Telangana.jagtial: A note on Present Education System: presented to Mrs. Kavitha M.P.

Mrs.Kalvakuntla Kavitha,

M.P.

Nizamabad parliament Constituency,

Camp: JAGTIAL

A note on

Present Education System:

Make Radical Changes to Impart Free and Compulsory Education to Needy

From:

Ch.V.Prabhakar Rao

Senior Journalist

President,

Telangana Recognised Schools Managements Association

H.No. 6-5-203,Brahmanwada,

JAGTIAL 505327 T.S .

Cell: 93915 33339; 9492710508

Email: chvprabhakarrao@gmail.com

Date: 29-10-2014

Mrs.Kalvakuntla Kavitha,

M.P.

Nizamabad parliament Constituency,

Camp: Jagtial

Respected Madam,

I would like to submit few lines for your kind consideration on our present education system and the changes, what shall be brought immediately for qualitative and skillful education in secondary education level, to keep pace with the changing times.

Present Education System Needs Radical Changes To Impart Free And Compulsory Education To Needy.

In today`s global scenario every parent running to English medim schools to face the neck to neck competition of the tomorrow`s life.

But most of the developed countries in the world impart primary education in their native and mother tongue. All most all European and south East Asian developed countries fallows the same.

Only we, common wealth countries, are very much interested in English language and try pose as perfect in English. Many English media children are unable to communicate in English, as they cannot express their views and opinions in English.

Take the example of the north Indian state students prefer Hindi in all competitive exams and oppose English, even in Civil`s exams.

Almost all educationists prefer primary education shall be taught in the child`s mother tongue. Anyhow, let the arguments be aside and let us focus light on the today`s issues.

LET`S KEEP OUR FOOT PRINTS.

Every new government plans to leave their foot prints in the governance and socio-economic welfare schemes. In this global scenario human resource are playing most vital role in the development of any nation or state or region.

Whether this may coincidence or anything other, but today the central and state have two new governments, having complete different attitudes in their outlook from the previous governments.

After 60 years of hardship and movements Telangana region has got separated from A.P. state and just started blooming. The most urgently expected reforms in the governance are education system and job recruitment process apart from speedy economical development.

RECOGNISE AS INDUSTRY:

Recognise the Educational institutions as small Industry, so the institutions may get bank loans and other benefits, as the other small industries are getting from the government. This may lessen the burden on the parent as well as it gives job security to the teachers in private schools.

ALL SCHEMES IN ONE SCHOOL

The TRS government, under dynamic leadership of Kalvakuntla Chandhra Shekar Rao, promised K.G to P.G education free and compulsory to all the Telangana students. Free and compulsory education at all stages can be made true by making some radical changes in the present system.

The previous Congress lead UPA-2 government spent lot money to make shuffle in the national education system through Rajiv Gandhi Vidya Mission and Rastriya Uchchathar Vidya Mission and many more. But not reached their goals.

At present all the intellectuals and educationists are advocating and pressing for the good physical facilities in schools and colleges to harness good quality education. Off course, at some extent the basic physical facilities must be provided to continue the learning process in peaceful and healthy conditions.

We are forgetting the most important aspect of the learning process is not only the basic physical facilities but the sincere and devoted human personnel. In the last decade thousands of schools opened in every state. No government has followed the student and teacher ratio in opening new school to satisfy their political interests. At the same time all the politicians, including opposition party leaders too shared this unwanted undesired new school openings and sanction new class room buildings to satisfy their political needs of their areas.

In the same period the same government closed many school in rural areas due to lack of students in those school or they merged with nearby old schools. Still in every June the politicians and local leaders voice for opening new schools and upgrading present primary schools to upper primary school or upper primary school to high school, without bothering about the economical strength of the of the schools and their feeding area schools strength.

And another unsolved and unsolvable problem is government teacher`s cadre and their service rules. The same government recruits the teachers in the same department with different schemes and different names and styles, like model school teachers, residential school teachers, SC, BC, ST residential school teachers and under many other new names and schemes.

