Dark side of India:(for the citizens)
Dark side of India
Back-Story
We Indians always want to be dependent on government for everything. Government jobs, free treatment in government hospitals, free ration, and government colleges for education. But, there is one thing where Indians run away from government. They run in such a way that no matter what the compulsion is. And that is, government schools.
Last year in 2021, the developmental budget of educational sector was 54,000 crore rupees. But if we see the conditions of government schools, then the condition is like this.
Why government schools in India are in such a bad condition?
What's the special in government collegescolleges
According to the ASEA report of 2018, only 3.4% students used to prefer private schools in 1978. Which grew to the 9.2% by 1998. And by 2017, this number grew to the 34.8% students. But why? After all, what makes private schools better than government schools?
(pic :graph of ASEA)\
History of Govt School of india
After 1947, our education system was very weak. However changes were made gradually, but by 1990s, school used to be the main centers of education. But in 1991,due to LPG reforms, Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization, MNCs started coming India to setup their businesses, due to which rapid industrialization and urbanization started happening. People started moving to big cities in search of jobs. By 1991, 74% of the population lived in rural areas!
Literacy rate was 39%. In year 1993-1994, 7% students of age group 7-18 years, enrolled in private schools. Which doubled i.e. reached to 15% in year 2004-2005. This clearly shows that during post economic reforms, private schools had grown the most. Well, the reason to this is, 'Change in economic environment'.
(pic=scene of 1947)
Before 1991, 'Agriculture' was used to be the primary source of income. And in rural India, there was extreme obsession for agricultural land. More agricultural land, modern agricultural, equipments like tractors, harvesters, all of these were signs of prosperity. Infact on the time of girls' marriage, their parents used to find such a groom, who had the most agricultural land. But after a period of time, things started changing rapidly.
In 1991, USSR collapses, due to which India made a lot of changes in its foreign policy. And started strengthening its relation with USA and other western countries. Due to which, many Indian workers, specially engineers, started going to US for job. Because at that time, the demand for engineers increased rapidly.
(pic=scene of 1991)
And by 1995, 'Dotcom bubble' started forming. At that time, the tech companies and startups of US, were doing a lot of hiring to beat competition. And to stop their employees from going to the competitors, were paying more salary too. Teenage students living in India, started dreaming of America’s glamorous life and high earning job.
(pic=scene of 1995)
A dream that found its way through engineering! Due to which, competition has started increasing among the parents in the society to give the best education to their children. As a result of which, parents started to look for better options for their child. Because of this, private schools and tuition centers started growing very fast in India. the country in which students who took tuition before 90s were not considered good, no one used to respect tuition teachers, but now taking tuition had become very normal! And the competition to take government jobs was also increasing rapidly. Because not everyone can take Maths. Because not everyone can become engineer by cracking JEE. Then, what are the options? But to give a good competitive advantage to their kids, parents wanted to give them the best education form nursery.
(pic=a dream that found its way through engineering)
That's why they started sending their children in private schools. After all, what is the problem with government schools, that even a lower class family by somehow managing money wants to send their child to a private school and not to a government school. (below pic-flowchart kinda)
1. increased quantity of students in a single, resulting into decreasing quality classes, due to lack of teachers.
there is a huge lack of teachers in government schools. You know what the interesting part is? The government teacher's salary is much more than a private teacher's salary. Shocked? This is the truth. Despite this, the attendance of teacher in government schools is very less! Infact, in some rural areas, teachers are like money collectors, who think that the government owes them. And the governmen is paying them back, in form of salaries. And when it comes to attendance, accountability, overall development of students, the same teachers disappears. Because in reality, good salary or job security isn't the problem. The real problem is 'Administration'. Because of the poor administration in these schools, these two big side effect happens.
First - Low quality infrastructure. Nothing happens for infrastructure.
Secondly- poor operational management.
Due to which nothing gets implemented here properly. And as a result, the teachers who are teaching there, fall prey to low intrinsic motivation. And as a result, government school is able to attract a low grade teacher only, thus teachers are low skilled- low willed.
That's why most parents don't want their kids to government schools. Whereas on the other hand, attendance of every teacher, behaviour and performance, is monitored properly. Every teacher has accountability towards his subject grades. If their students perform bad, then the teacher is inquired. As a result of which, teacher gets compulsed to behave well, to teach well, and also to pay proper attention on student's performance, because if the students don't perform well, then the teachers are held responsible.
