Unmesh on Education

[pjshah <parth@ccsindia.org>]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Please help make the Manifesto better, or accept it, and propagate it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tiwari, Umesh K" wrote:

> ---"Increase government spending on education to 6 percent of GDP."
>
> I never advocated this idea, and I don't support government funding for
> higher education, what I care about is every village must have a school that
> every child can go to, and I don't care who pays for it, if the parents can
> pay, good, if not, then that ought to be the governments duty to ensure that
> there is a school. Vouchers ? Think about it, I am sure you can find
> problems yourself. In fact even the United States Federal government doesn't
> have the guts to risk the scarce funds that it has for its public schools by
> doling out school vouchers,and it is incorrect representation that Dr. Parth
> Shah makes when he says that Voucher scheme works in the United States, even
> though your favorite Kato Institute for public policy, or Republicans would
> have you believe that.
>

US govt is "afraid" to adopt the voucher system primarily due to the power of
teacher unions.  Not fraud.  Actually several states have been trying out the
voucher system and most reports and studies seem to bear out the case for it.
there are private foundations which provide "vouchers" or scholarships and
thereby choice and competition.

You can compare this with the welfare reform in the US.  After all the hue and
cry, when they did get implemented, the results have been good even by the
Democratic yardstick.  Even Hillary talks favourably about them in her senate
campaign!!  If teacher union were not as adamant, wide scale trials of the
voucher system would have given us a quicker answer.

>
> "Liberalize, abolish the license-permit raj in education"
>
> I am with you. Except for sharp differences in detail. Requires more
> detailed writing, some other time.
>
> "Institutionalise accountability of government and private educational
> entities"
>
> This is like double talk. On the one hand you don't seem to support
> bureaucratic control, on the other advocate controlling funds based on
> bureaucratic "performance" standards?
>

I'm suggesting this as a first step of reform.  Before we can implement
voucher
system or turn over govt schools to the civil society, at least some
accountability should be brought into govt funding of schools.  Fund them
according to their performance.  Not too much to ask. Even from the govt.
parth-





--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the National Debate on System Reform.       debate@indiapolicy.org
Rules, Procedures, Archives:            http://www.indiapolicy.org/debate/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------