COMBINE ALL PROGRAMMES INTO ONE:

All the teachers have to work for the same area students under the same government and same education department. But their working rules and pay scales are different and they are not answerable to local government or any other local inspecting authority.

There are many separate residential schools for all recognized downtrodden class people apart from general school to impart quality education in every nook and corner of every district, in every state. But most of the schools do not have enough strength or they are not attracting students, even though they are located in their vicinity.

Many tribal schools located in the deep forests are also not creating confidence in the local tribal. No government officer or the local politician takes any interest in attracting students and creating confidence in the parents.

Simply they need funds to construct the new buildings in that school.

Now look at Government hostels of various departments. Almost every Mandal headquarter of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh state have at least one Hostel with minimum intake of 100 students of high school level. Many mandals have girls hostel too.

But in no hostel we can find more than 50 students taking admission. Every district collector in their review meeting warns the hostel wardens to fill the seats, but in vein. Even in the divisional head quarters hostel also not able to satisfy the poor and downtrodden students.

NEED OF COMMON SERVICE RULES:

Before going to announce any new education policy or changes in the existing policies, the government should review the present ground level situation than going with their brain child policies.

The education department has many internal issues to get solved before going to implement any other new policy in the states. In these two new states the most important and burning problem of teacher s of different cadre must be unified, and bring under one cadre by merging government, Panchayat Raj, Gurukul, Residential Society and many other scheme teachers by making Common Service Rules to all the teaching community in the Telangana government with conscience of all the Teacher Unions of the state, which is now in Supreme Court for a decade.

Due to this cadre differences the governments may not able to give promotions to the teachers into higher level posts like, inspecting officers, district officer and other posts. This problem prevails since 2000, but no one is serious on this issue and no one thinks about the total system and what it has lost in the last 15 years.

There are about 1150 Mandal educational officers posts in the both the state. Out of the total MEO posts and Divisional Educational Officers posts, 80% of them with in- charges or with additional charge officers, who are unable to stream line the system.. The in-charge is none other than a senior teacher or a Diet College lecturer and he can be transferred to any school or college at any movement, if the teachers` unions think that the in-charge MEO or Dy.E.O. is not in their good looks. In this position how can a in-charge officer can take any action on any teacher, either, he/she was his co-teacher in yesterdays or may be the tomorrow`s co-teacher.

MAINTAIN TEACHER STUDENT RATIO:

Now the problem of government schools are attracting students and building confidence in village people. In many villages there is no need to open new schools or appoint new teachers. In every town of every district have number of school without sufficient required strength but have good number of qualified teachers. They should be rationally transferred and the schools should be merged accordingly, to import quality education.

Almost all town schools are running because of rules without required minimum number of students. This is only because rules formulated to benefit some teachers and their leaders, but not in the welfare of the students.

The schools are classified A,B, C and D grades according to the urbanization ,transport and other facilities available in that particular village or town. The `A `grade schools have full strength of teachers, irrespective of the student –teacher ratio.

The C and D grade schools always need teachers as per teacher-student ratio. Generally almost all the C and D grade schools only have the maximum strength, because these schools are far away from towns and they do not have private schools in their vicinity to send the students for good education.

Not only for those, that the students of these schools are unable to go out of the village as the most of the parents of these schools are Sc`s, St`s and other backward classes and economically backward classes; they cannot afford private education.

At the same time the village people may not ready to send their girl children to other far away villages, after attaining at the age of 12 or 13, that is after completing class 6^th and 7^th.This is one of the main reasons in girl child dropout ratio.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM ZERO LEVEL STUDENTS:

Where there is no basic educational skill in students, there we are striving for extra and co-curricular activity. We are opening new residential and model school for the rural weaker section to provide corporate level education at the cost of common student of the same area. The schools are not imparting 3Rs in their primary level education?

At this stage the teacher community blames the government planning of and promoting the teachers for than school work duties and parents blame the teachers for their poor attendance and performance in schools.

