The State must build a common school system for all to bring uniformity in social life. The recent trend of primary education in Odisha shows a serious deterioration in quality of education and higher drop-out rate in Government -run schools which is a serious matter of concern relating to our future.
There has also been a push to privatisation of education and unnoticed promotion of selective religious based identity education in private schools. It is against our cherished constitutional values and morality. While respecting rich diversity and composite culture, the makers of modern India were against building a theocratic country as India is home land of major religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism etc.
Though legally it is not permissible to teach religious education to minors in schools, many of our private primary schools have been engaged in selectively promoting religious education and related practices in their institutions. It is being observed that the State itself has been promoting both privatisation and communalisation of education through its direct patronage such as free land and financial grants. Along with Government approved syllabus, many of the private schools have their own designed extra curriculum and activities that promote a particular religion and theocratic ideas rather than allowing children to read as many religions as possible and take a decision in choosing one for them while respecting the others.
It is also equally good to make space for atheists or non-believers and respect the dissents as the number of the atheists is growing. There are also many indigenous communities who have their own unique faith and that must be recognized officially without any cultural suppression, dominance or discrimination by available dominant mainstream religions.
The Jharkhand Government has passed a resolution in the state Assembly in demand of equal space to SARANA in the census religion column to officially recognize the faith of indigenous people rather than listing their faith in other religion categories. This is equally important in the context of Odisha also. It has been complained that private bodies running factory residential schools for ST children have been encouraging practices of dominant religion while showing ST as inferior which discourages the ST children and weans them away from their native faith and belief system and practices.
The children must not be converted or influenced by any means by any kind of discourses and practices of any cult. In the State of Odisha there are a number of such schools in varieties of names and styles which have been promoting religious conversion through their teaching and school based activities. Education being a State subject, the State Government must take up the issues of primary education seriously without leaving it into the hands of the communal, casteist and divisive forces or private parties engaged in education business. If the trend of communalisation and privatisation continues, it will further disintegrate our socio-political life as a nation and encourage violence and separatist ideas among the young minds.
The constitutional values and moralities are enforceable legally and are most developed forms of human rights based on international human rights standards. They have emerged through many historical struggles in many parts of the globe through ages. The formation of Odisha has been made by including many smaller nationalities and diverse identities of caste, religion, faith, belief system, culture and language. So any kind of imposition of faith and colonisation on the marginalized sections is against the very spirit of democracy.
It paves the way to inequality, violence and divisions. It is the commitment of the Constitution to reduce inequality and create equal opportunity while abolishing social discrimination in any form. The Constitution of India Article 51A says to follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom from colonial and feudal bondages and to uphold the unity of the country by promoting harmony and brotherhood by transcending religious and many other forms of differences.
It is also said to develop scientific temper, humanism, spirit of inquiry and reform. In 2002 it was added that parents provide opportunities for education by doing it as a national duty. Later the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 was enforced and education was declared a fundamental right. So the State Government must stop both privatisation and communalisation of education as a constitutional mandate and for building a secular society based on constitutional values and morality. Education is an important tool of social transformation.
It is the responsibility of the State to build the foundation of our future citizens through primary education. Primary schools are the immediate common space of many activities for children to build an equal society through providing equal opportunities which only the State Government can ensure out of public finance.
By no way should primary education be handed over to private parties of vested interest either to spread religious identity or make profit. Quality primary education must be available to all children at their doorstep as universal, compulsory and free. Schools must be free from all kinds of barriers.
