Fwd: [se-ed] DISCUSSION: Universalisation of Education and the Issue of Private Public Participation in India. Reply by 26 May 2010

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Naaz Khair <naazkhair@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, May 17, 2010 at 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: [se-ed] DISCUSSION: Universalisation of Education and the Issue of Private Public Participation in India. Reply by 26 May 2010
To: Education Community <se-ed@solutionexchange-un.net.in>

Dear All,

I have been reading all the mails so far here on the 'PPP in education' debate. And over the last couple of years I have been wondering how and why PPP got into the social sector in our country. Looks like I should get some answers now. I had picked up an understanding till now that PPP was perhaps a lot about Government-NGOs/INGOs (Private and not for profit) partnership. It felt okay. But a wider definition of PPP including and perhaps driven by corporates (Private and for profit), which is how it looks like to me presently, is uncomfortable.

I certainly do not think that it is the turn of PPP in education yet. Because we are still not through with Government-Community participation in education. In-fact Government-Community participation is the meaningful and sustainable package, and I believe this is the experience of large numbers of education practitioners in the country.

In the initial days of Government-Community participation in education, big and credible educational NGOs were involved, the work area was small, the results were terrific. In a recent education study (UN, Local Service Delivery Study) in Rajasthan, I heard so much about the good old Lok Jumbish days with its community empowerment and efficiently running government schools. Then the upscaling happened under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). SSA gave a lot of weightage to community participation. But the mechanism for community participation was through administration (education department) created committees (Village Education Committee (VEC), School Management Committee (SMC), Parents Teachers Association (PTA) etc.). The committees were guided and controlled by the department or in other words they did as they were directed by the department and not as the community willed them to do. These committees were rubber stamps of the department - the HM/Teachers and CRC/BRC prepared the SDP (School Development Plan) and the VEC/SMC signed on it; Administration spent (centralized purchasing) VEC fund and the VEC/SMC signed and made the payments. Corruption thrived. The VEC/SMC trainings were a farce - administration could not bring itself to empower the community, involve PRIs, take things to their logical conclusion in terms of supporting PRI educational activity mapping towards management of primary education by panchayats (Institutions of Local Self-Governance) as envisaged under the 73^rd amendment to the constitution relating to Panchayati Raj. It would mean losing control and power to local self-governing institutions.  

The RTE Act is also not forthright about direct partnership with PRIs/Institutions of local self governance. Civil society reviewing the model rules to the Act is making a strong case for replacing administration created VEC/SMC etc. with institutions of local self governance. This will ensure democratic participation to local communities in all aspects of local service delivery benefitting children and society. Therefore the comprehensive partnership in education to implement the provisions of RTE should be between Government and PRIs rather than PPP (with profit making corporates).

Profit making companies through middlemen and agents have exploited poor and illiterate communities over decades. It happens till date. How can they be expected to work for the educational upliftment of these communities? I am not able to figure this out. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) seemed okay but PPP?

Thank you and regards,

Naaz khair

Independent Consultant

New Delhi

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From: Ram Kishan [mailto:r.kishan@christian-aid.org]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:26 AM
To: Education Community
Subject: [se-ed] DISCUSSION: Universalisation of Education and the Issue of Private Public Participation in India. Reply by 26 May 2010

Moderator's Note: Dear Members, we are happy to post our new discussion on public- private partnership in the implementation of Right to Education Act. This is an important as well as debatable issue as there are number of apprehensions in the minds of professionals in Education on the modes and methods of such partnership. Keeping in view the fact that education is a social endeavor and therefore, ultimately the responsibility of the state, which are the areas in education where such partnerships should be encouraged, what are the aspects of education where states should ensure that it plays its due role without handing it over to the private sector. There are implications of involvement of private sector in the whole process and the issue requires discussion weighing options.

Discussion is being posed by Ram Kishan, from Wada Na Todo Abhiyaan. We are sure members' would share their views on this issue to clearly comprehend the role of public – private partnership and the areas where his partnership should and shouldn't be encouraged. We look forward to an enriching and stimulating discussion on the topic

We also, wanted to bring to your notice that the query on Inclusive Education Policy and role of Specialized institutions is still on and we look forward to your input on that important topic as well.

Shubhangi Sharma

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Dear Friends,

           

Wada Na Todo Abhiyan is a national campaign to hold the government accountable to its promise to end Poverty, Social Exclusion & Discrimination. We ail to dot his by We aim to do this by monitoring the promises made by the government to meet the objectives set in the UN Millennium Declaration (2000), the National Development Goals and the National Common Minimum Program (2004-09) with a special focus on the Right to Livelihood, Health & Education. We work to ensure that the concerns and aspirations of Dalits, Adivasis, Nomadic Tribes, Women, Children, Youth and the Differently Abled are mainstreamed across programs, policies and development goals of the central and state governments.

We are writing to explore the possibility of opening a discussion on the public private partnership in health and education. By and large, the civil society and the thinkers seem to be divided on this strategy, if not confused.  It is expected that a discussion on this subject would bring into light diverse views on the PPP model, and essentially would expose both the merits and demerits of the same.

It has been said that it is easier to fight an open enemy than a dubious friend.  This is all the more true when lofty intentions are placed before seemingly faulty strategies. The civil society fraternity appears to be in such a dilemma today as it tries to grapple the concept of Public Private Partnership (PPP) mooted by the government as a panacea to get rid of all the ills of ensuring basic rights for the citizens of our country.

PPP has been projected as one of the best possible options available to deliver on education and health, as the successive governments, have failed to live up the expectations.  This tends to catch the imagination of the 'forward looking' people across the country as it comes along with a 'package' of better quality, efficiency and more money. This however has raised eyebrows of intellectuals, thinkers, experts and social workers across the country about the possible outcomes of such an approach.  While pro PPP people argue that PPP is entirely different from privatization and this is only a 'joining of hands' of both private and public to deliver on the essential services. However, what is embarrassing and incomprehensible is the rationale that is being cited by the government to promote PPP. They have cited reasons like lack of resources, capacity, accountability that exist in the public institutions.  While acknowledgment of such malice is a welcome step as it can help to root out them, the solution to such malice is to be widely debated and discussed.

Many others would say that the proposed PPP model does not seem to have any regard for the Panchayati Raj Institutions and other local bodies. Over a period of time, there has been a sustained effort from the side of government and the civil society to strengthen the community based organizations to enhance the accountability of public institutions. With the arrival of PPP, all these will go to the winds as the community loses the ownership of such institutions. Further, what is needed at the moment, they say, is a clear demarcation between privatization and public private participation as many forward looking people have dumped this proposed PPP as nothing but a privatization in disguise.

In conclusion it must be stated that any step taken towards involving the private players must be a cautious one as it will have a far reaching consequences on the lives of millions of children in our country, especially those who are from socially excluded and marginalized for whom education is still a distant dream.

To enhance wider debates and discussions on this subject, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan is organizing a national consultation in Bhopal on 27th and 28th March 2010. The consultation aims to look at the PPP in education and its possible implication on the poor and marginalized. The outcomes of the consultations will be used for further interventions on advocacy for the interests of those socially excluded.

We look forward your valuable inputs on the following.

• What possibly are the implications of PPP in education in a country like India?
• What should be the role of Civil Society on the issue of PPP in Education?

Your inputs will help us formulating a civil society charter of demands on Universalization of Education.

Regards,

Ram Kishan

Wada Na Todo Abhiyan

New Delhi

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