06.07.06
The Criminalization of Education
Mr and Mrs Laxmi Kulkarni drag 3 year old Chetan to New Model School for admissions.
The school interviews the parents and has an amiable chat with Pappu. The school decides that Pappu is eligible for admission. Then starts the bargaining. Other than the fees, the school expects a non refundable donation of Rs. 1 lac. The parents negotiate this to Rs. 75,000. This is a good school, since the management is open to negotiation, unlike the other schools.
This(the donation) is standard operating practice for all schools in the city.
Is it right to take a bribe from a 3 year old joining a school?
“Bribe? What bribe? This is a donation.”
Sorry. A donation is something that a person voluntarily gives. No parent goes to a school and says here’s Pappu and here’s the 2 lacs he comes with. This is not a donation because there is a benefit accrued.
I guess that’s why people prefer to call it capitation.
Okay fine, let’s call it capitation. So is it justified? Can schools ask different people to pay different sums to get admission? No. They legally cannot, and that’s why they call this a donation(and not capitation) and make parents pay. Capitation applies only for a select number of management seats.
So effectively schools take a bribe from a 3 year old joining and plan to give him lessons in values, morality et al? Amazing.
“But c’mon, even though it’s wrong, it’s for a good cause. They’re taking a bribe for a good cause.”
So it’s justified?
Let me give a few illustrations here.
If I robbed a person and said it’s a good cause since I’m donating to the general public, is that fine? Why does the traffic policeman take a bribe? He doesn’t take the money and go to the nearest bar and brothel. No, he takes it so he can collect the money and pay the donation for his kid in some school or get his daughter married. Good cause, right?
What if I killed a person? Since the world is such a mess anyways, with terrorism, riots, killings, robbery, it saves that person the turmoil of living in a messed up society. Is that okay?
Or I rape somebody and I’m sure I could raise here to an orgasm or two. Is that acceptable?
So look at it this way:
I steal from someone and I’m Robin Hood.
I kill someone, and that’s salvation.
I rape someone and that’s sexual bliss.
Can I get away with my explanations?
No way. This is exactly why we have laws, and a court of law to punish people breaking them. Laws are just for situations like this, so that people do not commit crimes and get away with it by giving some intelligent justification. Laws are made and enacted so that society is in harmony and peoples’ right to life, property, livelihood, dignity are not simply taken away.
When you pay a bribe and get away with it, you’re making a statement. That you can break the law and get away with it. People will always take this to the next level, which may be robbing, killing, molesting someone, since they know that laws can be broken. So essentially when you pay a bribe, you’re standing in the middle of the street saying ‘Come and please rape me’. (This is really true of India. You can take bribes, kill and rape and get away with it all, if you have the right financial and political resources to back you up. ) This apart from the fact that you’re setting an amazingly screwed up example for an unbelievably screwed up society.
What are the answers here?
Schools take a bribe because they need it to upgrade facilities, maintain buildings, add new section, new facilities etc. All these are legitimate causes. So why not increase the fees to reflect these costs. Say currently fees are 500Rs a month. Make it 2500Rs a month. Give students a financial spreadsheet every year detailing costs breakups, expenses incurred in that year on salaries, maintaining infrastructure etc. This way they know costs are valid.
This is simple, right. Parents willing to pay lacs in donation should not have any problems paying 1000’s in fees. After all parents blow further 1000’s in tuitions and classes.
(A big benefit here is in case the students transfer from school to school, they do not have to pay donations again and again. Which makes things simple for everyone. )
Educational institutions need to create the right foundation for children. A corrupt start is not the right one.
PS
This is my personal grouse, not to be associated with the article above:
There’s nothing wrong in taking a bribe. Everyone does it in India. I do not expect the Indian academician to be better than the rest of Indian society. But please don’t take a bribe and then give the same students you’ve taken it from, lessons in morality, values etc. You’re not qualified to do that. This(misrepresentation) should be made a criminal offence. Everything else is fine. Anyone who talks morality in this country should be forced to justify it. What exactly have you done to stake a claim to that title? Did you pick up a dying accident victim and take her to the hospital, did you fight against corrupt practices in the RTO, passport office, MSEB, any other govt institution? India gives you hundreds of opportunities everyday to prove your morality. We walk away from these everyday. Let’s not misguide the youth with ideologies we ourselves don’t believe in.
The Intellectual Terrorist
…blows your mind
