Growth of private schools social discrimination

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fact that Kerala is the state with the lowest number of school instructional days while it owns a laudable curriculum is a glaring contrast and a matter of concern, Deepa Sankar, Senior Economist, South Asia-Education in The World Bank has said.The mushrooming of private schools in the state should be viewed as a social discrimination much more than a development indicator in the education sector, she said. Deepa was a guest invitee to the Regional Workshop of MIS (Management and Information System) Coordinators, organised by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Kerala held here the other day. She has been associated with the educational activities in India and has done numerous studies in elementary education scenario in the country. According to Deepa, Kerala has succeeded in developing a curriculum that is much better compared to other states. But the lowest instructional days-around 168 working days - for which hours have to be spared for school fest, sports and other extra curricular activities give no time for a child-centered pedagogy. The teachers, who are to turn facilitators are left clueless as they have no way to meet the 1,000-hour mandatory teaching hours, Deepa said.The senior economist said that the CBSE syllabus had no quality ensured as it is known for and added that the role of book mafia behind the syllabus could not be written off. “What is more disconcerting is the way parents get lured to private schools. It in fact should be viewed as a social discrimination because you want your child away from the common, ordinary students.It’s not always the academic prospects but a place away from the poor students that makes private schools endearing to parents. There is a huge gap between the appropriate thing and what parents think are appropriate,” Deepa said.A Keralite, Deepa says she herself was a student of a government school in Kuttanad (her native place) and believes there is so much happening in a government school which is a pure slice of the society.Deepa has been closely following the MHRD-monitored programmes starting from DPEP, SSA to RMSA in the states in India. And is of the opinion that Kerala has been keeping a good show though it has failed to communicate and market its achievements at the Centre.She suggested that the Education Department must make short visual clippings of the major projects it has undertaken and showcase them at the Centre-level. Deepa said that the main problem with the data collection and MIS in India was that the data collected to be sent upwards, to the higher-officials. And therefore it is a drab job for many.Deepa Sankar covers South Asian countries as an Educational Economist and has been travelling to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan among other countries on educational programmes.