Vivek Koul
These days education has become very expensive and unaffordable to most of the people in India. Private educational institutions are mushrooming up in every nook and corner of India due to privatization of education, which is a cause of concern for the poor masses of our country. Commercialization of education is a very bad phenomenon which affects all of us in one way or the other. It is not a theoretical proportion but a reality, which has invaded the education system of the country. At one time service motive and furtherance of education was the basic and guiding force for private educational institutions but now it has lost its credence. The Commercialization of education has been a fairly recent trend in India that stems from the educational reform in the country over the last two decades. It mainly materializes itself in mushrooming private schools, public and private universities and at the high education level. In a sense, it has added a financial element to the qualifications of attending private schools and public and private universities. Undoubtedly, it affects millions of families. As a result, it also changes the traditional concepts of education in Indian society, including the student-teacher relationship, education, and the attitude towards gaining knowledge. It is worthwhile to mention here that the private institutions have become now business ventures/hubs with the only objective of making profit and nothing else. It is very sad that by and large, private institutions are drifting away from their cherished mottos and themes. Today private schools have an eye on profit only and they are shying away from their basic duty of promoting quality education for the all-round development of the body, mind and spirit of the child. These private educational establishments work in a similar manner as business entities under the grab of delivering quality education. The ownership and management of these schools just work like virtual monarchs and fix fees and other dues according to their whims, likes and caprice unmindful of its effects upon the poor people and their wards. One wonders if these private institutions have no social responsibilities and obligation. Why are not they socially responsive to the need of the society? These shops of learning should not be allowed to exploit the student's community in any way. Realizing the poverty of India education has been kept in the government sector. The poor people cannot educate their children in private schools. Therefore vast majority of the people still depend on state schools for the education of their children. But the mushroom growth of public and private schools is posing a great threat to the very cause of education and is in fact breeding the very purpose of democracy. Such private schools are especially a cause of concern for the poor, weaker and downtrodden section of the society, which cannot afford the education of theirs wards, in them. Even the lower middle class people find it difficult to admit their children in the private run schools due to high fees and other charges. The private schools are growing at an unprecedented rate. Even private educational establishment work as business entities under the grab of delivering quality education. Even private schools are non-profit organizations and eye at amassing wealth and profit through exploitation of the poor and needy students and parents who are unable to do anything. The ownership and management of these schools just work like virtual monarchs and fix fees and other dues according to their whims, likes and caprice unmindful of its effects upon the poor people and their wards. Even the facilities and services provided by these institutions are rarely commensurate with high tuition and other fees, which they charge under various names and pretexts. One wonders if these private institutions have no social responsibilities and obligation. Why are not they socially responsive to the need of the society? A rational and fair fee should be fixed and not that is arbitrary and against the paying capacity of the people. These shops of learning should not be allowed to exploit the student's community in any way. A strong consumer resistance movement is needed from the parents who unfortunately are unorganized just like or unorganized labor force and thus fail to negotiate to their advantage with the “kings” of these schools. Parents should learn to organize to safeguard their interests. The govt. should regulate the working of these schools and should keep an eye on the recurrent rise in the tuition and other fee, which is so often and a cause of concern for the poor people of this Union Territory. May the good sense prevail upon the ownership and the management of the private institutions so that they give top attention to the educational excellence and secondary to income generation! Educational development, quality education and service motive should be the guiding mottos of the educational institutions private and government. Otherwise who will say that these are educational institutions pure and total?
