24 July 2016, Sunday, Gandhi Bhawan, Lucknow – various political parties invited
On 18th August, 2015 the High Court at Allahabad had instructed the Uttar Pradesh Government to implement within six months an order making it compulsory for all persons receiving benefit from the government, people’s representatives and judges to send their children to government schools. Such a system should have been put into place beginning academic session 2016-17. However, the U.P. Government has not done anything.
Justice Sudhir Aggarwal in his order has said that why are those who are responsible to manage government schools, not selecting such competent teachers so as to raise the quality of education of government schools at par with schools in which their own children get educated? Since there are other alternatives available for children of the elected representatives and rich people that is why no one is bothered about poor quality of education in government schools. To address this issue, it is important to modify policy and make it mandatory for children of government staff and elected representatives to go to government schools – this is how this order debunks the argument that people have a right to choose in which school they will send their children to for education.
Two kinds of education systems exist in this country. Those who have money are sending their children to private schools where hefty fees is charged and after finishing this privileged schooling and higher education, such children are able to secure a job somewhere or get self-employed with some business. Those people who are unable to afford private schooling have no other option but to send their children to government schools where future of such children is being jeopardized. Children of such government schools are left with no other option but to succumb to cheating and unfair means to pass an examination. As a result, half of India’s children drop out of schools by class eight or even if they complete their education, they remain unemployed.
Wherever in the world universalisation of education has been achieved it has been done only through a government common school system with the concept of neighborhood school implemented – where management has been in the hands of the government.
We also demand that in our country it must be made a compulsory criteria for those contesting elections or applying for government jobs to have studied in government schools. Likewise it must be made mandatory for those receiving government salary or elected representatives and their dependents to seek healthcare from government health system only. We are in favour of nationalizing all private education and private health centres so that all citizens are benefiting from same quality of free health-care and education.
This struggle is against a system which corners all benefits for the ruling elites and leaves the poor in a state of continuous deprivation.
We invite different political parties to attend a public meeting on 24 July, 2016 in the auditorium of Gandhi Bhawan, Lucknow to make the position of their respective political party clear on the abovementioned HC judgement. Also, they should let us know if their parties support the implementation of this judgment and if they will include it in their manifesto for the forthcoming UP Assembly elections?
Socialist Party (India): Sandeep Pandey 0522 2347365 ashaashram@yahoo.com, Sharad Patel 9506533722; Future of India: Mazhar Azad 9721647045; Naitik Party: Chandra Bhushan Pandey 9415002296; Rashtriya Viklang Party: Shishupal Yadav 8004167766; Jan Adhikar Sangharsh Morcha: Satish K. Singh 8795250756; Neev: Praveen Srivastava 9415269790; Right To Education Campaign: Ajay Patel 8382833038; Basic Shiksha Manch: Amrit Lal 9794794537; Nagar Abhibhavak Manch: Mewa Lal 9919169331; Asha Parivar: Vallabhacharya Pandey 9415256848; Astha Kiran: Sonia Singh 8400635319; Action for Social Justice: K.K. Singh: 9455760589; Insani Biradari: Adiyog 9415011487; Balmanch: Puja Vishwakarma 8934866816; Rihai Manch: Rajeev Yadav 9452800752; Red Brigade: Usha Vishwakarma 9621116309
www.facebook.com/SocialistPartyIndia
www.twitter.com/spiinfo
