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!
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| 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.
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| 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.
