The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 remains indadequate in promoting incentive-based system for children's education without generating awareness about the importance of schooling. Analyse. (UPSC CSE Mains 2022 - General Studies Paper 2)
The Right to Education Act 2009 (RTE Act 2009) was enacted by the Parliament of India on 4th August 2009. It provides for free and compulsory education for children aged between 6-14 years under Article 21(A) of the Constitution of India. India is one of the 135 countries to have made education a fundamental right for every child.
Main Features of RTE Act 2009
- Compulsory and free education for all up to class 8.
- Maintain proper norms and standards relating to
- Pupil-Teacher-Ratios
- Classrooms
- Separate toilets for girls and boys
- Drinking water facility
- Special provisions for admission of children out of school. They will be admitted to an age-appropriate class.
- Zero tolerance against discrimination and harassment.
- No child can be held back or expelled from school till Class 8.
- All private schools to reserve 25 % of their seats for children belonging to socially disadvantaged and economically weaker sections.
Incentives provided to encourage parents and children to complete education
- Free of cost textbooks, uniforms and stationary items.
- Mid-Day Meal scheme (PM Poshan): The scheme covers 11.80 crore children across Classes 1 to 8.
- Sarva Siksha Abhiyan
- To add additional classrooms, toilets and drinking facilities.
- Providing education to the differently abled or children with special needs.
- To bridge the digital gap by offering computer education to the children.
- Strengthening for providing quality Education in Madrassas (SPQEM)
- To bring about qualitative education and follow National Education System standards in subjects.
- Providing Science labs, Computer labs in the secondary and higher secondary stage madrasas.
Key issues for achieving RTE
- Lack of awareness among child labourers, migrant children, differently abled children about free educations, books, uniforms and other incentives.
- Lack of awareness about 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society.
- Lack of awareness about the fundamental right Article 21A.
- Minorities children especially the poor class are unaware for special provisions under the SPQEM scheme.
Steps Need to Be Taken to Create Awareness
- Campaign: The representative of local bodies and Sarpanch of Panchayats should organise campaign in their local areas.
- Awareness can be done with the help social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
- The Government teachers should be visit to the backward areas to aware people about the incentives provided by the government like mid-day meal.
It has been twelve years since the implementation of RTE Act, but it still has a long way to go to be called successful in its purpose. All parents want their child to get quality education and food, but due to limited awareness, deserving children are missing out of school. Hence, digital media campaign can change the scenario and India’s demographic dividend will turn into asset for the nation.
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