Equity in Education: Demand for Social Justice

Equity in education is important for creating opportunity for underprivileged and underserved students so they are able to overcome disadvantages and find success and for giving everyone the chance to learn in the way that best supports their learning style. 

Equity in education is a key part of every good teacher’s approach to helping students find success, The process of becoming a teacher can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort. Teaching is an extremely rewarding profession that allows educators to help the next generation of students get the education and learning they need to be successful. The term “equity in education” is deeply complex and can take on many forms, making it challenging to establish a succinct definition. But the basic meaning behind the term is the pursuit of creating an educational system that caters to students of all kinds and develops their educational experience accordingly. This means that no matter what a student’s background, language, race, economic profile, gender, learning capability, disability or family history, each student has the opportunity to get the support and resources they need to achieve their educational goals. Recently in an educational conclave organised by All Bengal State Government College Teachers’ Association on the occasion of its 39th Annual Conference 2022 held on February 26, 2023 in the University of Burdwan this question of Equity in Education is raised by Vice Chancellor Dr (Prof) Nimai Chandra Saha. It is linked to ensuring social justice. He analysed the present situation of education in a perceptive way as is usual with an outstanding scholar who has more than 128 research papers published in international journals in the country and abroad. As an eminent educationist he shared his experiences with more than 500 professors and Principals of government colleges. The auditorium hall of the University of Burdwan is palatial and well decorated surrounded by Ashoka flower garden in keeping with Golapbagh ambience which was once the palace of the King of Burdwan . The hall was jampacked and Dr Subrata Panda, the founder president of the Association since 1984, ‘the life force of the organisation’ as described by ADPI Dr Madhumita Manna, agreed with the Vice Chancellor on the point of imparting education where colleges can take the lead role. Dr Panda, a dedicated Professor of English who taught in colleges in different parts of the state stressed on the need for quality education in colleges where the number of students are on the decline. Another Professor of Jadavpur University and former Vice Chancellor, North Bengal University and Hill University expressed his concern for the indifference of the UGC in ensuring coordination between colleges and universities

The UGC needs to keep updated with Professors’ Organisations all over the country like Assam College Teachers’ Association or All Bengal State Government College Teachers’ Association which regularly and constantly act as pressure groups for ensuring quality education. It is true that West Bengal government opened so many new universities and colleges, some of which are meant for women and Dalit classes. But mere opening of a large number of universities and colleges is not enough. UGC has stopped teacher grants and conference grants for academic institutions. The New Education Policy requires a thorough analysis for improving the quality of higher education. The Covid pandemic has compelled online education and resuming offline classes is becoming difficult. The number of students is decreasing and the number of drop outs is increasing at an alarming rate. NAAC evaluation which is mandatory is becoming a farce as money factor is involved now in the assistance of the Consultancy group. It is alleged that many substandard colleges are getting good NAAC grades by using foul means and secret deals. The Education department should take measures for ensuring good infrastructure for NAAC evaluation in the state. This is true of Assam, Bengal or Odisha or any other Northeastern state. The 39th Annual Conference of ABSGCTA serves as an eye-opener for all who are concerned about the qualitative betterment of education all over the country. West Bengal or Assam can try for creating a role model in higher education.

Equity in education is important for creating opportunity for underprivileged and underserved students so they are able to overcome disadvantages and find success and for giving everyone the chance to learn in the way that best supports their learning style. Equity in Education helps students become more engaged in what they’re learning by ensuring they see people who are their same race, gender, ethnicity, etc., in their learning. It grants students more access to the resources that can bolster their education and strengthens the connection between a student’s family and their teacher, fostering a more enriching educational environment at home.

The need of the hour is to guide students to success in their educational career and beyond. Both in Assam and West Bengal the government college teachers are facing transfer problems and the associations are trying to solve the problems in an amicable way. Teachers need security and mental peace for imparting quality education. There are several ways that teachers can work to identify underserved students in their classroom. There are a few groups that typically qualify as underserved populations for students, and teachers need to understand what these groups are so they are able to help students in these populations be successful.

Racial and ethnic minority students typically are considered underserved and can benefit from equity in the classroom. Helping racial and ethnic minority students make connections to their own race, ethnicity, and community can help empower them as they learn. Schools that are from lower-income areas or specific students that come from lower-income families need teachers who understand equity in education. Lower income students may have less access to resources and opportunities, and equity in education can help make up for those deficiencies. Students who have parents who have lower education levels or no education are often considered an underserved population. These students can greatly benefit from teachers who are able to help them overcome the barriers of having a family who haven't been through the same school system they are trying to navigate. All these questions were focused in the conference in the University of Burdwan. It is really commendable that VC Dr Nimai Saha encouraged the Association for playing the lead role in monitoring the Education Policy of the Central Government and serving as a true pressure group. He himself being preoccupied with University administration is deeply involved in guiding PhD and Post Doc students .This is exemplary for principals of colleges who can do the same as administrators-cum-educationists. Dr Subrata Panda’s tireless effort throughout the year and as a chairperson in the event along with the cooperation from newly elected office bearers president Sudip Kumar Ghosh, vice presidents Chandra Sekhar Pandit and Pintu Banerjee, general secretary Swapan Sarkar, and joint secretaries Anirban Roy, Debabrat Mandal and Subhrakanti Mandal made the programme successful and a pledge for ensuring equity in education was taken. Secretary Swapan Sarkar and president Sudip Kumar Ghosh looked committed to a greater vision of improving the condition of higher education all over the country and they expressed hope that West Bengal which has a glorious tradition of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Vivian Derozio Sir Asutosh Mukherjee might be at the helm of affairs in guiding the educationists for creating a signpost for improvement of educational quality in future all over the country.

Dr. Ratan Bhattacharjee, International Visiting Faculty, USA and a trilingual writer may be reached at profratanbhattacharjee@gmail.com