 SOCIAL JUSTICE

Non-educational groups in their recorded proceedings have covered a wide range of aspects of inequalities in education like continued spatial disparties i.e., rural-urban hiatus; disparities between special groups like, SC/ST and physically handicapped persons vis-a- vis other sections of population; english medium private schools and government schools etc. All the associations and forums, in unison, have come-forth with various suggestions to end the disparities which are stigmatising our society and contribute potential sources of national disintegration, mounting social tensions and unrest thwarting the very basis of development.

Rural Education

Some common recommendations for reducing spatial disparities with reference to neglect of education in rural areas, include:

There should be a separate Ministry/Department and a separate budget for rural education. The share of: educational expenditure in rural areas should be at least in proportion to their share in total population.

Teachers in rural areas should be granted special rural allowance, free accommodation and free facilities for the higher education of their children.

In rural areas female teachers may be given relaxation in qualification, age, etc.

Elementary education in rural areas should be made broad based with ample flexibility.

The content of education should be carefully designed keeping in view the rural requirements and rural environment.

To tap local resources it is proposed that "educated in rural areas should be turned into educational entrepreneurs for the benefit of weak students and weaker social groups".

Cooperation of all educated people, particularly college, and higher secondary students should be enlisted at Taluks and village levels for launching literacy compaign.

There should be follow up of results of literacy compaign. These should be relaunched periodicaly.

Women Education

The need for attaching highest priority for augmenting women's education is well stressed as to quote one organisation:

"In the family, the girls should get the first preference to attend the school. than the boys, as the mother is the first educator of the child and thus the educator of all on- coming generations"

Some of the issues taken up for recommendations by various non- educational institution broadly cover (i) easy access to educational facilities; and (ii) mechanism for curbing dropouts, enhancing enrolment and retention rates. Specific suggestions in this regard are :

Location of primary school should be within 1 km. of habitation and there should be a middle school within 3 km. of habitation. Where schools are not available within 3 km. hostels should be provided for girls in rural and urban areas.

Government should establish hostel for girls in every Tehsil. Voluntary organisations should be encouraged to open hostel for girls and government should pay the expenditure at par with the government institutions.

Girls should be provided; tree text books, reading material free uniform mid-day meal etc.

Community may be involved in promoting education of girls in rural areas on the pattern of the scheme successfully adopted by the government of Maharashtra.

Panchayats should be given responsibility for setting up local committees for effective running up of schools and Balwadis and 50 per cent of memberships of these committees should consist of women

There should be separate ministry/departmental budget for women's education.

The educational institutions in rural areas and for the weaker sections should be backed by comprehensive and effective programme of child care. There should Balwadis in or near the centre where girls could leave the siblings.

Parents may be given financial assistance for their girls to schools and compensate for their contribution in household work.

Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes

Various aspects considered by the noneducational institutions and forums for the benefit of the SC/ST and other Backward classes largely pertain to access to education and reservations. Their major recommendations are:

Primary education facilities for SC be concentrated in their Bastis, colonies, wadis.

Persons from weaker sections should be given special access/ concessions for admission to and pursuing technical and management education.

Hostel facilities should be augmented.

Scholarships may be given to all the SC students from standard It (Second) onwards regularly every month.

Parents may be given some financial assistance for sending their children to schools just to ensure that on account of economic compulsions they do not utilise their children of school going age for labour purpose. In this context a

committee of legal experts from Maharashtra poignantely remarks:

"It is not enough that all facilities for training and tuition are made free for the reserved classess. A vast majority belonging to these classes is unable to take any advantage of free education since they have to support not only themselves but also the members of their families. They are, therefore, forced to earn their livelihood in their teen age. Any realistic measure for their upliftment must include a provision for sufficient stipend to meet their financial obligations. In some countries, students are paid salaries. There is no reason why this measure should not be introduced here".

As far as possible local teachers should be recruited.

Government should compel English Medium Schools to admit children from SC and STs, and economically backward communities.

For SCs and STs pre-induction and post--induction training is not enough. Social inhibitions lack of general confidence are too deep rooted and these should be given due attention at early stage i.e. at primary stage itself by providing them special coaching facilities.

A forum of legal experts also urges that "Members of teh reserved classes should be given all the facilities of education free of charge. In addition, special efforts should be made to bring them to the level of the members of higher classes, and for that purpose special tuitions/training should be imparted to them".

The children from the SC be given the scope to move in the families of advanced communities i.e. Caste Hindus so as to create confidence among them and overcome the feelings of inferiority among them and overcome the feeling of interiority complex.

