The Right to Education is central to the growth and emancipation of any society as it builds the bridge between its various sections and establishes the foundations of equity and dignity for all. However is the right only a hypothetical myth that is still denied to a large section of the population which is deprived and marginalized? What happens if we do not hear these voices of pain and agony? The contemplative poem below reflects this angst.
Dr. Ramanujam Meganathan is an Associate Professor, NCERT, New Delhi.
You haven’t given me the right kind of teacher.
You haven’t given me the right kind of textbook.
You haven’t given me the right kind of classroom.
You haven’t given me the right kind of school.
You haven’t given me the right kind of food.
You haven’t given me the right kind of clothes.
You haven’t given me Right kind of Education.
But
You declare I don’t learn because of my background.
You declare I don’t learn because my parents are illiterate.
You declare I can’t learn because my parents are poor.
You declare I won’t learn because my language is different from the school language.
You declare I can’t learn because I am from that caste.
You declare I can’t learn because I am a first generation learner.
You declare I can’t learn because I am a slow learner.
You declare I should be detained because it will be a problem in the next higher class.
You declare I should be failed because Pratham survey says I can’t read book three classes below mine.
Could you listen to me, please?
It is not that I can’t learn
It is that you can’t teach me the way I learn.
It is not that I am a slow learner
It is that you teach faster to cover the syllabus.
It is not that I am a below average learner
It is that you teach a few above average learners.
It is not that I can’t cope with other language medium.
It is that you denied me learning in my language.
You say you give Education for All (EFA)
But you give Education for a Few (EFF).
You deny my right to education.
Give me my Right to Education.
Can you give me my Right to Education without asking me to choose a kind of parent you expect me to have?
How can I choose my parents – rich, well read, English speaking ones?
If there is such a choice, that would be wonderful.
We have no choice.
We have no choice and that is why you are at the helm of affairs
And decide to fail me.
Can I have a choice to choose a teacher who is with me on my side when I need support to know the things I do not know?
Can I have a choice to choose a school which sees me as a child who can learn rather than the one who can’t because of what I am?
