The main purpose of the government order on the right of children to free and compulsory education is to ensure that “every child is in school.” In Kerala, every child is already in school.It is a tragic commentary on the importance given to education that the powers-that- be have promulgated the government order without applying their mind. It is replete with contradictions and untenable provisions.In Kerala, 50-60 percent of the total revenue of the state is spent on paying school and college teachers’ salaries. Nowhere else in the country does this phenomenon exist. In spite of the fabulous salaries paid to teachers by government schools and government aided schools, students are fleeing to private schools.To avoid government salary scales, staff are appointed in colleges and schools as guest teachers’ or ‘teachers on contract.’ These persons do not need to be paid even minimum wages. They work on an ad hoc or hourly basis. Thus there is zero appointment of new staff on impossible government scales of pay. Government schools are not affected by this as the government dips into the revenue kitty for money with which to pay the staff.The DA increases each year by astronomical amounts. Private schools are expected to pay cash. When the government is forced to face DA arrears, the arrears are paid directly to the PF account of the employee.A peculiar feature of DA in the salary scales is that if at present the scale stands at eight percent and there is a raise to 10 percent, this must be calculated as 10 plus 8 = 18 percent. There is no question of only a two percent increase.According to the present order, the school must own two acres of land. This adversely affects many private schools. With the phenomenal rise in land values it will be difficult to buy 10 cents of land anywhere. In a contradictory statement, the GO states that “the institution should have minimum three acres of land, out of which at least two acres shall be in the actual location where the school is functioning in a contiguous manner.”The teacher student ratio of 1:30 - though an excellent suggestion is odd in the light of the diktat : keep fees low and push salaries up.Many years ago, the government nationalized all private schools (Mundasserry). This was an impossible task. So it was decided that, (A) Government would pay salaries, but private managements could administer schools. This was also unsuccessful.(B) Private schools were then permitted to collect fees and administer schools.(C) Now we are going back to the base. All set to roller coaster down and crash as before, because we don’t learn from past experiences. Vengeance seems to underline the official attitude towards private school management, which smacks of discrimination. Teachers are showered with high salaries which they know schools cannot afford. Why are salary scales not applicable to cloth shops, doctors and nurses, manufacturing industries and to the hospitality industry ?According to the rules, the school should have an alternative source of income to help them meet running costs. On the other hand the same rules state that the school must not engage in any other business activity on the school premises. Even the selling of text books and uniforms is prohibited.Politicians, industrialists, professionals, and, all those who can afford a private school avoid government schools. Media kids also study in private schools. But for some strange reason they choose to watch without comment the roller coaster ride and await the crash that will follow thereafter. No opportunity to abuse private schools on TV or print media is lost.The Supreme Court heard arguments on RTE months ago. The judgment has been reserved for a long, long time. That’s how important education is. The Kerala Government pushed through the Kerala RTE overnight as a Government Order. Schools were not given the opportunity to comment or protest.It would appear that this is a diabolic attempt to destroy the backbone of Kerala’s much-lauded education system ie; the old Christian schools and the colleges and educational institutions established by the Maharajas of Travancore and Cochin.Private school managers and teachers are treated worse than hardcore criminals who are considered innocent until proved guilty. Teachers and principals are guilty until proved innocent. They may be punished by the District Education Officer or the panchayat president without providing them with a forum to prove their innocence.(Mary Roy is the founder of Pallikoodam School, Kottayam. The views expressed in the article are the writer’s own).
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