The NKC recommendations call for an urgent look at "the monitoring of private schools, in terms of ensuring a transparent admissions process, regulation of fee structure, as well as setting minimum standards for quality of teaching and infrastructure."
The recommendations for school education were submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and to the Planning Commission in the first week of February.
The report states that "private schools should become a subject of regulation and inspection within a set framework, which is universally applicable".
R Govinda, a senior professor at the National University of Education Planning and Administration supported this recommendation stating that it is essential to have "common standards" for all schools.
"Just because the government does not give grants to some schools, does not mean they keep themselves detached from those institutions. After all, every child belongs to this country," said another expert.
Across the country, several private schools have set up their own admission procedures and fees, and are not regulated. Also, several unrecognised private schools have also mushroomed.
The NKC also recommends that a testing body at the national level focus on "fixed infrastructural requirement, enrolment and attendance, as well as, outcome indicators like learning levels in language skills and numeracy."
This body will track both public and private schools and will monitor the "skills attained" rather than ask questions that place emphasis on "rote learning," the report suggests.
To also cut "the many distinctions" created by the current system, the Sam Pitroda-led commission has recommended that there be greater exchanges among schools.
"There is a need to constitute mechanisms of exchange and interactions between students and teachers of different schools. Schools should be allowed to be mentored by other schools to improve facilities and teaching methods."
The NKC panel which consulted 250 other experts for the school education recommendations, also suggests that secondary students be involved in a practical skill "requiring working with hands."
The NKC report states that schools set up Livelihood Centres to impart practical employable skills and provide career counselling.
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Wonder how regulation will seek to address the so called issues of infrastructure and quality. First, the Government should look within and keep its house in order. The plight of Government schools in terms of crumbling infrastructure, abysmal quality of teachers is well known.
The mushrooming of private schools across India is a response by the market forces to the failure of Government schools. The need for the day is to encourage more private schools. This will bring in more competition and keep the school managements on its toes. Today the demand for quality schools (by quality I mean better than Government schools) outstrips the supply and hence these schools are able to charge high fee. If the people in the country think that they are being overcharged they wouldn't be stepping over each other to get their kids into these schools. They are ready to pay in thousands and lakhs to get their kids into lower kindergartens.
Some of the best schools in the country are run by private institutions and have been surviving for years without much government support. They have involved the society (with a model as simple as regular parents meets) in their running than the Government. The best Government can do is to fund research into primary education India and bring out more models to address the concerns in spread and quality of education.
I believed that the National Knowledge Commission with well respected people like Sam Pitroda on their panel would come out with more practical solutions than the always available solution of “more regulation”.
...Vj
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