Testing Times for Matric Schools.

Tamilnadu has a unique educational scenario with different kinds of syllabus being followed, namely, Nursery, State board, Matriculation, Anglo-Indian and Oriental, apart from all India syllabus of CBSE and ICSE.

Recently, certain announcements and actions plans made by Central and Tamilnadu Government on “Education For All”, are certainly to be appreciated. Since school education is very vital and also very complex, I have been advocating for sometime that there should be a separate Minister for school education. Though at the Centre, the Minister for Human Resources takes care of Education portfolio also, it is certainly salutary decision that the Tamilnadu Government has a separate minister for school education.

The present Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu, highly qualified and experienced, is also very dynamic to introduce novel ideas for achieving 100% literacy and also to impart quality education.

The commendable suggestion by the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, for admitting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes children into high class residential schools for free education has received over-whelming response from the Management of residential schools.

Though more than 90% of school education is imparted by the Governments globally, private sector also plays a vital role in this regard. Infact, many Government schools are left to private management for efficient and effective functioning. In USA, many Government schools have been handed over to Bill Gates. Likewise, in developed countries like UK and Japan also many Government educational institutions are left to private management, so also, in Gulf countries.

Recently, the Central Government has made an announcement that it plans to hand over many Government schools to Private sector for efficient management.

As per the data furnished by Ministry of Human Resources Development, there are 1.38 lac high and higher secondary schools in India, out of which 58% are private schools, half of them do not get any assistance from the Government. Thus, it is very clear, private sector plays a very major role in the field of School Education.

As far as Tamilnadu is concerned, apart from CBSE and ICSE, total number of matriculation schools (high and higher secondary) is 3474 and that the total number of high schools and higher secondary schools including Matric schools is 9448. If self-financing Matric schools are clubbed with Anglo and Oriental schools which number 394, the total number of schools in private sector is 41%, according to Dr Muthukumuran Committee report on Uniform Syllabus.

There is always an accusation against Private schools, particularly Matric schools that they are totally commercial, opposing the proposed uniform syllabus plan because if these schools are on par with state board, they would lose their sheen.

Recently, a shocking news for the Matric schools is the judgment of a division bench of Madras High Court, to the effect that Matric schools should also pay the same salary both for the teaching and non-teaching staff on the principle same work same pay, because, they have committed in writing to abide by the recognition rules agreeing to pay the same salary as that of Government schools. We don’t want to comment on the judgment but the fact remains that Chitti Babu Committee report recommended some pay scales for Matric school teachers, as private matric schools are surviving on the fees collected from students and the same would not be sufficient to pay the same salary to teachers on par with Government school teachers. There is one more point to be stressed here that in the case of T A PAI, the Supreme Court has very clearly mentioned that in the case of self-financing educational institutions no directive can be given in respect of salary, and it is totally left to the discretion of such institutions.

Another peculiar feature in the case of the Government schools is that the teachers appointed by the Parents – Teachers association are paid very poor salary and in no way comparable to the salary of the Government school teachers. Does it mean that law to Government schools is different from that of Self – finance private Matric school?

It is a well-known fact Government is the most successful commercial entity in respect of education viz., granting recognition / affiliation to private educational institutions. With a total firm grip on every activity of private educational institutions, right from issuance of application form, granting permission to start an institution, inspection fees, Government recognition fees, non-refundable fees payable on the basis on students strength (this ranges from Rs.10,000 to Rs.1 lac for Matric schools), the Government is always the winner.

The Government does not have any botheration whether private school/institution becomes viable or otherwise. Only the promoter of the private school/institution will have to bear all the risks for starting and running the institution. It is really peculiar that the Government has only income and no expenditure. It is reported that with huge fees flowing, the Matriculation Board has become a huge profit-centre.

After the Kumbakonam fire tragedy in a private-aided school, rules regarding recognition have been tightened significantly. For compliance like sanitation, size of class room, play ground area, laboratories, fire-fighting equipments, building stability certificate etc., the difficulties faced by Matric schools are very well known to the officials of the Education Department. Of course, one cannot be raising the accusing finger against the Government for all these safety requirements.

