Draft Resolution on the Right to Education

New Delhi September 12, 2008

The National Human Rights Commission held a two day National Level Seminar on "Right to Education" on September 11 & 12, 2008. At the end of the two day deliberations, the Commission came out with the draft resolution on Right to Education:

" The State governments need not wait for a Central legislation in order to execute right to education. Legislation is to enforce quality & make it more justiciable. Constitutional amendment cannot be subjugated to legislation.
" Right to education, should encompass all age groups from 0-18 years, there should be no segmentation for realizing this right. If need be, the segmentation could be based on the level of education and not the age criterion. The focus should be on care and education for the 0-6 age group and vocational training for productive development for the 14-18 years age group.
" The draft bill needs refinement to do away with ambiguities. Certain terminologies like Quality Education, Free and Compulsory Education, norms and standards, need to be categorically elucidated.
" Local government bodies must assume the responsibility of ensuring right to education with active participation and involvement of local management committees, communities, non-profit organizations and private sector agencies. However, it does not absolve responsibility of Centre and State Governments.
" Role played stakeholders at ALL levels including the government (both central and state) must be clearly defined to ensure "no buck-passing". Every agency should then work towards fulfilling its responsibility.
" Minimum standards for implementation of right to education, is laid out in the schedule of the bill, but it talks more of infrastructure than the quality to be achieved.
" Accessibility is a significant aspect of right to education in order to make it universal. Efforts should be made to increase the coverage of the SSA and also extend its scope up to secondary education. Similar such programmes should be undertaken. SSA is a short- term measure and eventually to graduate to regular education system as eventually para-teachers are to be abolished. SSA cannot be a substitute to the formal education quality norms.
" Teachers and teaching are the essential components of quality assurance of education hence adequate emphasis must be laid on recruiting trained qualified teachers based on merits. Number of teacher training institutions must be increased.
" Common norm is mentioned in the bill, but the talk on same has been since 1990s, for school infrastructure should be laid down and adhered to by all. For states to evolve common norm, the act is not a prerequisite.
" There is a need for substantial hike in the financial allocation in the educational sector, which should be periodically revised in tune with the growing needs. What we need is a convergence of efforts & investments made for the same by Tribal Departments, Voluntary Organisations, Infrastructure and Employment schemes & even private sectors. Education should be prioritised while budgeting.
" There is a need for a strict time frame for implementation of the Right to Education Act, to be applicable to both the central and the state governments. The Educational objectives must be made realistic and achievable. It is not expenditure but an investment.
" Gender disparity in the educational sector should be over come. 'Education for all' implies education is extended to all children in a conducive environment, without discrimination
" Special efforts to be made to reach out Quality educational facilities to vulnerable sections of the society specially the disabled.
" Stress to be laid on vocational training and skill development to ensure sustainable livelihood for the children.
" Primary education should be standardized but also to be adapted to local surroundings and environment and mother tongue.
" Effective regulatory and evaluation mechanisms must find a place in the bill to ensure implementation and quality assurance to education.
" Penalizing the parents is not the solution, the school environment should be conducive to encourage parents to send their children to school. The literacy campaigns will help contribute to the same.
" 25% children of poorer sections in private schools to be made mandatory instead of being on reimbursement basis. If need be fees can be suitably adjusted. It should also not be restricted to only class I but grow with the same.
" We quote figures of 93% access, school in 1 km and get complacent about it. However quality education is not indicative in any of these statistics? And therefore it calls for a paradigm shift from quantity to quality.
" "No assessment" till class 10 is misinterpreted. Educational institutions should be transformed to a centre of joy so as to attract children to it. The spirit should be to make competencies available. Teaching to be 'child centered' experimental system of learning.
" Teacher taught ratio to be varying with age and not 1:40 across board.
" Curriculum should be formulated in a way to bring about a shift from "rote- learning" to actual knowledge. Life- education for practical utility must be incorporated.
" Education that is extended to the "door-step" should be quality education.

Strength of India is having high percentage of 'young population' the challenge is with us whether it becomes an asset - by having educated healthy youth or a liability.