Special Report
Editorial
Op-Ed
Opinion
Columns

Politics
Literature
Music
Art & Culture
Sikh Religion
Rights
1984
Books
Education
Business

Entertainment
Lifestyle
Travel
Health
Heritage
Sports
Kids Corner

Panjab
India
Pakistan
South Asia
US of A
Canada
Asia-Pacific
UK
Europe
Middle East
Africa
World
 

Archives
Newsletter
Advertise

Obituaries

Feedback
Contact Us
About Us
Site Map

Unethical start to Adarsh Schools launch 

The monetization of education in Punjab has begun.  Barring a few stray voices, no political party nor social or academic group or association is talking about it.  Civil society seems uninterested. 

Emboldened by the silence of the people, the government of Punjab has amended the Punjab Education Development Act, 1998, inviting private partnership in the education sector.  The meeting was held in Delhi to facilitate the participation of the big-wigs who are to contribute the dough.

Ostensibly aimed at providing quality education to the economically underprivileged and intelligent students, "free of cost", the scheme has been amended a great deal since its earlier draft.

Interestingly, the schools set up in Punjab will be affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education and not to the Punjab School Education Board, because the chief minister of Punjab cannot trust his own board to have the same reputation as the central board.  

This is the irony.  The government of Punjab recently failed to properly conduct Class V examinations what with glaring errors in question papers and a mismanaged examination schedule.

While the government is likely to make a formal invitation to interested parties, the fait accompli is clear.  There are already many panchayats, who under duress of the government have passed resolutions extending their common lands for a 99 year lease to many companies who have shown interest in setting up schools, "to serve the cause of higher education in Punjab". 

The incongruous way in which the government functions is clear from the manner in which the government has already obtained Government of India's additional central assistance of Rs. 75 crores for setting up such Adarsh schools.

If somebody has any doubts about the real reasons why industrial houses are interested in setting up such institutions, the reasons are not far to seek.  At this meeting held away from public glare at the Kapurthala House in Delhi, the corporate sector sought and was given permission to run short term vocational courses in the premises of the proposed Adarsh schools in the evenings "to impart skilled training to the students and other interested unemployed youth to improve their chances of gainful employment."  This sounds very philanthropic, but watch this space to read how the whole exercise will become an employee-generating exercise by the corporate sector who is in desperate need of semi-skilled retail boys and girls to man the bludgeoning retail sector and their semi-automatic manufacturing units.

Badal is luring more industrialists to take up the bait and is elated about his novel scheme and if he has his way, 100 such pioneering schools may soon come up.  So, get ready for Hero Primary School, Ranbaxy Senior Secondary School and Bharti Education Academy. If the next demand is to wind up all the existing schools because of government's inefficiency, sell the land to companies and ask them to set up competitive schools which provide employable education, do not be surprised.

27 February 2008
 

Bookmark with

Reddit    Yahoo     Furl    Delicious