Empower parents to make choice in education

Yesterday I had gone to CCS’s Student First discussion at IHC. The subject putout for discussion was “Implementing the 25% in RTE Act: Developing a Model”.

The newly joined Associate Director for School Choice Campaign Mr Jan Sjunnesson Rao made a presentation highlighting the following issues:

• How are weaker and disadvantaged sections defined and verified?

• How will the government select these students?

• Should there be any admission criteria?

• How can the admission process be made simple and easy for weaker sections and disadvantaged groups?

• Would the admission lottery be conducted by each school or neighbourhood or by entire village/town/city? How would the supply-demand gaps in each neighbourhood be addressed?

After listening different viewpoint I felt a mixed feeling I mean the whole debate even officially ignores the ROLE OF PARENTS in the child education. Whatever the criteria set by government to enroll these children will be based on who the parent is? And how we define the whole set of institutional setup which will allow them to play what is good for them. Undermining their role in the process of educating child will face nightmare like the present higher education system.

There was little or no discussion on the following issues but was highlighted as core issues:

• What will be the mechanism for reimbursement to private school?

• How will the government monitor the whole process? What type of external vigilance/social audit would be allowed/encouraged on the process?

• What would happen if some of these students need to be change school in higher classes?