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half-baked Education
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Please help make the Manifesto better, or accept it, and propagate it!
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After meeting so many educated (half-baked, upto class 5-10), =
unemployed, in
the remotest areas of West Bengal this week, many of whom are moving =
into
rabid naxalism and terrorism, Bihar style, please consider the impact of =
a
half-baked education (investment) whose return is ZERO or NEGATIVE. =
Class 12
pass folks are selling ropes for a living.
Open the agricultural sector and the economy to opportunities, else the
result of half-baked education will be very grim.
When Kharagpur, with an IIT, a power station nearby, a National Highway, =
a
Rail head, etc., is a dying city, there is no greater proof needed that
so-called education is meaningless in the presence of bad economic =
policy.
You want social change. Well. You have it. Naxalism and terrorism all =
over
the remote pockets of India.
Instead of harping on social change as an objective in itself, let us =
talk
of providing wealth to India.
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Parr <rjparr@hotmail.com>
To: <debate@indiapolicy.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2000 12:01 PM
Subject: Re: Obsecenity and education
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Please help make the Manifesto better, or accept it, and propagate it!
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mr Sabhlok,
>
> Firstly, thank you for the insightful criticisms of my previous post.
>
> "the jury is still out, in terms of who gains what from education =
(i.e.,
> whether it is a private or a public good, whether it has any positive
> externalities which outweigh the massive taxation it entails)"
>
> You question the positive externalities of education. Well, let's have =
a
> look at some of the hugely damaging negative externalities of mass
> illiteracy and ignorance.
> Illiteracy condems the vast majority of India's workforce to a =
crushing
> cycle of low productivity and low wages. This, in turn, limits =
potential
tax
> recipts from both employers (lower productivity =3D lower profits) and
workers
> (lower productivity =3D lower income).
> 'Basic education is also a catalyst of social change...the spread of
> education helps to overcome the traditional inequalities of caste, =
class
and
> gender, just as the removal of these inequalities contributes to the
spread
> of education' - Sen
> Education increases scrutiny of officials and politicians on a local =
and
> national level. Educated citizens, aware of thier rights, are =
empowered to
> push for greater accountability and transparency from local =
government.
This
> grass-roots pressure is, I would contend, more likely to succesfully
combat
> graft and corruption than any top-down initiative.
>
> Education spending should be seen as *investment* not simply as
expenditure.
>
> ***
>
> >From the IPI manifesto:
> Education:
> ...Huge expenditures, and the latest information technology =
techniques,
will
> be promoted in this sector through both public and private enterprise.
>
> 'The latest information technology techniques' are clearly =
innappropriate
to
> the needs of most Indians. We need blackboards and books, not flashy =
(and
> very expensive) computers.
>
> ***
>
> >6% of the Gross Domestic Product would be targeted for being spent on
> >education by the
> >nation. As far as possible, parents shall bear the responsibility of
> >educating their children.
> >Various forms of support will be made available to those unable to =
afford
> >education of their
> >meritorious but poor children, such as need-based loans to attend
> >institutions of higher
> > learning."
>
> Sorry, but I believe that the wishy-washy language used here - =
support,
> needbased loans - sidestep the crux of the issue. In my humble =
opinion,
> India needs, as a matter of urgency, a compulsory, universal and high
> quality primary education system.
>
> Part of the reason for past failiures in government education =
provision
has
> been the low priority attatched to it. This has led to little or no
scrutiny
> of officials on all levels. The government should pubicly declare that
> education is their Number One priority.
>
> We must kick-start a virtous cycle of parents expectations and power
> increasing, leading to better teaching and less corruption, leading to
> better education for pupils, leading to an increase in the =
population's
> expectations and power, etc.
>
> How do we get this?
>
> -Higher salaries for primary school teachers, to attract able and =
commited
> professionals, and raise the job status.
> -Huge investment in infrastructure - all children should have a school
> within easy walking distance.
> -Schools to provide all necessary equipment and uniforms to pupils, =
free
of
> charge.
> -Free, substantial school meals for all pupils.
> -Tackle teacher truancy:
>
> -Unannounced inspections - if the teacher is not up to standard,
instant
> dismissal
>
> -Make teachers directly accountable to parents - if a majority of =
the
> parents sign a petition of 'no confidence' in a teacher, instand
dismissal.
>
> Sure all this will cost money. So be it. I favour a radical increase =
in
> government investment in education.
>
> Sincerely,
> Richard Parr
>
>
> >From: "Dr. Sanjeev Sabhlok" <sanjeev@sbhlokcity.com>
> >Reply-To: debate@indiapolicy.org
> >To: <debate@indiapolicy.org>
> >Subject: Obsecenity and education
> >Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 18:20:38 -0800 (PST)
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Please help make the Manifesto better, or accept it, and propagate =
it!
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >"Richard Parr" <rjparr@hotmail.com> said:
> > >"Government schools, colleges and universities shall be abolished"
> > >
> > >This is, frankly, an obscene suggestion. The government has a
fundamental
> > >obligation to provide the basic human right of education. Every =
single
> > >developed country in the world has a state education system. =
Education
is
> > >immensly valuable in its own right, but also with respect to =
raising
> >labour
> > >productivity and efficiency.
