{ முகநூல் கருத்துக்கள்}{ட்விட்டர் கருத்துக்கள்}

If there is one big thing that Kayalpatnam needs to do - there are lot of things it needs to do, but if it were to focus on one big thing - it really has to be the provision of education to Kayalpatnam children and youth. Education - by which one normally refers to attending the regular schools and colleges - is essential for the long term survival of Kayalpatnam as a fair, decent and prosperous society. Given its uniqueness as a predominantly muslim society, it could also serve as a model worth emulating by other societies world over.

Importance of education as a tool for advancement of societies has been recognised by many governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Even many developed countries have programs addressing the importance of education in a global market recognising it is knowledge which plays a crucial and decisive role in determining the rise and fall of nations and communities. Programs like 'Leave No Child Behind' are very common in the West.

In India, the founding fathers, in the Constitution document - declared that right to education is a fundamental right and must be given compulsorily and for free at the primary level in the near future. Various Central and State governments have had many programs addressing this issue for many decades. In Tamil Nadu, for example, the 'Noon Meals Scheme' was one such program launched during CM MGR's regime to ensure attendance in schools. There have been many other programs at various times and at various places. All of them - however - lacked cohesion and drive that a unified, nationwide approach could give.

After years of debate, commissions, reports and court verdicts, finally, in 2002,, the Indian Parliament passed the 86th amendment to the Constitution by amending Article 21A. This amendment affirms that every child - between the age of 6 and 14 - has the fundamental right to free and compulsory education. This meant - students from Standard 1 to Standard 8 will get free and compulsory education through various programs - to be implemented by Central and State governments. Right to Education Bill was passed in 2005 to give effect to this amendment.

At the implementation level, the Bill provides for - any student (aged between 6 and 14) joining a government school need not pay any fee. Those schools that receive aid from government should admit some students for free and not charge fee. Percentage of students so admitted in aided schools shall be equal to the amount (percentage equivalent) of aid a school receives from the government annually - subject to a minimum of 25%. Even private schools are to admit 25% of poor students free of charge.

Crucially though - it didn't address children below six years and those above 14. The UN defines children to be everyone below 18 years of age. But the Indian government's focus on only those between the ages of 6 and 14 - left nearly 150 million people off the radar. One must also remember - for any meaningful employment - education up to 12th standard is essential.

Setting aside this gross omission, this new - though limited - commitment from the Country still requires lot of resources for it to be successful this time around - to build schools, extend facilities, pay salaries etc. India normally spends about 3.5% of its GDP on education, though in many advanced societies - the average is close to 5 and many further recommend it to touch 6%. Government of India is trying to raise sources to meet this target. Many in India would have noticed that Service Tax now includes a cess on Education also. This is expected to raise huge some of money every year - which would go directly to improve educational infrastructure in India. The Right to Education Bill is expected to increase expenditure by 1 to 1.5% (of the GDP).

These governmental initiatives will have some impact on Kayalpatnam - but not much. There are very few government schools in Kayalpatnam, most are private or partly aided. Most of the work should be - and needs to be - done by Kayalpatnam itself and those who manage the schools and organistions there. We need to employ twin approaches here. On the one hand, we must ensure that Kayalpatnam receives all the benefits it is entitled to from the government. On the other hand, we must go beyond that and draw our own complementary plans to provide the benefits of education to the town.

To begin with, Kayalpatnam must draw an active campaign to make sure there is 100% enrolment at the elementary level. There were about 350 students who took their Plus Two exams last year. From this, one can assume - that about 400 to 500 kids every year - around ages 4,5 and 6 - are waiting to enter the schooling system in Kayalpatnam. How many are enrolling? What is the fee being charged at this level - since most of the schools in operation are private and thus do not offer free education? Are there enough schools, class rooms and teachers - to absorb 500 kids at the Pre-KG levels - in Kayalpatnam? We must find out. Most educationists recommend that there should atleast be 1 teacher per 30 students. What is the ratio in Kayalpatnam? We must find out that too.

The ratio of 1:30 or less (Teacher:Students) - of course - is just a number and admittedly a good indicator at the macro level only. More crucial than just those numbers is the quality of education at these schools (laboratories, library etc) as well as the capability of the teachers. We need to address that too. As a community, we can allot funds to provide those facilities as well as provide funds to retrain teachers and keep them updated with required knowledge.

Kayalpatnam is not a village, but it is not a big metropolitan city either. A student studying in Kayalpatnam doesn't get all the facilities and exposure a student in a big city gets. Our efforts must also be directed at filling that gap - by providing the books, materials, training, guidance, competitions - generally the atmosphere - in order that Kayalpatnam students are not handicapped in their education by their geographic location. This can be ensured by setting up para-educational infrastructure like good training facilities, providing universal PC/Internet access, good library facities, opportunity to develop extra-curricular skills (typing, communication skill etc) and so on. These tasks can be taken up by private and public organisations working in Kayalpatnam.

In this context, the foundation of IQRA last year is noteworthy and laudable. IQRA has drawn up an extensive list of objectives to be achieved over the next few years. It has already conducted a few events with regard to this and this year has provided scholarships to over 40 students joining Arts and Science courses.

These scholarships are important for two major reasons: many children do not pursue education for lack of money. These scholarships would benefit those students and help them join colleges to continue higher studies. By spending money on these children, Kayalpatnam has provided them with the tools they would be requiring to take care of and uplift their families in the coming years. These children would be independent when they graduate and not dependent on the largesse of the society in the future. Secondly, these families - who would have otherwise probably borrowed money to fund the education - have been saved from falling into debt. This is a classic example of how a joint effort of the community can provide long term - direct and indirect benefits to the society - if it comes together and makes even relatively small (but big when combined together) contributions. In addition to IQRA, many other organistions have been for very many years - giving scholarships to needy students in Kayalpatnam. This needs to continue with more vigour and planning for years to come.

Another side to education is the education of girls in Kayalpatnam. Majority of the beneficiaries this year of IQRA's scholarships has been girls - over 30 of them. At the minimum, it indicates an upsurge of interest among girls to pursue education - no doubt kindled by the starting of Wavoo Wajeeha Women's College in Kayalpatnam. This year - nearly 150+ girl students took their Plus Two examinations. An estimation based on certain assumptions indicate over 50% of those girls have joined colleges too. In the coming years, efforts must be made to ensure as close to total enrolment as possible of the girls. With a college within the town, distance wouldn't matter. With scholarships available, money shouldn't either.

Education of girls has several indirect benefits to the society. A typical Kayalpatnam girl is not ready to enter Jobs market yet, but there are several other tangible benefits one can easily foresee. A girl who has completed her college education can be (generally) expected to be more aware of the world than one who hasn't. This would help her in her family life, to manage it ably and with confidence. It takes two to run a family - the husband and wife. If both are knowledgeable, it would benefit them in planning and managing their financial needs. In addition, it would help the couple to manage maturely their inter-personal life - its ups and downs - as well as in handling other issues.

There has been lot of good news on the education front in recent days. It is a good beginning and one that needs to be sustained for a very long time. The situation is ripe for many other organisations - new and existing - to take up work on other educational areas that are crying for attention.