India's 90% schools not complying with Right to Education Act, alleges RTE Forum

By Mitra Ranjan*
The Right to Education (RTE) Forum (RTE), along with Campaign against Child Labour (CACL) and the Alliance for the Right to Early Childhood Development, has launched a nationwide campaign on right to education (RTE -- from pre-primary to higher secondary) and abolition of child labour. Addressing media at the Press Club of India, New Delhi, Dr Sayeeda Hamid, former member of Planning Commission of India and Padma Shree, an RTE manifesto, collaboratively developed by the three networks, was also released.
Dr Hamid said, “It is very tragic to see that our priorities have changed. Now education is not figured in the priority list of the governments. Focus has been shifted to trivial controversies. Now the governments want to shun the responsibility of education to private sector.”
Explaining the need and importance of the nationwide campaign, Ambarish Rai, national convener, RTE Forum, said, “As you are aware, 2019 will be a watershed year for India. The upcoming general elections next year will be an appropriate opportunity for the people of this country to demand a commitment from political parties to secure the rights of our children, particularly their education."
Rai added, "In the recent years, we have seen how things have gone from bad to worst in terms of education. If we don’t assert this time and loose this opportunity, the future generation will not forgive us. So, we are morally bound to raise this important issue with full force. It’s shameful that still more than 90% schools are not compliant with RTE norms even after eight years of the enactment of the RTE Act, 2009. ”
Earlier, welcoming the guests and participants, Ashok Kumar, national advocacy convener, CACL, said, “Child labour is a big blot on this country. Without eradicating this menace our country can’t progress further. It is imperative to ban it completely and substantially.”

On this occasion, the three networks presented a charter of demands to ensure complete implementation of the RTE Act, 2009 and extend the purview of RTE Act 2009 from birth to 18 years, asking the government to ensure at least 6 percent budget of the Gross Domestic Peoduct (GDP) for education.
Insising to stop inequality in education and move towards a 'common school system', the network demanded that the government must strengthen school management committees (SMCs) and community participation in education, asking the government to ensure total eradication of child labour up to the age of 18 years.
Seeking concrete steps for universal, quality, and equitable public education in safe and secure environment till 18 years of age from elected peoples' representatives, it wanted a ban on commercialization and privatization of education, even as bringing in a strong regulatory Act to control fee hike and strengthen the accountability of private schools and early childhood care and education (ECCE) centres.
Asking the government not to amend the “no detention policy” provisioned in section 16 of the RTE Act, 2009, the network wanted it to take concrete steps to stop mass closure of government schools in the name of merger and re-open those that have been closed.

Devika Singh of the Alliance for Right to Early Childhood Development, proposed vote of thanks.
---
*Coordinator, Media & Research, RTE Forum

Comments

Child Education in India said…

True, Some schools still do not follow the RTE Act 2009. Your concern is absolutely right, because many people are not fully aware of this act. So need to people aware this act. This blog share 10 things you need to know about the RTE Act.
10 things about the RTE Act

November 08, 2019

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront under scrutiny after Subhash Bridge damage

By Rosamma Thomas* Large cracks have appeared on Subhash Bridge across the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, close to the Gandhi Ashram . Built in 1973, this bridge, named after Subhash Chandra Bose , connects the eastern and western parts of the city and is located close to major commercial areas. The four-lane bridge has sidewalks for pedestrians, and is vital for access to Ashram Road , Ellis Bridge , Gandhinagar and the Sabarmati Railway Station .

No action yet on complaint over assault on lawyer during Tirunelveli public hearing

By A Representative A day after a detailed complaint was filed seeking disciplinary action against ten lawyers in Tirunelveli for allegedly assaulting human rights lawyer Dr. V. Suresh, no action has yet been taken by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, according to the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Farewell to Robin Smith, England’s Lionhearted Warrior Against Pace

By Harsh Thakor* Robin Smith, who has died at the age of 62, was among the most adept and convincing players of fast bowling during an era when English cricket was in decline and pace bowling was at its most lethal. Unwavering against the tormenting West Indies pace attack or the relentless Australians, Smith epitomised courage and stroke-making prowess. His trademark shot, an immensely powerful square cut, made him a scourge of opponents. Wearing a blue England helmet without a visor or grille, he relished pulling, hooking and cutting the quicks.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Latur’s quiet rebel: Dr Suryanarayan Ransubhe and his war on Manuvad

By Ravi Ranjan* In an India still fractured by caste, religion, and language, where narrow loyalties repeatedly threaten to tear the nation apart, Rammanohar Lohia once observed that the true leader of the bahujans is one under whose banner even non-bahujans feel proud to march. The remark applies far beyond politics. In the literary-cultural and social spheres as well, only a person armed with unflinching historical consciousness and the moral courage to refuse every form of personality worship—including worship of oneself—can hope to touch the weak pulse of the age and speak its bitter truths without fear or favour.

Differences in 2002 and 2025 SIR revision procedures spark alarm in Gujarat

By A Representative Civil rights groups and electoral reform activists have raised serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Gujarat and 11 other states, alleging that the newly enforced requirements could lead to large-scale deletion of legitimate voters, particularly those unable to furnish documentation linking them to the 2002 electoral list.

Search This Blog