Sonepat, May 28
Education has top priority. But it often gives migraines to those who are seeking it as well as parents who try to get their wards the best possible education. If one were to look at the system of schools in Sonepat, a district headquarters and a veritable microcosm of the situation in the country, it boils down to the age-old situation where too many are running after too few seats.
For the uninitiated, the problem of securing admissions for their wards begins at the level of primary education itself. Schools usually call the toddlers for an ‘interview’, line them up and finally ‘quiz’ them after a long wait. Often, the child has problems in even recalling his/her own name.
In the city, there are basically three types of schools. Aided schools, government schools and private schools. The first two categories are provided grants by the government. Private schools function on their own and, as a legacy of the British, are primarily known as public schools. The common phenomenon is to gain access to a `good’ public school as the tag is considered very important. However, good public schools are rare. In the name of such schools, there has been an endless growth of teaching shops.
What is a teaching shop? Mr K. K. Sharma, convenor of the Parents Organisation of Public Schools, says these are schools where teachers are treated like surplus commodities, students are crammed into small classrooms and where there is rarely any link between the teacher and the student. The overall standards of education are poor and the show is sustained because of quest of parents to earn their children that ‘miraculous’ public school tag.
When this correspondent spoke to a cross-section of parents, many of them preferred anonymity as they were apprehensive of some sort of backlash against their wards. They say the school fees are hiked arbitrarily almost every year. The parents are rarely informed before hand and the hike is sought to be justified on grounds of better facilities or counter inflationary pulls.
They point out that most of the extra charges are taken under the heads of library, science and sports; yet in many cases, the charges are disproportionately high compared to the services provided. It is more like a business for some of the owners involved in real estate, hotel or even film production.
Admission itself is a major agony. The queues increase every year. Distraught parents and their beleaguered wards go through a nightmarish experience. The forms are costly and the rest depends on luck or the whims of the teacher in charge. Rumours abound of extra considerations in selecting students. This correspondent met a businessman who was asked to give donation for the admission of his children. The other considerations are ‘voluntary donations’ or a favourable word from a heavyweight politician.
Schools adopt several tactics to mint money. Most of them compel parents to buy books and stationery from the school. It is another matter that rates in the open market may be less. Since there are no choices, you do what they ask you to do or you are in trouble.
Many schools do not have the Parent-Teacher Associations as these are considered more of a nuisance for the heads of the educational institutions than engine of constructive interaction. Some schools go on with a pruning system in the higher classes. For instance, only high-ranking students at the Class XI level are allowed to pass to Class XII. This ensures better performance in the final-year board examination results. It is a carefully orchestrated plan geared towards percentages. This leaves the average students in the cold.
Transportation is another major problem in Sonepat. Most schools have their own vehicles and they charge fancy fares from the students. It is also alleged that almost all the private schools use the tactic of either appointing teachers on an ad hoc basis or keeping them on probation for a year. This is done to deprive them of financial benefits. Schools go for a new batch of teachers every year for avoiding hassles of labour laws.
Certain schools even go to the extent of paying teachers half the amount that is mentioned on a cheque. For the record, they may be paying Rs 3,000 to a teacher but in reality, the person is asked to pay Rs 1,500 in cash to the school before picking up the salary cheque. It is a disgusting ploy but it works.
