Child activists seek RTE Act implementation

Clarion call: Participants at the roundtable in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

A group of child activists, academicians and social workers met on Sunday to discuss issues in the current education system and urged the Central and State governments to take concrete steps for effective implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009 .

At the round table meet organised by the Andhra Pradesh Right to Education Forum, former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University K.V. Ramana and Forum State convenor Narava Prakasa Rao pointed out that though RTE Act mandates 25 per cent reservation for children from economically weaker sections in private unaided schools, children belonging to underprivileged sections continue to be denied access to quality education.

Lack of education

“For many children, access to quality primary education turns out to be an unrealistic dream. Lack of education is the main reason for increase in child labour and child marriage,” they said, adding that many children were seen carrying out household chores, working in petty shops and seeking alms on the streets.