The New Education Policy puts forward several bold proposals: extending the Right to Education, overhauling teacher salary structures and career tracks, and doubling the expenditure on education.
One aspect, however, seems to have gone unnoticed: climate change. Large parts of India are have recently been soaring under a massive heatwave. Water was running scarce, schools remained closed, and everyone who had the means was trying to escape the horrible heat, either by staying inside or leaving for the hills. Currently, massive floods in Assam and Bihar have forced schools to shut down.
Research on climate change makes it crystal clear. What India experiences now is going to become the new norm. Summers are likely to become hotter, cyclones and other weather extremes are set to intensify, and winters, too, will become more severe. All this has implications for our schools.
Temperatures of 40°C and more often mean above 50°C in unventilated classrooms across the country. Recent studies have shown that room temperature impacts learning. If it gets too hot, learning becomes difficult. Both teachers and students suffer. Many complain about lazy and inactive teachers in government schools while sitting in their AC offices in the metro cities. This is unfair. The conditions under which many government teachers must work are unbearable.
Phases of unbearable temperatures are likely to extend over the years to come. If we do not invest now, the price will be paid by our children. Schools will have to remain closed or will be of little use if kept open.
The current deficit in infrastructure provision is striking. A recent study found that around two out of three government schools in Bihar have no electricity connection, and even more worryingly, one in ten government schools do not even have a building (these numbers are based on U-DISE, that is government data).
The New Education Policy should recognize the need for a Green New Deal for India’s schools. But it rather does the opposite. By questioning the very basic infrastructure norms, it is hidebound. There might have been little empirical evidence that basic infrastructure provision directly leads to higher learning levels. But basic infrastructure does not need to prove its impact on learning levels. It is a question of dignity for both students and teachers. We welcome the increased emphasis on learning that was long overdue, but schools are not only factories that produce learning. Also, when it comes to ventilation and air-conditioning, there is now sufficient evidence that such infrastructure does have an impact on learning levels. Such upgrading, however, only works if basic infrastructure is already in place.
The New Education Policy should, therefore, extend infrastructure provisions in schools to allow them to adapt to climate change. Different regions face different challenges. Unlike for basic infrastructure, a uniform list of mandatory norms is not the way forward. It might well be feasible to rank districts according to their risk and exposure to weather extremes to allocate funds. Districts could then, with support of State and Central teams, draw up specific climate adaption plans. Such teams at the State and Center could be staffed by young graduates who currently face a job crisis. Instead of leaving their talents idle, they could be used to make schools ready for the difficult times ahead. This would be a massive public investment that will cost a substantial amount of money. Not acting now will cost even more in the long run. Doing nothing is the worst of all options.
It will not be feasible to install conventional air-conditioning in all rural schools. New, innovative, homegrown, and green solutions that are sustainable and cost-efficient are needed. The New Education Policy should suggest a dedicated research fund for green solutions that can be invented in public institutes of higher education. Many countries will face similar challenges. If India invests now in public research, it can later export-ready products to other countries. ‘Make in India’ could become synonymous with smart, green technology.
Climate change has arrived at our doorstep. With temperatures reaching 50°C and everyone feeling the impact of global warming, this proposal should enter open doors across ministries and the broader public.
If we act now, we can be champions for a Green New Deal in India’s schools and beyond.