JORHAT COLLEGE

UGC SPONSORED SEMINAR

PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION: ITS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ACADEMIC IMPLICATIONS
Debajyoti Biswas; Assistant Professor of English; Hojai College, Hojai. 25th &26th -Jun-2011

SUB-THEME: PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION: ITS IMPACT ON SOCIETY

Privatisation of Education: Its impact on society.

Thesis Statement: The poor performance by the government-aided institutions is inevitably leading to the growth of private institutions. Education is a basic need to sustain human civilization and to keep the society advancing in a positive direction. But who needs it? Education cannot be partial. We cannot deny basic education to someone on the basis of sex, social status, caste, community or religion. And true, the Indian Constitution through 86th Amendment Act (2002) via Article 21A (Part III) sought to make education free and compulsory for all children aged 6 to 14. And finally in 2009, Right of Children to free and compulsory education was passed through a Gazette notification (The Gazette of India Extraordinary). Though education could be availed free of cost, parents are inclined to send their kids to private institutions at the expense of a huge sum of money. The chase for private institutions has led to the mushrooming of Private institutions at all level from within and outside the country. Despite of being an expansive affair these institutions tend to grow every year because of a clear research by these organizations to provide a quality service in the competitive arena. Whereas, most of the proletariat send their wards to government institutions, finding no other alternate; the rich section of the population secure the fate of their children by providing them the best education possibly provided by these institutions. The infrastructure, the student-teacher ratio, accountability of teachers, strong administration, qualitative and quantitative output, and many other factors contribute to the growth of private institutions; and which obviously are missing in the government-run institutions. Unless the government-run institutions and the stakeholders realise their responsibilities, and stop taking their profession as liabilities, instead of regarding it as a noble profession, these institutions will cease to exist at one point of time.

Why parents prefer Private Schools and Colleges? In general, I believe there are several factors contributing to it. 1. First, parents prefer English as the medium of instruction, so they look for English medium schools. 2. Second, the quality of teaching materials is sub-standard till 7th grade if we compare with the English medium schools. 3. Classes are not regularly held in government schools and colleges. 4. There are not enough government universities, medical colleges and other institutions of professional training. 5. Poor research facility and lack of opportunities which causes huge brain drain. The condition of the Government funded schools and colleges are pathetic. To establish my hypothesis, I have made a comparative study of some of the High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools in Hojai circle. If we analyse the results, we can see that the private schools are giving a better show. In Hojai Circle there are 48 schools, 12 Higher Secondary schools and 2 Colleges. The comparative statement shows that the private schools are doing better. The average pass percentage in government aided schools is 60.60; where the highest is 91% and the lowest is 22.6. On the other hand, in private institution, the average pass percentage is 95.72; where the highest is 100 and the lowest is 85.71. Similarly, in the Government aided Higher Secondary Schools, the average pass percentage is 71.31; where the highest is 100 and the lowest is 41.66. The Private Higher Secondary Schools have an average 88.35 pass percentage and the highest is 100% and the lowest is 66.1.

Name of School 1. Abdul Hasib HHS (Govt. aided)

Comparative Statement of HSLCE Result from 2009-2011 Appeared Passed Failed Percentage 1st Div of pass 2009 22 11 11 50% Nil 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 29 24 60 119 49 76 94 111 35 55 46 49 56 55 113 155 89 93 97 100 79 91 68 14 14 12 20 09 25 11 14 34 44 45 55 83 94 25 44 38 27 32 29 33 35 41 71 83 76 79 90 66 12 13 12 19 09 23 18 10 26 75 04 21 11 17 10 11 08 22 24 26 80 120 48 22 14 24 00 01 02 02 01 01 01 00 02 37.93% 58.33% 57.7% 36.9% 91% 72% 88.3% 85% 71.5% 80% 82.6% 55.1% 57.1% 52.8% 26.9% 22.6% 46% 76.3% 85.5% 76% 100% 98.90% 97.06% 85.71% 92.86% 100% 95% 100% 92% 01 Nil Nil 01 02 09 11 06 04 03 05 Nil 03 01 03 10 04 08 11 11 49 56 29 03 04 01 05 03 07

2nd Div Nil 03 02 07 05 09 07 25 24 04 10 09 Nil 04 05 05 06 18 13 21 16 24 32 36 05 06 08 06 03 07

3rd Div 11 07 12 27 38 34 39 47 64 17 31 24 27 25 23 15 19 19 50 51 49 05 02 01 04 03 03 08 03 09

Rabindra Bidyalay HHS(Govt. aided) 3. Deshabandhu Bidyapith HHS(Govt. aided) 4. Radha Nagar Dayamayee HS(Govt. aided) Padum Pukhuri High School(Govt. aided) 6. Dakshin Hojai High School(Govt. aided) 7. Deshabandhu Bidyapith Girls HS(Govt. aided) Don Bosco High School New Dawn High School 5.

