The first School Choice National Conference (SCNC) on Quality Education for All: Policy Solutions for Better Schooling, organized by the School Choice Campaign on 16 December 2009 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, was well attended and appreciated by the participants. The Conference had an excellent blend of top-level national and international academics, policy makers, eminent speakers and education experts and advisors as well as a very good representation of delegates comprising of development workers, corporates, academicians and school leaders, government officials, civil society, social activists, youth and the media.

Speaking at the Inauguration of the Conference, Mr Sam Carlson, Lead Education Specialist - World Bank, summarized the challenges for the government and civil society groups in executing the Right to Education in India. Calling for more Public Private Partnerships, Mr Carlson demanded more emphasis on quality of school education. Also present were Dr Parth Shah, President – Centre for Civil Society and Mr Kanwal Rekhi, who spoke on the need for school choice solutions to reforming and liberalizing school education in India.

The Conference sessions focused on the implementation of the key provisions of the Right to Education and their potential impact on the future of Indian elementary education.

SESSION & SPEAKERS

Welcome & Inauguration
Speakers: Mr Kanwal Rekhi, Mr Sam Carlson & Dr Parth J Shah
Facilitator: Mr Raj Cherubal

Private Schools and the Poor: Implementing the 25% in Section 12 of RTE [Description]
Chair: Prof R Govinda
Speakers: Mr Anders Hultin, Mr Karthik Muralidharan & Mr Amit Kaushik

Graded Recognition System: Positive Regulation [Description]
Chair: Mr Sridhar Rajagoplan
Speakers: Ms Molly McMahon & Mr Baladevan R

Autonomy: Strengthening Government Schools [Description]
Chair: Ms Anu Aga
Speakers: Mr Vijay Chadda & Ms Neelima Khetan

The Way Forward
Speakers: Mr Gurcharan Das & Prof James Tooley

Challenges Facing India’s Education in 2010 [Description]
Chair: Mr Vijay Thadani
Speakers: Ms Rashmi Krishnan & Mr Oscar Fernandes

The Conference provided a much needed platform for educationists, policy experts, activists and government officials to sit together, identify critical issues in the education sector, review existing programs, explore strategies to face the challenges ahead and ideate on ingenious solutions to provide quality education to all children in India. The recommendations for the implementation of RTE as a follow up of the conference will be presented to the government.

• Opening Remarks by Parth J Shah [pdf format, 10 KB]
• Private Schools and the Poor by Amit Kaushik [ppt format, 78 KB]
• Anders Hultin [pdf format, 64 KB]
• The State and the Market in Education Delivery: Implications for Implementing the RTE Act by Karthik Muralidharan [ppt format, 765 KB]
• Implementing the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill (and thoughts about Public Private Partnerships in Education) by Sam Carlson [ppt format, 414 KB]
• Strengthening Government Schools by Vijay Chadda [pdf format, 1.97 MB]

Interviews with Speakers (Videos):

• Amit Kaushik
• Anders Hultin
• Sam Carlson

Graded Recognition System: Positive Regulation - Working Groups SWOT Analysis

• Education World, January 2010: Delhi: Choice Debate
• Tribune, 17 December 2009: Experts mull school options for poor
• Prabhat Khabar, 17 December 2009: Low cost schoolon ko bachana jaroori

Download Press Release, SCC Booklet

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