| Revitalizing secondary education | | | | or children for the 'drop-out' rates. The CABE |
| | | | committee report has already set down |
| With the central government lobbing its ball to the state | | | | comprehensive norms that secondary schools should |
| governments for the implementation of the several | | | | follow, ranging from having one classroom for 30 |
| schemes for the revitalization of the system of the | | | | students, ensuring safe drinking water facilities and |
| secondary education in the country, the schemes of | | | | separate toilets for girls and boys to computer labs. |
| the access, equity, Mahila Samakhya, and quality in the | | | | Experts also suggest granting free ships or |
| field of secondary education has lost its very essence. | | | | scholarships to those from disadvantaged |
| Basic issues of quality, equity and access to | | | | backgrounds to encourage enrolment in secondary |
| secondary education in India still unresolved besides the | | | | and senior secondary schools. The CABE report notes |
| central legislations by the Ministry of Human Resource | | | | that expansion of secondary education can be |
| development Govt of India. The expert committees | | | | achieved by setting up new schools, upgrading existing |
| were formulated by the Govt. to gauge the system | | | | elementary schools into high schools by providing more |
| and suggest the measures to universalize the whole | | | | infrastructure and adding to the facilities in existing |
| system. The central governments own figures indicate | | | | secondary schools to accommodate more students. |
| that many as two-thirds of those eligible for secondary | | | | In view of this, the Central and the State/UT |
| education remain outside the school system today. A | | | | governments must jointly initiate planning to implement |
| Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) | | | | the agenda of universal and free secondary education |
| committee estimates that 88,562 additional classrooms | | | | in the first phase by the year 2015 and then extend it |
| will be required in 2007-08 and over 1.3 lakh additional | | | | to senior secondary education in the second phase by |
| teachers. The CABE is the highest advisory body | | | | the year 2020. The conventional expectation from |
| relating to policy making in education in India. Figures put | | | | secondary/senior secondary education lies in its role in |
| out by the Ministry of Human Resource Development's | | | | creating the necessary base for generating technical |
| Department of School Education and Literacy indicate | | | | person power, raising the potential of a society in |
| that as many as two-thirds of those eligible for | | | | contributing to the growth of knowledge and skills and |
| secondary and senior secondary education remain | | | | thereby enhancing the nation’s capacity to face the |
| outside the school system today. While noting that | | | | challenge of global competitiveness. |
| adequate number of elementary schools is to be | | | | The no of higher secondary schools has been raised |
| found at a reasonable distance from habitations, the | | | | to 50,273 with 1000112 teachers, and figure of |
| ministry admits in its website that this is not the case | | | | secondary schools is 101,777 with 1082878 teachers. |
| with regard to secondary schools and colleges. The | | | | Official statistics reveal that the enrolment of |
| gross enrolment rate for elementary education in | | | | secondary and higher secondary school level is |
| 2003-04 was 85 percent, but for secondary education, | | | | 3.70 crore and the gross enrolment ratio is 39.91. The |
| the enrolment figure stood at 39 percent. | | | | total dropout rate up to matric is 61.92 as on |
| Pertinently, the CABE report also notes that the | | | | September 2004. The population of children in this age |
| benefits of India's reservation policy in higher education | | | | group has been estimated to be 88.5 million as per |
| are unlikely to reach those it's intended for in the | | | | Census, 2001.Enrolment figures show that only 31 million |
| absence of a strong secondary education system. A | | | | of these children were attending schools in 2001-02, |
| large majority of children and youth belonging to SC | | | | However, Para 5.13 –5.15 of the National Policy on |
| and ST community do not have access to | | | | Education (NPE), 1986 (as modified in 1992) deal with |
| secondary education; less than 10 percent of the girls | | | | Secondary Education. Para 5.13. of the NPE, inter alia |
| among SCs and STs have access to the plus two | | | | states that access to Secondary Education will be |
| stage. Without secondary or senior secondary | | | | widened with emphasis on enrolment of girls, SCs and |
