17
APR, 2012, 05.33AM IST, LABONITA GHOSH,ET BUREAU
A fourth of school students
will need to be from less-privileged sections of society following an SC ruling
on the RTE Act. While this can bring in social transformation, there are
implementation challenges. Educationists share some solutions with Labonita
Ghosh
Problem 1: WHO WILL FOOT THE BILL?
The government has offered to pay for the 25% of less-privileged students who will now have to be admitted into private schools, but it's not clear what exactly this will cover. Certain that the government grant will fall short, schools fear they may have to pass on the burden of this additional cost to the regular fees-paying parents. While this is both unfair, and likely to cause outrage, here are some other ways schools can source for this expense.
Solution 1: GO CORPORATE
Sudeshna Chatterjee, principal of Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai, feels schools can tie up with business houses or industry leaders keen to invest in education (like Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji and others), and have them bear the additional cost. "With CSR a big mandate, corporate houses are always looking out for appropriate activities to fund," says Chatterjee.
"So now, alongside volunteers from companies building schools, they can fund the underprivileged kids' education as well." Companies could raise money through their CSR, sustainability or payroll programmes, and channel them into a school of their choice. "Everybody supports the growth and spread of education," adds Chatterjee. "But this will clearly be a non-commercial growth."
Solution 2: ADOPT A SCHOOL
Educationists feel the Act, instead of making it mandatory for civic schools to improve standards, has shifted responsibility of education for all to private schools. Vandana Lulla, principal of Mumbai-based Podar International, says if private schools were allowed to adopt a civic school, they could bring in accountability, direction or even proper implementation. Adopting a municipal school means the quality of education at the private school does not get compromised, while the latter also helps reenergise a civic school, adds Chatterjee.
Problem 1: WHO WILL FOOT THE BILL?
The government has offered to pay for the 25% of less-privileged students who will now have to be admitted into private schools, but it's not clear what exactly this will cover. Certain that the government grant will fall short, schools fear they may have to pass on the burden of this additional cost to the regular fees-paying parents. While this is both unfair, and likely to cause outrage, here are some other ways schools can source for this expense.
Solution 1: GO CORPORATE
Sudeshna Chatterjee, principal of Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai, feels schools can tie up with business houses or industry leaders keen to invest in education (like Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji and others), and have them bear the additional cost. "With CSR a big mandate, corporate houses are always looking out for appropriate activities to fund," says Chatterjee.
"So now, alongside volunteers from companies building schools, they can fund the underprivileged kids' education as well." Companies could raise money through their CSR, sustainability or payroll programmes, and channel them into a school of their choice. "Everybody supports the growth and spread of education," adds Chatterjee. "But this will clearly be a non-commercial growth."
Solution 2: ADOPT A SCHOOL
Educationists feel the Act, instead of making it mandatory for civic schools to improve standards, has shifted responsibility of education for all to private schools. Vandana Lulla, principal of Mumbai-based Podar International, says if private schools were allowed to adopt a civic school, they could bring in accountability, direction or even proper implementation. Adopting a municipal school means the quality of education at the private school does not get compromised, while the latter also helps reenergise a civic school, adds Chatterjee.
Problem 2:
DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM
One of the biggest preoccupations of educationists and school principals is that of integrating children from the economically weaker sections with the others, and trying to bring parity between different levels of education and exposure.
Solution 1: CLASSES IN SHIFTS
Though the act insists on assimilation in the same classroom, educationists feel it would be easier, at least in the beginning, to conduct classes in shifts. "We could have separate classes for kids from the poorer sections, but taught by the same teachers and with access to the same facilities," says MP Sharma, former principal and director at GD Somany school.
"Teachers would have to put in extra hours for which they would be suitably remunerated." He suggests deferring the inclusion of children from the less-privileged sections for a short while for schools to conduct 'remedial' classes to bring them up to speed with lessons. Activists feel schools should be allowed to extend initiatives aimed at assimilation as they see fit.
