Another matter that the government must seriously consider is the high level of enrollment of 5-year olds in Std I. This is encouraged by state laws while the ‘right to education’ begins at 6. Also, early enrollment of children is not necessarily good for the child. With over 50 per cent of 5 year-olds already enrolling in schools, it is high time that the government adds a pre-school class to each school rather than leaving it to the aanganwadi, which has time and again been proven to be extremely weak in delivering education.

The budget 2009-10 may not give indications of the government’s thinking on reforms. Frankly, at this point how much money is to be spent is not important but how it is spent, and how effectively. The President of India has declared in her speech that the government will bring out five annual reports on education, health, employment, etc. It has to be assumed that these reports will be brought out by external agencies that are at arm’s length from the ministry. Setting up goals, planning to achieve them, monitoring progress through external mechanisms is what is needs to be done.

Many of the SSA problems arise from the fact that it remains a government programme run by an ineffective machinery. Making it a people’s mission will help energise it. If there is a will, ways can be found.

The writer is President of ‘Pratham’