Andhra Pradesh Save Education Committee
is a forum of students’, teachers’ organisations and interested individuals to
achieve constitutional goals in the field of education. We have been working
for four decades and a foundig member organisation of All India Forum for Right
to Education. We would like to submit few lines as our response to ‘Draft NEP –
2019’.
The
report though speaks about equality and equal opportunity, very conspicuously,
the entire report does not find place for two critical words ‘secularism and
socialism’. Though they were not in the original constitution, they are very
much now in the constitution. Those ideas were product of long drawn reform and
independence movements of this country. The reform movement was against
casteism and patriarchy. Working class movement for socialism was a very strong
component of our independence struggle. Commission cannot wish away this whole
history. Further, though the report recommended for quality education to all social
sections, it has conspicuously avoided the popular phrase ‘social justice’
reducing the whole concept of social justice to one of benevolent act of good
rulers. Though the report speaks of diversity in culture and language widely,
in certain areas of the report, it sounds clearly, as if India has a monolithic,
something static and unchanged culture for ages and throughout the length and
breadth of the nation and for rulers and ruled.. This idea could effectively
lead to fascist regimentation of thought. The report speaks of traditions
without any qualifications. Many old traditions were built on the basis of
caste system, hierarchy and patriarchy. The report also seeks highest
centralization of power. We appeal to the government to reject all recommendations
that lead to centralization of power and regimentation of thought and we
suggest that our education system should include all diversities and exclude
all inequalities and stand for constitutional values – liberty, freedom,
equality, equal opportunity, democracy, secularism, socialism and social
justice - firmly.
1. The
report invited philanthropic organisations to establish and administer
educational institutions while opposing commercialization of education. But the
report allowed collection of fee, enhancement of fee time to time and opposed
any possible regulation by the government. We request government to make proper
demarcation between ‘for profit’ bodies and philanthropic organisations. This
is possible only when collection of tuition fee and charges against goods and
services that are being provided in educational institutions is completely
banned. We appeal the government to establish fully funded public education
system from KG to PG on the basis of constitutional values.
2. We
strongly oppose the recommendation of the report to allow the religious
organizations to establish and administer schools and colleges except for
exemptions as provided in the constitution. Religions cannot serve any program
to spread knowledge. The epoch making modern writer Gurajada Apparao told a
century ago that education and religion cannot go together. To paraphrase
… “All religions would perish and
knowledge would flourish”
3. The
report while has recommended for the widening of the Right To Education Act to
cover both pre-school and secondary school, ie from age 3 to 18 years did not
take care to cleanse the Act from the muck of provisions that allow non
philanthropic bodies to establish and administer schools. Further, the
recommendations which may weaken the provisions for infrastructure play
grounds, amenities, PTR, vicinity norms may be rejected by the government. The
‘outcome’ approach - which replace ‘inputs’ by ‘outcomes’ and played havoc with
education in different countries according to the UNESCO Report 2017 - may be rejected.
4. We
welcome the recommendation of the report which suggested that all necessary
student support measures including food, accommodation, health services and
remedial coaching for 100% enrollment and 100% retention of children up to age
18 or class 12.
5. We
also welcome continuation of non-detention policy at elementary level along
with census examinations.
6. We
welcome the recommendations of the report to abolish contract system and
appoint teachers only on regular basis and not to involve teachers in non-academic
work.
7. The
report suggested that there shall be 5 + 3 + 3 + 4 school system. Actually
there is nothing wrong with the existing 10+2 system. With addition of
Pre-School, it shall become 3 + 10 + 2. The sub division in school education
may be left to states. Further the 10 years may be considered as elementary
education with all compulsory subjects and the 2 years may be considered as
secondary education where students shall have choice between cognitive,
technical, industrial and vocational courses while all will have social science
component.
8. The recommendation of the Kasturirangan Report
to introduce optional papers and vocational courses from class IX is not
suggestible. Not only that it would become impractical but also deny sufficient
knowledge in necessary subjects like social sciences, natural sciences and
mathematics to the children who opt vocational courses or studies in extra
languages. Further the combination of optional papers and vocational courses
may lead to early class division in the students where the poor and
disadvantaged opt for or pursued to opt for vocational courses while the rest opt
cognitive papers.
9. The
recommendation to introduce semester system as early as in class IX is neither
suggestible. It would prove highly restrictive and causes loss of freedom for
the teacher and student to choose among pedagogical practices and planning of
academic and non academic activities.
10. It
is to be recognized that the eligibility of child to learn languages is limited
to the languages in the neighborhood. The over ambitious recommendation to
teach many a languages to the child may be rejected. Mother tongue and English suffice
for the students. The students from tribal families, whose mother tongue is not
listed in Schedule VIII have an additional burden of learning regional language
which is not their mother tongue.
11. Imposition
of Hindi in non Hindi speaking states could cause disunity among the people of
the country. Further, introduction of Sanskrit, Pali, Arabic and other
classical languages and foreign languages as optional subjects is neither
useful nor suggestible. Again, the two years course in languages between class
6th and 8th is neither suggestible at this age. The student shall not be burdened to learn
more languages which are not in their neighborhood.
12. The
Kasturirangan Report recommended for mother tongue as a medium of education minimum
up to class 5 and if possible up to class 8. We strongly recommend for implementation
of mother tongue as the medium of education up to class 12. If the language of
the child is not listed in Schedule VIII, regional language may be used as
medium of education from class 3. However, we welcome the recommendation to
introduce English technical words in parallel from class 6.
13. Education shall be reverted to state list.
14. We
strongly oppose the recommendation of the Kasturirangan report which suggests
central curricula and central text books. States (governments and people) shall
have the right to formulate their own curricula and write text books for their
schools. NCERT may produce a model curricula and text books. The states shall
have the right to develop curricula and text books for themselves. All that is
contradictory in the Kasturirangan report to these federal rights of the states
may be rejected.
15. We
strongly oppose the idea of strengthening of National Testing Agency. This
would create a centralizing effect. We suggest that the available opportunities
in prestigious institutions established and administered by central government
may be distributed among states on some legitimate basis and the selection of
the students shall be on the basis of the qualifying examination in the state
or a competitive exam conducted by the state.
16. We
strongly appeal the government to introduce common school system up to class
12. It shall be publicly funded, managed in a decentralized and participative
democratic mode and it shall include all diversities and excludes all
inequalities. The common school shall provide equal and quality education to
all children without any cost whatsoever. All necessary student support
measures be taken up to ensure 100% enrolment and retention of the children. It
shall be built on constitutional values of the land for the enlightenment of
the child (not only career) and progress (not only GDP growth) of the county.
School education shall have the first right on the public exchequer.
We
demand the government to reject the Kasturirangan ‘Draft national Education
policy 2019’ which is based on centralization of power, cultural hegemony in
all dimensions of caste, community, language, culture, gender while allowing
commercialization of education from the back door. We demand the subject
education be shifted back to State List where the states will have the right to
formulate their education policy on the basis of constitutional values.
Thanking you,
Sincerely yours,
D. Ramesh Patnaik, Convener, APSEC
K Venkateswara Rao, President, APTF (1938)
N. V Ramanaiah Gen. Secretary, DTF
M. Ramakrishna President PDSU
G. Ranganna State Secretary, AISF
A Ravichandra President PDSU
