Bill to amend RTE Act presented in Assembly

Equal education to all children in their mother tongue planned

A bill to amend the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (popularly known as the Right to Education Act) so as to restore the primacy of  mother tongue as medium of instruction for imparting education in primary school from classes 1 to 5 in the State was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

According to the provisions of the bill, RTE Act (a central Act) is being amended in its application to the State of Karnataka in order to provide “equal education” to all children in their mother tongue at primary stage.

The Section 29 (2) (f) of the RTE Act states “medium of instruction shall, as far as practicable, be in child’s mother tongue.” The bill provides to delete the words  “as far as practicable” to restore the primacy of mother tongue (Kannada in majority of the cases in the State) as medium of instruction. The State can amend the RTE Act as education comes under the Concurrent List. The bill once passed by the two houses of legislature, will have get the assent of the President of India, to come into force.

The Supreme Court, last year, had upheld a Karnataka High Court judgement striking down an executive order issued by the State government in 1994, to impose Kannada or mother tongue as a medium of instruction in primary schools. The apex court had stated that the order infringed upon the right to freedom of expression and speech.

The Supreme Court also rejected a revision petition filed by the State government seeking review of its ruling. A curative petition filed by the government, was also dismissed earlier this week.

The amendment is a last hope of the State government to circumvent the apex court order on medium of instruction, sources in the State Secretariat said.

As per the statement of objects and reason in the bill, “It is the constitutional duty of the states to provide primary school education to the child in his or her mother tongue as per Article 350 A of the Constitution. It was discussed in detail with educationists, intellectuals and writers, who unanimously opined the necessity of primary education in mother tongue.