RTE: Good in intent but lacking in drive

Appreciation of the value of inclusiveness and integration must be a part of training course for teachers.

The Right to Education Act which came into force on April 1, 2010 assures the right of free and compulsory education to all children within the age group of 6-14. The Act stipulates that in all schools across India 25 per cent of admission at the induction stage should be of children from weaker sections. The child is not liable to pay any kind of fee and the government will reimburse the private schools the cost of educating the child.

To facilitate greater enrolm-ent and reduce the rate of drop out the Act assures admission in a school within 1 km distance of residence, no screening for admission, no denial of admission for lack of age proof, admission in age appropriate class for those who miss out the entry level, no detention in the same class and no discrimination of students admitted under RTE and facilities like separate toilets for girls and boys, play ground etc.

With a view to improve quality of education RTE Act stipulates norms for recognition of private schools.  The norms relate to student-teacher ratio, qualification, salary and training of teachers, formation of School Management Committee consisting of parents, teachers and local authority, restricting deployment of teachers for non-educational purposes etc.

The RTE Act has led to massive increase in enrolment and by January 2015 more than 96.7 per cent of children in the relevant age group were enrolled (Annual Status of Education Report, 2014). However, there are reports of violation of norms pertaining to admission, income certificates, qualification of tea-chers, collecting cost of books, uniform etc from parents etc.

The RTE Act has led to massive increase in enrolment and by January 2015 more than 96.7 per cent of children in the relevant age group were enrolled (Annual Status of Education Report, 2014). However, there are reports of violation of norms pertaining to admission, income certificates, qualification of tea-chers, collecting cost of books, uniform etc from parents etc.

Instances of discrimination like separate classes for RTE students, making them sit in the last row, expelling children whose parents questioned illegal collection of fee etc have been reported. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought reports from all state governments on such incidents.

Opponents of RTE argue that coping problems of children from poor families bring down the standard of the whole class.  Some parents complain that their children will learn bad habits from poor children. The National Independent Schools Alliance filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court alleging that hundreds of budget schools charging nominal fees were closed down and many more were served with notice for non-compliance.

They claim that RTE provisions are discriminatory as they are applicable only to private schools. They are aggrieved that even the meagre amount promised as reimbursement are not released by state governments. Between 2010 & 2014 there have been significant improvements in Government schools in student-teacher ratio (38.9 to 49.3 per cent), boys toilets (47.2 to 65.2 per cent), girls toilets (32.9 to 55.7 per cent) and marginal improvement in mid day meal (84.6 to 85.1 per cent), play ground and drinking water (72.7 to 75.6 per cent). But there has been a decline in the ability of children in reading and recognising numbers.

According to ASER only 41.7 per cent of Class 5 children in government schools were able to read Class 2 texts and only around 50 per cent of the Class-5 students were able to do a two digit subtraction. This decline is said to be mainly due to the “No detention” policy. The dropout rate is also alarming.

Vital role

The government’s role is vital in stepping up the momentum. Slogans like Education for All, Beti Bachao Beti Padao etc sound hallow, when seen against reduction for the year 2015-16 in allocation to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (20 per cent), Mid-day Meal Scheme (30 per cent) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (28.7 per cent). Do high sounding slogans achieve results without being backed by sufficient resources?

Sufficient funding, recruitment of teachers to maintain healthy teacher-student ratio, better pre-service & on-service training, improving service conditions to attract and  retain talent, use of technology both for teacher training and student learning, appropriate regulatory frame work to ensure transparency and accountability etc are urgently needed to improve  quality and reach of education.

Prompt reimbursement by government, providing soft loans, increasing flow of  CSR funds, restricting admission under RTE  to BPL families, incentives for additional qualifications and rural service, creating awareness among poor parents about the importance of education, finding ways to reach children in remote areas and those of migrant labourers etc are also needed.

