RTE-2010 - An Overview

  “I beg to place the following resolution before the council for its consideration.…the state should accept in this country the same responsibility in regard to mass education that the government of most civilized countries are already discharging and that a well considered scheme should be drawn up and adhered to till it is carried out.. The well being of millions upon millions of children who are waiting to be brought under the influence education depends.    - Gopal Krishna Gokhale

The above words are part of the resolution which moved in the Imperial Legislative Council on 18th march, 1910 for seeking provision of ‘Free and Compulsory Primary Education” inIndia.      

The Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into force from April 1, 2010. This is was a historic day for the people of India as from this day the right to education will be accorded the same legal status as the right to life as provided by Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. Every child in the age group of 6-14 years will be provided 8 years of elementary education in an age appropriate classroom in the vicinity of his/her neighbourhood. Any cost that prevents a child from accessing school will be borne by the State which shall have the responsibility of enrolling the child as well as ensuring attendance and completion of 8 years of schooling. No child shall be denied admission for want of documents; no child shall be turned away if the admission cycle in the school is over and no child shall be asked to take an admission test. Children with disabilities will also be educated in the mainstream schools. The Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh has emphasized that it is important for the country that if we nurture our children and young people with the right education, India’s future as a strong and prosperous country is secure.

 Following are the key points of the legislation that expects to empower the nation through education:

1.  Free and compulsory education to all children of India in the six to 14 age group;

2.  No child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board   examination until completion of elementary education (up to class eight);

3.  A child who completes elementary education (upto Class 8) shall be awarded a certificate

4.  Calls for a fixed student-teacher ratio;

5.  Will apply to all of India except Jammu and Kashmir;

6.  Provides for 25 percent reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in all private and minority schools. The reservation to start with Class One beginning 2011

7. Mandates improvement in quality of education;

8. School teachers will need adequate professional degree within five years or else will lose job;

9. School infrastructure (where there is problem) to be improved in three years, else recognition cancelled;

10 Financial burden will be shared between state and central government on the basis of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All)

11. Private schools to face penalty for violating RTE.

 Challenges ahead

 * The funds required to implement the RTE act of Rs.171,000 crores..

 *  5 lakhs more trained teachers required.

 * Playgrounds for every school are the basic needs.

 UNESCO and UNICEF applauding the ground-breaking Right to Education Act, legalising the right to free and compulsory education for all children between the ages of 6 to 14 in India. "RTE will propel India to even greater heights of prosperity and productivity for all guaranteeing children their right to a quality education and a brighter future."

  There are an estimated eight million Indian children and young people between the ages of six to 14 out-of-school, the majority of whom are girls. Without India, the world cannot reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of having every child complete primary school by 2015.

  "This act is an essential step towards improving each child's accessibility to secondary and higher education, bringing India closer to achieving national educational development goals, as well as the MDGs and Education for All (EFA)," said UNESCO New Delhi Director Armoogum Parsuramen, commending in particular the Ministry's commitment to implementing the act in collaboration with the state governments. "UNESCO places the right to education at the heart of its mission, and stands ready to accompany all partners in their efforts to ensure its successful implementation."

Free education is often meant to imply waiver of tuition fees. But tuition fee is only a part of educational expense, and poor families are often not able to raise other expenses needed for education. These could include textbooks, copies and writing material, uniforms, transportation, educational and support materials for disabled children (hearing aids, spectacles, Braille books, crutches and so on), or even library fee, laboratory fee, etc. which are not covered under tuition fee. The phenomenon of drop-outs in particular is related to inability of parents to meet the educational expense of their children, often daughters, somewhere during the course of elementary education. This is a land mark act towards future India.