Is H1N1 the biggest threat to life today? No. There's traffic, Mumbai locals, AIDS, measles, cancer, stress and myriad other reasons why India's death rate is what it is. Then why is there such panic around H1N1?
I believe it is the simple fear of the unknown. People do not know enough about the disease. What causes it? How do we recognize it? What to do if we are in the care of someone with H1N1? In the absence of knowledge, people clam-up. They become scared and fear has strange ways of ruling our responses.
The other unknown in H1N1 is the treatment & screening option available. If you get H1N1, you'll be made to experience something even worse - a Govt. Hospital! For those of us who have never visited a Govt. hospital in our life (these are exactly the people who are running scared shit), let me just say that they breed disease more than they treat it. We hear horror stories about staff apathy, vermin laced wards, spit covered walls and a general lack of hygiene and care.
Now, if the only screening and treatment option available for H1N1 is a Govt hospital, you'll pray to your Almighty that you never ever have anything to do with the flu!
Traffic, Mumbai locals, AIDS, cancer, measles, stress are knowns. You know what to do to prevent them (thought in the case of cancer that's less certain) and if you get hit by a car or a local (God forbid!) or come down with measles, cancer, AIDS (again double forbid!) you can go to your GP, nearby clinic or plush private hospital to get treated. Medicines are freely available at your nearby chemist and the whole thing seems to be under control.
For H1N1, it is a Govt hospital, it is bureaucracy, medicines are rationed - you'll only get them if they THINK you have the flu. So the risk and cost of getting the flu just spiral up.
In this situation it is better to be safe - stay indoors, don't go to school, don't visit malls, don't talk, don't breathe. Because the alternative, however improbable, is unpalatable - a rendezvouz with the opaque, kafkasque Govt machinary! You don't know what'll happen to you if you're in the care of the Govt.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Why the Maha GR for non SSC schools is exactly what should NOT be done
I'd have loved to be a fly on the wall when the Maharashtra Government was deciding its latest resolution for non-SSC schools. It would at least help me understand the thought (if there was any!) behind this misdirected move.
Maybe it was another attempt to appeal to the Maharashtrian voter
Or was it an attempt to get back at the Central Board schools for blocking the 90% reservation GR earlier this year?
Or are they genuinely concerned about the SSC students but unable to improve their standard; are now trying to level the playing field by bringing down that of other boards?
Or is it the misguided fervor of linguistic fanatics who believe their mother tongue should be accorded the same respect by everyone else.
Or is it just a group of people without an education bone in their body, trying to formulate education policies for the state.
Whatever be the reason, the decision smells of a basic lack of awareness of ground issues.
1. You cannot force everyone to follow the same standard. Where are we living? A autocracy? Asking non SSC board schools to follow the SSC English syllabus till V is like asking the middle class to live in slums because we can't provide affordable housing for the poor.
2. Why should everyone learn Marathi? If I don't know which part of the country or world I'll be tomorrow, why would you force me to acquire a language that I have little use for?
3. Why should state dictate fees for a private unaided school? You have done nothing to bring up the institute and now you want to control it? Isn't it akin to price control of essential commodities - the bad effects of which is not lost on anyone, least on the Oil PSUs! When you control price, you are removing an incentive to maintain quality. How will schools hire good teachers? How will they upgrade the infrastructure required to improve delivery of education? How will they create forums and opportunities for students to go beyond books?
Economics teaches us a very simple principle. When supply is far lesser than demand, prices go up. Now, for the Govt to control prices, it has to do something much simpler - spur supply. Instead, it is choosing to subvert basic economics through the use of a fiat. But we know that permits and government interference do not work. They will spawn another era of corruption where schools are forced to grease the palms of education officers to increase fees. Politicians will become all important because their word will be needed for schools to implement changes they need. Ultimately, the child will suffer.
The Government has done such a pathetic job in state run schools. Why transfer that same adhocism, corruption, nepotism and anarchy to private schools? Why screw up something that's working instead of fixing what's broken?
If the Maharashtra Government is serious about making meaningful difference in educating the majority SSC students, they need to first significantly improve the quality of current SSC Schools and then open more of a higher level.
Let's start with school infrastructure. We need to upgrade the infrastructure of state run schools to bring them at par with private schools. A good school building, clean & well-lit classrooms, multi-media and well-tended grounds - all go a long way in making learning meaningful and joyful.
They say that the quality of education in a school cannot supass the quality of teachers. We need to bring in a significant step change in the quality of teachers. To attract the right talent to teaching, salaries need to go up. The BEd program needs to undergo a paradigm shift to improve the skills of teachers in today's world. Lastly, continuous training is important to keep these skills updated in this rapidly evolving world.
Maharashtra Government should focus on these 2 critical pillars if they are serious about improving the prospects of SSC students. Bringing everyone down to the lowest common denominator is not at all the right way to go!
Maybe it was another attempt to appeal to the Maharashtrian voter
Or was it an attempt to get back at the Central Board schools for blocking the 90% reservation GR earlier this year?
Or are they genuinely concerned about the SSC students but unable to improve their standard; are now trying to level the playing field by bringing down that of other boards?
Or is it the misguided fervor of linguistic fanatics who believe their mother tongue should be accorded the same respect by everyone else.
Or is it just a group of people without an education bone in their body, trying to formulate education policies for the state.
Whatever be the reason, the decision smells of a basic lack of awareness of ground issues.
1. You cannot force everyone to follow the same standard. Where are we living? A autocracy? Asking non SSC board schools to follow the SSC English syllabus till V is like asking the middle class to live in slums because we can't provide affordable housing for the poor.
2. Why should everyone learn Marathi? If I don't know which part of the country or world I'll be tomorrow, why would you force me to acquire a language that I have little use for?
3. Why should state dictate fees for a private unaided school? You have done nothing to bring up the institute and now you want to control it? Isn't it akin to price control of essential commodities - the bad effects of which is not lost on anyone, least on the Oil PSUs! When you control price, you are removing an incentive to maintain quality. How will schools hire good teachers? How will they upgrade the infrastructure required to improve delivery of education? How will they create forums and opportunities for students to go beyond books?
Economics teaches us a very simple principle. When supply is far lesser than demand, prices go up. Now, for the Govt to control prices, it has to do something much simpler - spur supply. Instead, it is choosing to subvert basic economics through the use of a fiat. But we know that permits and government interference do not work. They will spawn another era of corruption where schools are forced to grease the palms of education officers to increase fees. Politicians will become all important because their word will be needed for schools to implement changes they need. Ultimately, the child will suffer.
The Government has done such a pathetic job in state run schools. Why transfer that same adhocism, corruption, nepotism and anarchy to private schools? Why screw up something that's working instead of fixing what's broken?
If the Maharashtra Government is serious about making meaningful difference in educating the majority SSC students, they need to first significantly improve the quality of current SSC Schools and then open more of a higher level.
Let's start with school infrastructure. We need to upgrade the infrastructure of state run schools to bring them at par with private schools. A good school building, clean & well-lit classrooms, multi-media and well-tended grounds - all go a long way in making learning meaningful and joyful.
They say that the quality of education in a school cannot supass the quality of teachers. We need to bring in a significant step change in the quality of teachers. To attract the right talent to teaching, salaries need to go up. The BEd program needs to undergo a paradigm shift to improve the skills of teachers in today's world. Lastly, continuous training is important to keep these skills updated in this rapidly evolving world.
Maharashtra Government should focus on these 2 critical pillars if they are serious about improving the prospects of SSC students. Bringing everyone down to the lowest common denominator is not at all the right way to go!
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