In the changed scenario, when teachers have to handle students from vastly different backgrounds, appreciation of the value of inclusiveness and integration need to be part of training course. The RTE will bring the life experience of a cross section of people into the class room. Hopefully, the minor frictions and discord seen at the beginning will prove to be a passing phase.

Over a period of time, intermingling of children from vastly different backgrounds will help break down mental barriers, remove prejudices and lead to greater social harmony. It will also lead to significant changes in social equations and herald a silent revolution which will rede-fine our politics, change the discourse on public policy and promote meaningful democracy.

- See more at: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/496911/rte-good-intent-drive-lacking.html

Health for all through public healthcare

My article published in Deccan Herald dated 3/6/2015.

NARAYANAN N, JUNE 03, 2015, DHNS

Health is wealth is not merely an oft-repeated maxim. Without health, a person cannot pursue his interests and goals with energy and enthusiasm. A study of the economic history of United Kingdom by Robert William Fogel shows that one of the major factors contributing to UK's progress was the steady improvement in the health of its people over the decades. 

Ailments prevent people from leading fruitful lives. Availability of proper healthcare can contribute to human well-being and quality of life. But healthcare is not getting the importance it deserves in India. As Noble laureate Amartya Sen says, 'Healthcare is one of the least discussed subjects in the country'.

India has emerged as an important location for medical tourism and patients from across the world come here for specialised treatment. But a common man in the country has no access even to primary healthcare. The choice before the poor is either to leave their ailments untreated or to resort to borrowing or selling whatever meagre property they have and become bankrupt. 

According to the Planning Commission, health problems push almost 39 million people into poverty every year. Although successive governments promised healthcare to all and set ambitious targets, the commitments were seldom honoured. Budget allocations are often cut apparently due to fiscal constraints. But more than the constraints, it is a case of lopsided priorities. 

Major issues affecting healthcare in India are inadequacy of hospital beds, non-availability of medicines and treatment at affordable costs, shortage of doctors and nurses, and low coverage of health insurance. If loss to the exchequer because of corruption and wasteful expenditures can be controlled, then it should not be difficult to tackle such issues.

India spends a meagre 4.1 per cent of its GDP on healthcare and is among the bottom 10 nations in public spending on healthcare of the world. As a result, private hospitals have become the primary source of healthcare for 70 per cent of households in urban areas and 63 per cent of households in rural areas (National Family Health Survey-3). 

While opting for treatment in private hospitals patients have to cope with many malpractices apart from bearing the high cost of treatment. Some hospitals resort to fraudulent measures like unnecessary referrals to specialists, unwarranted investigations, procedures, and even surgeries, inflating of bills etc. Though some doctors admit the prevalence of these practices on condition of anonymity, they dare not speak out as they are afraid of harassment from hospital management. 

Whistle Blowers Protection Act of 2011 provides some protection to those who expose corrupt practices in government offices and hospitals. But as private hospitals are not covered under this Act, individuals who expose malpractices get no protection from this regulation.

In spite of this sad state of affairs, people are forced to opt for treatment in private hospitals because of overcrowding, lack of cleanliness and shortage of medical staff and medicines in government hospitals.

Notable progress

No doubt, the country has made progress in some areas, including eradication of small pox and polio, reduction in infant and maternal mortality rate, malnutrition, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and HIV. Life-expectancy has increased from 50 years at the time of independence to 66 years. Poor patients have benefitted from schemes like NRHM, RSBY and GSHIS. 

Draft National Health Policy 2015 says that, "Healthcare service delivery would be built on the bedrock of high quality comprehensive primary health care services that are made universally accessible, that are free and that are provided as close to where people live and work as is feasible. Regulatory framework needs reform to prevent private hospitals from exploiting patients."

These are no doubt laudable objectives. But unless sufficient and uninterrupted fund flow is ensured and strict monitoring on spending is done, it will be difficult to achieve the professed goals. Lessons must be learnt from the experience of the 12th Plan which handed over the healthcare system to private institutions instead of developing a robust public health system. 