Solution 2: LEAVE IT TO THE KIDS
"The problem of assimilation is in our minds," says educationist Farida Lambay, co-founder of Pratham, a nonprofit that promotes education for the underprivileged. "Some convent and minority schools have been doing this for years, and they've never had problems of integration." Lambay feels schools should just go ahead and implement the quota, and the children will manage.
Schools can have 'buddy' groups with the older children helping their not-so-privileged peers settle in. The school could have special monitoring systems to track the performance and comfort level of the new joinees; enlist volunteers to make regular home visits to keep the parents updated and ease the transition for the children.
Solution 3: A CLASS-NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT
If it's hard to look beyond the socio-economic differences, schools must be urged to develop a [social] class-neutral atmosphere. Like discouraging home-brought tiffin and having a common canteen for all the students. Or a common stationery shop where everyone buys their supplies. "Some schools, which have kids from amixed income group, have already banned certain kinds of pencil boxes and fancy school supplies to create uniformity," says Lambay, adding that all this should be done without a fuss.
Solution 4: SHOWCASE EARLY MOVERS
Integration will come with more understanding, says Shaheen Mistry, head of the non-profit , Teach for India. "If we believe our kids should grow up with diversity, implementation will fall into place. We will design creative solutions at the school level to deal with this," she says. The idea is to get some schools to make a start - perhaps the smaller ones with the more progressive educators - and make an example of them. "We need to show it's possible because inclusion is the right thing to do," she adds.
One of the biggest preoccupations of educationists and school principals is that of integrating children from the economically weaker sections with the others, and trying to bring parity between different levels of education and exposure.
Solution 1: CLASSES IN SHIFTS
Though the act insists on assimilation in the same classroom, educationists feel it would be easier, at least in the beginning, to conduct classes in shifts. "We could have separate classes for kids from the poorer sections, but taught by the same teachers and with access to the same facilities," says MP Sharma, former principal and director at GD Somany school.
"Teachers would have to put in extra hours for which they would be suitably remunerated." He suggests deferring the inclusion of children from the less-privileged sections for a short while for schools to conduct 'remedial' classes to bring them up to speed with lessons. Activists feel schools should be allowed to extend initiatives aimed at assimilation as they see fit.
Solution 2: LEAVE IT TO THE KIDS
"The problem of assimilation is in our minds," says educationist Farida Lambay, co-founder of Pratham, a nonprofit that promotes education for the underprivileged. "Some convent and minority schools have been doing this for years, and they've never had problems of integration." Lambay feels schools should just go ahead and implement the quota, and the children will manage.
Schools can have 'buddy' groups with the older children helping their not-so-privileged peers settle in. The school could have special monitoring systems to track the performance and comfort level of the new joinees; enlist volunteers to make regular home visits to keep the parents updated and ease the transition for the children.
Solution 3: A CLASS-NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT
If it's hard to look beyond the socio-economic differences, schools must be urged to develop a [social] class-neutral atmosphere. Like discouraging home-brought tiffin and having a common canteen for all the students. Or a common stationery shop where everyone buys their supplies. "Some schools, which have kids from amixed income group, have already banned certain kinds of pencil boxes and fancy school supplies to create uniformity," says Lambay, adding that all this should be done without a fuss.
Solution 4: SHOWCASE EARLY MOVERS
Integration will come with more understanding, says Shaheen Mistry, head of the non-profit , Teach for India. "If we believe our kids should grow up with diversity, implementation will fall into place. We will design creative solutions at the school level to deal with this," she says. The idea is to get some schools to make a start - perhaps the smaller ones with the more progressive educators - and make an example of them. "We need to show it's possible because inclusion is the right thing to do," she adds.
Problem 3:
TRAUMATIC TRANSITION FOR POORER KIDS
Solution 1: COUNSELLOR ON CALL
While educationists welcome the idea that now, even marginalised children will get a shot at quality education, thanks to the RTE Act, they ask schools to guard against the possible psychological effects of free mixing on the less privileged kids. "Children from poorer homes might develop an inferiority complexstudying side by side with those from better-off homes," says Arundhati Chavan, president, United Forum for Parent-Teachers Association, Mumbai.
