It is interesting to note the role of local community in running the schools. That is exactly what I have been saying i.e. getting big government out and let the local community or private players play a more active role. At least that way, they are more vested in their efforts.

Sampada, if and when I get to that, I’ll definitely need all the help I get. You, of course will be on the top of that list.

Santosh, the problem is that they tend to treat this emotionally and completely disregard the ground realities and the implementation problems that government programs bring in their wake.

The government provides nothing free since it doesn’t generate goods or services out of thin air.

What a novel concept. Surely you must be kidding :-)
I tried to explain the same thing to another person in the comments section of a different blog although this was one was directed at the pipedream of universal healthcare and I was accused of being insensitive to the poor and callous. Oh well, at least I pay taxes.

By the way, RTI has fundamentally changed the “it is free what are you complaining about” notion, especially when it comes to public service. The fact that taxpayers are paying for it makes the education body answerable to the society, and not to the investors. By that argument, public education would be much more accountable than the private ‘enterprises’.

MCD schools are being run badly, so are the millions of other government schools in India. One idea is to empower the local community for the management of these schools. This has already been tried successfully in some places.