NCPCR seeks redressal mechanism for RTE law

New Delhi: The absence of a clear grievanceredressal structure for the Right To Education (RTE) law was questioned on Thursday by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

The NCPCR is the apex body that ensures the implementation of the RTE Act in the country. 

It has been a year since the law had been brought to action in India. However, the NCPCR has cited the lethargy on the part of most state governments that have failed to notify key rules for the successful implementation of the RTE.

National RTE Coordinator at the NCPCR Kiran Bhatty said that there was definite tardiness in the implementation of the act. "We have written to the state governments repeatedly and would still keep on writing to them," she said. 

Guidelines for a redressal mechanism for the RTE have also been proposed by the NCPCR to theHuman Resource Development (HRD) ministry. These guidelines are currently being examined by the law ministry. 

According to the RTE Act, the NCPCR, chaired by Magsaysay Award winner Shantha Sinha, is the watchdog body for the implementation of the right to education all over the country. The NCPCR had been given the role with the aim to ensure and the implementation of and independently monitor the law instead of the HRD ministry.

Section 36 of the RTE Act says that the state governments are required to appoint designated local authorities who are empowered to sanction prosecution of school or government officials for conducting screening tests, corporal punishments or running unrecognized schools.

Vinod Raina, a member of the National Advisory Council on the RTE Act has informed that only 13 of the 36 states and union territories have notified about the rules accompanying the Act or notified the authorities.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Today/NCPCR_seeks_redressal_mechanism_for_RTE_law_13787/

Union Budget - Expectations of the education sector

Every year the Union Budget creates lot of eagerness in the mind of every Indian as regards the Government's plans for different sectors. The Education sector also hopes to get its due share in the Union budget every year.

Though the Government expenditure - both, state and central combined - on education has grown over the years, from about Rs.97,375 cr in 2004-05 to Rs.1,89,325 cr in 2008-09, (according to data estimates by the Center for Budget and Governance Accountability) - this cannot be considered enough if we look at the actual requirements and needs of the sector. 

As a share of total government expenditure, the spending on education is stagnating at about 11.6%, while as a share of GDP it has increased only marginally from 3.01% in 2004-05 to 3.4% in 2009-10. 

The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) in its report on Higher Education has said "The present support for higher education, at 0.7 per cent of GDP, is simply not adequate. In fact, over the past decade, in real terms, there has been a significant decline in the resources allocated for higher education, in the aggregate as also per student. In an ideal world, government support for higher education should be at least 1.5 per cent, if not 2 per cent of GDP, from a total of 6 per cent of GDP for education. This is easier said than done. But the government should endeavor to reach these levels by 2012. Even this magnitude of state financing, however, would not suffice for the massive expansion in higher education that is an imperative." 

The recent report of the District Information System for Education (DISE) says that 29% of elementary schools did not have a pucca building in 2009-10, up from 27% in 2007-08. Over 49% schools do not have boundary walls, only a slight improvement over two years when the proportion was 50%. Girls have a separate toilet in only 59% of schools, again only slightly better than 50% in 2007-8. Desperate parents are shifting their kids to private schools where enrollment is up from about 20% in 2007 to 24% in 2010. The number of Class 8 students taking private tuitions is also up from about 22% in 2007 to 31% in 2010. Most alarming is the fact pointed out in the DISE report that net enrollment ratio dropped from about 98% in Class 5 to 58% in Class 8. 

We have been talking of making India - knowledge capital of the world but is the government doing enough to provide good quality education? Budget speeches and political propaganda gives an impression that the government has increased spending on education in the past few years and the Right to Education Act (RTEA) is propelling an education revolution. But the reality appears to be different.

A meeting of state education secretaries in January last year had estimated that Rs 1.82 lakh crore will be needed to ensure that every child between 6 to 14 years gets good education, as per the RTEA act. This was to be given to the states over 5 years starting 2010. 

Let's not forget - our first generation scientists, scholars, teachers, leaders - all came from the village schooling system. If we want to see the country progressing in all areas - we must first improve our education system with the due budgetary support from the government.

source:http://www.indiaedunews.net/Today/Union_Budget_-_Expectations_of_the_education_sector_13581/

Government will universalize secondary education - Patil

New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil on Monday said that after Right to Education for primary education, the government is committed to universalizingsecondary education.

"My government is committed to universalizingsecondary education through the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. Girls' hostels are being set up in each of the 3,500 educationally backward blocks in the country to bring secondary education within the reach of girls," the president said addressing a joint sitting of both houses of parliament on the first day of the budget session.

"The Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act is another step in my government's approach to right-based governance. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been aligned to the implementation of this act. It has been scaled up to universalizeelementary education with a universal mid-day meal programme to improve both enrolment and retention," she said in her hour-long speech.

Focusing on adult literacy, the president said that government's flagship Saakshar Bharat programme will be spread to more districts.

"The Saakshar Bharat programme is designed to improve adult literacy, especially among the disadvantaged sections of society. By 2012, it will extend to all 365 districts that have poor adult female literacy levels," she said.

Patil added that the government is taking steps to effect changes in the Apprenticeship Act "to introduce a large number of modular training courses, and to make skills training bankable".

The Apprenticeship Act requires firms to reserve 50 percent of new jobs forapprentices trained by them.

"Our country has a huge advantage in terms of being a young nation. Our young people have to be invested with skills if we are to reap the demographic dividend," she added.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Today/Government_will_universalize_secondary_education_-_Patil_13558/

'Right to education helping kids' health too'

New Delhi: The Right to Education (RTE) Act, besides giving children between six and 14 years access to free and compulsory education, also helps their health as voluntary groups often target schools for their programmes, experts said on Thursday.

Deworm the World (DTW), a voluntary organization giving deworming medicine against intestinal parasites to children between 6 to 14 years, will soon be covering the capital's government schools and slums.

"After a year-long successful work in seven districts of Andhra Pradesh since 2009, we will now target Bihar and Delhi where our prevalence studies have been going on for quite some time," DTW's executive director Lesley Drake told the sources on her visit to India.

"We realized how effective health plans can be when they are pitched in with educational schemes. RTE is an important catalyst for our policy in India," added Drake. 

The NGO, in its massive action plan, stated that the programme in Bihar will be rolled out in over 67,000 schools of its 38 districts from February to April.

"Deworming is often ignored in developing nations because it does not affect the mortality rate. The need is to realize its impact on the cognitive growth of the child, his education, mental and physical abilities," explained Drake. 

The deworming schemes will also rope in the state governments and additional technical support from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

"In Delhi, our studies across slums and schools are underway, and a school-based deworming programme will be launched in identified at-risk areas later this year," said Prerna Makkar, regional director of DTW's south Asia wing.

"Adequate sanitation, hygienic living conditions, and safe drinking water are other key approaches to the deworming plan," added Makkar. IANS

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Today/'Right_to_education_helping_kids'_health_too'_13460/