1. What is CABE?
  2. Objectives of the bill?
  3. Unfair Practices Prohibited under the Bill
  4. Punishment
  5. Anti-argument
  6. Mock Questions

What is CABE?

  • Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), is the highest advisory body to advise the Union and State Governments in the field of education. Particularly for the matters related to
  1. Review of the National Policy on Education, in the light of the significant socio-economic and socio-cultural developments taking place in the country.
  2. Girls Education and the Common School System
  3. Universalization of Secondary Education
  4. Integrating Culture Education in the School Curriculum
  5. Regulatory Mechanism for the Text Books and parallel text books taught in schools outside the Government system
  6. Autonomy and Financing of Higher and Technical Education.

Composition /Members

  • HRD minister= chairman
  • Ministers/officials of Union, State, UT- from relevant Departments (Education, Science, Tribal, Social Justice etc)
  • 6 MPs
  • Representatives from schools, academicians, NGOs etc.

Why in News?

Because CABE has come up with a “Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Schools Bill 2012”

Objectives of the bill?

  1. Put an end to the unfair practices prevalent in Indian schools.
  2. Protect the interests of teachers and students.

Unfair Practices Prohibited under the Bill

Exploitation of Teachers

  1. recruiting teachers without qualification
  2. recruiting teachers on part-time basis.
  3. giving teachers and other administrative staff lesser salary than shown in the school records.
  4. Exploitation of teachers through various other means (e.g. asking them to teach in more than one school ran by the same  Management.)

Exploitation of parents

  1. Demanding capitation fees/donation for admission.
  2. Not giving the receipts of fees-payment.
  3. Charging fees for information brochure, prospectus, admission form or an admission test (They’ll have to provide all such information on its website or notice board.)
  4. forcing students to purchase books, uniforms and other stationery from a particular shop.
  5. Insisting for private coaching in the school or outside after the school hours.
  6. Providing false or misleading advertisement.

Exploitation of Students

  1. Allowing students to appear for board exams, without conducting classes.
  2. Helping students to cheat during board exams.
  3. withholding students to appear in any examination (e.g. for not paying fees)
  4. expelling a student due to poor academic performance.
  5. Not showing answer sheets to parents/students.
  6. discrimination of SC, ST, OBC, physically challenged students.
  7. denying admission or expelling any student if he/she is reported to have any serious diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
  8. corporal punishment in class. (e.g. beating the students for not doing homework.)
  9. Any type of sexual harassment.

Punishment

The bill proposes to setup following authorities

  1. State Education Tribunal
  2. National Education Tribunal
  • They’ll receive the complaints and give punishments.
  • Courts cannot interfere/give stay-orders in ^their proceedings.
  • The burden of proof would be on the schools.
Punishment Upto
Fine 10 lakhs (will goto the consolidated fund of India)
Jail 3 years.

Anti-argument

We are against corporal punishment and instruct the teachers not to beat students. But a teacher cannot be forced to undergo jail term for punishing the students to follow the right path. (-Progressive Recognised Teachers Union (PRTU))

Mock Questions

Which of the following statements are correct?

  1. Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) is composed to oversee the Right to education only.
  2. Union Minister for Social Justice is the chairman of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE).

Descriptive (Mains)

  1. Critically examine the need and feasibility for Universalization of Secondary Education in India. (25 marks)
  2. Write a note on the Salient features of Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Schools Bill 2012. (15 marks)
  3. Examine the need for Common School system in India (12 marks)
  4. Recommendations of Justice J S Varma Commission on teacher education. (10 marks)
  5. List the steps/initiatives taken by Government to promote Girl education in India? (10 marks)
  6. Central Advisory Board of Education (5 marks)

Essay

  • A punishment to some, to some a gift, and to many a favor.

Interview:

  • It is good to completely ban and criminalize corporal punishment of children? What about that saying “Spare the rod and spoil the child”?