Right to Education.pdf

Right to Education




The Constitutional Amendment of 2002 that included the Article 21A in the Indian constitution making Edu- cation a fundamental Right. A rough draft of the bill was composed in year 2005.

The Right of Children Free and Compulsory Education Act was pro- posed on 4th August, 2009. It came into effect on 1st April, 2010, except in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

On 7 May 2014, the Supreme Court of India ruled that Right to Education Act is not applicable to Minority institutions.

Main Provisions
It lays emphasis on the development of both scholastic and coscholastic areas.
It is obligatory for the Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education, up to Class 8th, to each and every child in India in a neighbourhood school within 1 km.
RTE Act lays down norms and standards relating to relating to PupilTeacher Ratios (number of children per teacher), classrooms, separate toilets for girls and boys, drinking water facility, number of school-working days, working hours of teachers, etc. Each and every elementary school (Primary School + Middle School) in India has to comply with these minimum standards set by the RTE Act.
RTE Act mandates that an out of school child is admitted to an age appropriate class and provided with special training to enable the child to come up to age appropriate learning level.
 RTE Act prohibits physical punishment and mental harassment; discrimination based on gender, caste, class and religion; screening procedures for admission of children; capitation fee; private tuition by teachers and running of schools without recognition.
RTE Act provides for development of curriculum, which would ensure the all-round development of every child by building child's knowledge, human potential and talent.
The Act has mandated the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) method to ensure grade ap- propriate learning outcomes.
RTE Act is justiciable and is backed by a Grievance Redressal (GR) mechanism that gives opportunity to people to take action against non-compliance of various provisions of the Act.
RTE Act mandates all the private schools to reserve 25 per cent of the seats for children belonging to socially disadvantaged and economically weaker sections. This provision of the Act is aimed.at furthering social inclusion for a better India.

in 2009, which guarantees free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. The RTE Act also specifies that children from disadvantaged and marginalized communities must be given special care and attention to ensure that they are not left behind.

The implementation of the RTE Act has faced several challenges, particularly in terms of ensuring access to education for all children, particularly those from marginalized and disadvantaged communities. Despite efforts to improve access to education, many children in India are still out of school, particularly in rural areas and among lower-caste and tribal communities.

The quality

1. RighttoEducation
TheConstitutionalAmendmentof2002thatincludedtheArticle21AintheIndianconstitution
makingEdu-cationafundamentalRight.Aroughdraftofthebillwascomposedinyear2005.
TheRightofChildrenFreeandCompulsoryEducationActwaspro-posedon4thAugust,2009.
Itcameintoeffecton1stApril,2010,exceptinthestateofJammuandKashmir.
On7May2014,theSupremeCourtofIndiaruledthatRighttoEducationActisnotapplicable
toMinorityinstitutions.
MainProvisions
●Itlaysemphasisonthedevelopmentofbothscholasticandcoscholasticareas.
●ItisobligatoryfortheGovernmenttoprovidefreeandcompulsoryelementary
education,uptoClass8th,toeachandeverychildinIndiainaneighbourhoodschool
within1km.
●RTEActlaysdownnormsandstandardsrelatingtorelatingtoPupilTeacherRatios
(numberofchildrenperteacher),classrooms,separatetoiletsforgirlsandboys,drinking
waterfacility,numberofschool-workingdays,workinghoursofteachers,etc.Eachand
everyelementaryschool(PrimarySchool+MiddleSchool)inIndiahastocomplywith
theseminimumstandardssetbytheRTEAct.
●RTEActmandatesthatanoutofschoolchildisadmittedtoanageappropriateclassand
providedwithspecialtrainingtoenablethechildtocomeuptoageappropriatelearning
level.
●RTEActprohibitsphysicalpunishmentandmentalharassment;discriminationbased
ongender,caste,classandreligion;screeningproceduresforadmissionofchildren;
capitationfee;privatetuitionbyteachersandrunningofschoolswithoutrecognition.
●RTEActprovidesfordevelopmentofcurriculum,whichwouldensuretheall-round
developmentofeverychildbybuildingchild'sknowledge,humanpotentialandtalent.
●TheActhasmandatedtheContinuousComprehensiveEvaluation(CCE)methodto
ensuregradeap-propriatelearningoutcomes.
●RTEActisjusticiableandisbackedbyaGrievanceRedressal(GR)mechanismthatgives
opportunitytopeopletotakeactionagainstnon-complianceofvariousprovisionsofthe
Act.
●RTEActmandatesalltheprivateschoolstoreserve25percentoftheseatsforchildren
belongingtosociallydisadvantagedandeconomicallyweakersections.Thisprovisionof
theActisaimed.atfurtheringsocialinclusionforabetterIndia.

