In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das,Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani has appealed to them to make education upto Class XII completely free across India.
Nathawani states that even though school education is free up to Class VIII in the country at present,students in rural area have to wade through river waters,walk up to several kilo meters in rough terrains to reach the school.Difficulties like this and financial problems compel them to abandon study half way,his says in his letter.
Minimum education of Class XII is a breakthrough.It provide even a poor student to some standing in society; with the help of which he or she can begin life to acquire some skill or further education or earn a bit and support his or her further education, he added.
Nathwani added that there is hardly any professional/vocational course available after completing school education up to Class VIII.”So the government’s decision to make primary education free and compulsory serves only one purpose that is improving literacy rate in the country.This is why there is an urgent need for the government to make entire school education up to Higher Secondary free of cost, which will enable the students to opt for professional/vocational courses”his letter states.
Nathwani claims that if his demand is accepted,it will increase financial burden on the governments but it will help narrowing down the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘haves not’.
