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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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The lure of privatisation
Campus notes:
Punjabi University, Patiala
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The lure of privatisation THE Punjab Government has stirred a hornet’s nest by proposing privatisation of schools. There is a general outcry against the proposal, confined not just to the teaching community. The plea taken by the government is that it is unable to fill the vacant posts of schoolteacher or meet the expenses on education. The incentives to children in government schools include free books, uniforms, and free studies for girls and children from the reserved categories. These schools have earned only a bad reputation for the cash-strapped government with their poor performance and potholed infrastructure. What happens to the underprivileged children, once the schools are handed over or, to put it bluntly, sold to industrial houses that have shown keen interest in this property venture? “I am not in favour of privatising education,” says Mr Bir Devinder Singh, a politician, “It will take education out of the reach of the common man. It is unclear how the government proposes to deal with the displaced teachers and students from poor families. The government teachers, too, need to introspect why they have failed, despite having better qualifications and salary than their counterparts in private schools.” Mr Khandpur, brain behind Science City in Kapurthala and a leading academician, says: “Basic health and basic education are fundamental rights of every Indian. I am sure the government has strong reasons for proposing privatisation, but adoption of schools by business houses is a viable alternative.” “The government schools should either be privatised or brought back on rails,” says Bhupinder Kaur, a student from Balagan village of Gurdaspur. On the question of readjusting poor children, she says: ”Do you think they learn anything in schools. A friend of mine joined as a government teacher and is happy that there is no work.” Gurdej Singh, Sarpanch of Lutheri village in the Ropar district, negates the idea that panchayats should take over village schools. “Where is the money? During the Raj, panchayats did have the power to collect some taxes to carry on development work, but the powers have been cut drastically. The Punjab Government gave us money for making only one room in the school. The other 14 rooms we added with our own effort. The PTA pays the bills for electricity and water supply and maintenance. The government gives just the salaries of the teachers, and now they want to deny the poor man his basic right.” Surinder Singh, President of the Teacher’s Union, Moga District, says: “The World Bank has promised the government loans on the condition that it privatises a number of things, education being one of those, and 2,000 more schools will be privatised in the second phase. Where will they absorb these teachers? The Centre has stopped funding education; a student who pays Rs 3 per month for education has no hope of entering a private school. Teachers have to improve its performance, but education is the fundamental right of every citizen and no government can wash its hands off it. Panchayats with zeal and NRIs with money should bypass the government and work with each other to improve schools. Maybe, then the government will seek the public mandate before taking each important decision.
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Campus notes:
Punjabi University, Patiala THE last six months of the tenures of all Vice-Chancellors of Punjabi University, Patiala, have usually been full of turmoil and agitations, with the previous Vice-Chancellor even going into hiding to prevent arrest. Though the present incumbent, Swarn Singh Boparai, has less than five months remaining in office, he seems to be bucking the trend and appearing to become even more powerful and in control of the campus, as the university experiences unprecedented academic and development-related activities. Boparai’s determination not to waver on the issue of discipline, on which ground, four student leaders were expelled from the campus, also seems to have reined in student unrest even as the World Punjabi Conference has given a complete facelift to the campus. Boparai, who pioneered the concept of an engineering college exclusively for rural students more than one year back at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district, has seen through the establishment of the college, ensuring financial support for all the students enrolled during the last six months. Now, he has come out with a new concept, “neighbourhood campuses”, which is another first in the country. The seed of this concept was sown after the management of the Ratwara Sahib Trust offered the university a piece of land and Rs 100 crore for the establishment of a medical college and hospital near the PGI in Chandigarh. This caused a ripple effect with the Bhai Gurdas Trust in Mansa district offering 37 acres for introducing specialised veterinary courses and the TDP College management of Rampura Phul urging the university to introduce technical courses in the institution. Under the “neighbourhood campuses” project, which has been approved by the Punjabi University Syndicate, all the three technical institutions coming up at Ratwara Sahib, Mansa and Rampura Phul will offer specialised courses to the students of the region. The Vice-Chancellor has been able to do all this because there has not been any opposition from teachers and their representative body, PUTA. For this, Boparai has to thank Dr J. S. Ahluwalia, who had given voting right to the teachers of Bathinda Law College and Talwandi Sabo College during the last year of his term. After Ahluwalia’s exit, this right was taken away by the new dispensation and the teachers of both colleges took the matter to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court ruled that the votes of these teachers be polled separately till a decision was taken on the matter. The result of this election held two years back is still pending. With PUTA elections due in August again, university teachers have appealed that the elections be held on schedule, as the High Court decision was specific to the election held two years back. However, the university authorities hold the view that the basic issue is whether the teachers of both colleges can become members of PUTA or not. Till the final decision on this issue, the university is in for a PUTA-less dispensation for some more time. |
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The Tribune Air-India Rank and Bolt Awards Only students who are studying in Class VIII and above are eligible to apply for the Rank awards. The category boxes on the Rank award forms are not to be filled by the applicants. Readers would recall that Air India, in collaboration with The Tribune, has instituted awards to recognise excellence and promote the concept of ‘towards responsible and active citizenship’. These awards are for students and teachers of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The selected students and teachers will travel to Singapore on a visit sponsored by Air-India. Two persons, a teacher and a student from each of the three states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, will be selected for the awards. Forms for the awards can be downloaded from the following websites: www.airindia.com or www.tribuneindia.com. The last date for the submission of completed forms is June 30. |
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ADMISSION DEADLINE Agriculture Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni-Solan 173230 (HP). May 25 1) BSc (Horticulture/Forestry) (4-yr) 2) BSc (Horti) (5-yr) July 7 3) Master’s Progs (College of Horti/ Forestry) Elig: HP Domiciles only with foll qualfn Selectn: Entrance Exam: 19 June Appln F: Send Rs 300/- for 1, 2 & 3 by DD favouring “Comptroller, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry” payable at State Bank of Patiala, Nauni (code 279)/UCO Bank, Nauni (code 969) at above add.
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