The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has constituted a committee to look into implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, in the schools of the Capital.
The first meeting of the committee was held on January 8. The report of the committee on being finalised would be sent to different bodies that run schools in Delhi such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council(NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board.
The 11-member committee which is being chaired by legal expert Ashok Agarwal will look into different aspects of government schools in Delhi. The committee would examine nuances of children’s life such as their socio-economic background, family condition, parents’ education, tuition and availability of basic amenities.
The study would also focus on teacher related issues such as their status, recruitment, in-service training and opportunities for professional growth.
In addition, the committee would deliberate on the structure of different educational departments of the Delhi Government, flow of funds, decision and policy making, research and innovation, building and infrastructure, and the accountability of schools and teachers.
Stakeholders and experts from different spheres such as faculty members from NCERT and National University of Educational Planning and Administration, non-government organisation representatives, an MCD school teacher and others will comprise the committee.
The NCERT has taken this initiative to prepare an elaborate policy framework to enable the implementation of the RTE Act in Delhi schools. The larger aim is to recommend the policy framework to the MCD, the NDMC, the Delhi Cantonment Board and the Delhi Administration, which would help them prepare for the requirements of the RTE Act in providing quality education to children from Classes I to VIII.
This is being considered crucial for these agencies as within six months of the notification of RTE Act, the State Government would be required to fulfil the Act’s mandate.
