In a letter to Chief Ministers of various states, Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, has placed a 10-point agenda to ensure proper implementation of the RTE Act.
He has asked all State Governments to complete neighbourhood mapping so that the number of children who need elementary education is identified.
“Ensure all schools meet the norms of pupil-teacher ratio by rationalising imbalances in teacher deployment and filling up teacher vacancies, in the State sector and SSA, by persons who have qualified the Teacher Eligibility Test,” he said. RTE also mandates that schools be equipped with appropriate infrastructure. The HRD Minister has asked that all “spill over and fresh works under SSA be completed expeditiously including providing drinking water and toilet facilities as per Supreme Court directions.” To initiate steps for quality reform, which include designing age-appropriate syllabi and textbook, ensuring content and production reform and introducing continuous and comprehensive evaluation to enhance the learning process.
Review of modules
Similarly, he has asked that teacher training modules be reviewed and all entitlements required for a child – textbooks, uniforms, and other state specific entitlements are provided at the beginning of the academic year.
Prohibition of corporal punishment, no-detention policy and prevention of other discriminatory and exclusionary practices in schools are necessary, he said.
To ensure that schools implemented 25 per cent reservation for disadvantaged groups and weaker sections, the letter addresses the need to monitor the admission of such children in all unaided non-minority schools and to provide schools with all related grants. Finally, he suggested putting in place a grievance redress mechanism.
Keywords: RTE Act, Kapil Sibal, 10-point agenda
It is really unfortunate that the Supreme Court Upheld RTE constitutional. It is the responsibility of the Govt to provide quality Education to all not private sector or the private citizens.
What the country needs is "Right to Justice" Act. Why is Kapil Sibal not implementing it ? The Legal Process in India is heavily stacked against the weak. Why not fix it by providing free legal aid to every citizen in the country with the choice of the Attorneys left to the citizen.
I am sure Kapil Sibal will never do it as it will hurt him and his ilk.
Thanks,
Sriram
idea of 10 points agenda is a welcome step by honourable minister.points like,increase in teachers-student ration, modernisation of books and teaching methods,school infrastructure development,all these are basic requirement.well if all these points are implemented efficiently and in time then results will be enormous for the country.
I would like to highlight 2 aspects of the RTE which dodge common sense. First, the 25 percent of students who will get admitted to all the private schools across the country accounts for less than 25 percent of the whole eligible lot(presently in govt. schools). Moreover, the process of selection of that 25 percent is mentioned to be random. What is this, some kind of state lottery, game of chance that the Right to Education has become ? This will also act as an excuse for the already hopeless government schools to completely shake off all responsibility off their backs. It feels depressing to see such short sighted irresponsible policy making which will destroy more lives than benefit in the long run. A more productive policy could have been to ramp up the infrastructure and facilities of government schools so that people should prefer them over private schools going forward. But alas, the low intent and intellect of the policy makers has failed the nation yet again.
RTE act going to be a gamechanger in the society if it is implemented
strictly.govt schools with minimum facilities facing acute problems over
the years.when it comes to andrapradesh,NO teacher is ready to accept
guidlines stipulated in RTE act.detention of students in same class has
been over the years for a long time.teachers are not working properly to
improve standards amidst students.indian govt must act striclty on
education sector& standard rules to follow for govt teachers
These are all already achieved by Kerala
@Mahadheesh: I totally agree.
Discrimination can not be remedied by more discrimination. Suppose I am a caste-blind person and I am setting up a school. It would be against my conscience to ask the applicants what their caste is. How can the government justify forcing me to do it? With acts like these, how can we ever create a casteless society?
Dear Sir,
India will be grateful, if State Governments follow your request to main teacher pupil ration in govt and private schools.
India will never forget your name and actions if state Govt.'s fill up teacher vacancies .
It would be a mile stone in the history of Indian Teacher Education Reforms, if state governments appoints only those trained candidates who have qualifies the Teacher Eligibility Test.
The action of Hon. able Minister for HRD, with regard to Quality reforms will be remembered the years ahead if e- technology and designing age-appropriate syllabi and textbook, ensuring content and production reform and introducing continuous and comprehensive evaluation to enhance the learning process would be followed sincerly by the central and state agencies.
It is hoped that Hon.'able MHR, will monitor his vision and statement seriously to ensure results.
Let us hope, Ten points formula may prove miracle for RTE Act for the betterment of Indian masses.
Jai-Hind .
Wow! The Great One has spoken & we are to bow down in reverence & accept what he says, no questions asked. Greg Chappell was absolutely right..he said, "The culture of India is such that if you put your head above the parapet, someone will shoot it. So they learn to keep their head down and not take responsibility.." The RTE Act has ensured that Delhi is going to instruct the rest of us on how to look after our affairs. The condescension & arrogance dripping in Mr. Sibal's words is a sight. This reader does not know what is more disheartening..the RTE Act that allows the govt. to hector pvt. enterprises in running their affairs or the cheering that has taken place in the opinion columns & readers' comments sections of the Hindu. We the people have forgotten the excesses of govt takeover in the Emergency days of the 70s. The culture of entitlement in the West has ruined the ability of their poor to become upwardly mobile. Hence the term, "welfare addicts". Do we go down that path now?
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