| education, benefits of reservation to SCs/STs will | | | | STs, particularly in science, commerce and vocational |
| remain elusive," the report says. These are questions | | | | streams. The disparity between boys' and girls' |
| that the CABE report tries to address. School | | | | enrollment is particularly marked at the secondary |
| systems, the report says, should strive for equality and | | | | stage. As per the latest data available, out of the total |
| social justice, transcending discrimination that may arise | | | | enrollment of 21.2 millions n 1991-92 (as on 30.9.91) at |
| because of gender, economic disparity, societal norms | | | | the secondary stage (Classes IX and above), the girls |
| on caste and community, location (urban area or rural), | | | | account for 7 millions only, i.e. mere 33 per cent of the |
| disabilities (physical and mental) and cultural or linguistic | | | | total enrollment, whereas boy's enrollment at this stage |
| differences. However, these inequities seem bound to | | | | of education is 67 per cent of the total enrollment. |
| remain given the current circumstances, where the | | | | Nevertheless, a significant |
| government involvement in secondary education is | | | | progress is also made in all spheres of secondary |
| much less than what is expected of it. The Committee | | | | education. More than 84 per cent habitations in 1993-94 |
| report says that almost 25 percent of the secondary | | | | had a secondary school/section within a distance of 8 |
| schools today are private, unaided schools whose | | | | km as compared to 70 per cent within 5 km. The |
| clientele comes only from the privileged sections of | | | | number of unserved habitations declined from 21 per |
| society. Expert opines that Private education has | | | | cent in 1986-87 to 15 per cent in 1993-94. During |
| always played an important role we have different | | | | 1950-51 to 1999-2000, number of secondary & |
| types of private secondary schools, such as private | | | | higher secondary schools increased from 7 thousand |
| unrecognized, private recognized but unaided schools, | | | | to 117 thousand. The increase (16 times) is much |
| and private, recognized and aided schools. In Kerala | | | | more rapid than the corresponding increase in primary |
| and West Bengal, it's common to see private aided | | | | (3 times) and upper primary (14 times) schools. In |
| schools, which are schools run by private | | | | the latest decade (1990 to 99), more than 37 thousand |
| managements that receive government grants. Going | | | | secondary & higher secondary schools were |
| by the Sixth All India Survey Data, the CABE report | | | | opened. The ratio of upper primary to secondary |
| notes that private aided schools account for over 46 | | | | schools also improved from 1.83 in 1950-51 to 1.69 in |
| percent of all secondary school students. The | | | | 1999-2000. |
| overwhelming participation of the private sector in | | | | Keeping in view the dismal statistics of secondary |
| secondary education, however, in no way absolves | | | | education in the country, Ministry of HRD launched |
| the government of its many responsibilities. To improve | | | | several schemes, like scheme for strengthening of |
| access to secondary education, experts agree that | | | | boarding and hostel facilities for girl students of |
| the government should invest more money. | | | | secondary and higher secondary schools. The scheme |
| Unfortunately, the Centre has baulked at involving itself | | | | is being implemented by NGOs and of the state |
| even in primary education, more so when it has to be | | | | governments. A one-time grant non recurring grant |
| on a collision. course with private schools. | | | | @Rs.1500/- per girl boarder for purchase of furniture |
| Similarly, though the CABE committee report | | | | (including beds)and utensils and provision of basic |
| advocates a common school system, the government | | | | recreational aids, particularly material for sports and |
| seems to have already shown its disinterest.The | | | | games, reading room equipments and books. And |
| CABE report was accepted in principle, but soon after, | | | | recurring Rs.5000/- per annum per girl boarder for |
| the Planning Commission diluted our recommendation | | | | food and salary of cook. Finally, The CABE Committee |
| that the typical secondary school should be like a | | | | in June 2005 recommended that “there is no |
| Kendriya Vidyalaya. The Commission started saying | | | | alternative acceptable to regular schooling of good |
| that instead of Kendriya Vidyalaya norms, SSA norms | | | | quality to all the girls”. The Committee also felt that |
| could be extended to secondary schools. Such a | | | | “incentives offered for promotion of girls education |