Massive efforts are needed to eradicate illiteracy. The factories, mills, should come forward to organise such classes daily with their own expenses. A token grant of Rs. 20/- per month per head for the SC inmates be sanctioned for

meeting expenses against the special efforts for additional coaching put in by the factories/mills etc.

As regards reservation committee of legal literacy stresses that the "right to work and education are basic economic rights are the bed rock of human rights. They alone enable individual to live and develop as a human being and to participate in the affairs of society in effective manner". "Reservations in educational institutions and employment should end only when the low castes attain the level of higher castes". This body also recommends to extend reservation to other economically weaker sections and it sees no reason why the total reservations should be restricted to 55 per cent. If necessary the Supreme Court can also be approached in a suitable proceding for increasing the limit of the total reservations to include other economically deprived groups which transcends castes and class. The reservations on the basis of economic backwardness will be in furtherance of the implementation of the Directive Principles of the Consitution". The committee, however, suggest that "there need should be no reservation in the teaching profession. Reservation in the teaching profession is to be disadvantage of the reserved classes themselves". It also argues that "those who are advanced should not get the benefit of reservations, even if they belong to the reserved classes. So also, the children of those who have availed of reservations once, should be denied its benefit. To give the benefit to them is to operate the reservations Only for the advantage of certain families. This will result in a lop-sided and verticle advancement of the reserved classes depriving the rest of any opportunities of advancement."

One of the semi-political organisation from Karnataka has strongly suggested that Article 30 of the Constitution be amended to remove the special privilege to religious minorities.

Special Education

Education has been recognised as a key instrument for socio- economic integration of physically or socially disabled persons in the society A joint forum of various organisations for disabled from Karnataka quotes : "No country can become able unless every disabled person's abilities have been brought out to the maximum enabling him/her to contribute productively. Neglect of the disabled adds to disabling of society in general".

Again the thrust of special education programmes has to be in the rural areas. It is argued that, "since 80 per cent of disabled live in rural areas, the focus, of education and training programmes, should be to meet rural. requirements". To bring these groups into main stream it is felt necessary "to bring about attitudinal changes towards the disabled" and carefully integrate their educational and, training requirements in the existing educational system with full support services like "community liaison and placement services, para- medical staff, aid-makers etc. "Other specific recommendations made by various groups are :

There should be integrated education for the disabled at all levels i.e., pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education.

Institutions providing special education could be given adequate financial support.

Attractive pay scales should be offered to teachers of special education.

Financial support to be provided to deserving students on merit-cum-means basis.

At pre-primary level, Anganwadi or Balwadi workers be trained to identify disability and counsel parents in consultation with primary health workers, doctors para-medical personnels, etc.

Teachers and resource teachers should be appropriately trained to handle the disabled in a normal school setting.

Engineering, chemical, hotel/tourism. banking and agricultural industries may be provided some grant-in-aid to train and employ the disabled persons.

Persons from primary secondary and tertiary sectors should be given special orient for imparting continuing education, pre- vocation and vocational training to the disabled and or conducting in-house training programmes for the disabled and thereafter facilitate their employment. It is absolutely necessary to have trained manpower captive to these industries to

enable them to understand emotional/psychological needs of the disabled and to act as foster workers when required.

For those who opt for higher education, it is necessary to obviate some unfounded complexes and psychological barriers amongst them by imparting coaching before their admission to under graduate classes.

At district or Taluk level there should be a consultative or advisory body comprising of experts in speech therapy, medicines, physiotherapy, educationists and social workers to deal with various matters relating to socio-economic integration of disabled.

At apex level an Advisory Body consisting of professionals in rehabilitation of the blind, deaf, mentally retarded, orthopaedically handicapped and spastics, professionals in education, training management and behavioral sciences should be set up to prepare, the syllabi of certificate, diploma. and degree courses in education, continuing education, pre- vocational, Vocational training for disabled.

Education of Working Children

Working children constitute another deprived group requiring special approach and" attention. The abuse of child labour has been noted with concern to mitigate it to some extent, it is suggested that special attention should be given to their education at or near their work place. It is suggested that the government should by law of parliament make it compulsory for every employer of children to give them two hours off daily for going to school.

There should be special classes with regular course contents for working children. There should be provisions for nigh schools where education is blended with the employment opportunities or upgrading of knowledge in existing vocations of the beneficiaries.

Private Managed Public Schools Vs. Government Schools

Some organisations which have discussed this issue have recommended for abolition of private managed public education system. it is so argued that the proposed model schools are likely to perpetuate inequalities and these should not be encouraged. A voluntary organisation from Rajasthan even recommends for Abolishing

of English medium Public schools as they foster alienation and disintegration. A voluntary organisation from Karnataka, however, recommended for setting up of an ideal school at Tehsil and/or district level.