JOIN US It has been three years since the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act was implemented in the State. However, there is not a single official status report on how the RTE regime has fared so far.
A study titled “Inclusion of Marginalised Children in Private Unaided Schools under Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education Act, 2009,” carried out in Bangalore North and Bangalore South, by Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, in association with international NGO, Oxfam, has suggested several areas where the government can improve RTE implementation.
Pointing out to lack of link between implementation of 25 per cent provision and recognition of private schools, it says, the process of reimbursement to unaided private schools does not take into account the school’s recognition status. “Children studying in schools without recognition and without mandatory infrastructure would still get government reimbursement,” it says.
According to the study the District Education Regulatory Authority (DERA) comprising Deputy Commissioners, Deputy Directors for Public Instruction (DDPI) etc of respective districts rarely address grievances since there is no clarity on their functioning.
The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), does not have separate RTE cell to monitor the implementation. The commission does not have any staff in districts to deal with cases effectively, the study notes. It also does not maintain separate registers to deal with complaints and not all complaints are addressed except those serious in nature, it added.
According to KSCPCR Chairman H R Umesh Aradhaya though a recommendation to start RTE cell and post a DDPI or BEO grade officer was sent to Education department, they said there was toll free number at all district headquarters and education officers to directly handle such complaints. The question of shortage of (KSCPCR) staff in districts does not arise since education officials ultimately handle RTE related cases, he added.