Study focusses on problems in education sector

[sajiv]

Study focusses on problems in education sector

Kochi: A recent working paper published by the Centre for Socio-economic and Environmental Studies (CSES), Kochi, points out that exclusionary trends have been gaining strength in Kerala's education system from the nineties.

The study, titled "Kerala's Education System: From Inclusion to Exclusion?" conducted by N. Ajith Kumar, director of the institute, and K.K. George, its chairman cautions, that this may undermine the inclusive features of the much applauded Kerala Model of Development. Kerala has achieved all the Millennium Development Goals set for education, much ahead of time. Universal literacy, near universal school enrolment and low dropout rate are some of the features of the State's education system.

The study points out that these statistics camouflage some major differences in the educational achievements of people belonging to different socio-economic groups.

Despite no fee being charged from disadvantaged students in schools, it is not free either as they have to incur costs of several types (special fees, examination fees, cost of reading and writing materials, clothing, travelling, study tours, donation to PTA, private tuition etc). The government's subsidy policy covers only fees which form only a small component of the private costs. The government does not have a scholarship scheme to cover the total private costs of students from low income households. The criterion for eligibility for scholarship is too restrictive. The proliferation of unaided schools and the growth of self-financing institutions in the higher education and technical education sectors too nurtured exclusionary trends.