[vasoo]

Many of you might have read articles about this and how one famous school in Bangalore has reacted to this by issuing a circular to the parents of its wards. A section of the circular is given below.

"Kindly do not ignore this circular as it affects your child's future directly. Any child will have to be allowed into school and share the classroom with your child. Eminent psychologists have said that this will be detrimental to the psyche of all the children. Once this Act is enforced, another child could beat up your child, smoke on the campus, misbehave with a girl or a teacher and the school will have to watch helplessly. "

I believe that the schools are creating a big scene on this Act mainly because now they will be forced to hike the fees for the rest of the 75% students to bear this additional cost. By making it an issue they can make sure that parents will not complain next year when they see a 30% increase in fees, which anyway they do even without a reason. I remember one parent who was told by principal of a school that "you IT guys are anyway getting 25% salary hike every year, why are you so worried about paying 20% extra fees for your kids education?"

What are your views on this act? Do you think it helps the society? What impact will it have on the "upper middle class" students, if any?

These "elite schools" assumes that the rich kids are all very well behaved, don't have any bad habit and they will be exposed to the "bad elements" if they are mingled with poor children. I am really appalled at the guts of these schools to make such statements.

[download2live]

Well we all know that private schools have got away with lot of things in past, thanks to the Indian parent's desire to give his child a good schooling.

But this trick of forcing schools to take some kids of financially weaker background is not going to work. These kids will not feel at home there among the kids of filthy rich people. Its just an example of out corrupt inefficient govt again coming up with stupid ideas. The main idea is to hide its own failures in providing a decent primary education to masses.

But then I should not criticize. I do not vote.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by vasoo

These "elite schools" assumes that the rich kids are all very well behaved, don't have any bad habit and they will be exposed to the "bad elements" if they are mingled with poor children. I am really appalled at the guts of these schools to make such statements.

I think you are completely missing the point. What they mean is that the 25% who will be admitted under RTE cannot be touched under any circumstances. The kids who form the remaining 75% (rich or poor) can be disciplined if they do mischief.

There is plenty of evidence for this occurrence in government institutions. People whose jobs are safe, rarely do their duty, and no action can be taken against them.

There is similar sentiment against the proposal for reservations in private companies. Right now, if an employee doesn't perform or misbehaves in a private company, the company has the right to terminate the employee. However, if the employee was hired under the job reservation quota, he will become untouchable. There will be no consequences for his/her actions.

The school just used a dramatic example to highlight the problem.

[MX6]

I've seen many instances when the person on reserved quota going on record to complain about his boss pulling the minority card when being cornered to work.
So the bosses also don't bother because, if the guy pulls a minority card, irrespective of who is right or wrong, the boss is in trouble. Big trouble.
Soon we'll have this in schools.

The great national poet Bharathi sang.
Jadhigal illayadi paappa.
Kula thazchi uyarchi sollal paavam.

Translates to
There are no castes, o Baby.
Classifying as high and low caste is a sin.

This was taught in schools to us. Bharathi sang this to address kids!
Now we'll have kids being exposed to a reality called state sponsored caste divide.

[aargee]

This is getting to heights of reservations in this country. Stop reservation & freebies right from cradle to graveyard. May be this is the order of court in Haryana, but this is another cheap tactics by politicians to divide.

Unless things are done based on merits, there will be no competition; when there's no competition, there's no improvement & when there's no improvement, we're all in the same drainage for ever. India is shining.

[e1t1bet]

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This is the only long term solution to ALL subsidies. Subsidize education for the poor...OR subsidize food, fuel, waste taxpayers money on stupid vote bank schemes like NREGA and dole, hike taxes for the salaried class, enforce quotas and heavy tariffs....
To begin with, we are talking of kids here. Not adult, employed people! There can be bad employees etc. There aint any such thing as a bad child (and I hate kids!) There are rich kids who are studious and conforming, at the same time there are brats. The same holds true for the poor. Just a few months back this cobbler's son was in news, who cracked JEE. You don't want to let your child mix with him, good for you!
There are lots of missionaries in school which already subsidize education for the poor. I did part of my schooling in Assembly of God Church, Kolkata. They sponsor schooling for the poor, albeit for evangelical end goals. However, the experience is not at all detrimental. Deprivation is a reality in India, and kids should grow up knowing that.
I am against quotas as well, but this happens to be the FIRST quota in the country which is fair. It isn't based on caste, religion, sex etc. The poor absolutely need it, and so does the country. When more people contribute to the economy, the lifestyles of everyone goes up! I just hope they can implement this.
The schools are up against it because it hurts their profit. And they would love to squeeze every single penny out of parents' pockets. And most of them would lose, to an extent, their "elite" brand equity. Again, something that is good in the long run. Schools shouldn't be about branding.
I am always appalled at parents who are boastful about which school their kids go to. The latest fad being "international schools".. Just a royal waste of money, and the child's time. Again, schooling is not about brands. Send him to a decent school near your house. Monitor his education. Enroll him in extra currics, he is interested in, outside school.
The worst part is that such values held by the parents, trickles down to the child, and eventually results in a snobbish kid from a big name school, who doesn't even realize that he is probably going to <insert random DPS RK Puramish school> only because his/her parents can afford it. It isn't a certificate of merit for them.

