Case 9.20: Nine school merger files

Difficulty: Hard
Syllabus point: 8: the basis of ethical decisions, rationality and accountability
Values and laws tested: Instrumental against value rationality, accountability, reasoned decisions, sensitivity; Article 21A (free and compulsory education, ages 6 to 14); the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (neighbourhood school); Nolan's "accountability"

Illustrative exampleNine school merger files

Ashok is a Joint Director (Education) in a district of Rajasthan. An internal departmental instruction (invented) says that schools with enrolment below 20 should be merged into a nearby larger school so that teachers and resources are saved. Nine merger proposals have come to him. On the numbers, every one shows savings and a better teacher ratio. But the field notes with the files say that the route of three schools crosses a seasonal river and a highway; in two, most pupils are girls; one is in a small hamlet of a disadvantaged community; in two, enrolment is low because teachers are often absent; and in one, no problem shows. He has been told to issue orders on all of them this week. Ashok will have to answer publicly for the decision.

Stakeholders: children of the remote hamlets, especially girls and children of the disadvantaged community (the weakest party), parents, teachers, the school management committee and panchayat, the department, Ashok, the seniors.
Issue: efficiency and savings (instrumental rationality) against access to education, girls' safety and equality (value rationality); speed of the order against careful examination of each case.
Options: A. Approve all nine as per the instruction (rule followed and savings; but the risk of children dropping out, accountability only on paper). B. Reject all nine (access safe; but real inefficiency and the problem of absent teachers ignored). C. Examine each school separately: distance and safety of the route, girls' attendance, the hamlet's special position, alternatives (such as a transport allowance or fixing teacher attendance); approve with reasons the proposals that meet the test, hold the rest and offer improvement options; consult the school management committee and panchayat, and review after a year (more time and effort; but the decision is right and accountable).
Best: C. Article 21A makes education of children aged 6 to 14 a fundamental right, and the RTE Act, 2009 speaks of a neighbourhood school (Rule 7 of the Rajasthan RTE Rules, 2011 sets a walking distance of 1 km for classes I to V and 2 km for classes VI to VIII, and provides free transport or residential facilities for children of dhanis; this is as notified in 2011, so check later amendments). Nolan's "accountability" says a decision-maker must give reasons.

Lesson

Action: Short term: a written test-table for each school, separate orders with reasons, consultation, written note to the senior on why not all at once. Long term: add distance, safety and girls' attendance tests to the instruction, monitor enrolment after merger, a public review after one year, a separate remedy for absent teachers.

Practice Questions

Practice questionabout 100 words

(10 marks, 100 words) How should Ashok decide? Solve with the five-step card.

Model answer

The weakest stakeholders are children of remote hamlets, especially girls and children of the disadvantaged community; parents, teachers, the panchayat and the department are involved too. The issue is efficiency against access and equality. I have three routes: approve all, reject all, or test each case. The first risks children leaving school; the second ignores real inefficiency. I choose the third, because Article 21A gives the right to education and Nolan's accountability demands reasons. I would issue separate reasoned orders and consult. Long term I would have tests of distance, safety and girls' attendance added to the instruction.

Practice questionabout 50 words

(5 marks, 50 words) Explain instrumental rationality and value rationality in this case.

Model answer

Instrumental rationality finds the most efficient way to a given goal (savings); value rationality asks whether the goal is right and at whose cost.

Practice questionabout 50 words

(5 marks, 50 words) Suggest measures to ensure accountability in such policy decisions.

Model answer

Reasoned orders, consultation, public review, monitoring of outcomes.