School children may now get exposure to the basics of the Right to Information Act with the National Council for Educational Research Training (NCERT) examining a suggestion for inclusion of the landmark law in the school curriculum.
The suggestion has been made by the Department of Personnel and Training which is a nodal agency for the matters relating to implementation of the RTI Act.“We are discussing it. The basics of the RTE Act may be considered for inclusion in the school curriculum as a promotional material. This will help make children aware of this landmark legislation,” NCERT sources told Deccan Herald.He, however, clarified that no decision has yet been taken by the council for inclusion of a chapter on RTE in school curriculum.
“The council often receives suggestions from various government departments for inclusion of reading materials in the textbooks that may help improve general awareness of children. But, all are not accepted. The Right to Information Act is something that children should know about. It’s a great tool for seeking authentic information from the government,” sources added.The RTI Act may be taught as curriculum or in the form of non-mandatory supplementary books to the students between upper primary and higher secondary level, the Department of Personnel and Training has suggested.Earlier in January, the Central Vigilance Commission had proposed inclusion of lessons on anti-corruption in school curricula to promote ethics, integrity and honesty among children.
After a series of discussion, the CVC and the Ministry of Human Resources Development later agreed in-principle for implementation of such lessons in curriculum of schools.