[vivekiny2k]

I come from Navodaya vidyalaya which had a 20 (urban)/80 (rural) mix of students. The difference is nobody pays, All of it was from govt grants. I heard that now they are charging some fees though. Such a mix was very healthy for all of us, helping us understand each other's backgrounds.

the economics of this business and politics behind this move are a different story altogether.

BTW, what is the source of the quoted text in first post?

[Samurai]

I have attended missionary as well as government schools in a rural areas. But we couldn't mess with discipline part, we used to get rapped on the backhand with a wooden scale.

However, corporal punishment in schools have all but vanished with time. That means suspensions and expulsions are the only disciplinary tools left with the schools. With RTE, the schools are afraid that they will no more such leverage on errant students who will exploit the RTE status. The quotation by OP is about that.

Yes, they will also lose revenue and elite status, I am sure they are losing sleep over that too.

[tsk1979]

WE pay taxes. Don't we? Shouldn't govt be making schools instead of forcing private individuals to run institutions the way govt wants.
After all these are unaided schools right? What right does govt had in meddling?
Tomorrow, govt will tell me that I need to keep 3 people of their choice in my home.

Just another way for the administration of this banana republic to shake hands of its duty. Just put the burden on "pvt institutions" and thats it.

[SirAlec]

i hate reservations from the beginning. No race is born unfortunate. If any of them are underprivileged its govt. faulty policy that led to it.

We all know what reserved candidates who enter IITs at ridiculous cut off do there right?

[Samurai]

I had a classmate who got 1st rank in electrical engineering in Bangalore University. This was an actual conversation:

Me: That's great Shekar, now you can get any government job you want. (then private jobs weren't that hot)
He: Yeah, that's true.
Me: So, why are you still looking sad?
He: Because when I join any government company, I'll be categorized under SC quota. Nobody is going to remember I deserved it by merit too.

[MX6]

I had a friend too and our conversation was in similar lines.
Me: Congrats on cracking medical entrance.
Shaktivelu: You are the only one giving me wishes from your heart. Other's will still think I made it with my SC/ ST certificate.

@tsk. We pay taxes. Govt doesn't open firms, but forces private sector to set aside a percentage. We pay taxes, govt doesn't open colleges, but sets up quotas. Now they are bringing it to schools. While the RTE is a welcome move, just passing a law and transferring the responsibility to the private sector is a bad idea.
If govt is there only to pass laws and expect the private sector to shore the burden, why not privatise governance as well?

[pjbiju]

It always beats me. The government that can run IITs and IIMs very successfully cannot get to run good schools and regular colleges to give the socially challenged and economically challenged a better start.

Forget that. Good quality schooling should be made available to everyone irrespective of caste/creed/economic status, free of cost. It is the right of every child and we pay taxes for it. But then we are forced to send our kids to "elite" schools that often provide "very normal" education at "elite" costs.

With good governement and aided schools, the number of private schools in the country should have been very few. But then today it is a business that rakes in billions of rupees.

-Biju

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by pjbiju

It always beats me. The government that can run IITs and IIMs very successfully cannot get to run good schools and regular colleges to give the socially challenged and economically challenged a better start.

Forget that. Good quality schooling should be made available to everyone irrespective of caste/creed/economic status, free of cost. It is the right of every child and we pay taxes for it. But then we are forced to send our kids to "elite" schools that often provide "very normal" education at "elite" costs.

I can explain to you the first part. You are talking about thousands of schools as oposed to a handful of IITs and IIMs. go to a rural school to see the standard of education. It's really not that easy.

And now you have to explain the second part. why are you forced to send your kids to a specific type of school?

[androdev]

lot of schools that are founded and run by socially-conscious management accept lower income group children as a matter of policy. i like those schools. in my mind, they stand for something noble in life.

schools that are against admitting less privileged children in spite of govt. mandate can at best be called hallow commercial shops. of course, there will be some challenges but the move itself is very progressive. to be exposed to the "other world" is a great learning experience. greatest good to the greatest number of people.