The Indian Education

PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN INDIA –

IS IT ALL ABOUT MONEY?

Other than one detail that primary school education in India is an extremely expensive affair, there is little that parents know about it. A child is hardly 2 years old and parents start worrying. Which would be a good school or how much will it cost for the admissions or what if my child does not clear the admission procedure? Situation in metro cities is worse.

Consider Delhi for example. The admission to a primary school here is a real pain. Frankly the procedures are somewhat funny. The schools here have innovated a point system, wherein based upon the points a students earns, he or she is granted admission. And what are these points? No primary schools are not interested in judging the mental capability of a student, but instead more concerned about the following:

• Is it a girl child or a boy child: extra points for a girl child. Poor boys, they pay for the favoritism.

• Parent’s education: extra points if parents are educated. So if for any financial, personal or healthiness reason, you couldn’t study, your child will be denied admission to the primary school.

• Distance between your home and school: If you stay close to the school you’ve applied for, good enough, or else be ready to lose another few points.

• Locality: Children from few specific regions are not eligible for primary school education. No this is not a government rule, but a criterion followed by many private schools extending primary education in India or specifically Delhi. An example here is Shahdra, east Delhi.

• Parent’s profession: Parents from professional work background are preferred over business families. What do you think could be the rational behind this discrimination?

• Single parents mean more points and easy admission.

And this is just the situation of primary school admissions in the capital city; other regions are no better.

Due to the stated or whatever, admissions at primary school level are denied. And then comes the hidden clause – donations or charity or unreasonable fees.

Well don’t take my word on this, but trust UNESCO at least.

UNESCO report finding: Primary school education in India is costlier than university.

Primary school education is the basic level or let’s say something that every child deserves. It is for this reason, that it is a fundamental right. However this fundamental right is proving to be very expensive for an average India family. As per the UNESCO report on the subject, an Indian family spends quite a huge amount on primary school.

Yours truly,
The Revitalization of Governance Forum
India.