An alumnus of the Lawrence School, Sanawar; National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; Indian Military Academy, Dehradun; and College of Materials Management, Jabalpur, Capt. (Retd.) A.J. Singh is principal of the co-ed wholly-residential Pinegrove School, Dharampur (Himachal Pradesh) and the newly elected chairman of the Indian Public Schools’ Conference. 

Are you satisfied with the Union Budget 2018-19 allocation of Rs.85,010 crore for education?

The proportionate increase in funds allocated to education vis-a-vis increase in revenue, has never been fair in India. In 2018-19, the Centre’s revenue increased by 15 percent but allocation for education increased only 4 percent. This is very unfair distribution of funds for education — the most important driver of national growth. Education needs to be allocated funds far more generously to improve the condition of government schools. 

Across the country, state governments are increasingly interfering with the autonomy of private independent schools particularly through fees regulation. What’s your comment?

We need to remove ‘inspector raj’ from education. Ample laws already exist such as s. 11, 12A and 1023 (vi) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and Societies Act 1860, to check commercialisation of education. The need is to sincerely enforce existing laws, rather than make new ones which will increase corruption. What’s the harm in permitting profit-making-tax-paying organisations in the education sector, as is common in most developed countries? The socialistic national mindset needs to change. 

What are your Top 4 suggestions for reforming K-12 education?

• Our school curriculums need to be modernised to match the changing times. We need to reduce rote learning, while improving students’ creativite and analytical skills.

• We need to subsidise IT education in small rural private schools, and make free computer-aided-teaching modules available on the websites of CBSE, CISCE and state education boards.

• Accord high social status to teachers and make the teaching profession a coveted first-choice career. The B.Ed programme needs radical reform and must include a compulsory course on special education and counseling. The country urgently needs an Indian Education Service on the lines of the IAS. 

• Amend the RTE Act to enable private schools to sponsor and run schools for the economically weaker sections rather than offer admission in their own schools.