Only political will can fix rot from top to down

In a recent directive, the Allahabad High Court asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary to ensure that Government servants, elected representatives and all those who benefit from the public exchequer should send their children to Government-run schools. The Chief Secretary has been given six months to comply with the order. The court went a step further by suggesting penal provisions for non-compliance. It is debatable whether the order is enforceable or whether it violates the right of citizens and should, therefore, be challenged.

The larger issue has to do with the quality of education in Government-run schools. Most parents who can afford private education do not prefer to send their wards to Government schools simply because the level of education there is far from satisfactory. While the curriculum is generally the same as that of privately-managed schools, the quality of teaching, and indeed of the teachers themselves, leaves much to be desired. There is also the issue of lack of facilities such as well-maintained classrooms, playgrounds and laboratories (in higher schools). Survey after survey has exposed the pathetic state of Government-operated schools, and these conditions have largely prevailed despite enormous amounts of money being pumped into primary education by both the Union Government and the State regimes.

Uttar Pradesh is not the only State that suffers from the malaise; most state-run schools do. Findings have shown that students of, say class seven, are unable to comprehend the basics that have been taught in class five. There is definitely something amiss in the teaching process, and this brings us to the competence of teachers employed. The low level of teachers shouldn't surprise anyone, given the manner they are selected. There is nepotism and rampant corruption in the selection process, leading to compromises on the calibre of those selected. Also, Government teachers are less concerned about accountability than their counterparts in private institutions, partly because they have political patronage and partly because they know it is difficult to proceed against Government employees such as them.

The Allahabad High Court perhaps believes that, if Government officials begin sending their children to State-run schools, those schools will have to upgrade their quality levels. In the process, officials too will have a better understanding of what plagues these institutions and will be able to suggest corrective measures to the Government. This may happen or not happen. While it is true that literacy levels have improved over the decades since Independence due to the proliferation of schools (many of them being Government-run) in rural India, it is also a fact that literacy and educational excellence are two different issues. Even the socio-economically less privileged prefer sending their children to private schools. They will compromise on two square meals a days for that.