Sir — This refers to the report that the Akhilesh Yadav Government in Uttar Pradesh plans to introduce a new education policy. The State’s Basic Education Minister’s assurance in the State Assembly to provide teachers posted in rural areas with incentives, is a welcome initiative, given that parents often choose private basic schools over Government-managed schools for their wards’ education because the teachers in the latter generally take their responsibilities lightly, especially in village schools. Worse, no accountability is fixed by the Government to teach the erratic teachers a lesson.
Also, many teachers manage postings in schools located in urban regions due to better facilities that are available there. Hopefully, the State Government’s idea of incentivising the teachers in villages and improving the infrastructure will help enhance the standards of basic education, which is the foundation stone of a seminal approach towards the grooming of children. If other States follow suit, the countrywide phenomenon of basic schools can undergo a sea-change for the better.