The premises of our schools, play an important role in our overall development. which is not available in govt school, which is a common amenities in private schools.
In private schools, to develop the overall personality of students, extra curricular activities are also focused along with studies. And no doubt they charge extra money for it. Private school conducts various activities like sports, arts and crafts etc. Whereas government schools don't focus on extra curricular and co-curricular activities. There may or may not be something in private schools, but there is one thing that these schools inculcate in all of us! And that is 'Discipline'.
According to Partha Saha, President of center for civil society, punctuality, hygiene, and uniform, every parents see these three soft skills in very child. But if look in government schools, so hardly you get any of these three things!
Craze for Govt colleges
According to a report of Central Square Foundation, and Omidyar Network States, half of the population of India,is enrolled in private schools. But the interesting thing is, the same students why study in private schools, why are they so crazy to get admission in government colleges? And even their parents also want, to send their kids to government colleges.
So, to understand this, let's understand how the busines model of colleges operates! If you look at private colleges, they earn money by these three methods.
No. 1 - Tuition and Accommodation fee. Those who are studying there and living in hostels, the fee that comes from them.
No. 2 - Rent from shops. All the shops in colleges, they rent out them to earn money.
No. 3 - Placements. All those companies which come to recruit students, to give job to students, they pay to colleges because they are recruiting from there.
Moreover, (pic=these points)
extra - Colleges security deposit float, earn a lot of money form it also.When you take admission in any private college, they will take an amount for security deposit for the next three years. So, this becomes the float money. Many times these college can give on interest, or can earn return by investing in illiquid assets. Because for the next three years, you won't get this security amount deposit. And the most important part is, even after three years, you won't get whole money. They cut a specific amount in that too. Where the main motive of private colleges is to earn money,
whereas on the other hand, if you see government colleges, they are super affordable. Government colleges are created to earn money, but to generate employment. But in case of schools, it doesn't happen like that. Because hardly any employmen gets created after school. A government college, from students to teachers, creates employment for everyone. And if you look at the administration,
the administration of government colleges, is 100x better than government schools. But how? Well the reason behind this is, the entry barrier. And this entry barrier is being created for students and teachers as well. You see, it's not that easy to get admission in government colleges. Students need good graded to enter there. Have to clear entrances, proper screening of the student takes place, and then they are selected. Whereas in most of the private colleges, the entry barrier there is very low. So if not one, then you can definitely get into another private college, very easily.
People think it's about affordability, that government colleges are affordable, that's why every parent want to send their children there. Well, for some cases this might be true. But in majority of the cases, it's always about the company. Parents know a fact, that due to a strong entry barrier, mostly, there are "A" grade students there. And even if they are from a privileged family, they are aware of their privileges.
(pic=govt colle good side)
Govt budgeting for education
Now I know what you are thinking.When government allocates such a big budget every year for education, then where does this money goes? Well, there are two things to it.
(pic=budget pci)
No. 1 - Actual Expenditures. It's not that government doesn't spends money on education. They definitely do it. Even today, in many government colleges, there mid day meal scheme, foreign education grant of government, all these things are functional. But the problem is, Management. Government spends money, but due to the poor management, that fund is not put to optimal use. The money is not spent where it is most needed.
No. 2 - Corruption. Believe it or not, it is everywhere. And it is very much in schooling sector. Reason being, the primary schooling which comes under government, is very neglected sector. And hardly anyone pays attention to it. Because of which, corruption becomes more easy. The money that is allotted for the betterment of children, goes into the pocket of the corrupt officer.
A Solution
So, as an individual, it is very difficult to do anything. But yes, time is changing. Internet is reaching every home due to which, many students are studying in home without going to schools.
But to fix all this issue, all that is needed is Meritocracy. Most of the government teachers are just sitting on that post. Most of the government school staff is unqualified. Or they are posted through approaches. So you see, until and unless, Unless very powerful merit leaders come in an organization, till then things don't change. And in my personal opinion, if by removing security from government jobs, if government officials are hired through full fledged merit based system, then change may definitely come. What do you think? Tell me in the comment section below.
(pic=meritocracy defination )
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