2.

8.

9.

10. Skylark Academy

Comparative Statement of HSLCE Result from 2009-2011 Appeared Passed Failed Percentage 1st Div of pass 1. Abdul Hasib HSS 2009 72 30 42 41.66% Nil (Arts) (Govt. 2010 76 44 32 57.89% Nil aided) 2011 104 46 62 44.23% 01 2. Abdul Hasib HSS 2009 03 03 00 100% Nil (Science) (Govt. 2010 15 13 02 86.66% Nil aided) 2011 30 17 13 56.66% 07 3. Deshabandhu 2009 101 88 13 86% 26 Bidyapith 2010 104 94 10 90% 24 HSS(Govt. aided) 2011 85 81 04 95% 54 4. Rabindra 2009 79 61 18 77.2% 01 Bidyalay 2010 123 72 51 58.5% 04 HSS(Govt. aided) 2011 94 63 31 67.02% 04 5. Aryan Academy 2009 18 14 04 77.8% 04 (Commerce) 2010 21 15 06 71.4% 04 (Private) 2011 76 71 05 93.4% 24 6. Aryan Academy 2009 39 32 07 82% 10 (Arts) (Private) 2010 34 23 11 67% 05 2011 80 68 12 85% 22 7. Sankardev Junior 2009 58 51 07 87.9% 04 College 2010 65 43 22 66.1% 09 (Commerce) 2011 61 58 03 95.0% 16 (Private) 8. Sankardev junior 2009 41 37 04 90.2% 05 College (Arts) 2010 44 40 04 90.90% 03 (Private) 2011 43 35 08 81.4% 06 9. Jatiya 2009 19 19 00 100% 02 Academy(Arts) 2010 16 13 03 81.25% 05 (Private) 2011 24 22 02 91.67% 06 Name of School 10. Jatiya Academy (Science) (Private) 11. Jatiya Academy (Commerce) (Private) 2009 2010 2009 2010 2011 10 12 16 13 14 10 10 16 10 13 00 02 100% 83.33% 100% 76.92% 92.86% 05 02 04 Nil 03

2nd Div 01 04 13 02 09 09 59 57 26 07 07 18 03 004 33 06 06 24 20 15 23 17 16 10 05 07 07 03 07 06 Nil 07

3rd Div 29 40 32 01 04 01 03 13 01 27 61 41 7 07 14 16 12 22 27 19 19 15 21 19 12 01 09 02 00 06 10 03

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Secondly, despite of having better infrastructure and government funding, the government schools and colleges are overcrowded. The student- teacher ratio is in appropriate. However, if we see the infra structure and the buildings of the private schools and higher secondary, they are inferior when compared to the government institutions. This is only with reference to Hojai Circle. But there are private schools, higher secondary and other institutions which have excellent infrastructure and buildings; and they maintain a proper student-teacher ratio. An example of an ideal private college is Patkai Christian College, located in chumukedima, Nagaland, which is funded by the Christian Missionaries and has been accredited by NAAC with A Grade, C.G.P.A of 3.06 (Patkai Christian College) Thirdly, although the private institutions pay less salary to the teachers in Assam as compared to government teachers, yet the accountability of the teachers are more effective in private institutions. But there are some private Schools and Higher Secondary Schools in Assam and other parts of India which pay much higher incentives than the government pay structure. Apart from well managed teaching Staff; the students are groomed in a better fashion in these private institutions. Whereas, review of students performance and extra coaching are seldom provided to weak students in government institutions, the private institutes try to improve the students performance by all means. In fact, the teachers in government aided institutions take their responsibility as a liability and not ethically. There is no scope for placement, no career counseling and parents meeting to discuss over relevant issues; whereas, the private institutions take utmost care in career counseling and placement of the students. Due to the lackadaisical attitude of the stake holders, parents are more inclined towards the private institutions. This was the bright side of Privatisation.

