Parth J Shah's dream to bring about a change in the system through constant dialogue, publications, seminars and research about policy led to the foundation of Centre for Civil Society in 1997. Shah's unstinted determination to improve the quality of life of the citizens by reviving and reinvigorating the institutions of civil society has made the centre one of its kind in the country.
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The activists demand that the government of India must spend at least 6% of GDP on education. They claim that this is the minimum money required to assure quality education to all.
There are four specific problems with this mantra of 6%:
Quality education and skills training are two of the most critical ingredients for youth empowerment, for the demographic dividend, and for a prosperous and peaceful India. The access to education is now almost universal; we have built schools, provided mid-day meals, uniforms and textbooks to attract students to schools. And more than 96% of school-going age children are in schools.
Written as a chapter of India Infrastructure Report 2012, this complete article talks about Private Initiative in India’s Education Miracle. Download the attached file to read complete article.
One major initiative of the Indian government, in the field of education, was the Right to Education Act of 2009. This act has major problems, as has been argued by numerous observers and experts in the field. This Act focuses on the interests of incumbent public sector education providers, instead of focusing on the interests of children and parents. It is focused on inputs into the educational process, regardless of the outcomes which are coming out.
Today India creates the world's largest school voucher program. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 comes into force, meaning that from the start of the next school year, 25% of all recognized private schools must admit poor and marginalized students between the ages of six and 14—and government will pay for their tuition.
Heard of model rules? No? When an Act is passed in Parliament, there may still be vague areas that need closer attention. Model rules are written to help implement the Act. But the rules can never be better cooked than the original law was when poured into the parliamentary pressure cooker. No creative legislative masala can help cover up half-baked khana and half-thought laws. So it is with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and its model rules.
The paper tries to capture the research and understanding along with innovations and policy reforms in assuring quality school education to all, with a particular focus on the poor. The scope is global but the problems and innovations in India get more weight in the document.
Kerala has the highest literacy rate in the nation, above ninety percent. The way Kerala spends its education money is also strikingly different from the other states. For illustration, I compare it with the state of West Bengal. Ideologically the governments of both states are equally committed to basic education and literacy. Both states have for long had popularly elected Marxist governments. The conclusions of the comparative analysis are however generally valid.
How much does the government spend in a government school per child per month in India? Surprisingly it’s a question that very few interested in improving educational opportunities in India ask—whether in India or outside. You can bet that no state education minister knows that number with necessary details. Nonetheless it’s the critical point to start any discussion on the goal of education for all.