"They will also be able to now see all the things they can't afford and may either develop an inferiority complex, or try to get those things through other means." According to MP Sharma of GD Somany, one possible solution could be to have a team of special counsellors on campus, especially those trained in handling children from lower income groups. "Schools must also make it clear to teachers that there can be no discrimination in the classroom," says Sharma.
Solution 2: GET PARENTS ON BOARD
A few years ago, when a school in Ahmedabad decided to expand its student base and start admitting less-privileged children, many outraged parents staged a walk-out . Private school principals are certain they may face some opposition from fees-paying guardians and are keen to prevent this. "The well-to-do parents may object to their kids going to school with children from poorer families," says Lulla of Podar International, "but they probably won't mind if the transition is managed well."
One way to get the parents on board, says Mistry, is for the school to regularly engage with them through meetings and frequent 'sensitisation' workshops. Another way would be for the school to invite parents to come in and see for themselves - perhaps as volunteers helping out with the lunchtime rush or as minders of a class during special periods.
Problem 4: WHO DECIDES WHO IS POOR? Solution 1: COUNSELLOR ON CALL
While educationists welcome the idea that now, even marginalised children will get a shot at quality education, thanks to the RTE Act, they ask schools to guard against the possible psychological effects of free mixing on the less privileged kids. "Children from poorer homes might develop an inferiority complexstudying side by side with those from better-off homes," says Arundhati Chavan, president, United Forum for Parent-Teachers Association, Mumbai.
"They will also be able to now see all the things they can't afford and may either develop an inferiority complex, or try to get those things through other means." According to MP Sharma of GD Somany, one possible solution could be to have a team of special counsellors on campus, especially those trained in handling children from lower income groups. "Schools must also make it clear to teachers that there can be no discrimination in the classroom," says Sharma.
Solution 2: GET PARENTS ON BOARD
A few years ago, when a school in Ahmedabad decided to expand its student base and start admitting less-privileged children, many outraged parents staged a walk-out . Private school principals are certain they may face some opposition from fees-paying guardians and are keen to prevent this. "The well-to-do parents may object to their kids going to school with children from poorer families," says Lulla of Podar International, "but they probably won't mind if the transition is managed well."
One way to get the parents on board, says Mistry, is for the school to regularly engage with them through meetings and frequent 'sensitisation' workshops. Another way would be for the school to invite parents to come in and see for themselves - perhaps as volunteers helping out with the lunchtime rush or as minders of a class during special periods.
While the Act refers to children from the 'most vulnerable' sections of society finding place in private schools, it leaves the finer points of eligibility to the state. "The act does not define what it means by poor children. Does this include kids of those who have HIV, or from BPL homes?" asks Jayant Jain of the Forum for Fairness in Education.
Solution 1: BE SPECIFIC
"We recommend that the state sticks to the designated categories of children from SC/ST families," says Lambay of Pratham. In urban areas, it could include street children, child labourers and kids displaced by development projects.
In rural India, this could mean children who work in brick kilns, surgarcane factories, cotton mills and such. The act says these 25% will have to be picked up from the school's neighbourhood. But some schools claim they have none, she adds.
Solution 2 : ADVOCACY REQUIRED
It's great that schools will now admit poorer kids, but do their families know that, asks Jain. "The government should first carry out an awareness drive among the underprivileged about this," he says.
"We need to make sure the act benefits the people it's supposed to." Jain suggests that the education ministry start small - by including 5-10 % of less privileged children in the first year, rather than 25%, and gradually increase it as the schools step up to provide for them. The lack of clear guidelines, activists fear, can lead to schools deferring implementation of the act or even using the loopholes to get out of it.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/education/what-are-the-challenges-possible-solutions-in-the-implemention-of-rte-act/articleshow/12697894.cms?curpg=1
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