However Privatisation can have the worst effect on society. It can not only cripple the whole education system, it can also widen the gap between the rich and poor. Since,

Privatisation is done only with the purpose to earn profit; it is obvious that poor students will have no scope of getting the best education provided in these institutes. The poor children could be deprived of education because of the unaffordable fee structure eventually causing social unrest and other crisis in the society. A recent research has shown how the high fee structure in first world countries is increasing the numbers of yearly drop-outs, prostitutions and unemployment: University tuition fees, first introduced in 1998 at 1,000 a year, have risen to 3,000 this year at all but a few universities. The average student loan at graduation last year was 8,948, but NatWest Bank said that once private debt was factored in, students now in their first year could expect to graduate with liabilities of more than 14,700. Dr Ron Roberts, a health psychologist who was the lead author of the study, said: Our figures represent a 50% increase in the prevalence rates for student prostitution since 2000 . . . given the increasing financial problems experienced by students, this is in line with what we would predict. (Milne) Laura D, a 19-year-old student of Spanish and Italian, details in her memoir, Mes Chres Etudes, how she began working as a prostitute aged 18 when she could not afford her rent, books, or food, despite a part-time telesales job. Her parents a nurse and a labourer earning just above the minimum wage could not support her, but their jobs meant she did not qualify for aid. (Dank) Its possible that because educational reforms have increased student workloads, they have less time to earn money, she said. Coupled with higher student fees, in this instance, leads students into prostitution. (Reuters)

Another negative effect which privatization could have is producing fake degrees. The times of India has exposed a racket of these fake degrees in Bangalore where one can get an MBA Degree for 5,000 only. (Thakur) Quite recently we have seen how the private institutes lure students and provide them degrees which are useless. Such institutes may provide Poor quality of education and materials which can jeopardise the career of students. But on the
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contrary, if the private institutions provide quality education, they could be a source for earning foreign currency. Institutions having expertise in the field of media, indigenous art and technology could attract foreign students. However such institutions could be very expensive and ordinary and poor students cannot avail the opportunity. But there could be an alternate way to tackle this crisis. The government can issue cash vouchers for poor students, as done by the American government. The rich and effluent students can have the education of their choice by paying the fees; and poor and meritorious students can avail the cash vouchers or a proportionate concession to have the same education. This would ensure quality and quantity as well. Students will continue to flock these private institutes so long they provide quality education and placements; and both the rich and poor can avail the benefit. Since, the private institutions are profit conscious, they will maintain a better quality of education and employ well qualified and dedicated teachers to keep running their business. Another important issue that has come to my mind is the future of the students studying in private institution and the future of the nation. Consider a student studying in private institution throughout his/her entire life by spending lakhs of rupees? He will definitely look for the most lucrative opportunity either within or outside the country. If a student spends 50 lakhs on his medical degree, he cannot think of working in government hospitals to serve humanity in need. His profession will be a business and the patients will be his potential customers. What about the medical students who pass MBBS and PG in medical science and whose education is highly subsidized by the government of India? Most of them end up working in private hospitals in India or abroad. Is this not wastage of public money? Then, should education not be privatised and let these money mongers pay the actual amount of money required for their education? In this case the private institutes are benefiting the government because they are saving a huge

amount of money which would have otherwise been wasted in subidising the education of these doctors. Same is the case with IITs. Thus, instead of fighting off privatization, we must find the best practices of private institutions and integrate them with government institutions. No doubt, this would not be an easy task, but not impossible to achieve if the government institutes are made autonomous. And finally, if privatization is allowed then there should be provision for poor and meritorious students.

Debajyoti Biswas Asst. Professor. Department of English. Hojai College, Hojai. Assam- 782435 Cell- 9864180048 Email: deb61594@gmail.com

Works Cited
Dank, Barry M. Dankprofessor's Weblog. 22 January 2008. 19 June 2011 <http://dankprofessor.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/undergrad-students-prostitute-themselves-to-paycollege-fees/>. Milne, Jonathan. Female students turn to prostitution to pay fees. 8 October 2006. Times Newspapers Ltd. 19 June 2011 <http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/student/news/article665019.ece>. Patkai Christian College. 2010. 22 June 2011 <http://patkaicollege.com/NAAC_Report.pdf>. Reuters. BERLIN: COLLEGE STUDENTS TURN TO PROSTITUTION TO PAY SCHOOL FEES. 18 May 2011. 19 June 2011 <http://kajuju.com/?p=944>. Thakur, Panchalee. Get fake degree, then go places. 9 December 2002. 24 June 2011 <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore-times/Get-fake-degree-then-goplaces/articleshow/30712706.cms>. The Gazette of India Extraordinary. 26 August 2009. 23 June 2011.

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