxalism which have already plagued the states of Orissa, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, apart from protecting the environment. Alas, some honest and genuine efforts are being taken in the interests of the common people rather than catering to the selfish interests of the industrial lobbyists. This decision has definitely brought under scrutiny the various illegal mining activities being carried out at several places. Had the state governments, been honest and just towards assessing the impact of such activities before allowing them to actuate, instead of abetting the crime ,a lot many problems which have bogged down our nation currently, could have been avoided ,as the very old adage goes…. ‘Prevention is always better than cure’.
This should force the Centre to reconsider the clauses of the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill in the interest of the nation and its people rather than concede to the demands of the Suppliers who see a potential market in India. It should give out a clear message to all those to have their interests in getting the Bill passed, that India is not at the realms of foreign suppliers who do not even have the sense of responsibility or dependability to own up their work. Moreover, how can we trust someone who doesn’t have enough trust on himself and appears to be an escapist right from the beginning? How can the Centre even take chances after the disaster the Bhopal Gas tragedy brought about in India? Are there no lessons to be learnt from the past?

Off we go to school......

‘India and Right to Education Act’

On April 1, 2010 India joined the list of 135 countries in making education a right. The enforcement of this right represents a momentous step forward in our 100-year struggle for universalizing elementary education.

Where does India stand in the world in terms of adult literacy?.....

Thus we find that Indian illiterates account for 35%(approx) of the total number of illiterates in the world.

Following are the key points of the legislation that expects to empower the nation through education:

• Free and compulsory education to all children of India in the six to 14 age group;

· No child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until completion of elementary education (up to class eight);

· A child who completes elementary education (upto Class 8) shall be awarded a certificate

· Calls for a fixed student-teacher ratio of 30:1.

· Will apply to all of India except Jammu and Kashmir;

· Provides for 25 percent reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in all private and minority schools. The reservation to start with Class One beginning 2011

· Mandates improvement in quality of education;

· School teachers will need adequate professional degree within five years or else will lose job;

· School infrastructure (where there is problem) to be improved in three years, else recognition cancelled;

· Financial burden will be shared between state and central government on the basis of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All).

Facts and figures…

The Act is expected immediately to benefit about 9.2 million children in the age group of 6-14 who have never been to school or have dropped out for various reasons. But this is indeed a far sighted dream considering the fact that the educational institutions of our country are hardly prepared to meet the large number of children the RTE intends to bring into the system. So far, three months have already passed since its promulgation but there has hardly been any major progressions made in implementing the Act.

Major hurdles on the way…….

Ensuring free but equitable education is important

India is a nation where educational institutions have been classified as private and public. So arriving at a common system is important which would ensure uniformity in the quality of education being imparted to the children. According to the EFA report 2010(UNESCO), in rural India , just 28% of grade three students could subtract two digit numbers and only one third could tell the time. This emphasizes the need to bring about a uniform and universal education syllabi which would ensure equal learning standards in the true sense and not just mere schooling for the name sake.

Ensuring maximum attendance rather than nominal enrolment

Government statistics and other studies show that over 92 per cent of the children in our country are enrolled in school. However the truth is that on an average day, attendance is not more than 70%. When monitored closely, one would discover that nearly 25 % of the enrolled children hardly ever attend school. These come to our notice only when the schools are asked to report the number of drop outs in grade 5 and grade 8.

So the government should try to get the actual number of school drop outs by devising a monitoring process which would mark any child who has been absent from school for more than 6 months, as a drop out. Consequently, analyzing the number of school dropouts and the reasons for school drop out is the primary step in devising any further plan of action.

Free education – does it include books/ stationary/ other indirect expeses or is it just no tuition fees?

The Act does not clearly state as to how ‘free’ education would really be. As per a 2005 World Bank survey, it was stated that only 13 countries impart primary education totally free of cost. In majority of countries, some direct costs have been reported though no tuition fees are charged. "In reality, free primary schooling still remains the exception rather than the rule," says the report.

Recruitment/Training/Salary of teachers—the pedagogues…

In order that the stated teacher- student ratio of 1:30 is maintained, large scale recruitment of teachers becomes a prerequisite. Also, the quality of the training imparted needs to be closely monitored. The government spends over Rs. 700 crore every year on training teachers. What s important is that the training imparted should be relevant and in context to address the need of the hour. Some private schools and NGOs are already moving in the direction of setting up in-house teacher training facilities. Linking schools to University-based teacher training programmes and government teacher training institutes such as the Regional Institutes of Education would greatly benefit in providing significant number of competent teachers across each state. Moreover, teachers should be trained to deal with the mindset of the children coming from diverse backgrounds. The salaries should provide adequate compensation for the effort the teachers put in so as to keep them motivated to work for the noble cause.

Bridging the gap between the have and the have not s

A large number of children who have never been to school would definitely find themselves in difficulty to cope up with their counterparts who have been studying in schools. Children who would lack academic help from their families are likely to remain low performing as compared to children from sound academic background. This would definitely lead to the development of fear and an inferiority complex which might keep them away from schools. So the government does need to provide additional assistance to this proportion of children so that they can be motivated to complete schooling. In- order to integrate students from low-income families ,who are often first or second-generation learners ,with students from families that have a stronger educational as well as income background, counselors are required who would help the underprivileged children to cope up emotionally. Considering the dearth in funds, the teachers should be imparted training to act as counselors and if need be provide additional assistance to these children.

