ONE PRIVATE SCHOOL IN RAJASTHAN TRIES TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 001976 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS, DRL, INR/B E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR KDEM SOCI IN SUBJECT: ONE PRIVATE SCHOOL IN RAJASTHAN TRIES TO COMPENSATE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S FAILURES NEW DELHI 00001976 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On an April 10-14 trip through Rajasthan, PolOff discussed Indian public education with politicians, school directors, and journalists. They confirmed that the poor quality of public schools compels parents to rely on private options to ensure their children receive a good education. Private education is only a partial solution, however, as the cost of such education is prohibitive for the majority of Indians, whose children remain trapped in substandard government schools. One educator is attempting to bridge the gap by subsidizing students from poor families at his private school. While other private schools might adopt this model, India's poor will not have genuine access to quality education until the government system is overhauled. This cable is part of the POL and ECON bellwether series and focuses on education in the sick states of the Hindi cow belt. END SUMMARY. TEXTBOOKS, TEACHERS, AND TOILETS: INDIA,S EDUCATION CHALLENGES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Interviews with educators, politicians, and journalists during an April 10-14 trip through Rajasthan confirmed that the Indian public school system is in a shambles. Though the Indian higher education system produces thousands of talented young professionals, the foundation of its education system is in crisis. Most primary and secondary level public schools are in abysmal condition. They lack the most basic resources, including quality textbooks, teachers, and toilets. Assured of a job, teachers often do not show up for classes and are unqualified to teach. Some teachers have less than a primary school education themselves. The student/teacher ratio varies from state to state, but can be as high as 100 students per teacher. Additionally, there are schools throughout the country without proper infrastructure, including buildings and toilets for students. Some schools operate in the open air or in tents. The District Information System for Education, a government body established by the Indian Ministry of Human Resources and Development, reports that boys and girls must share toilets in over half of India's schools. Ensuring the safety and security of girls in schools is a major concern, especially when girls are not provided separate toilets. With the public education system in disrepute, private schools of varying quality have been established to fill the gap. However, access is usually limited to the economically fortunate. Rajasthan is no different than the rest of India in this regard. With a population over 56 million, Rajasthan's families are struggling to secure propoer education for their children. NEW SOLUTIONS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) One private school which seeks to give back to the community by offering a special program to below pverty level girls is the Neerja Modi School (NMS),a private institution for grades 1-12 located in Jaipur. Only three years old, the school is clean, air-conditioned, and offers a range of courses to graduate well rounded students, including music and arts. NMS hopes to establish joint ventures with U.S. NEW DELHI 00001976 002.2 OF 003 schools and plans to set up additional branches in Jaipur, Ajmer, and Mumbai. ¶4. (SBU) On April 11, PolOff met with NMS Director Saurabh Modi who described his objectives for the campus of 1900 students. NMS is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) which prepares the syllabus for students from Kindergarten to 12th grade and conducts two board examinations in 10th grade and 12th grade These exams are necessary to gain entrance into higher education institutions in India. Modi, whose father Vishnu is a BJP MLA, noted that the CBSE syllabus does not make students competitive for an increasingly global world, so he simply uses it as a baseline. His school also offers an International Baccalaureate program, for which it provides accreditation training to its teachers. To retain talented teachers, NMS offers professional development and free tuition for their children. Modi believes in personalized attention, so in Kindergarten the student/teacher ration is eight to one and the ratio in grades 1-12 is 25 students per teacher (Note: This is low by Indian standards. Most Indian private schools have around 40 students per class, while in public school classes can exceed 100. End Note.). Furthermore, teaching is based on encouraging creativity and open thinking. NISCHAY: A SCHOOL FOR BELOW POVERTY LEVEL GIRLS -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Walking across the soccer field and down a flight of steps to the classrooms where the below poverty level girls are being taught, Modi described the great opportunity NMS provides them, including free uniforms and lunches. Modi emphasized that he is fighting against Rajasthan's &real brain drain," which he defined as the state's failure to tap the potential of its "600,000" below poverty level children. He lamented the lack of buy in from the girl,s parents, who continue to force them to work in the evenings, making products that will be sold the next day, and the resulting high rate of absenteeism. Modi emphasized that it is hard to convince parents that a long term investment like education will reap great benefits in the future. ¶6. (C) The contrast between the two schools however, is stark. The building reserved for the subsidized students is still under construction, with no sign of continuing work. It would appear to be vacant if there were not 500 girls sitting in classrooms, separated by brick walls that do not meet the ceiling. The entire space is open air, with fans running to keep the air circulating. After the girls learn to read and write, the focus shifts to vocational studies. Among many vocational skills, they learn to cook, make handicrafts, and cut and style hair. The below poverty level girls are kept separate from the rest of the school and only integrated into particular activities, like sports, Modi explains. They are also only allowed to use the computer room at the other campus building after the regular students have gone home. POLITICIZING EDUCATION -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Modi expressed dismay at what he described as the politicization of Rajasthan's education system. In 1998, NEW DELHI 00001976 003.2 OF 003 when the BJP came to power at the Center, it prescribed "Hindutva" (Hindu cultural nationalism) to be included in education curriculums. Based on the RSS philosophy calling for the Hindu nation to rid itself of the &blemish8 of foreign rule (both Mughal and British),the BJP recommended that primary and secondary education be "Indianized, nationalized and spiritualized," and that courses at all levels, incorporate the "essentials of Indian culture." Modi commented that such &culturalized8 material most often appears in history and social studies classes, though it can pervade all courses. Pointedly separating himself from his father,s political party, Modi criticized the BJP for pushing education in the wrong direction. Modi indicated that teaching should incorporating various perspectives, not just one, and he described himself as an advocate of &religion neutral8 education. He explained that an independent body established by the central government is needed to evaluate educational curricula and provide recommendations to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. &Education is not static, but ever-changing," Modi declared, and education in India needs to evolve if it intends to keep up with the world. COMMENTS: BAND-AIDS DON'T STOP A GUSHING WOUND -------------- ¶8. (C) The Modi school is a stopgap measure to address the growing crisis of education in India. It seeks to provide progressive education and the resources students need to be productive citizens in a global world. Modi also tries to provide an education to below poverty level girls, which at first glance seems like innovative work. However, it does little to break down the all-pervasive class differences that keep children in poverty. The physical placement that separates the two schools symbolize the difference between the economically fortunate and less fortunate. While the below poverty level girls learn basic English and math, they are also learning their place in society. Their unfinished, open building and course material indirectly tell them that they should not strive for more beyond vocational jobs, and can, at most, aspire to be a secretary. While this might be a step up, these girls are learning that there is a ceiling to their success. Most of India's less fortunate students will never have the option of attending a school like NMS. For them, the only way to receive a proper education is via a thorough overhaul of the Indian public education system. (C) BIO NOTE: Saurabh Modi is eloquent, handsome, and thinks progressively. Though he might like to stay out of politics, his father is grooming him for office. Vishnu Modi, though a current member of the BJP, has been with Congress before and could flip back to stay in power. Therefore, it is uncertain whether Saurabh would be BJP or Congress; in any case, he appears to be a rising star. His father intends for him to be actively campaigning during the next elections in Rajasthan in November, 2008. KAESTNER