RTE: Good intent but drive lacking

Appreciation of the value of inclusiveness and integration must be a part of training course for teachers.

The Right to Education Act which came into force on April 1, 2010 assures the right of free and compulsory education to all children within the age group of 6-14. The Act stipulates that in all schools across India 25 per cent of admission at the induction stage should be of children from weaker sections. The child is not liable to pay any kind of fee and the government will reimburse the private schools the cost of educating the child.

To facilitate greater enrolm-ent and reduce the rate of drop out the Act assures admission in a school within 1 km distance of residence, no screening for admission, no denial of admission for lack of age proof, admission in age appropriate class for those who miss out the entry level, no detention in the same class and no discrimination of students admitted under RTE and facilities like separate toilets for girls and boys, play ground etc.

With a view to improve quality of education RTE Act stipulates norms for recognition of private schools.  The norms relate to student-teacher ratio, qualification, salary and training of teachers, formation of School Management Committee consisting of parents, teachers and local authority, restricting deployment of teachers for non-educational purposes etc.

The RTE Act has led to massive increase in enrolment and by January 2015 more than 96.7 per cent of children in the relevant age group were enrolled (Annual Status of Education Report, 2014). However, there are reports of violation of norms pertaining to admission, income certificates, qualification of tea-chers, collecting cost of books, uniform etc from parents etc.

Instances of discrimination like separate classes for RTE students, making them sit in the last row, expelling children whose parents questioned illegal collection of fee etc have been reported. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought reports from all state governments on such incidents.

Opponents of RTE argue that coping problems of children from poor families bring down the standard of the whole class.  Some parents complain that their children will learn bad habits from poor children. The National Independent Schools Alliance filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court alleging that hundreds of budget schools charging nominal fees were closed down and many more were served with notice for non-compliance.

They claim that RTE provisions are discriminatory as they are applicable only to private schools. They are aggrieved that even the meagre amount promised as reimbursement are not released by state governments. Between 2010 & 2014 there have been significant improvements in Government schools in student-teacher ratio (38.9 to 49.3 per cent), boys toilets (47.2 to 65.2 per cent), girls toilets (32.9 to 55.7 per cent) and marginal improvement in mid day meal (84.6 to 85.1 per cent), play ground and drinking water (72.7 to 75.6 per cent). But there has been a decline in the ability of children in reading and recognising numbers.

According to ASER only 41.7 per cent of Class 5 children in government schools were able to read Class 2 texts and only around 50 per cent of the Class-5 students were able to do a two digit subtraction. This decline is said to be mainly due to the “No detention” policy. The dropout rate is also alarming.

Vital role

The government’s role is vital in stepping up the momentum. Slogans like Education for All, Beti Bachao Beti Padao etc sound hallow, when seen against reduction for the year 2015-16 in allocation to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (20 per cent), Mid-day Meal Scheme (30 per cent) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (28.7 per cent). Do high sounding slogans achieve results without being backed by sufficient resources?

Sufficient funding, recruitment of teachers to maintain healthy teacher-student ratio, better pre-service & on-service training, improving service conditions to attract and  retain talent, use of technology both for teacher training and student learning, appropriate regulatory frame work to ensure transparency and accountability etc are urgently needed to improve  quality and reach of education.

Prompt reimbursement by government, providing soft loans, increasing flow of  CSR funds, restricting admission under RTE  to BPL families, incentives for additional qualifications and rural service, creating awareness among poor parents about the importance of education, finding ways to reach children in remote areas and those of migrant labourers etc are also needed.

In the changed scenario, when teachers have to handle students from vastly different backgrounds, appreciation of the value of inclusiveness and integration need to be part of training course. The RTE will bring the life experience of a cross section of people into the class room. Hopefully, the minor frictions and discord seen at the beginning will prove to be a passing phase.

Over a period of time, intermingling of children from vastly different backgrounds will help break down mental barriers, remove prejudices and lead to greater social harmony. It will also lead to significant changes in social equations and herald a silent revolution which will rede-fine our politics, change the discourse on public policy and promote meaningful democracy.