Fee Hike, Parents Associations & Right to (Quality) Education

Children are born into the nation, the religion and the social class with which their family identifies. Few will dispute the power of the family as a socialising agent. I believe major stakeholders in education are parents followed by teachers, students and government & civil societies etc. The government has to play an important role in providing access to quality education to all children but HOW?

The success or failure of the education process depends on the interaction of the first three groups and the changing roles they play in. In addition, they are affected by government policies and civil societies’ activities.

The most important stakeholders, parents, have not been playing their role in an organized way to claim/ demand right to free and quality education for their children. The reason for not involving in such activities may vary from parents to parents depending on their socio-economic status. Some parents may not have time and others may not have courage to fight for their constitutional rights. Some have money to send their children in so called best schools. Reasons for not joining any movement or agitation as organized parents may differ but the end result remains the same- Compromise With Right To Education.

I am a student of history and I know that small incidents lead to historical change in a society. 4-5 months back parents of Faridabad organized and forced school authorities to reconsider their decisions to raise fee. Now similar activities can be seen in NOIDA where parents are protesting outside schools. Their pressures are being felt and some of schools are considering to close their schools for sometime. Bal Bharti Public School, NOIDA has already declared 4 days holidays.

What Next?
My suggestion, I will wait for yours:

I am thinking loudly:
The present agitation is centered on Fee Hike. Parents are more concerned about fee hike and not on improvement in quality of education in government schools which are free.

Is it right time to contact such parents’ organizations and guide them with some logistic support to fight for fundamental rights of free and quality education? Should we provide them a direction- right based approach for their agitation?

Should we organize an advocacy among parents to empower government schools to deliver quality education?

How can we do?
1. Preparing teachers profiles of government & pvt. Schools.
Generally teachers in government schools are more qualified.
Then why are they not delivering? Parents need think on it.
2. Facilities
Government schools provide (officially as per the policy) books to all, dress to girls, scholarships.
Then why are they not delivering? Parents need think on it.
3. We can think on these lines to compare govt. & pvt. schools

Should we convince parents that with the money, which they pay to the pvt. Schools as fee, can be invested in improving the educational quality of government schools in their locality. Can we transform this agitation into a movement for Common School System based on Neighborhood Schools. CSS can save public and government money on:
• Saving on hostels
• Saving on school transport
• Saving on model schools
• Saving on scholarships
• Saving due to fees
• No reservation needed

Some of the parents may not be aware of these evidence/ facts
i) In most countries the whole education is provided free
ii) ‘Free’ is a part of the UN/UNESCO resolution
iii) a part of the Convention on the children’s rights
iv) It is the Constitutional obligation
v) It ensures equity and justice

Question to Address:
• Why should parents send their children to government schools?
• And how to engage them to fight for their rights- specially right to free and quality education in their own locality?

Objective/Goal/ KFA???:
• Quality of education in govt. school at par with the best school of the area
• CR centric school syllabus
• All children in the govt. school
• Teaches & parents jointly taking responsibilities for quality education
• Awareness about CR

Intervention Tools:
• Teachers training
• Sensitizing parents and youths
It is right time to catch them.
• Engagement of local youths
• Teachers’ motivation level
We need to work on motivation level of a teacher also.


Teachers Concern:
• We have to understand teacher’s problem also.
• Relive them from their non-educational responsibilities
Eg. Teachers of govt. schools do all sorts of things except teaching. Now they will be engaged in election process. They are also involved in survey (Census) etc.
• Accountability aspect
From Teachers points of views
From Parents points of views
From Youth points of views

I am just sharing my thoughts.
I am open for comment, criticism and suggestion.
Please find a report “Noida School In Fee Fracas, Stir Spreads” attached with it. It was published in HT/ April 23, 2009.

Thanks & regards,
Shaheen

Noida School In Fee Fracas, Stir Spreads
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=8b4faa32-c9f5-46d6-b993-28b6f97b0612&Headline=Noida+school+in+fee+fracas%2c+stir+spreads
The agitation over the hike in school fees in Delhi and the national capital region gained momentum on Wednesday.
As parents continued to protest outside schools, Bal Bharati Public School, Noida, declared a four-day holiday fearing a lockout. “We were informed about a planned agitation in front of the school. We didn’t want to risk the safety of our students and declared a holiday,” said principal S. Bhattacharjee.
In Faridabad, protests, dharnas and blockades on highways and at schools and administrative offices have become common. Some parents are on hunger strike. In response, at least 60 schools observed a one-day holiday last Friday.
Parents are furious. “The additional district magistrate had said schools shouldn’t charge fee arrears and the hike shouldn’t be more than 25 per cent,” said A.K. Singh, president of the Noida Parents Welfare Association. “But several schools haven’t gone along with the suggestions.”
The Delhi education department had passed an order to increase fees in a staggered manner with the hike ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500 per month.
However, parents claim many schools have hiked tuition fees beyond that limit.
“Almost all schools have increased the security fee, building fund, development fund, annual charges and computer fee. So, overall increase is more than Rs 500 per month,” said Aanchal Sharma, a parent. “Schools increase fees by 10 per cent every year along with annual and development charges. During this economic crisis, they should consider parents’ position,” she added.
But the schools are in no mood to relent. “The government has already clarified that schools can increase tuition fees in order to pay increased salaries of teachers. Since we change 15 per cent of tuition fees as development fees, the latter is bound to increase,” said S.L. Jain, chairperson of National Progressive Schools’ Conference, an association of 100 public schools.
PS
When classes are small enough to allow individual student-teacher interaction, a minor miracle occurs: Teachers teach and students learn.