> > >
> > >Even in purely economic terms, high stste spending on education =
makes
> >sense.
> > >
> > >Left to the market alone, the poorest (who make up such a huge
proportion
> >of
> > >India's population) will be denied acces to this vital resource.
> > >
> > >The single biggest action the Indian government can take to =
facilitate
> >rapid
> > >economic growth would be to provide free, universal education.
> > >
> > >This can only come about through a significant rise in government
> >spending
> > >on Education - if needs be, at the cost of other fiscal commitments =
(eg
> >the
> > >military).
> > >
> > >Richard Parr
> >
> >Dear Mr. Parr, Without entering into the merit of your claim that: =
"The
> >government has a fundamental obligation to provide the basic human =
right
of
> >education." - on which, if you kindly permit me to state, the jury is
still
> >out, in terms of who gains what from education (i.e., whether it is a
> >private or a public good, whether it has any positive externalities =
which
> >outweigh the massive taxation it entails), I see education as a
management
> >issue.
> >
> >If you would kindly move beyond your rhetoric and tell me what you =
want
to
> >see (i.e., HOW will anyone provide real education to the people), I =
would
> >be grateful.
> >
> >2nd, please be humble enough to read the entire section on education =
in
the
> >IPI manifesto. This is my 100th request in this direction. I =
reproduce
its
> >relevant portions since you and others find it so difficult to =
download
and
> >read it, and criticize some imaginary apparitions.
> >
> >Expenditure:
> >-----------
> >
> >"(a) 6% of the Gross Domestic Product would be targeted for being =
spent
on
> >education by the
> >nation. As far as possible, parents shall bear the responsibility of
> >educating their children.
> >Various forms of support will be made available to those unable to =
afford
> >education of their
> >meritorious but poor children, such as need-based loans to attend
> >institutions of higher
> > learning."
> >
> >i.e., I do not deny that education costs money and we should spend on =
it
as
> >a nation.
> >
> >OUR joint endeavour. But only IPI's solution (i.e., moving away from
> >mantras)
> >---------------------------------------------
> >
> > >The single biggest action the Indian government can take to =
facilitate
> >rapid
> > >economic growth would be to provide free, universal education.
> >
> >While endorsing the underlying need to provide education, let us go
beyond
> >rhetoric. You want IAS officers to provide education by directly
appointing
> >teachers. I say, they CAN'T. The mammoth system is not only =
unmanageable,
> >the distance between parents and teachers is too vast. All incentives =
are
> >distorted.
> >
> >We need a solution where the tax payer's money is rightly spent, =
where
> >teachers are accountable, where parents can fix school timings, and =
other
> >such minor things. It appears that to you only the GOAL is important =
and
> >sufficient to feel good about, having articulated it a thousand =
times,
> >while other things such as the MEANS to achieve it is not of any
interest,
> >beng too minor and 'best left to IAS officers' like me. I claim : you
trust
> >us too much. Unless citizens start to think, and participate in
> >SOLUTION-FINDING, we are dead as a nation. This mammoth bureaucracy - =
a
> >legacy of the British - is an old Ambassador car (or Austin) that has
worn
> >out and has no mind (engine power) left of its own.
> >
> >The methods on the IPI manifesto involve:
> >
> >a) direct accountability of teachers by parents and panchayats.
> >
> >b) existing funding PLUS more of schools based on the distance from =
big
> >cities, i.e., incentive to teachers to go to REMOTE villages to seek
> >employment. (Please please please read the IPI manifesto again!!! It
talks
> >of abolition of government schools but NOT of government funding)
> >
> >I urge you to become interested in the details of THE HOWS of =
provision
of
> >schooling, and to not chant 'education,' 'education,' like a broken
record,
> >hoping that gods will then mysteriously provide for it.
> >
> >BTW, I am not here talking of the Friedman voucher system in India. =
That
is
> >the ultimate solution, but at a much later stage. I am talking for
today's
> >India: show me how to bring these lakhs of EXISTING truant teachers
> >employed by government to school and to involve the parents in the
> >education of their children. That will be enough for India at this =
stage.
> >
> >I hope my efforts to persuade have not offended you nor found to be
> >'obscene.'
> >
> >Let us work together on SOLUTIONS, and move away from rhetoric.
> >
> >Here's to SOLUTIONS!!
> >
> >Sanjeev
> >
> >PS: I will be spending about 2 weeks in one of the poorest regions of
India
> >next month (February), in Jhargram region of Midnapur, West Bengal. I
hope
> >to visit some schools and report back the condition of education in =
rural
> >Bengal.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------=
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> >This is the National Debate on System Reform.
debate@indiapolicy.org
> >Rules, Procedures, Archives:
http://www.indiapolicy.org/debate/
> =
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> This is the National Debate on System Reform. =
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>
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This is the National Debate on System Reform. debate@indiapolicy.org
Rules, Procedures, Archives: http://www.indiapolicy.org/debate/
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