Status of Implementation of the Right toEducation Act: The First Year

Some Preliminary Findings

About the Report

• Right to Education is one year old- citizens want to know the status• Look at what has worked and what has not.• If something was done, and done well in some state, appreciate it. Draw

recommendations for others• If something not done: Hold government to account, see potential role of

civil society• Report is a draft- inputs required.• Would be finalized only after consultation• Prepared by networks and agencies themselves based on our collective

knowledge. Sources: Government Reports, Network reports, media coverageof issues. Drafting team process

• Highlighted, lack of transparent systematic sources of info. in public domain

Preparation Status

• Revision of SSA Framework in line RTE• State Rules: Only 5 States- AP, Arunachal, Orissa, Sikkim, Manipur. 2 got Cabinet

approval• Proposed amendments for persons with disability not yet passed• School Management Committees- First line of grievance redressal- not formed in

majority states• SCPCR: 11 States, REPA: 3 more.• NCPCR/SCPCR/ MHRD: Human Resources• Delayed Start to implementation over question of resources• Additional Resources for RTE: 8,522 Crores in last financial year.• MHRD Asked for 34,000 Crores for SSA in 2011-12, received 21,000. In contrast,

government estimates 7,907 crore spent on Commonwealth Games last year.• Persistent under spending- late release of money, need for additional account staff,

occasional mismatch between community need and supply• 18% schools (2009-10) did not receive TLM grant• Children under six under the Act: Clause not fully implemented• Talk of extension of RTE to secondary education

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

• RTE Provides considerable space for nation’s citizens coming out in supportof their schools and strengthening national public education system

• However, awareness of Key Provisions limited: 6m into the Act, 1 in 6 peopleknew the Act existed. Under 3% aware of NCPCR/SCPCR.

• SMCs not in place in large number of States: Despite deadline of 6m acrosscountry

• Consequently, School Development Plans not prepared in states. Bottom upprocess of planning, strategizing to lay direction of each school nothappened. Deadline was 9 months

• SMCs for aided schools? Unaided school lacked them from the start• Local Authorities: Largely ignored in discourse, preparation. Local Authorities

control majority of elementary schools in 4 States. Previous legislationslike PESA, PRI Acts, 73d and 74th Constitutional Amendments hold greatpotential for supporting RTE Act provisions

Teachers

• RTE Act seeks to redress consistent problem of teacher shortages- MHRDEstimate 12 lakh additional trained teachers needed for Act’s implementation.UP: Situation particularly grave.

• Recruitment started in a few states.• First time, consistent norms for teacher qualification. National Curriculum

Framework for Teacher Education. Teacher Eligibility Tests. ? Translated onground

• 2009-10, 1 in 5 teachers not compliant with old norms. Hiring parateachersnot stopped.

• JRM of SSA: Number of untrained teachers more than training capacity• Minimum Working Days for Teachers: Over 50% Upper Primary Schools

(2009-10) did not reach new target levels• Non Teaching Work: Curtailed, but would require secretarial support• 40% Schools lack head teachers: Lack of specific training of HMs- National

Program being considered• Onsite support systems weak

INCLUSION

• Dropout- Gov. 8.1 million. In practice higher. Migrants, child labourers. Street Children,Children living with and affected by HIV AIDS, trafficked children

• Closure of small schools due to “rationalization” risk for those in “remote” areas• Long Standing Issues of Exclusion of some social groups. Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims ,

Girls disproportionately likely to drop out. Sacchar Committee Recommendations.• RTE Reiterates instruction in mother Tongue- but no significant change on the ground.• School Fees: Arjun Sengupta 70% of India on Rs 20 a day• Children with Disability: PWD Act being amended. Figures Gross under-estimate, 1.5

population disabled in India, but 9% in US? Single resource teacher for 242 identifieddisabled children, 10 States/UTs lack even a single teacher receiving trained on disability

• Child Labour: Still not illegal. Children in Agriculture outside purview. NCLP ?• Areas of Civil Unrest: Schools targeted by Naxalite groups. Army occupation not ended• Private Schools- Compulsory Recognition. Need to adhere to new norms. Issues of

inclusiveness and equity. 25% Quota.• PPP: An emerging risk?• Larger question of multiple strands equity: KVs vs Mainstream Gov Schools, Elite

Private vs Government Schools

QUALITY

• Shortage of Upper Primary Schools• At time when RTE Came into force: 1 in 10 schools lacked drinking water, 45%

lacked a toilet, Half lacked a ramp• Yes, considerable effort , especially in some states, to enhance infrastructure• 40% Schools (ASER 2009) Not RTE Ready• 27 States banned corporal punishment in schools. But it continues. Need to

remedy teaching environment, promote positive discipline• 20 States prohibited detention expulsion. Often being interpreted as no learning• 26 States, no board examination.• 22 States planned to move to CCE- however, lack of robust teacher training

systems?• 14 States reviewed curriculum to align with NCF• Teaching Methodologies: 30% classrooms have some form of group work.

“Chalk and Talk”• Learning Outcomes??

How does it all come together?

• Policy Changes happening, albeit slowly• BUT, all or almost all ground level deadlines either missed or at risk of being

missed• Mechanisms of ambitious vision being translated into reality not completely

clear• Implementation has been slow, Lot of initial time lost• However, situation is not beyond remedy!• Issues need to be pushed more given the time bound deadlines and the legally

justiciable nature of provisions• Civil Society support for a concerted push to ensure implementation of RTE

minimum norms in direction of equitable, quality education of all the youngcitizens of the country and setting up of a comprehensive system of publiceducation system along the lines of a common school system

Still the Beginning?