Right to Education (RTE) is one of the most significant development happened in recent months. It is significant not just because it is going to provide education to 9 million poor and underprivileged children, but because it is going to give hope towards a permanent solution of India’s mother of all problems, i.e. illiteracy. Though, its implementation and penetration to the remote areas and different section of society remains a challenge. But atleast we must appreciate and welcome it whole heartedly as no other thing, but education can transform the fate of the society. Union Home minister Kapil Sibal has also added “ lets go beyond free and compulsory education to the Right of Quality education. So we must ensure that quality education is being given to every single child of the country”. The significance of this act could be understood with the fact that Prime minister Mr Manmohan singh has addressed the nation after this act was passed in both the houses. He has ensured the nation that allotment of funds will not be made the reason of non-implementation of the Act.
What RTE actually Means:
Despite all the previous policies and schemes, their pathetic implementation and near failure results, this Act has given a great hope towards a better tomorrow. It has been made effective from April 1, 2010. What it actually means is that it would ensure the Free and Compulsory primary education to every child in the age group of 6-14. It will help all those children who are either school drop-outs or out-of-the-school. The act of finding the school drop-outs and out-of-school children will be left to school managing committees. It will also help reduce the child labour. Every private school has to give 25% reservation to poor children nearby its surrounding. No child could be sacked out of school for non-payment of fee. The implementation will be helped by government’s other schemes as well like mid-day meal schemes, Sarv Siksha Abhiyan, RGNREGA etc.
The states are also expected to lift the school infrastructure, appoint quality teachers and access to the schools to the mass. However the administration of all these things are left to school authority only. States are also expected to give special training of the subjects to the girl students and physically challenged students.
The share of expenditure will be made in the ratio of 55:45 by centre and states resp. The finance commission has allotted Rs 25000 crore, in which centre’s part is 15,000 crore and rest lies on states. But most of the states are feeling uncomfortable with the huge investment involved in the Act and demanded more aid from the centre.
Caution
Before the implementation of the act we must understand the problems that are being faced by the school drop-outs along with its reasons of all those problems. According to the a new survey done in 5 states including Bihar and Rajasthan following are some astonishing points came into light:
1. 1. The biggest reason for the school drop-outs is not the affordability but infrastructure. 70% of the govenment schools do not have electricity. 60% of the school do not have toilets and among 40% of those which have only half of them do not have doors. And also 45% of those which have toilets do not have separate for boys and girls. Many schools do not have proper availability of drinking water. Forget about the issue of sanitation. According to NDTV survey-2008 there are 15000 schools in india which do not have a single teacher, and another 15000 schools have only one teacher. Forget about the quality of education that is being provided there.
Recent The Hindu survey shows we have around 3 lack untrained teachers in India. So we can easily estimate how much harm those untrained teachers have been doing to our children’s future.
2. 2. Second significant reason of drop-out and reluctance to education by the poors is discrimination, esp. by the high cast Hindu teachers, to the dalits and deep rooted silent practice of Untouchability. Condition of dalit girls is far more pathetic.
3. 3. Of course affordability remains a concern for all the BPL families and underprivileged. Because they do have to make a choice between Education and Food. And obviously the preference would be given to Food. Many a times girl child has to drop-out as a sacrifice for her brother. Still majority of the poor put their children into the school on a ray of a little hope for the better future of their children.
But the first two reasons offer such an opaque barrier that their ray of hope could hardly pass through it and they have to drop-out leaving no other choice.
4. 4. Many analysts also consider Roads and electricity as being a significant reason behind the illiteracy and sub-standard education in Indian schools. Non-access to roads is the significant reason for the people of remote areas not sending their children, esp. girl child, to the schools. So many remote villages do not have access of public transport or even if have only 1 or 2 bus-survices are available, and their timings may or may not be suitable for the school children. Electricity also plays an important role as it ensure cool environment in long summer months, it gets the child rid of housefly thus overall comfort and help access of computer education.
Healthy trends and Outcomes
Government has already started its ambitious National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(NREGA) with full enthusiasm, National Rural Health Mission and Mid-day meal program. NREGA is doing very well at most of the places, according to the largest survey done by NGOs with MINT. 3 out of 4 persons are happy with its successful implementation. Around 45% people are getting wages on time, and another 40% are getting a delay of only 15 days. Only 3% people claimed that they did not get the wages at all. It shows the success story of UPA’s boastful scheme.
Mid-day meal scheme has raised the attendance to a significant level. Although some times poor quality of food served has been reported. Some times it has also been reported that the teacher is discriminating on the ground of Dalit and non-dalit. But the scheme is definitely going okey, though not perfect.
So these schemes are silently helping making the poor less vulnerable to the poverty. Which in turn enabling the poor dare to send their children to schools for longer times.
So government of India and the State governments must ensure that the reasons behind the children discontinue the school must be taken care of. Because if these measures are taken care of, esp first two above, majority of drop-outs would spontaniously stop. On the other hand if these measures are not taken into consideration implementation of this act will remain superficial with no actual outcomes. According to America's Noble Laureate Paul Krugman “if you want to define America’s success story in 20th century in one word, that word is ‘Education’ doubtlessly”. America was the first country in the world which started giving its people ‘mass Primary education’ in late 19th century. Then it became the first to give its people ‘mass secondary education’ by early 20th century. And rest is all History. By the mid of the 20th century it became the dream land of the world where every young blood wants to go to realize its dream. Such is the impact of education. And such should be our aspiration.
This RTE is definitely a small step towards a giant leap of India. This is a long journey. But the best point is that it has started. Lets welcome it whole heartedly and lets not talk about all those stupid talks of corruption and beaurocracy. Lets be sanguine to our future and lets be courageous to face the practical challenges associated with the realization of that future.
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