How far it is right? Who is right is not the question to discuss at this point. We have to look into the issue to how better we can solve the dropouts and impart good and qualitative education to all.

To bring the entire drop out students into the fold of education, we have to make some radical changes in our present education department and in its rules.

First, the government shall organize a round table meeting on this issue with teacher`s union leaders to make up their mind to forego any benefits to achieve the main goal, other than monetary benefits.

BRING THE NEW EDUCATION ACT.

The government has to formulate special education act for Telangana state to provide 100 per cent free and compulsory education to all the eligible children in the state, without caste and creed. The model schools concept is against the RTE, which prescribes common school system, where all the students should be given same education, so all such schools shall converted into common schools.

CHANGE OUR EDUCATION ACTS AND RULES.

1. All types of the schools must be brought under one umbrella, by merging the different department’s controlled residential schools and their staff.

2. All the teacher of the state should have the same Service Rules. Private school teachers shall treated at par with government teachers in all respects, other than monitory benefits.

3. No child shall be allowed to travel more than five (5) or ten (10) K.M. from their home to school, unless the child did not get admission in that locality. This rule shall be implemented strictly to strengthen the government school and control the unhealthy competition among private school. At present by the influence of the corporate schools the schools bus plying radius increased from 15 K.M to 30 K.M. This should be minimized to less than 10 K.M.

4. The educationists, teachers’ union leaders and private school management leaders shall be taken into confidence and made part of the Act and Rule framing committee.

5. All the private school teachers must be given same in service trainings as par with government teachers to impart quality education.

6. All the Economically Backward Students shall be given all the facilities to the private school students, like Free Books, Uniforms etc.,

7. If the children studies in the nearby school, they save much of time on travelling and find time for other activities, like sports & game.

8. Every village shall provide with one primary school with all basic amenities, where there is no school at present.

9. Every Upper Primary school should have at least two or three feeding Primary schools in its vicinity of one Kilometer radius.

10. Every High school should have with in 3 K.M. with three or four feeding Upper Primary Schools.

11. No new school shall be permitted within the radius of three (3) K.M of any existing High School, unless the existing High School`s strength exceeds the maximum capacity of the school, subject to available basic amenities, staff, building and like others.

12. Every village head, public representatives of the village and other social organizations such as village youth and Mahila organizations shall made part of school development committees.

TEACHERS RESIDENTIAL QUARTERS.

13. Every teacher, who is working in the school, shall reside within the two (2) or three (3) K.M. Radius of the school. If, a teacher is available in the village, he will impress the villagers and students and builds confidence in them. Hence the strength of the school will increase.

14. Most of the teachers stay away to the schools and travel from a far away distance. To save the travel time of the teachers, the government should make such a plan that every school building means including the residential accommodation to all the staff members of the school, accordingly

15. This may not be a residential school but to avoid residential problems in rural villages. The most effective argument of the teachers` unions for not staying any teacher in the villages, because of residential accommodation is not available to stay any teacher in the villages.

16. Now the government paying 8 to 12 percent House Rent Allowance to all the eligible teachers. If, government itself provides residential accommodation, the government need not pay any HRA benefits to the teacher. At present in a lay way calculation, a newly appointed teacher may get monthly HRA of Rs.1500 and above, then how much the government is paying to its senior teachers? The HRA saved by the government can help to build more accommodation in new areas

17. The teachers, who are working in Agency Area and in far away remote villages, can be given a special allowance for that purpose.

18. Every four (4) to five (5) high schools shall have a complex of Junior college; with vocational courses to cater the needs of the rural area, like electric pump repairs, house wiring, tractor mechanism, like so\

19. Every five (5) to six (6) high schools shall have a Degree collage complex with Science Arts and vocational and other job oriented courses, like air condition maintenance, computer aided engineering designing, computer aided accountancy, computers repair, land survey, and other course.

20. Every Mandal head quarter shall have at least one I.T I institute, to cater the needs of the rural area, like electric pump repairs, house wiring, tractor and auto mechanism, plumber, fitter and like so.