If the goal of 'Health for All' is to be realised, the focus should be on preventive healthcare, immunisation, maternal health and improving staff strength and availability of medicines at PHCs. These can be achieved only if the public healthcare is given the pride of place in the healthcare system.

- See more at: http://m.deccanherald.com/content/481243/health-all-through-public-healthcare.html/#sthash.5a9I5zio.dpuf

Communal harmony - the way forward!

The communal tensions show no signs of abating. It is evident that fundamentalists among both Hindus and Muslims are bent upon perpetuating it.  The media has been quite irresponsible. They are interested only in sensationalising trivial incidents by blowing them up out of proportion.  And those who claim to be opposed to communalism are not making any serious attempt to change this sad state of affairs. The Congress, the left and other political parties who claim to be secular are not effective in fighting this down slide in our social life because their fight against communalism lacks credibility.

  

A Muslim friend with liberal views once expressed his anguish like this.   “Though I am a practicing Muslim, I am against Taliban, Al-Qaida, ISIS, gender discrimination   etc. But I am afraid of talking about such issues  because I fear of being  ostracised from the community and in an eventuality like that  I am not sure of any support from progressive and secular groups because they themselves are reluctant to openly talk about such issues. The only people who openly criticise the Muslim extremists are the Sangh Parivar and their associates who want to paint the whole Muslim community black by branding them as terrorists and fundamentalists. In a situation like this, how can liberal Muslims come out boldly to express their view point?” 

What he is saying is true. Among Hindus also the situation is the same. How many liberal Hindus are prepared to condemn honour killings, khap panchayats, attacks on churches and mosques and many other such misdeeds by men of their own community?

There is a dire need of people who can take a stand against negative and unfair acts irrespective of   who indulges in such acts.  Only when Liberal Muslims and Hindus give up their inhibitions and reluctance and exhibit the courage to condemn the misdeeds committed by persons of their own community, a credible opposition to communalism can be built up. 

The campaign of the left and secular parties against Hindu communalism is not able to draw support from right thinking people because of their stoic silence against obscurantist practices among Muslims and Christians. What credibility they can have when they remain silent about conversion by inducement and force, fatwa, terrorism, ISIS, Taliban, al-Qaida etc? 

Because of this attitude they are leaving the field open for the conservative right like the Sangh Parivar to mislead people by exaggerating and distorting facts.  It is high time they openly talk against unfairness and for reform wherever and whenever it is warranted. 

Likewise the moderates among Hindus should take the lead to fight and expose khap panchayats, honour killings, moral policing, attack against mosques and churches, harassment of ordinary people just because they are Muslims etc.

But countering, opposing and exposing negative tendencies on either side is not enough.   Some positive actions also need to be initiated to dispel misconceptions and remove mistrust among the communities. Moderates on either side should overcome their inhibitions and become vocal in espousing the positive side of their respective religions. After all, it has to be agreed that the original thrust of all the religions was preservation of order, peace and well being of all. Somewhere in the course of the journey through rough terrains of history, sometimes due to error of judgment and sometimes due to deliberate misinterpretations, the original concepts have been distorted. Whatever good was there in the original teachings need to be restored. Whatever is not suitable to the present should be discarded.  

It is agreed that there are differences in tradition, culture, rituals etc of different communities. But accepting diversity is our tradition. The majority of people in this country have no problem with that. The politicians try to divide us for electoral gains. The activities of the Hindutva brigade have not resulted in enhancing the prestige of Hinduism which is known for its accommodative spirit. On the contrary the proponents of Hindutva have gained politically by manipulating religious sentiments. Some persons while claiming to be protectors of religion have built commercial empires worth thousands of crores. They arouse communal passions to further their greed and loot. 

Likewise fatwa and terrorism have not helped the cause of Islam. It has only resulted in arousing the wrath of the world against all Muslim including the innocents. 

If you agree that these issues need to be discussed on a wider scale, please share it on Goggle + and Facebook. If you disagree with any of my contentions, please counter them with your own view point because dialogue and debate will help the cause of peace and communal harmony.