Education suffering within structural inequalities: A Critical Discourse Analysis of a policy framework

Title

Education suffering within structural inequalities: A Critical Discourse Analysis of a policy framework

Creator

Khandal U.; Das S.; Gaur R.

Description

Education acts as an important catalyst for socioeconomic and democratic evolution in society and is a critical tool for building an equitable system. In our paper, we have historicized one of the most important educational policies, viz. Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SAMSA) in India that carries large expectations to minimize the educational divide. We have studied the policy through the lens of Political Economy and have further critiqued it through the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis. We find in our paper that the budget allocated to SAMSA was revised in 2022, from its preceding years with a 28 per cent slash. We critically reflect on the principles mentioned in the policy and find that although there has been an attempt to mitigate the hazards of banking education the Public-Private Partnership initiative reinforces struggles for equitable education, and further, the privatization sets the government free from any accountability. Moreover, a constitutional right like the Right to Education (RTE) is not sufficient enough to meet the goals of universalisation of education. Besides, we analyse the principles such as Education for All, Equity, Equal Opportunity, Access, Gender Concern, Centrality of teacher, Moral Compulsion, and Convergent and integrated system of education management, and argue that although some of the facets of societal structural inequalities are addressed, however, there exists hardly a proper roadmap that could be monitoring the process of creating an inclusive educational paradigm. 2023, Institute for Education Policy Studies. All rights reserved.

Source

Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, Vol-20, No. 3, pp. 243-285.

Date

2023-01-01

Publisher

Institute for Education Policy Studies

Subject

Critical Discourse Analysis; Political Economy; Public Policy Research; Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SAMSA); Structural inequalities

Coverage

Khandal U., Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan Off Jaipur-Ajmer Expressway, Jaipur, 303007, India; Das S., Deemed to be University, Department of Media Studies Christ, Dharmaram College Post, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Gaur R., Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan Off Jaipur-Ajmer Expressway, Jaipur, 303007, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISSN: 20510969

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85146779522&partnerID=40&md5=9c844d62c79e31c19a6d3a9931acc54e