“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”

-Nelson Mandela

 

Education: This is not just a word. This is a gift. A gift, too precious and indispensable. Undoubtedly, it is the sine qua non for every system, every nation. No wonder, since time immemorial its importance has been stressed upon by world leaders and torchbearers. There’s no debate how the very foundation of any progressive nation is laid down by a strong education system and its educated citizens. It is that tool that bestows the basis of one’s thought process and gives him the confidence and perspective to see the world with a new outlook altogether.

 

Education is not just confidence, it is power. A sacrosanct weapon for the development of an average human being, that can help him evolve. This very fact has been realized by leaders and government of all times, for the foundation of any country are its people. Since ages, the government has tried to inculcate the importance of education in every stratum of the society. The British deserve the credit for introducing the concept of government schools and colleges in India; therefore they are the direct outcomes of their initiates.

But a simple question comes our way. Why a yes to a government college and no to a government school? Trick question, eh? Ever wondered, why government schools funded and aided by the same government are looked down upon, while government colleges like IITs, IIMs, NLUs are an epitome of prestige and excellence? Why is it that government schools have become a symbol of helplessness, while government-funded universities are a matter of status for students?

 

This is indeed an issue worth a thought. Let’s try and analyze with facts, as to why such temples of learning suffer such disparity. One of the very primary reasons could be: money! Essentially and eventually, everything boils down to the issue of funds. India has been known for the legacy of offering weak schooling to the young minds, even as it promoted high-quality government-funded universities Funds are used to fulfill the basic and primary needs, such as a respectable infrastructure, facilities for students, wages for faculty and staff, and other activities, imperative for the all-round development of a child. The RTE Act came out in the year 2009, yet three consecutive budgets of 2013, 2015 and 2017 failed to allocate necessary funds for the implementation of this act. The budget of 2017 provided for an increase of Rs 1305 crores for the National Education Commission and a sum Rs 300 crores for mid-day meals. The budget was too meager to create a change worthwhile. The Kothari education commission demanded a six percent of the GDP to be used in the government education, but currently, the allocation is just three percent. Here’s where the problem arises.

Most government colleges are synonymous with world-class facilities, decent infrastructure, and highly qualified teaching staff. Simple reason being, they are funded very well as compared to these schools. These funds provide for high wages for the faculty, in turn attracting well-qualified mentors from all over the nation and abroad. On the other hand, if we think about a government school, all one can think of is a dingy and dilapidated place, no access to electricity, and deprivation of basic rights such as a clean toilet, adequate furniture, a playground to play and so on. Infrastructure is surely not the be all and end all, but up to some extent, it is a factor that enhances the value and importance of a place.

Discussing all those factors at length, let’s discuss each one of those.

 

This has become the reason why students and their guardians have developed a certain amount of loathing for government schools, and instead, prefer paying exorbitant fees to private schools. Out of 100 people who chose private schools over government schools, 92 of them choose just because of three major concerning reasons. The first and the most important issue is better learning environment in private schools than government schools. For proper grooming of a child, the surroundings and ambiance obviously do matter, and a healthy and fruitful environment leads to a decent surrounding, which clearly is lacking in our state-funded schools. Another reason being, private schools focus on the development of soft skills such as punctuality, hygiene, and discipline among many. The curriculum of government schools is such that it fails to incorporate and implement plans for the development of students, therefore overlooking their grooming as an all-rounder. They simply lack such modern teaching techniques, again coming back to the point of inefficient and lousy teachers. Students are left on their fate, while management fails to take notice of the teachers responsible for grooming and pruning these kids. The biggest reason for such malfunction is that most of the government school teachers are themselves money lenders, so the priority which needs to be only given to school is split into two streams. Not only is the priority a concerning issue, but at the same time, teachers in government schools are themselves not punctual regarding the attendance and indiscipline to the conduct required in schools. Their ignorance becomes a major factor why students fail to attain the desired standard of education, offering a setback to the prestige of these schools that could have existed. When such teachers choose to take things for granted, little could be expected from the students enrolled herein, and hence the very idea of schooling at government schools turns into a mockery.