IS IT NOT WORTH SPENDING ON?

Recently I came across some news about a discussion about the Right to Education Bill in the newspaper. I was really happy at that moment, but after a few minutes I was thinking whether this would actually make any difference? Many children are already studying. As in people who've money send their children to school. So this accounts for all the children in the upper class and then the middle class and probably also the lower middle class.

But it is about the children in the lower class that has to be discussed now. Children in this class total to an approximate 80 million. A few of the parents in the lower class are actually working really hard to send their kids to school. They work their ass off, just to see to that their child doesn’t end up living a life like them. But the percentage of such people in this class is pretty low I should guess. The rest make their children work so that the family can get more money. I don’t blame the parents; their income is so low that they just manage to get one proper meal for one whole day. So such people would sure need more money to run their family and the only solution for them to earn more money is by sending anyone possible in the family to work. The small children work at some construction sites or at some small shop, earning 10 rupees or more in a day (not sure about the figures). Anyways the small amount that the child gets makes a huge difference to the family. Getting about 100 rupees a day makes the family really happy! Such parents are probably ignorant about the fact that the children up to a certain age are given free education and also provided free books and breakfast and lunch (food is a very important factor here. I am very serious) or probably they are aware of the free education provision but are in no position to send the child to school just because they need more money in the family. In some cases the children are sent to school and when they get the books they go back home and sell those books to earn money. The need for money is very critical these days.

Just bringing in a Right to Education Bill is not going to be enough. It sure is a step towards educating all, but it’s not the one and only step towards 100% education. The government has taken surveys as to how many kids actually go to school and how many don’t but what have they done beyond that? Have they taken any extra measures to see to that all children go to school? They have taken a few; might have been significant steps but that is not enough. Have the government officials gone from place to place checking as to why the children are not going to school? Have they conducted any meets for such poor people asking them to send their children to school? I don’t think so. We see so many orphans on the streets begging but I don’t see the government doing anything for them. Spending on such stuff should be increased by the government. They should realize that how much ever they invest on human education is not going to go for a total waste. The more the people are educated the more is the knowledge they gain and in the end the more income they bring to the country, the more the country will develop. There should be no cap on the money to be spent on human development. So hopefully the government soon carries out more extensive projects for the education of all.

REALITY HIT ME:

Till about a week back, I did not know that the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) was presenting the right to education bill to be passed and even worse is the fact that I dint know that they have actually been fighting for this bill to be passed for more than three years! Surprising, how in a country where rumors and other unwanted talks spread like fire, such an important thing has not ever been heard of in the open.

Anyways the latest news as of now just broke my heart. The centre has rejected the bill citing the reason to be the lack of funds. But this is totally absurd. When they can spend so much of money needlessly on unwanted things, why can’t they spend around 55000 crores a year (the official approximate cost) for this bill? Till now I had been arguing that the passing of Right to Education Bill alone was not going to be enough, but now it looks as if even that is going to be just a dream.

Everyone out there cannot argue with me saying that the government has allocated 38702 crores for education this year. This amount is not only for school education but is also for college education, all the quotas the government is providing BASED ON THE CASTE, for the construction of 3 new IIT’s and 16 other central varsities. I guess probably 5% out of this will go to the education of the poor people which is not enough at all.

OUR COUNTRY IS SAID TO HAVE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES BUT STILL INDIA HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ILLITERATES AND RANKS 126 OUT OF 177 IN THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX PREPARED BY UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP). Statistics also show that out of 193 million children between the age of 6 and 14 in India, 81 million of them are out of school. Isn’t this a disheartening fact? So please support the people who are fighting for the Bill to come out and not just sit back and let things happen. Sign the petition in the provided link and let us all hope that one day the Bill is passed.

http://www.petitiononline.com/rteindia/petition.html

P.S: Sorry for bringing social classes and all in this blog. I personally don’t believe in all that but I had to bring it in for the sake of showing who and all get education and who don’t. Sorry again!