Distortions due to RTE

In my last column, I had mentioned that RTE Act in its current form will introduce distortions in the profile of schools. The latest news from Karnataka confirms my doubts. More than 50% of Private unaided schools in Karnataka have claimed to be minority institutions whether on linguistic, religious or community grounds! Instead of affirmative action, this will make school education more and more exclusive for specific communities.

The 25% reservation should not have happened in the first place. It seems to be driven by the misplaced desire of socialists to teach 'elitist' schools and 'elitist' parents a lesson, get rich people to share the spoils with the 'have nots'. It forgets that philanthropy can be inspired, not forced. There are enough philanthropic institutions that have seats reserved for the poor, which offer freeships and scholarships for the disadvantaged. Why take that intrinsic motivation away by forcing an external diktat down their throat? 

Now that it has happened, the 25% reservations should have been applied as a blanket to all private unaided schools. Forcing it down for some and not on others, creates distortion. People start to consider that opening a minority school or a residential school might be better because then 25% reservation doesn't apply even though the area might not need a minority or a residential school! Schooling starts to become more about avoiding the 25% reservation instead of educating children!

The larger point however is that 25% reservation does not create new capacity for the whole system! As per article 6 of the RTE Act, Government is responsible to ensure that there is a primary school within 1km and secondary school within 3km of every child within 3 years of the act coming into being. That milestone is on 26th August, 2012. Is there any progress towards that end? Public opinion and media focus has to shift from whether 'rich, elite schools are willing to implement 25% reservation?' to whether Government is taking concrete steps to enhance supply of schools and meet the requirement under article 6 of the act.

Else, we'll miss the substantive for the populist.