Pune Mirror | Apr 27, 2015, 02.30 AM IST
New edu dept rules make it mandatory for students to be registered in government schools with their card numbers, drawing flak from teaching staff
What has education got to do with the Aadhaar card, you say? Well, from now on, this card will be the only proof that your child is a student. A government order has declared that astudent needs an Aadhaar card in order to be enlisted as one in the government records, which determines the student-teacher ratio.
The order says, "Every school student must have the Aadhaar card so that his/her admission will be legitimate. Students without the Aadhar card will not be counted in government records." This order has put staff of government schools in aquandary as they are in danger of being declared as surplus if some children in class do not have the Aadhaar card. For, they will not be counted, thereby adversely affecting the ratio. The student- teacher ratio determines teachers' approvals and the allotment of number of divisions per class among others. A recent battle between teaching and non-teaching staff at government schools over staff being declared surplus had hit students, with schools threatening to remain closed until the problem is resolved.
The new parameters had been decided at a meeting in the initial weeks of April. After the education department's decision to link the Aadhaar card number with the unique identity number of school students; this declaration is being looked at as a diktat to put the responsibility of students' Aadhaar cards on schools. Mahavir Mane, state director of primary education, explained, "Connecting the Aadhaar card with the unique identity number of students will also help in keeping records of students who drop out of school. If a student leaves one school and if his or her unique Aadhaar card number is not registered with another school, the government will immediately know that he or she has left schooling. With the Aadhaar card, it will be easier to track the child and put him back in school. If schools take the responsibility, Aadhaar card procedures will speed up as the authorities can directly come to the school for formalities."
Harishchandra Gaikwad, head of the Pune Principals' Association, said, "The declaration further explains several new parameters for deciding on approvals on the number of teachers, divisions and schools. In a previous order, the education department had already put the responsibility of creating Aadhaar Cards for students on schools. With this new order, schools have no option but to take that responsibility so that each student is counted in government records."
Prashant Redij, head of the Maharashtra State School Principals' Association, saw the order as an obstacle race in numbers for schools. "These new parameters decide the mandatory number of students required in each class for a school. Till Class IV, it's 30 students per division; till Class VIII, it's 35-37 and then, in Class IX and X, it's expected to jump to 40 and above. How can any school follow these norms? Once a child is put in school, parents generally don't take him out before completing Class X. Who will come to a new school in Class IX? When we are beginning with 30 students in Class I, how can the number suddenly rise to 40 or above in class X?" he asked.