After the horrible midday meal (MDM) tragedy in Bihar, I have been continuously coming across media reports on MDM goof-ups in Odisha.
Recently, people have complained about the presence of a two headed snake in dalma curry in a school kitchen in Brahmapur, creating much uproar. The case is under investigation. I do not know the consequences of such investigation. Probably, the issue will be forgotten with other contentious happenings. But few can brush aside the disastrous impact of unhygienic school meals on the tiny school children’s health.
If we really want development and radical change in mass education in the nation, we have to ensure not only 100 per cent enrolment of the poor and underprivileged children under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), rather we have to ensure that students from rich and well-to-do families also get enrolled in the Government schools. It will surely bring improvement in the quality of the MDM. The poor parents are spineless. Taking this advantage, the authorities are resorting to all sorts of irregularities regardless of the safety of the school kids.
Today, our Government schools are filled up only by the BPl children whose guardians do not have time and scope to look after the education of the children. The fate of these students is determined by the school administration. The monitoring is equally poor. There is an MlA Colony school in Bhubaneswar. The name of the school seems to justify that only kids of the MlAs might be reading here. Unfortunately, you can find hardly a student from an MlA family in the school. The rich and influential section goes for quality education and finds it in the private schools.
Just compare the play schools with our Anganwadis. Yes, all children are equals but some are more equals. A child does not know about his/her caste, class, religion, place of birth, language or anything that discriminates but his/her education will be determined as per all these factors. The Right to Education Act has made it mandatory for all private schools to keep 25 per cent of seats as free for the children belonging to the poor communities. Now, maximum schools do not bother about this and even if they follow, they separate the school time.