 EQUITY AND DIVERSITY
(NAVODAYA VIDYALAYAS)

University of Calcutta, Calcutta (Seminar held on 19th and 20th September; 1990)

- Categorical recommendation should be made to discontinue and abolish the Navodaya System of Education forth-with and those establishments should be used for other educational purposes like teacher training.

- Restriction of further expansion of higher education is in no way beneficial to the country. Development and expansion of higher education should not be counter-posed with universalisation of school education. In the present context higher education should not be geared to a self-financing programme; so increase in tuition fee, etc., at this stage is not welcome.

- To introduce the common school system, education of comparable quality has to be ensured for all. Improvement of quality of learning/teaching process through the participative mechanism, ensuring participation of teachers, guardians and representatives of local bodies in educational management and formation of school complexes, and, above all, strengthening of the system of academic supervision from district and state level are the means through which education of comparable quality can be extended. Further a radical land reform programme along with a pro-people public finance system is to be executed throughout the country. Industrialisation and equitable distribution of wealth have to be ensured.

Dr. N.R. Madhava. Menon, Director, National Law School of India University, Central College Campus, Bangalore-560001 (Colloquium at Bangalore on 3rd November, 1990)

- The educational programme should give adequate attention to the rights of disabled and handicapped children. Special attention needs to be given to the poorer sections of handicapped people. The vocationalisation scheme has to be so organised as to serve the interests of both seriously disabled and less seriously handicapped children.

Shri R.N. Madhale, Principal, New English School & Junior College, Mahimangad, Tal. Man Distt. Satara, Maharashtra (9.11.1990)

- Navodaya Vidyalayas should be discontinued and in their place common neighbourhood schools should be opened. However, in case Navodaya. Vidyalayas are to be continued, they should be opened in every taluka.

Fr. A. Orea, Inspector, Catholic Schools, Post Box No. 2, Ranchi- 834001 (14th November, 1990)

- In urban areas a "drop in" system for street children/working children can be related to the work experience programme in a regular school on an "each one teach one" basis. If the work experience time table is so arranged that at each class period a class or section of class is scheduled for this activity, and if each child has a prepared learning programme worked out for the "drop in" children, it can be taken up at the exact point where the last "drop in" took place. Careful planning, a child-to-child approach and flexibility can make this a very effective means of reaching these neglected children.

- Part-time education is the only solution for the working child in India today. To ensure this there must be legislation to oblige employers of such children to give them some free time each day to avail of such opportunities, and children enjoying full time education must learn to share their knowledge and skills out of concern, love and a sense of responsibility.

Dr. M.A. Abdulla, General Secretary, Kerala State Association of Muslim Institutions, Calicut and President, The Muslim Educational Society, Calicut, (17th November, 1990)

- Admission of backward and minority community children in Navodaya Vidya should be ensured. Special measures should be introduced to maintain a high standard of education in the minority run institutions.

Fr. John Vallamattam, Managing Director, Indian Currents (Weekly), 63- H, Pocket 4, Mayur Vihar, Delhi-110091 (5.11.1990)

- In the name of equality, the Navodaya Vidyalayas should not be discontinued. These schools help in fostering national integration.

Shri Ranjeet, Article in the 'Jansatta', New Delhi dated 2nd October, 1990

- The Navodaya Vidyalayas should be discontinued. If it is not possible to do so, the method of admission to these schools should be modified.

Dr. K.D. Paliwal, Article in the 'Jansatta', New Delhi dated 11th October, 1990

- Disparity in education system should be removed. Common neighbourhood school system should be introduced.

The Financial Express, New Delhi the 24th September, 1990 (Editorial)

- There just cannot be an education system common for rural and urban people, as each region has its own special features. Scheduled castes and tribes have to be dealt with in a different manner.

Shri Amrik Singh, Article in the 'Times of India', New Delhi dated 29th September, 1990

- In India there are two parallel systems of education: one for the poor who are taught in their mother tongue and the other for the children of the affluent and the middle class who are taught in the medium of English. As a result of this, upward social mobility has been equated with knowledge of English. The Perspective Paper has not addressed this problem in specific way as it ought to have done if neighbourhood schools are to be promoted. Before recommending common school system, the Committee should have also examined the reasons for the non-implementation of the recommendations in this regard made by the Kothari Commission.

