Does Democratization Of Education Lead To Social Inclusion? Special Emphasis On Rte Act In Private Schooling

Abstract

This paper presents the role of democratization and its impact on social inclusion in education in general and schooling in particular. Public education needs to be reclaimed to fulfill its role as a democratizing force to address social and economic inequality and to respect and recognize diversity and difference. Also to demonstrate that the role of the state has been dismantled and the public nature of education has been diluted due to privatization of school education. The factors responsible are to be articulated and discussed with particular reference to the impact of neo-liberal policies in education, the marketization of education, and new policy Acts. The RTE Act was introduced with the intention to promote democratization of education and social inclusion of poorer and deprived section kids. Is it a real inclusion and a promoter of equity and equality by providing 25% seats to these sections in private schooling through fee reimbursement by the government? Are the teachers treating all the pupils equally? Why does public education matter vis-a-vis equality? What are the purposes, nature and role of public education in the 21^st century? These are key questions that frame this paper. How public education has been dismantled through privatization, and advance a preference for English medium in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Some examples of how systems have revitalized and supported the public nature of education are discussed. These include creating better accountability systems, which respect the professionalism of teachers and developing collaborative curriculum development strategies that engage with all including those who are deprived.