But whereas, there is no such rigorous requirement for the Government schools. Such schools can be run even under tree, in cattle or pig farm. During day-time the school may function and the same place may turn out to be den for anti-social elements in the evening. In the school complex itself, other Government Department can be run and there can be question raised on these issues.

Why such discrimination against private matric schools?

Though, Tamilnadu tops on admission of children into schools on all India basis, quality of education is low by 8.61% on an all India average basis. The NCERT Chairman, Krishna Kumar, in his recent interview to a leading English daily, has expressed his sorrow over this state of affairs. The national level student-teacher ratio is 39:1, whereas, in Tamilnadu schools, it is 51:1. 45.2% Government schools do not have toilet facilities, 65% of the students who have completed 5th standard, could not read Tamil, 55% of the students could not do simple arithmetic, only 10.8% students could read English, as per the recent report by PRATAM and Kalvi Alliance. It is disturbing to note that 25% of the Government school teachers do not come to school at all.

But look at the success rate in Matric schools, which is pretty high, though the teachers are paid low salary and many teachers do not have the training and necessary qualification like B.Ed. It is the commitment and accountability of such teachers which produces good results.

For creating the necessary infrastructure as per the norms of the Government, many private school managements have fallen into huge debt-trap. They cannot ask for donations from outside people because they may think that such donations would go into the coffers of the management and not for school development. But many city and town schools with reputation get huge donations from the parents which is not possible for rural schools.

Despite the generous support from the Government, funds from the MPs and MLAs, many social organizations, NGOs and big Corporates, maintenance and functioning of most of the Government schools leave much to be desired.

According to Dr Muthu Kumuran Report on Uniform Syllabus, the medium of instruction should be Tamil. Tamil can be the language for students to learn compulsorily. But, it is absolutely unjustified to thrust Tamil upon the schools and students community, as the medium of instruction. Even in many Government schools, English is the medium of instruction in some sections. People in France who are fanatic about French have voted overwhelmingly (96%) for English as the medium of instruction in a recent referendum. In China, mother teaches English to the child in her womb. Most of the countries in the world give priority to English as the medium of instruction for employment opportunities. Tamil was the medium of instruction about 40 years back and this was given a go-by. Now once again, talking about Tamil as medium of instruction under a much changed global scenario, it is apprehended, as a ploy to eliminate Matric schools totally from Tamilnadu.

I was the only Matric school owner to have welcomed the Uniform syllabus whole-heartedly. But now I have to review my stand on the basis of issues like Tamil as the medium of instruction, not doing enough study on the feasibility and working arrangements for uniform syllabus, as suggested by the Committee itself and by the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu.

As regards the proposed Uniform syllabus in Tamilnadu, NCERT Chairman, Krishna Kumar himself expresses his doubts about its success, unless a thorough detailed research is made. Sam Pitroda, Chairman of NKC says, “Our Country is too large, too complex and too diverse for one-size-fits-all-solutions!”. I have highlighted about this in my earlier article “Quality of Education for all – a Myth or Reality”

It is sad that many people do not understand the ground reality that English is now a tool for employability and is no more considered as the language.

Instead of the proposed uniform syllabus in Tamilnadu, it would be better to introduce Uniform syllabus throughout the country as per the provisions in the Right to Education Bill. If the idea of Uniform Syllabus in Tamilnadu is to eliminate Matric schools, it would be totally detrimental to the interest of Tamilnadu.

It is understood that permissions are not granted to Matric schools to convert into CBSE schools.

Under such circumstances, it would be right thing for the Government of the Tamilnadu to take over all the Matric schools in Tamilnadu and pay appropriate compensation to the Management of such schools. If it happens, the Matric schools owners would be relieved of their physical and mental tension and would live peacefully atleast during their rest of their lives.