Is schooling really free?
Vimala RamachandranVimala Ramachandran
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Research by the Educational Resource Unit reveals that schooling is not really free, even in the government schools...
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There is today widespread agreement that access to education has improved significantly in the last decade and even very poor parents want to send their children to school. There is also growing evidence that private schools are mushrooming all over and that children are being sent to private schools if the parents can afford them. In some cases, parents decide to send their children to private schools, even when they cannot really afford it!
In a number of research studies done by our group — Educational Resource Unit — we noticed that schooling is not free, even in government schools and the schools meant for the poor. For example in a recent survey in Uttar Pradesh we found that the teachers collect `fees' — official and unofficial. Community members and students reported that teachers in government schools often asked children to get Rs. five to 10 during national festivals, for issuing of Transfer Certificates or for release of scholarship money. Parents we spoke to said: "If payment is compulsory, then we'd rather send our children to private schools, especially when our children learn very little in school!" Perceived poor quality and poor learning outcomes in government school is contributing to the emergence of these private schools. Collection of unofficial fees, compelling children to buy guidebooks, private tuitions are gradually becoming more common. What is worrisome is that such practices have become more widespread in the last decade, the period when community demand for perceivable good quality education has also grown.
There are differences of course; in one village in Uttar Pradesh we came across a private school run by unemployed youth that did not expel children even if they did not pay the fees regularly — hence making it more attractive to parents. As Nishi Mehrotra, Shahira Naim and Niti Saxena noted in their field diary: "At first appearance it looked more like a cowshed with three low thatched sheds. Running in a compound fenced by a neat hedge, was the village private school. Sitting under the low roofed sheds Std. III students were revising their General Knowledge lesson. It was a pleasant surprise talking to them. When asked, `what is the language spoken in Karnataka?' `Kannada', pat came the reply! This school is not just located physically opposite the village GPS but is a welcome contrast in many other aspects as well.
While it had none of the trappings of a regular school, the children could read, write, count, solve sums, draw and even recite a poem to welcome the team. Set up by members of an OBC sub-caste community five years ago, the school however, does not cater to any specific caste group. It is open to all children from the village as well as neighbouring villages. The land belongs to one of the eminent members of the community. "I have given it for the betterment of the village. After all our children run it and our very own children study," he told the team. Starting with 60 children from the village and nearby villages, some from even Hardoi, across the Gomti — the school today has 133 students studying from Nursery to Std. VIII. While the maximum children were from the OBC community, a sizeable number (15 per cent) of the children in the primary section were from the minority community — the poorest in the village. Another 13 per cent were from the SC community. However, there were more boys (72 per cent) than girls (28 per cent). One of the households observed in the village had sent their three daughters to the village GPS while the son came to this school as they could afford the Rs. 30 fees for one child at least.
It is run by the educated village youth, who take teaching the children from the village as a challenge, while waiting for better job opportunities. They follow the basic textbooks available in the open market. "It is the personal touch that makes all the difference", said one of the teachers, who lives in the village. "I know everyone in the village. I went from house to house to get these children here. When a child doesn't come to school I go to their homes to find out. The fee is running in arrears to the tune of Rs. 10,000. But we know that they will pay up whenever they can. How can we throw the children out of school? They are our own children." The teachers divide whatever fee money is received every month, ranging between Rs. 300 to 500 per month. In the eyes of the community private schools are synonymous with "quality education". "Children there can read frr..frr.." as one parent put it.
The situation was not very dissimilar in Karnataka. Private tuition classes charge Rs. 30 a month. Parents seem to believe that children learn fast and are able to cope with their studies if they are enrolled in tuition classes. One mother said: "I send my child to a private tutor for two hours because it is better to have short time of concentrated learning than many hours of not learning at all!" Tuition is now a national phenomenon. Children studying in government schools have little option — if they do not get help they will not be able to cope. Most of the children we met in government schools admitted that they learn little in class. We calculated the actual teaching time in Rajasthan — we were shocked to see that, on a good day, children were taught 25 minutes. The rest of the time was spent copying from the board, playing, chatting or just sitting around. What was even more disturbing was that the school functioned for 120 days through the year! Non-teaching duties (cattle census, monitoring drought relief work, supervising SHGs and other national duties like Census, Elections, identification of BPL families) took up a lot of time of teachers.
Educational planners and administrators are not ready to look at the issue of schooling in a holistic manner. Opening schools and enrolling children is just the first step. Ensuring regularity of teachers and students, that schools function for 240 days a year and making teachers accountable to learning outcomes (not just enrolment and transition data) and providing first generation learners some form of structured academic support — all are equally important if we are serious about education of our children.
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