Improving The Quality and Standard of Public Schools

One of the fundamentals of building a strong economy and an overall developed country is the quality of education imparted to its young students. With that aim, governments should direct their attention to building better quality public schools. 

Although private schools impart quality education, it cannot be afforded by the downtrodden as private schools are getting more and more commercial. There seems to be a huge gap in the quality of education and infrastructure private and public schools provide. Private schools have the necessary funds to upgrade and bring about necessary changes to develop their curriculum, but the public schools’ fate remains astray, with development solely depending on government support.

If one happens to visit both private and public schools, one would be taken aback by seeing the huge difference in infrastructure, hygiene, and ambiance for various activities. The ratio of students per teacher is also better in private schools. Hence, private school students invariably have a better chance for all-around holistic development. 

In a country, where the majority of students come from underprivileged families, the students miss out on quality education, overall development, and a good career. This, in turn, affects the development of the country. Since private school education is expensive and public schools are not of good quality, parents end up sending their children to work, making it one of the main reasons behind child labour. 

The pandemic in the last two years, in addition, has increased the inequalities in education because underprivileged children do not have access to the internet and smart gadgets.

The responsibility of transforming public schools into higher-quality schools lies solely in the hands of the government by allotting sufficient funds in the budget. This will help in the long-term benefit of the country

How to transform Public Schools

·     Proper execution of allotted funds – the government should make sure that the allotted funds for public school development are executed without any misuse. At every stage, stringent checks should be kept by a team of government officials. 

·     Curriculum and syllabus – the curriculum should be revised as often as possible and directed toward the holistic development of students. The curriculum must be both domestic and globally relevant with more emphasis on practical skill training. The syllabus should encourage creative thinking and be more research-oriented in its approach. Schools must promote multiple intelligence, inquiry-based learning, a green environment, public speaking skills, yoga and meditation, and overall independent thinking in their curriculum.  

  Schools should not only teach academic values but also should inculcate nationalistic values and the spirit of oneness. Schools should also not discriminate based on caste or religion. Students should be taught the value of eating nutritious food and avoiding harmful junk food. The curriculum should also have voluntary social service work for the students. 

·     Quality of teachers and teaching – Schools must hire teachers who are passionate about teaching and helping students learn and develop into confident individuals. Proper assessment of the teacher’s teaching performance should be made and the most promising ones should be hired. Teachers who instil a holistic view of community and universal values in students must be preferred

              Apart from academic knowledge, teachers must identify the skills and talents of students and motivate them in their desired path. Schools must also have more extracurricular activities for overall development.

Every day a portion of the class time should be spent on imparting good morals and character to students; students should also be taught to live amicably in society. Students should also be taught first aid, traffic, and fire safety rules. Teachers should also teach students about hygiene and how to maintain proper health. Students should be advised to read biographies and autobiographies of great people and leaders to keep the students motivated. 

·        Infrastructure – Every community with 300-400 students should have a public school of its own. The fees should be minimum or affordable. Good quality infrastructure with good playgrounds, well-lit and ventilated classrooms, and hygienic toilets should be built. Also, well-built lab and computer facilities should be made available. The school should also have good health care staff on its premises. Also, good physical education staff should be hired to train students in sports and other physical activities.

Schools should have good auditoriums for multi-purpose cultural activities. Also, the schools should plant more trees and greenery on their campus. There should be sufficient staff for the enrolled students; one teacher per 20 students should be allotted so that every student gets enough attention from the teacher.

An exemplary example for other states to be inspired by and follow is how Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, transformed the government-run public schools in his district. He has brought the quality of government schools on par with private schools. Other states should follow and similarly transform their public schools. 

Education is an equalizer; it is a leveller in today’s modern world and it is a fundamental right in many countries. Many countries are working towards holistically upholding this right. Governments around the world should leave no one behind when it comes to fulling the basic right of good quality education for all its people. 

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