'The Statesman', New Delhi dated 5th October, 1990 (Editorial)

- Private schools have come to stay not only for their quality of instruction but also for the fact that they use a medium of instruction that seems to hold the promise of equipping the children better for higher education and for life itself. Often these are also the only schools available to linguistic minorities in some States and thus in many ways they seem to meet the felt need of the community. The committee should examine whether it would be advisable to ignore this reality.

Shri Vishnu Nagar, Article in the 'Nav Bharat Times', New Delhi dated 10th September, 1990

- While talking about the improvement of the quality of education in government schools, the Committee has not defined the concept of quality and the reasons for its absence. The Committee should suggest ways to improve the quality.

- The Perspective Paper has not indicated clearly whether private schools would be covered under the neighbourhood school concept. Till the dual education system comprising of private schools and public schools is prevailing, the neighbourhood school system cannot be implemented.

Smt. Nirupama. Mishra, Article in the 'Orissa Times' (daily) dated 4th November, 1990

- Common School System and Navodaya Vidyalaya. System are mutually exclusive. When the common school system is preferred the quality of education is bound to suffer. The Navodaya Vidyalaya was a new concept aimed at providing quality education to the poor student. The perception of the Committee that quality education could be provided to the talented students within the framework of common school system is unrealistic and violative of right to equality.

Shri Tapan Mishra, Article in 'Samaj' (Oriya Daily), dated 16th October, 1990

- Introduction of the common school system will be resisted by the elites.

Shri V. Paramasivan, Article in 'The Hindu', New Delhi dated 11th September, 1990

- It is necessary that all students whether they are in an urban area or rural area should get good quality education of comparable standards.

- The Central Government institutions like Central Schools and Navodaya Vidyalayas are mainly responsible for widening the, disparity between the urban and rural school children. One way to remove the disparity is to transfer the management of these institutions to the State Governments alongwith necessary financial resources.

Ms. Usha Rai, Article in 'The Times of India', New Delhi dated 23rd September, 1990

- The report suffers from an urban hangup, of the concept of a typical school, ignoring the fact that 80 percent of the schools are in rural areas. It is no longer feasible to have only a certain type of schools. It is too late to regulate the proliferation of missionary and private schools. Instead of nationalising these schools, the standard of the government schools should be improved so that they can compete with the private schools. The first step towards this is to provide schools in the rural areas with better facilities. The fifth educational survey showed that 32 per cent of the schools have just one teacher, 28 per cent have two teachers, 54 percent of the schools do not have drinking water and 60 percent are without toilets. While the textbooks talk of improving the environment, the reality is quite different.

Gandhian Institute of Studies, Rajghat, Varanasi (proceedings of One day seminar held on 11th October; 1990)

- The concept of neighbourhood schools is borrowed from England. It cannot succeed in this country.

Dr. Gauri Shankar, Gandhian Institute of Studies, Rajghat, Varanasi, (23 November, 1990).

- Navodaya Vidyalayas should be discontinued. Ashram schools should be established through out the country. Vocational education should commence from class VIII. Work experience should be encouraged.

Shri Ramashray Roy, Article in the "Hindustan Times", New Delhi dated 7th November, 1990

- The societal structure is pyramidal; the job structure is also pyramidal. Hence the education structure has also to be pyramidal. This means screening process is a must. As such education for all does not really mean the creation of equal ability. It can only stimulate equality of hope.

- The Paper proposes a common school system for promoting social cohesion and national integration. It will presumably correct the elitist abberations pervading the education system by terminating the exclusiveness in the school system ones education of comparable quality for all is ensured. It will also help students to transcend the ill effects of sociocultural and economic differences. However, it must be remembered that the education system cannot mend all that the social-economic and political systems violate.

- The Indian society is characterised by social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversities. An objective of education is integration of the society. If a corrective is sought to be provided by a selective inclusion in school curricula of elements from differentiated cultural traditions for projecting and fostering unity based on commonality it will only politicise the curricula and encourage filiopietism. For, if traditions unite they also divide. This is what the American experience underlies.

EQUITY AND DIVERSITY (NAVODAYA VIDYALAYAS)