By Waquar Hasan, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 24 Nov 2015: Concerned about privatization, saffornization and commercialization of education, a national education group called All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) organized a protest demonstration and a march towards the Parliament House here on Monday. The protestors were shouting slogans against the ‘anti-people’ education policy of the union government in general and the ‘No-Detention Policy’ in schools.
“The policies of privatization-commercialization of education have resulted in exorbitant fee hikes in schools as well as in higher education; considering education as a service and is now trying to bring it under the WTO (World Trade Organization)-GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) regime which will finally deprive it of its scientific, man-making, character-building content,” said AISEC.
The protest meeting was addressed by many eminent educationists, teachers and social activists who had gathered from across the country. The protest rally was part of the nationwide movement launched by the group to organize people against the education policies of the BJP-led NDA government at the centre. Among those who addressed the gathering were Professor J.S. Patil, former Vice-Chancellor, Karnataka State Law University, Dr. A.K. Ramakrishnan from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Janaki Rajan from Jamia Millia Islamia.
Talking to IndiaTomorrow.net, Girvar Singh, secretary, Delhi chapter of AISEC, explained his demands that include restoration of pass-fail system in schools and ending of privatization and saffronization of education.
“Our demand is that the government should restart the pass-fail system in schools. In the new system following the ‘No Detention Policy’, students are promoted even if they fail till class VIII. This results in them being unable to read and study in upper classes. Consequently, they start failing in exams and thus their whole life is spoiled,” said Singh.
Educationists, teachers at All India Save Education Committee program at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 23 Nov 2015. (Photo – IndiaTomorrow.net)
“Apart from that, our demand is that the government should stop privatization of education. It is the responsibility of the government to provide education for all and bear its expenses. The role of the teachers, intellectuals, students and parents especially education experts those who are well-informed about education, should always be included in making educational policies. Today, our government is doing saffronization of education. We are also raising voice against it. Our protest will go on unless our demands are fulfilled,” he said.
Meanwhile, AISEC has called the Right to Education Act, 2009 ‘the greatest fraud’.
“The AISEC is of the considered opinion that the so called Right to Education Act, 2009 is the greatest fraud committed on the people of the country by the central governments run consecutively by the Congress led UPA and now by the BJP in as much as it has done away with the time tested method of promotions to higher classes to schools on the basis of yearly examinations,” said the group in a media statement.
