The Supreme Court recently upheld the Right to Education (RTE) Act as legal, after the government's lawyer said that the fees of children from economically weaker sections (EWS) will be paid for by the government.
That said, the government is willing to pay less than Rs. 20000 per child per year. I don't know of *any* half-way decent school that charges an annual fee that is not atleast double or even 4-8 times that amount. The government's argument of "we spend that much per child in Kendriya Vidyalaya" rings hollow because private schools are *not* central schools.
In an interview, Kapil Sibal suggested that schools should approach corporates to pay fees for the children from EWS, because, according to him, corporates were waiting to do so! Mr. Sibal, given that you are sure corporates are waiting to fund RTE, why don't you write it in the bill/get it passed as an "RTE Tax" in the budget? why send schools out with a begging bowl? Is it because your words come from your hat instead of from conviction? Oh, and while you're at it, can you please tell me what happens to the 3% education cess that you collect from me on virtually every tax I pay?
Another issue with the RTE is that the children from EWS are taken care of from the ages of 6-14, i.e., grades 1 through 8. Children are expected to speak, read and write alteast one language and know basic math. concepts *before* they get to grade 1. How does Mr. Sibal intend for this to happen for the children from EWS if they *start* school in grade 1? And, even more weird, what sense does educating them till class 8 make? A decent milestone would have been the 10th grade (which would get them a certificate), or even better, the 12th grade (which would ensure that they are in school till they get to the legal age of work).
To summarize, RTE is nothing but a cynical modern-day equivalent of "garibi hatao" peddled by the Congress in the hope of winning elections.
What a shame.
That said, the government is willing to pay less than Rs. 20000 per child per year. I don't know of *any* half-way decent school that charges an annual fee that is not atleast double or even 4-8 times that amount. The government's argument of "we spend that much per child in Kendriya Vidyalaya" rings hollow because private schools are *not* central schools.
In an interview, Kapil Sibal suggested that schools should approach corporates to pay fees for the children from EWS, because, according to him, corporates were waiting to do so! Mr. Sibal, given that you are sure corporates are waiting to fund RTE, why don't you write it in the bill/get it passed as an "RTE Tax" in the budget? why send schools out with a begging bowl? Is it because your words come from your hat instead of from conviction? Oh, and while you're at it, can you please tell me what happens to the 3% education cess that you collect from me on virtually every tax I pay?
Another issue with the RTE is that the children from EWS are taken care of from the ages of 6-14, i.e., grades 1 through 8. Children are expected to speak, read and write alteast one language and know basic math. concepts *before* they get to grade 1. How does Mr. Sibal intend for this to happen for the children from EWS if they *start* school in grade 1? And, even more weird, what sense does educating them till class 8 make? A decent milestone would have been the 10th grade (which would get them a certificate), or even better, the 12th grade (which would ensure that they are in school till they get to the legal age of work).
To summarize, RTE is nothing but a cynical modern-day equivalent of "garibi hatao" peddled by the Congress in the hope of winning elections.
What a shame.
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