Letters to the Editor: The business of school

The business of school

Your editorial “The Business of School,” published in The Sentinel on April 1, 2024, rightly examines the lucrative business adopted by the various private schools. To them, imparting proper education to children is the last objective, and collecting exorbitant fees in the name of imparting education is really a million-dollar question to be pondered by the parents, the government, as well as the educationist.

If we consider the reason for the steep rise in the establishment of private schools in every nook and cranny in and around Guwahati city, it definitely displays a pathetic picture of the society for which the government, parents, and the public in general are also responsible. Do we ever wonder why so many private schools are coming up? Do we ever consider that education has been monetized? Have we ever thought about whether the government has failed to set up government schools? Do we ever think that what led the parents to enroll their children in the private school? Do we ever wonder whether private schools are imparting a proper education in lieu of money? These are some questions to be raised by all.

Education is not meant to be used as an advertisement to lure students, as is done by every private school. If a private school is good enough, then why is advertising required at all? It reminds me of the adage, “Jo Dikhta Hai Wo Bikta Hai." If this is the motto of private schools, then I am sorry to say that society is not moving in the right direction. I have never seen a government school ever advertise for admission. Moreover, getting admission to government schools and colleges requires tough competition. Can we say that there is a clear distinction between government and private schools in terms of imparting education, in terms of qualified and experienced teachers, and in terms of educational environment?

In this context, I would like to submit some views or suggestions to the government with reference to the above editorial:

(i) Whether all the private schools have qualified or experienced teachers in each subject?

(ii) Whether a qualified or experienced teacher is getting the required remuneration or their salary, and is it being deposited directly in their account?

(iii) It has been seen that most experienced teachers of a private school often leave their job due to an inadequate salary or after getting a better job. Whether any new, experienced teacher is appointed to compensate for the gap so that students do not suffer?

(iv) Whether private schools are charging admission fees for each class every year? If it is so, then it is not good because the admission fee should be one-time for enrolled students.

(v) It has also been seen that most of the private schools charge electricity fees from every student in every class. It has also been seen that during the summer,, students are devoid of light and fans during school hours, for which they suffer during the period. If a school is unable to provide the required service in lieu of money, then it amounts to cheating.

(vi) If the government properly inspects each and every private school, then it will open Pandora’s Box. Perhaps it will reveal that some of the private schools are taking admission fees in cash from the parents instead of online payment. Private schools should also instruct the parents that no cash transactions will be allowed and that all deposits should be made online. This may encourage transparency in every transaction. I hope all the stakeholders will definitely come up for such a good cause so as to provide input in the right direction to the government for the better future of the next generation.

S Chakraborty

Adabari Guwahati-12

Human-elephant conflict in Udalguri

Recently, I travelled to some villages under the Paneri police station in Udalguri district in order to understand the much-hyped issue of the Human Elephant Conflict and found that the problem is really staggering. Udalguri is one of the districts of the state that has been affected by the conflict for a long time. As per government data, the loss in the Udalguri district due to the Conflict is severe. From 2010 to 2019, 62 elephants and 155 people became victims of Human Elephant Conflict in the district, while during the same period, 4978 houses and 2143 hectares of crops were damaged. Udalguri district falls under the Dhansiri forest division. Earlier, elephants stayed in the forest because they got enough food in the jungles. Since their habitat was destroyed, they started venturing out to raid human settlements. Of late, the conflict has increased despite the measures taken by the state forest department and other stakeholders. Around 80 villages under Dimakuchi, Paneri, and Harishinga police stations suffer from this acute problem from August to May every year. In some villages, the fear-stricken people spend sleepless nights. The elephants have become more aggressive than before. People used to scare them by shouting, showing fire, and throwing crackers to deter them from aggression. But the wild pachyderms give less response to these measures. Villagers let me know that some people nowadays use JCBs to frighten them, as the elephants are afraid of the backhoes of the JCBs. According to the villagers of Teliapara, Khoirajangal, Majulibasti, and Hatigarh Tea Estate workers, the elephants raid mostly during paddy harvesting time. They enter the residential areas also in search of banana trees, jackfruit, paddy seeds, etc., defying people's intervention. A lone elephant is more dangerous than a herd of elephants. The villagers also informed me about two incidents in which Krishna Das and Raju Tasa lost their lives and how some alcoholic people became prey to the elephants' aggression. They want a solution to the problem with the help of the government and other stakeholders.

Kulendra Nath Deka,

Dighirpar, Mangaldai