Thanks for your hard-hitting cover story ‘Sub-standard textbooks wrecking K-12 education’ (EW August). It’s shameful that state governments have neglected and corrupted the textbooks production process starting from selection of writers to printing of texts. Unfortunately, the hapless victims of their callousness and neglect of education are the country’s children. I agree with Prof. Seetharamu that the government needs to denationalise textbook writing and production.
It was also distressing to read that in BJP-ruled states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan, the state-controlled textbook boards are going overboard with infusing their divisive hindutva ideology in school texts. This is dangerous and will further divide Indian society. Young, impressionable children need to be exposed to liberal values which will help all communities to progress and contribute towards nation-building.
John Pinto
Mangalore
Use think tanks’ advice
The special report ‘India’s most admired think tanks’ (EW August) was informative and revealing. It’s a pleasant surprise to learn that India hosts the fourth largest number of think tanks worldwide, and that some of them are ranked among the Top 175 globally.
The Central and state governments must actively enlist the advice and cooperation of think tanks to devise and implement people-friendly policies. Most government policies are ill-conceived and poorly implemented. Think tanks can play a vital role in developing policies and programmes in the public interest.
Manish Trivedi
Mumbai
Philanthropy lesson
I enjoyed reading the interview with American businessman-philanthropist Lowell Milken (EW July). He must be congratulated on the many path-breaking education initiatives he has launched especially in teacher education. He has eloquently and rightly said that “human capital is the beating heart of education”.
His laudable generosity and passion for supporting education causes should serve as an example to our many Indian billionaires who have done precious little to improve Indian education which is in a pathetic state.
Eric Fernandes
Bangalore
Control school fees
Re your thought-provoking cover story ‘Fees regulation fever endangering India’s private schools’ (EW July), I believe it’s parents who are suffering at the hands of private school managements. Because of continuously rising school fees, parents have to start saving for their children’s education from the time they are born.
Even though school managements defend rising fees by pointing out that they need to invest in facilities and teachers to provide quality education, exorbitant fees are unjustified. Moreover in many instances schools don’t issue receipts for the total amount they charge. The economic and social effects of controlling the price of education needs to be further explored, especially since free government schools exist, which benefit from increased education budget allocations every year.
Vinod C. Dixit
Ahmedabad
Survey exclusion plea
My staff and I look forward to the latest issue of EducationWorld every month. I am writing to you regarding the EW India Preschool Rankings conducted annually by C fore. Surveys, given their wide public impact, must be conducted responsibly or otherwise cause damage to individuals and institutions.
I feel very strongly about your survey including special needs education as a parameter for judging preschools. It is not a box that can simply be ticked. The Magic Years does the best it can for the special needs children it admits — the criterion ought to be quality not quantity. My request is that the survey of preschools be conducted by people with knowledge and experience of early childhood education, conducted at all schools unannounced, so a real sense of day-to-day management is captured and that the criteria for evaluation be re-examined.
If you are unable to accommodate these requests and given that our building cannot be reconstructed to cater to children with special needs and that this will weigh unfairly against us, I request that The Magic Years not be included in the 2017-18 survey.
S. Madhavan Kutty
Founder, The Magic Years, Delhi
Your request is under consideration. In principle all schools open to the public are subject to fair and equal assessment and evaluation — Editor