The Hindu : `Common school system' sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 05, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

`Common school system' sought

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, MARCH 4 In an attempt at drawing the attention of political parties to the issue of education in the election campaign, a public meeting was held here on Tuesday, demanding implementation of a `common school system' as recommended by the Kothari Commission to ensure equitable education to all children in the country.

The meeting stressed that the `common school system' would be an "important tool in the quest for social transformation" and demanded steps to ensure that access to good education depended not on wealth or class.

The speakers at the meeting also made a demand to the Government and political parties to work towards "removing the blockades in the path to the common school system."

The system should bring State-financed common education system that removed "status-based education in the country" and provided opportunities to all.

A list of demands on removing discrimination in education were put forth at the meeting, organised by the Tamil Nadu Alliance for Right to Education and Equity.

Speaking at the meeting, R. Gandhi, advocate and joint secretary of Lawyers for Human Rights, deplored the delay in implementing the Directive Principles of the State Policy, which ensured free and compulsory education for all children up to 14 years.

"But, unfortunately, education itself is a problem for many children, leave alone free education," he said, adding that the vision of the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, of a developed nation would come true if the discrimination between the `haves and have-nots' was eliminated in education.

The meeting also highlighted that education was the financial responsibility of the Government. Also, there was an unanimous agreement that elementary education should be solely State-funded and private players should not be allowed to enter the arena of school education.

C. Jim Jesudoss, director, Vidiyal, an NGO, said efforts were being made to mobilise public opinion towards creating the `common school system.' A national `yatra' for the objective reached Madurai on Tuesday after covering several parts of the country under the aegis of the National Alliance for the Right to Education and Equity.

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