21. Provide healthy and nutritious food to all school students at least 2 times a day, i.e. afternoon and evening, to keep the students in the schools and healthy.

22. Co-ordinate the mid-day meals program with local Swashakti Mahila groups and school management or development committees.

23. Tamilnadu government practically providing meals to all the needy at the cost of Rs.5/-and Curd rice for Rs.3/-.Almost the same thing is being implemented by the GHMC in twin cities with the help of ISKON. The same shall be implemented in schools also, with the help of other philanthropic organization.

INVOLVE NRIS IN CREATING INFRUSSTRUCTURE.

24. We shall allow and encourage the interested philanthropists and organizations to share the responsibility of creating basic infrastructure in schools. If the government announces a clear and open policy on this, there may be many philanthropists and organizations to come forward to create infrastructure in schools.

25. There are many educated young people employed in India and abroad in high levels of income. If the government chalks out a clear and transparent programme to involve them in creating infrastructure and other activities in their native villages and their old schools.

26. The government can name the school or a part of building or class room in the memory of the philanthropist’s interested persons, when they bear the cost of the project.

CONTROL MUSHROOMING OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS:

1. No society shall allow opening more than one school in the state.

2. Government shall not given permission to any organization to start chain of school, unless the organization is running their schools for downtrodden students without school fee, that mean it shall give total free education and not collecting any fee from the student, other than any benefit from the government, if available.

3. No private school is allowed to open in the vicinity of any government school, unless the strength of the school is more than the accommodation of the existing school and the inspecting officer notifies for a new school to be opened by any non profit oriented organization, i.e. Government or private.

4. The government shall permit the private schools only in remote areas and slum areas of the urban and metropolitan cities, where the government is not reaching the needs of the local children.

5. Private school teacher’s service shall be taken into account while recruiting the government posts.

6. The private school fee regulatory committee of every district shall meet regularly and fix the fee structure of the schools in every March for the next academic year.

7. The existing or newly opened private schools shall not bring the students from the faraway places. The private school bus movement shall be restricted to five (5) to ten (10) K.M from the school location.

8. Every private school management should implement the new education Rules of RTE, irrespective of their standards and locality.

9. All the teachers of the private schools shall enroll their names in the District Employment Office, so they can be given job security and other benefits in the private schools and it gives a chance to the inspecting officer to control and maintain quality education in the private schools too.

10. Every private school shall make undertaking to the government to build their own building within 10 years of its establishment. For this purpose the government shall provide the land to the private school, where it is available. If the government land is not available in that locality, the government shall provide bank guarantee to purchase the required land for the school building.

THIS IS NOT THE END:

These are may be only one man`s ideas or opinion. If the government is of so serious about qualitative education to all the eligible children, free and compulsory, it shall immediately take steps at war foot level.

This academic year begins. Now we cannot make anything. To avoid the same situation in the next academic year, we have to plan from the day one. Free college education is not a serious problem, because only 25% of the primary school students are coming to higher education.

In college level almost all private colleges are getting reimbursement of fee paid by all the students. The tuition fee reimbursement scheme to students in colleges, especially in engineering colleges, only increasing the intake of the colleges but not improving the quality. The students are running for engineering colleges, due to non availability of quality education at graduation level. The government degree colleges shall be started in rural areas to promote job oriented courses at graduation level studies.

There are many senior educationists and philanthropists in our Telangana, who strived for separate statehood, are ready to share their thoughts and services in molding “Bangaru Telangana” with high standard and qualitative educational institutions to the pride of our state. For all these activities finance is not only the hindrance, but the clear WILL is necessary and we have to keep confidence in us to implement some hard rules to reach our goals at an early stage, some organizations, some political and other groups may oppose our plans. With clear mind and will we implement new plans, the success only speaks about us.

Hope your goodness may look into these serious issues.

Thanking You.

Yours Sincerely.

Ch.V.Prabhakar Rao

Senior Journalist.