Delhi Govt. to Bring Changes in Education Policy

Delhi Government is planning to bring major changes in the education policy of the state from the coming winter season, disclosed CM Arvind Kejriwal

Here's the low-down: the government is indeed planning to drop Section 10(1) of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (1973) that requires private schools to pay teachers on par with government ones; DSEAR is being amended to give power to the government to decide nursery admission guidelines, to "stop screening" -- defined, mainly, as personal interviews -- and making collection of capitation fees punishable with fines; but the admission-related amendment will not do away with nursery admission criteria and will likely be implemented only in the next round; a bill will be tabled to re-instate detention in schools; and the state's fee regulation bill will practically replicate the structure and functions of the High Court-appointed Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee.

"The admission process was plagued by problems. We are now defining capitation fees and a penalty has been prescribed for whoever takes capitation fees directly or indirectly," said Kejriwal.

The government is indeed planning to present a bill reinstating detention in primary school -- as the Rajasthan government tried -- though the class from which it'll be allowed hasn't been decided yet. The rationale for the decision to overturn what even the CM concedes was "a good initiative", is, as Sisodia said, "Without teachers training, without changing syllabus, the comprehensive continuous evaluation that was to replace detention hasn't be implemented properly. As a result there was no assessment. If we have the year-end exam, at least we'll know if kids are studying."

For the record, the responsibility for implementing the CCE in its schools -- and ensuring the requisite support system such as a healthy pupil-teacher ratio, adequate classrooms and schools that are all separate provisions of the Right to Education Act was with the government. By pushing for NDP, activists like Khagesh Jha argued, the government is essentially relieving itself of that responsibility.