(This post was originally written in Kannada. Click here to read the post in Kannada)
In my opinion, the onus first falls on the government and parents.
Let us leave aside the responsibility of the parents and focus on the Government. The right first step has already been taken when in 2009, it enacted Article 21a, Right to education; joining 134 countries in making education the fundamental right of every child in the country. However, the proper implementation of this act remains incomplete.
While it is commendable that the Central and State Governments have managed to partially achieve this through a number of schemes, they still have a long way to go. This is especially true in rural areas, tribal communities and urban slums; where due to problems such as immigration, parental involvement, and a significant lack of education; children are deprived of education and/or drop out of school.
In such a scenario, it also becomes the responsibility of civil society to do its bit towards educating the country’s children. Many NGOs, volunteers and organizations work with the government to ensure Free and Compulsory Education to children, one of which is Bangalore’s Meghshala Trust.
There are many advantages for the Government to work with NGOs. Firstly, we must remember that Non-governmental organizations are not just comprised of service-minded individuals, but also experienced and grassroots professionals who have worked in many fields. It is my opinion that the government needs all the experience it can get. Secondly, this allows the Government to get a fresh new perspective. The bottom-up approach commonly employed by NGOs working at the grassroots level can be used by the government to deepen its understanding about the real situation on the ground. Thirdly, this makes it easy for the Government to obtain resources from private companies interested in building up the country’s education system. Just look at the several examples where NGOs in the country have successfully collaborated with private companies to improve State-run Government schools! In this way, the objectives of the Act can be achieved by public participation.
I am happy to note that the government is indeed actively working with NGOs to improve education. However, rather than simply obtaining the co-operation of teachers; the onus is still on Government officials. Frequent updates containing advice and guidance of officials from district, taluk, and state departments is the need of the hour.
This is essentially a balancing act. We are all too familiar with the image of the busy, over-worked departmental official whose responsibility it is to juggle several programs at once. Still, I believe that The strength of the sector lies with departmental officials. By continuing to scrupulously evaluate the necessary co-operation and services provided by the institutions, they can bring a welcome change to our education system.
- By Raghavendra B.K., Implementation Associate - Karnataka
Meghshala