| move would result in parallel streams of education with | | | | need to be revisited and measures taken need to be |
| poor quality being accepted as a part of secondary | | | | of such nature, force and magnitude that they are able |
| education. The CABE committee, incidentally, had | | | | to overcome the obstacles posed by factors such as |
| worked out the expenditure that will be incurred if all | | | | poverty, domestic/sibling responsibilities, girl child labour, |
| secondary schools are managed like Kendriya | | | | low preference to girl’s education, preference to |
| Vidyalayas. The total costs in such a scenario do not | | | | marriage over the education of girl child, etc.” The |
| exceed six percent of the GDP but that does not | | | | key issues relating to secondary education highlighted |
| seem to have been enough to convince the | | | | in the Tenth Plan are: greater focus on improving |
| government. The report does not mention how many | | | | access; reducing disparities by emphasizing the |
| additional schools will be needed to meet the future | | | | Common School System; renewal of curricula with |
| demand. However, it presents two estimates, one | | | | emphasis on vocationalisation and |
| projection based on the 100 percent success of SSA | | | | employment-oriented courses; expansion and |
| and the other, the 75 percent success of the | | | | diversification of the Open Learning System; |
| programme. In the case of the former, the report | | | | reorganization of teacher training and greater use of |
| estimates that 88,562 additional classrooms will be | | | | ICT. After merging several schemes like ET & |
| required in 2007-08 and over 1.3 lakh additional | | | | CLASS scheme, a new Scheme called ICT Schools |
| teachers | | | | was launched for which the Annual Plan Outlay for |
| A worrisome trend in government schools, undoubtedly | | | | 2006-07 was Rs. 67 crore. The intervention of the |
| a factor contributing to their poor performance, is the | | | | Central Government in Secondary Education has |
| fact that almost 95 percent of the government grants | | | | primarily been in two areas, (i) through apex level |
| go into paying staff salaries. There is no money for | | | | bodies and (ii) through various Centrally Sponsored |
| buying teaching learning materials, for cleaning or | | | | Schemes. Central Government supports autonomous |
| blackboards," he explains. The ratio should be at least | | | | organizations like NCERT, CBSE, KVS and NVS and |
| 80:20, with 20 percent of the grant being used for | | | | CTSA, the first named body for providing research |
| improving or creating infrastructure, he adds. To ensure | | | | and policy support to the Central and State |
| that government schools are more efficiently | | | | Governments; CBSE for affiliating Secondary Schools |
| managed, a committee comprising members from the | | | | and the remaining three for their own school systems. |
| neighborhood could be asked to take decisions | | | | There are 929 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVS) and 507 |
| concerning the school, suggests several experts of | | | | Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS), and 69 Central Schools |
| CABE Committee. Experts opines that there are | | | | for Tibetans (CTSA). Scheme of Vocationalistion of |
| several examples of successful private-public | | | | Secondary Education at secondary level to enhance |
| partnerships. "There have been initiatives like DPS Delhi | | | | individual Employability. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha |
| Public School being given the responsibility to run | | | | Abhiyan (RMSA) launched in 2007 is a mission-mode |
| two-three government schools in Gurgaon in Haryana | | | | exercise to universalize secondary education in which |
| In this way, the private schools can manage the | | | | the centre is all set to universalize the secondary |
| schools for a while and use their expertise to train | | | | education till 2020. |
| teachers. | | | | The irony is that the arguments on the part of HRD |
| The educationists have a consensus that the children | | | | ministry on community participation in implementing |
| are actually walking out because there is no quality | | | | such schemes are not encouraging. Government |
| education. Poor children can ill-afford to spend their | | | | should initiate evaluation mechanism and core |
| time in classes that are taken badly, or in schools that | | | | commission to evaluate the progress of the schemes |
| have no infrastructure or teachers. Instead of looking | | | | and policies to support the education sector by |
| for the reasons that are behind the problem, the | | | | community mobilization to revitalize the schemes and |
| government appears to be trying to implicate parents | | | | put the policies into practice. |