Bunch of Thoughts

On

EDUCATION of CHILDREN

RTE ACT, 2009 AND SSA FRAMEWORK:

ATTEMPT FOR UEE IN INDIA

Secular - Religious Education those days

• In ancient time Gurukulas or Ashrams was not

open to all. People from lower castes, and so-

called „Shudras‟ (untouchables), in particular,

were barred from receiving education

• Even in British period education was not for

Indian Masses

• Foundation stone laid by Hunter Commission

(1882) : recommended that schools should be

open to all castes and classes due to efforts of

Dadabhai Naoroji and Jyothiba Phule

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In the beginning of twentieth century

• The first law on compulsory education was introduced by the State of Baroda in 1906. This law provided for compulsory education for boys and girls in the age groups of 7–12 years and 7–10 years respectively

• The word ‘right’ in the context of elementary education by Rabindranath Tagore in his letter to the International League for the Rational Education of Children in 1908

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Elementary School Education in English medium?

• Mahatma Gandhi gave a magnificent call for universal education in 1937 with concept of Basic Education

• Education was included in the Directive Principles of State Policy, in the Constitution of India in 1950

• Article 45 : Stating for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years (1950)

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Union Government and School Education

• Kothari Commission(1964) with concept of common school system

• NPE (1968 & 1986) recommended for equalization of educational opportunity and common school system

• The Supreme Court Judgment (1993) to make Education as Fundamental Right

• 86th Constitutional Amendment (2002) was passed by Parliament and Article 21A

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UEE…… RTE act - 2009

• August 2009, Parliament passed the historic Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009

• Came into effect from April 1, 2010

• Free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 6 to 14 years

• Bordia Committee (2010): Implementation of RTE Act and Resultant Revamp of SSA

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WHAT DOES RtE PROVIDE?

• Elementary Education

• Free

• Compulsory

• Quality norms for all schools

• Qualification and working norms for Teachers

• Curriculum in consonance with Constitutional Values

• Oppression Free students’ evaluation system

• Participation of civil society in the management of schools

• Accountability of teachers to parents, community

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WHAT DOES RtE PROVIDE?

• Reservation (25%) for children from weaker sections in private schools

• Protection of children from labour, marriage, exploitation, discrimination, abuse, violence and neglect

• National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs): Monitor the implementation of the right.

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Implementation of RTE Act and Resultant Revamp of

SSA: Bordia committee (2010)

• Principles:

• Holistic view of education: curriculum, teacher education, educational planning and management as interpreted in NCF, 2005

• Equity: Creating the condition so that disadvantaged, SC, ST, Minority and other section of the society can avail equal opportunity

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Implementation of RTE Act and Resultant Revamp of SSA: Bordia committee (2010)

• Access: ensuring schools in specified distance,

understanding educational needs and predicaments of the excluded sections viz; Sc, ST, Minority, Girls etc.

• Moral compulsion: imposed on parents, teachers, educational administrators and other stakeholders

• Gender concern: Not only enabling girls to keep pace with boys but also to bring about a basic change in the status of women

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Example of ODISHA: IMPLEMENTING RTE ACT

• Odisha-2nd state after Sikkim to notify the RCFCE Rules, 2010

• Prohibition of corporal punishment in Schools-Sept 23, 2010

• Prohibition of screening procedures on 4thy Nov, 2010

• Guidelines for Composition and functions of SMCs in Elementary Schools on 11th Jan, 2011

• RtE Cell has been functioning from OPEPA office and works in close association with all the Directorates of the School and Mass Education Department.

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IN ODISHA: IMPLEMENTING RTE ACT

• Quality School package: across 30 districts ; to emerge as quality schools -infrastructure, curricular and co-curricular components etc.

• Sanitation and Safe Drinking Water: 93% rural schools have safe drinking water and 84 % of rural schools have common toilets

• Government-Civil Societies partnership: consultation with civil society was held on 20th Dec, 2010. Guidance note issued to all districts on taking support from civil society organization in implementing RTE at the district level.

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RTE ACT IN ODISHA

• Teachers’ Training: in-service training programme (Samarthya), both content & theme- based modules (NCF; RtE; and CCE);

1,37,836 teachers received training for 20 days out of the targeted 1, 72,892

• Grievance Redressal Cell and School Students’ Helpline: toll-free Helpline no.

GRC - hearing, enquiry, follow-up and redressal of cases from teachers, officers, parents and children.

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RTE ACT IN ODISHA

• Monitoring Mechanism: ‘Samiksha’ w.e.f Nov-2010; Indicators under Samiksha -Environment, Curricular Programmes and Co-Curricular Programmes, School-Community Linkage, School Management.

• Documentation of RtE Initiatives: success stories under School students’ helpline documented in booklet ‘sampark’;

all initiatives of S&ME Department in implementation of RTE Act is documented in booklet ‘Sambhav’.

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When I was young, read

under the dim light of a

kerosene lamp. I am

what I am totally because

of education. So I want

that the light of education

should reach to all.”

Indian Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh.

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Disadvantaged Groups are defined as those that belong to

“the SC, ST, socially and educationally backward class or

such other group having disadvantage owing to social,

cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender, or

such other factor as may be specified by the

appropriate Government by notification.”

Weaker Sections are defined as those “belonging to such

parent or guardian whose annual income is lower than the

minimum specified by the appropriate Government by

notification”.

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While article 45 stipulates universal education to all children

up to the age of 14 years, the division between Depts. of

Education and Women and Children has imposed a line

between the age groups 0-6 years and 6-14 years.

The only programme of significance for pre-school

education instituted by government is Integrated Child

Development Services (ICDS) that had for various reasons

focused on the nutrition and health aspects of children to the

neglect of preschool education in its early phase.

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Section 11 of the RTE Act makes a provision for being

engaged with preschool education. It states:

“With a view to prepare children above the age of three years

for elementary education and to provide early childhood care

and education for all children until they complete the age of

six years, the appropriate Government may make necessary

arrangement for providing free pre-school education for such

children”. This allows for the necessary space within the

ambit of the RTE Act to enable a greater degree of

involvement in the pre-school segment of education.

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Pre-school Education and Universalization with Quality:

“Universalization with quality” would be the overarching goal

for ICDS in the future. This would include raising the number

of anganwadis to a minimum of 14 lakh (with priority to

disadvantaged groups), extending all ICDS services to all

children under six and all eligible women, and improving the

quality of services.

Pre-school Education: For children aged three to six years,

pre-school education should be the primary focus of ICDS

activities. 32

The appropriate government should take the responsibility of

tracking all children in the 3-6 years age group and ensure

that they are enlisted in the neighbourhood anganwadi or

other pre-school facility. For areas where there are no

anganwadi or balwadi centres, every effort should be made

to provide free pre-school education in the neighbourhood

school itself.

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