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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

RTE status report
-The Pioneer

Almost 95.2 per cent of schools are not compliant with the complete set of Right to Education (RTE) infrastructure indicators. These shocking statistics came to light in the two-day RTE Stocktaking Convention which was recently held. The Convention aimed to address the pending gaps and detect the reasons behind the schools missing out on the deadline to meet the basic standard of education as highlighted by the RTE.

The RTE Act, 2009, which came into force on April 1, 2010, has left people disappointed by its slow implementation. The Central Government had given a three-year deadline to the State Governments to implement the Act. However, with a year to go for the deadline, the progress report of the last two years’ paints a dismal picture.

“The present status is bleak as more than 95 per cent schools do not stick to Government norms. After over 100 years of struggle now that we have the RTE Act in place, it is sad to see the laidback attitude of State Governments in executing the RTE as a fundamental right in the valid sense,” says Ambarish Rai, national convener of RTE forum.

Large number of teachers, educationalists and NGOs came together to talk on issues like development of State rules and Redressal Mechanisms.

The Forum also emphasised on the setting up of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs)and Right to Education Protection Authorities (REPAs), School Management Committees (SMCs).

Other issues which were discussed included teacher recruitment, training, academic authorities, equal opportunity to disabled, migrant, and trafficked children, child labour etc.

Along with allocations, expenditures, too, are a cause for concern.

“Last year, the Government spent 78 per cent of the funds allocated for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and RTE. This year, the expenditure has dropped to 70 per cent,” Rai tells you.

According to District Information System for Education (DISE) report 2011, 40 per cent of schools failed to meet the desired teacher to pupil ratio of 1:30. Similarly, 70 per cent primary schools failed to attain the RTE teacher-pupil ratio of 1:35.

“This is a key issue in determining quality of education. To make sure RTE gets implemented well within the year, we are planning to hold more sessions in future,” says Anjela Taneja, Education Co-ordinator with Oxfam India.

Moreover, infrastructures remain a major issue to be dealt with.

“There is a huge infrastructural log jam that requires to be cleared, which unfortunately doubles the slow pace of execution. Around four per cent of habitations lack a primary school within a walking distance. We still have 16 million children comprising school dropouts and children who have never been to a school,” Rai adds.

The lack of awareness about the benefits of the RTE Act are a major hindrance. The need of the hour is to draft all compatible services to give an appropriate push for asking the State to implement the existing provisions of the RTE act and to eventually provide an equitable and quality education.

The mission before the civil society organisations and Government at this stage is huge and daunting. Civil society must act as a pressure group and watchdog while also extending support to the cause of education to the extent possible.