One Fell Swoop: Pull the Plug on Public Expenditure on School Education

One Fell Swoop: Pull the Plug on Public Expenditure on School Education

 

Anthony Joseph

Doctoral Scholar

CIE -DU

 

The provision of good Public Education as a critical obligation by the Government of India for its most needy citizens leaves, much to be desired!

 

Despite measures to ensure top priority to fiscal discipline, one wonders whether public expenditure on School Education is top priority. Drawing on the current emphasis of funds released under all welfare schemes be linked to project execution and payments made directly in to beneficiary’s account to plug pilferages, one wonders whether such a model could apply to public expenditure on School Education.

 

Government jobs in the School Education sector may have caused more damage than perceived! The ‘security’ provided by these jobs has precious little to show, by way of learning and learning outcomes, both by its benefactors and of its beneficiaries.

 

With plaintive cries and threats to “Give it up” from gas cylinders to black money in India and on the international front, issues of neoliberalism, educational democracy, cultural politics, public education,  and seeing teachers and administrators as critical transformational leaders demanding urgent attention, what if, any, are the implications of such issues on public expenditure on School Education in India? Asking, Government functionaries in the Indian School Education system give up their jobs, forthwith?

 

What if by one fell swoop, someone decided to pull the plug on public expenditure on School Education - all the Government functionaries of School Education system in India were to be instantly laid off and at the same time, money meant for  public expenditure on School Education was handed over directly to beneficiary’s (student’s – from nursery to Senior Secondary) account. What would be the impact of this ‘one fell swoop’ on learning and learning outcomes? Let’s hazard a guess, the Government exchequer would be left with a lot of spare money even after the ‘directly to beneficiary account’ transfer!

 

If the ‘one fell swoop’, sound crazy … then the morass that is synonymous with Public Education in India is scary! Your choice! ‘crazy’ or ‘scary’?

 

This is not to argue for the merits of ‘private education’ and or the ‘voucher system’. I am convinced, there are clear evidences (read, Transformative Researchers and Educators for Democracy (2015) Edited by João M. Paraskeva and Thad LaVallee) the free market model of education can never be a hope for good public education. I am not quite sure, whether I’d like to live life, ‘crazy’ or ‘scared’.

Key Words: public education, school education, public expenditure