State of Education in Public Schools

Even after years of enactment of the Right to Education act, a majority of Indian schools hadn’t been able to implement this in every virtue. The fact of the matter is the Indian schools have lacked the basic RTE framework and hence have been unable to implement it in the school ecosystem. The act was designed to force the schools to develop a basic school infrastructure where students can learn through comprehensive education system. What is even more bizarre is the fact that eight out of ten public schools lack basic facilities like sanitation and clean and hygienic drinking water for the students. Take that for the largest democracy of the world!

Amity International School

Lack of electricity and basic seating facilities has been yet another alarming factor, which has hampered the growth of the Indian Schools. Now the question that will haunt us for a long time is the fact why Indian schools were not able to replicate the success of private schools? In a country like ours, where the annual education budget stretches to several thousand crores, why are our public schools still lagging behind? Private schools, for example Amity International School, located in Gurgaon, or any other school for that matter, have created a niche for themselves and ensured that our students embark on a journey which is both enriching and enjoyable.

Delhi Public School Gurgaon

Being an educational writer, one of the perks of my job profile is the various interactions I have with various educationists. In one of those recent interactions with the founder of the Delhi Public School Gurgaon, I came to know that last year the government passed a dictate urging those schools who lack a playground, to set up one in a period of three months. Now this is both hilarious and conspicuous. How can you expect a school to set-up a playground for its pupil in a period of three months? Either it is a clear case of lack of intent or that of lack of interest on the part of the government. The primary rule of overhauling any set-up is being realistic. Unreal deadlines or targets would never help any institute to gain what they are aiming for. In most likelihood they end up falling short every time.

The time is ripe for the education department to act now. What we need is more than strict and stringent laws. Practical policy changes will go a long way in helping the schools as well as in attracting students to these schools. In short, parents will have to make positive changes to the curriculum. There is no doubt that Indian schools can go a long way in terms of competing with some of the global institutes. Ultimately, what we need is a strong will and positive attitude. The success is guaranteed and will ensure our inhibited growth across a variety of platforms. Indian schools can take a lot of cues from education systems in Europe and America, where the right amount of emphasis is given to the holistic development of a child to ensure their academic and mental growth.