IS EDUCATION A PRIVILEGE OR A BASIC NECESSITY FOR EVERYONE? (RTE ACT 2009 Analysis)

By Kamakshi Gupta, Kalindi College 

In India, one of the major problems is to provide quality education to the economically weaker sections of the society, the underprivileged and the disadvantaged due to various socio-economic, political and cultural barriers. The various reasons of these sects of the society not getting proper education can be- gender discrimination, social differences of caste and religion, location disadvantage and economic disadvantage. Other reasons include physical and mental disabilities.

Right to Education act (enacted on August 4,2009, came into effect on April 1,2010) grants free and compulsory education for children aged between 6-14 years in India under Article 21 (A) of the Constitution of India. It makes education a fundamental right of every child in India.

RTE aims at providing free and compulsory elementary education to each and every child of the country in his/her neighbourhood school. It prescribes basic norms for elementary school education such as laying down standards of Teacher Pupil ratio, Separate toilet for girls and boys, Sanitation facilities etc. It ensures that quality and proper education is provided to students and encourages overall development. Moreover, it strongly promotes zero tolerance against discrimination and harassment based on gender, caste, religion etc.

One of the major provisions of the RTE 2009 includes reservation of 25% seats for the underprivileged and the disadvantaged children in aided and private schools (Section12(1)(c)). It provides reservation on the basis of socio-economic background, caste etc. The reservation aims at providing free, inclusive education while incentivising private schools by reimbursing their costs for educating poor, disadvantaged children. The state is supposed to reimburse the costs to the school as a part of the Public Private Partnership plan. It is based on the belief that the values of equality, social justice and democracy can be achieved only through the provision of inclusive elementary education to all.

Source: Google Images

Section 12(1)(c ) is a very vital part of the education system, however, its implementation has been a problem. Private schools have shown resistance to follow the rules laid down under RTE. Some schools are majorly profit driven while some do not get proper reimbursement from the government. The state government is required to reimburse schools for books, fees, uniform and other basic amenities provided to the children through reservation. But the state government fails to do so and the issue of non-reimbursement resurfaces during admissions. Private schools have been denying admission on the basis of reservation to students claiming lack of funds. Even those schools who provide reservation to students, illegally charge a proportion of fee for the education that was supposed to be free. Also, schools have been very belligerent towards the reserved students during the covid pandemic. Another reason of non-proper implementation of RTE is internal discrimination on the basis of background, socio-economic status etc. Those children who take admission through RTE reservation complain of facing discrimination. Often, they are made to sit in a different classroom as to those students without reservation. They face problems in being accepted by their classmates and teachers. Many times, teachers and other students ill-treat them and stop them from participating in classroom activities. Moreover, parents of many underprivileged and disadvantaged children are hesitant in sending their children to a private school fearing discrimination, adjustment issues and social stigma. Many of the parents are not even aware of such education acts and provisions through which they can actually send their children to school despite their abject circumstances. All of this makes the task of social and academic integration of children all the more tedious.

Many institutions and the government are making efforts to improve the impact of RTE in India. The RTE grievance redressal unit, which was setup to address problems related to implementation of RTE, has helped a lot of people to solve their issues and get their children enrolled in good schools. Project Patang, launched by the Centre For Civil Society aims at ensuring academic and social integration of children from socio-economically disadvantaged communities in unaided private schools. It carries out various activities for the same and it has shown results in the form of attitude change of teachers, better academic performance of students, more proactive and supportive school management, aware parents etc.

Other suggestions through which RTE 2009 can be implemented in a much better manner include- Private schools should be subjected to regular inspection to ensure that quality education is being given to the students and RTE norms and standards are being followed. Private schools must receive the reimbursements they are entitled to, so that they can provide proper facilities to the reserved students and not compromise on their education. Students and teachers of public schools should be sensitised about the abject condition of the underprivileged and disadvantaged, so that they respect all the individuals and cater to their needs. Also, parents of underprivileged and disadvantaged children should be made aware about the importance of education and the various provisions through which they could provide it to their children easily.

Education does not simply mean learning about the subjects, education means liberation and freedom from a downtrodden life. If each child reaps the benefits from RTE then they can build a much better life for themselves and make this country a better place to live. Poverty and social evils can be removed from society and everyone can achieve a high standard of living. The main reason for India being overpopulated is lack of awareness and knowledge among individuals. Education will equip them with the right kind of knowledge and can actually help control the population. This will reduce the burden on the resources and create job opportunities for people (Because there are many people who are educated but still remain unemployed due to lack of opportunities). Crime rate will reduce drastically as literacy rate rises as people will be empowered to work for themselves and will not resort to crime to earn a living. Also, education will enable them to understand the difference between good and bad which will help them in being sensitive and self-aware and not harm others. Education gives confidence to one’s approach in life. Educated and empowered people make the best possible use of their skill and knowledge to grow and develop their country. A nation is bound to prosper if its people are educated.

In conclusion, RTE can be a game changer for the education system of India if implemented in an impactful manner with collective participation of government and citizens. A strong education system will build an empowered and a skilled population which will further build a strong and a flourishing nation.

References-

Published on December 4,2018 https://www.oxfamindia.org/blog/10-things-rte

Saraswati NT, October 30,2020 https://www.indiaspend.com/how-reservation-in-private-schools-isnt-working-for-poor-children/

http://righttoeducation.in/forums/suggest-rte-amendments/section-32-redressal-of-grievances

Anupama Ieyer, Indusaction Blog, January 5,2021 https://www.indusaction.org/blog/right-to-education-act-section-121c\

https://ccs.in/education/pilot-projects/patang