RTE which is free from stress, anxiety and fear….

The Act states that learning should be encouraged through activities, exploration and discovery. This would require a major shift in the perception we have had for centuries treating children as passive receivers of knowledge. The whole system needs to be revolutionized where textbooks would no longer be the conventions for examinations and assessments be re examined so that the children are not stressed.

The teaching-learning process must become stress-free and the learning process would emphasize on a curriculum that is child friendly. Also, corporal punishment, expulsion, detention and other drastic punishments which can further alienate the children and keep them away from school should be banned and alternative ways to ensure discipline must be resorted to.

Dealing with socio – economic issues such as Poverty, Child Labor, Caste and gender barriers….

In stating ‘education for all’, the RTE Act presupposes that child labor is eliminated. India is a country where child labor is more a norm than exception. So the government needs to come up with measures to provide some means of livelihood to the parents of the children who have been enrolled in school. This would to a great extent prevent the parents to send their children to work. So, the Government needs to devise methods to generate awareness amongst the underprivileged and deprived masses on how education can shape up their lives. This is where NGO s can be of help to the Government.

Indian society has been stratified on the lines of caste and creed. So a revolutionary change in the basic thinking of the people is required. This needs to be done from the grass root level. Moral values, if inculcated in the juvenile minds would lead to building up of a nation which is not divided on the lines of caste , creed and religion. This is where the schools would play the principle role in shaping up a nation’s future.

Co –operation between the various functioning departments and incorrupt discretion….

For the successful implementation of the RTE, a well defined co operation and understanding between the departments of the centre and the state is essential. It would need proper and timely action from the Finance Departments for the timely availability of funds. The PWD departments should take care of the infrastructure and other facilities to be made available in the schools. The Health and Sanitation department should function effectively to ensure safe and clean drinking water and clean toilets in the school. Care needs to be taken in order to provide hygienic and nutritive mid day meals to the under privileged children. The gram panchayats and rural departments should work in co ordination to provide actual figures and status of the schools running in their respective villages. The Sports department should work towards providing basic sports amenities which can greatly help in all round development of the children.

Effective monitoring….

A recent PROBE report brought out the fact that though 98 per cent of the rural government schools had school monitoring committee, the members of the committee were unaware of their roles and responsibilities. Thus, the school monitoring committees are hardly effective.

The PROBE Study , showed that teacher absence is around 25 per cent. The study also found that in 48 per cent of government schools no teaching activity was taking place even when the teachers were present. Thus, amendments need to be made in order to devise an effective monitoring system which can provide actual facts and data in order to plan the way forward.

The Darker side…..

Though the RTE is a giant leap towards realizing a dream of ‘Educated and Developed India’ , India has to be prepared to deal with it on the judicial grounds. Violation of the clauses of the Act would definitely end up in an increase in the number of legal notices issued and disputes arising which would in turn increase the onus on the already over burdened Indian courts. The more stringent the law, more will the number of the violations and more the number of cases. Thus, Indian Judiciary System needs to be prepared for dealing with the extra inflow that is likely to emanate from this sector as well.

Role of the Community….

Last, but the most significant thing is the role, the community needs to play in order to attain the goals of this Act. The experience of Azim Premji Foundation through the programme “Namma Shaale” in Karnataka shows that sustained capacity building efforts are required for effective participation of the community in the functioning of their school. A large number of NGO s Pratham, Digantar, Azim Premji, MV Foundation, ISCKON( Akhaya patra) and others are already operational which have obtained substantial statures in terms of both ,their contributions in the field of educational improvements and that in mobilizing funds from the individual donors and Corporate sectors. We should all look forward to contribute through donations or time in order to help the initiatives taken up by similar NGO s who are working towards the cause. Let’s all come together in building up an ‘ Educated and Enlightened India’..

Feathers in our cap….

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) . literally ,Campaign for Universal Education is India’s flagship programme to universalize elementary education (grades 1 to 8) by the year 2010. It is a scheme sponsored by the Central government that is funded out of revenues from a new cess, equal to 2 percent of all taxes, which was introduced in 2004 (increased to 3% in March 2007).

Mid day meal scheme

In late 2001, the Indian Supreme Court directed all states to implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme by providing every child in every government and government assisted primary school with a prepared mid-day meal with a minimum content of 300 calories and 8- 12 grams of protein each day of school for a minimum of 200 days.

Public private partnerships in education

A substantial public private partnership (PPP) system does operate in India, at the secondary and higher levels of education. This is the system of government grant-in-aid to privately managed schools known as .aided schools.

Though there has been significant development in the field of education, India still has a long way to go in order to achieve the 2015 target of the ‘Education For All’ initiative adopted by the UNESCO at Dakar in 2000. With the promulgation of the RTE, India has taken a giant leap in order to achieve the targets. Let’s all join hands together to make this a huge success and let the light of education and knowledge drive away the darkness of ignorance and poverty.

Jai Hind!!