Just three words "It is pity" reflects all. When a vice-principal of one of the prestigious schools in the capital of India is found taking donation (even bribe won't be an inappropriate word) on hidden camera, it shows where our education system is heading to.
Though currently, I’m basking in the glory of bachelorhood and don’t have any experience in managing family affairs; yet if I assume myself as a parent of one kid, I find myself helpless on how to get a good education for him.
I cannot go to a Govt school for known reasons. The conditions are pathetic and cannot let my child use stinking toilets or drink water full of germs. Besides, outdated educational methods and unavailability of sincere teachers further strengthen my concerns about government schools efficiency in bringing out out a good citizen from my kid.
Now, if I go to private schools, authorities demand exorbitant money in the form of donations and monthly fees. One school takes my interview to get my kid admitted. Other asks me to pay donation generously to their education trust if I want my son to study in their reputed school.
Amidst such frenzy atmosphere, an Education Agent contacts me and promises me to get admission for my kid in a reputed school without much hassle. In lieu, he demands commission or service charges from me. Thus, in the end, I am left with very few options. I either fit an iron lungs and kidneys to my child and send him to a Govt school or shell out all my savings to get him admitted to a private school.
Today, every parent is living in such a dilemma. Social Status and good educational background is pushing every parent to provide quality education for their children as well. But when they go out, they find no help from the government and so called Education Trusts. Sometimes, I feel wonder that why we pay education cess or tax every year when government can’t even provide basic facilities of Education and Electricity to its citizens.
Whatever happened last week was not a sensation if you ask a parent of any school going kid. Majority of them have gone through interviews and donation webs to get their child admitted in a private school. Often they are asked to pay donation for building, chairs, desks etc. Even one school in Delhi is famous for asking a 14 lac CNG bus from one parent when he went to them for his son’s admission.
Though currently, I’m basking in the glory of bachelorhood and don’t have any experience in managing family affairs; yet if I assume myself as a parent of one kid, I find myself helpless on how to get a good education for him.
I cannot go to a Govt school for known reasons. The conditions are pathetic and cannot let my child use stinking toilets or drink water full of germs. Besides, outdated educational methods and unavailability of sincere teachers further strengthen my concerns about government schools efficiency in bringing out out a good citizen from my kid.
Now, if I go to private schools, authorities demand exorbitant money in the form of donations and monthly fees. One school takes my interview to get my kid admitted. Other asks me to pay donation generously to their education trust if I want my son to study in their reputed school.
Amidst such frenzy atmosphere, an Education Agent contacts me and promises me to get admission for my kid in a reputed school without much hassle. In lieu, he demands commission or service charges from me. Thus, in the end, I am left with very few options. I either fit an iron lungs and kidneys to my child and send him to a Govt school or shell out all my savings to get him admitted to a private school.
Today, every parent is living in such a dilemma. Social Status and good educational background is pushing every parent to provide quality education for their children as well. But when they go out, they find no help from the government and so called Education Trusts. Sometimes, I feel wonder that why we pay education cess or tax every year when government can’t even provide basic facilities of Education and Electricity to its citizens.
Whatever happened last week was not a sensation if you ask a parent of any school going kid. Majority of them have gone through interviews and donation webs to get their child admitted in a private school. Often they are asked to pay donation for building, chairs, desks etc. Even one school in Delhi is famous for asking a 14 lac CNG bus from one parent when he went to them for his son’s admission.
But who is to be blamed?? Today, Government looks like a replica of a drunkard and lusty king who doesn’t care about ‘praja’ of its state. Though this same king leaves no stone un-turned when it comes to collecting tax from its ‘praja’ – sometimes in the form of service charges and sometimes as Education Cess.
On the other side, Education Trusts have also become a generous route to collect money from parents now a days. They collect donations (ransom) from parents in the form of social development but where that money goes can be seen from the bludgeoning profit sheet of Swiss Bank. :)
Bribe, this time in the form of Donation, has seeped deeply into our education system. Today, education is not provided rather sold and purchased and sometimes I wonder how our children can become honest and law abiding citizens when they see their parents taking wrong route to build first few steps of their long social life.
It’s time to bring a change. It's time to awaken and take steps that ensure better and promise future for the coming generations. If we can force govt to act on the issues of Jessica Lal and Reservation, we can do the same this time as well. All we need is a collective effort.
The most significant change we must bring is in our 'dena hi padega' attitude. Rather than buckling under Agents and greedy educational institutions, we must stand united against them and report such incidents to the media or active NGOs. Always remember that “EDUCATION IS THE BIRTH RIGHT OF EVERY CITIZEN AND IT IS UP TO US TO AVAIL THEM WITH FULL DIGNITY AND RIGHTS.”