2. in2009,whichguaranteesfreeandcompulsoryeducationtoallchildrenbetweentheagesof6
and14years.TheRTEActalsospecifiesthatchildrenfromdisadvantagedandmarginalized
communitiesmustbegivenspecialcareandattentiontoensurethattheyarenotleftbehind.
TheimplementationoftheRTEActhasfacedseveralchallenges,particularlyintermsof
ensuringaccesstoeducationforallchildren,particularlythosefrommarginalizedand
disadvantagedcommunities.Despiteeffortstoimproveaccesstoeducation,manychildrenin
Indiaarestilloutofschool,particularlyinruralareasandamonglower-casteandtribal
communities.
ThequalityofeducationinIndiaisalsoaconcern,withmanyschoolslackingbasic
infrastructureandqualifiedteachers.Dropoutratesarehigh,particularlyamonggirls,andthere
aresignificantgendergapsineducation,particularlyinsomestates.
TheCOVID-19pandemichasalsohighlightedthedigitaldivideandthechallengesofproviding
onlineeducationtoallstudents.Manystudentsinruralareasandfromdisadvantaged
communitieshavebeenunabletoaccessonlineeducationduetothelackofinfrastructureand
connectivity.
Toaddressthesechallenges,theIndiangovernmenthaslaunchedseveralinitiatives,including
theDigitalIndiaprogram,whichaimstoprovidedigitalinfrastructureandconnectivitytoallparts
ofthecountry.Thegovernmenthasalsolaunchedprogramstoimprovethequalityofeducation,
includingteachertrainingandcurriculumreforms.
Overall,whileprogresshasbeenmadeinimprovingaccesstoeducationinIndia,thereisstilla
longwaytogotoensurethateverychildhasaccesstoqualityeducation.Itisessentialthatthe
governmentcontinuestoinvestineducationandtakesstepstoaddressthechallengesfacing
theeducationsystem,particularlyformarginalizedanddisadvantagedcommunities.
Indianeducationpolicy
TheIndianeducationpolicyhasevolvedovertime,withseveralkeyreformsandinitiatives
launchedtoimproveaccesstoeducationandthequalityofeducationprovided.Thelatest
NationalEducationPolicy(NEP)waslaunchedin2020andisaimedattransformingthe
educationsysteminIndia.
TheNEP2020emphasizestheimportanceofearlychildhoodeducationandprovidesforthe
integrationofvocationaleducationfromclass6onwards.Thepolicyalsoemphasizestheuseof
technologyineducation,withafocusononlinelearninganddigitalinfrastructure.Thepolicy
aimstomakeeducationmoreinclusiveandequitable,withafocusonreducingdisparitiesin
accesstoeducationbetweendifferentregionsandcommunities.
OneofthekeyreformsproposedintheNEP2020istherestructuringoftheeducationsystem
intoa5+3+3+4structure,withthefirstfiveyearsofschoolingdevotedtofoundationaleducation,
thenextthreeyearstopreparatoryeducation,thefollowingthreeyearstomiddleschool

3. education,andthefinalfouryearstosecondaryeducation.Thisrestructuringisaimedat
ensuringamoreholisticandflexibleapproachtoeducation,withafocusonexperientiallearning
andskilldevelopment.
TheNEP2020alsoemphasizestheimportanceofteachertrainingandprofessional
development,withafocusoncontinuouslearningandtheuseoftechnologyinteaching.The
policyalsoproposesreformstothehighereducationsystem,withafocusonmultidisciplinary
educationandthepromotionofresearchandinnovation.
Overall,theNEP2020isacomprehensivepolicyaimedattransformingtheeducationsystemin
India.Whiletheimplementationofthepolicywillfaceseveralchallenges,includingresource
constraintsandtheneedforsystemicchanges,thepolicyhasthepotentialtosignificantly
improveaccesstoeducationandthequalityofeducationprovidedinIndia.
InadditiontothereformsproposedintheNEP2020,severalotherinitiativeshavebeen
launchedinrecentyearstoimprovetheIndianeducationsystem.Theseinitiativesinclude:
1.SarvaShikshaAbhiyan(SSA):Launchedin2001,SSAisaflagshipprogramaimedat
providinguniversalaccesstoelementaryeducationinIndia.Theprogramprovidesfor
theconstructionofschools,theprovisionoffreetextbooks,thetrainingofteachers,and
thedevelopmentofcurriculumandassessmentframeworks.
2.RashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyan(RMSA):Launchedin2009,RMSAisaimedat
improvingaccesstosecondaryeducationinIndia.Theprogramprovidesforthe
constructionofschools,theprovisionoffreetextbooks,thetrainingofteachers,andthe
developmentofcurriculumandassessmentframeworks.
3.DigitalIndia:Launchedin2015,DigitalIndiaisaprogramaimedattransformingIndia
intoadigitallyempoweredsocietyandknowledgeeconomy.Theprogramincludes
initiativesaimedatprovidingdigitalinfrastructureandconnectivitytoallpartsofthe
country,includingruralareas.
4.AtalInnovationMission(AIM):Launchedin2016,AIMisaimedatpromotinginnovation
andentrepreneurshipamongstudentsinIndia.Theprogramincludesinitiativesaimedat
promotingacultureofinnovationinschoolsandcolleges,andprovidingfundingand
supporttostudentsandstartups.
5.NationalSkillDevelopmentMission(NSDM):Launchedin2015,NSDMisaimedat
promotingskilldevelopmentandvocationaleducationinIndia.Theprogramincludes
initiativesaimedatprovidingtrainingandcertificationtoindividualsinarangeofskills
andtrades,andpromotingentrepreneurshipandself-employment.
Overall,theseinitiatives,alongwiththeproposedreformsintheNEP2020,representa
significantefforttotransformtheIndianeducationsystemandimproveaccesstoeducationand
thequalityofeducationprovided.However,theimplementationoftheseinitiativeswillrequire
sustainedcommitmentandinvestmentfromthegovernment,aswellastheinvolvementofall
stakeholdersintheeducationsector.