On learners

It is a shame that we have denied our fellow humans “their share of the earth”. The Right to Education Act is a long-awaited apology. Let every child learn, and let her learn with pride (“Dealing with first generation school-goers,” Jan.20).

Shalini Harilal,New Delhi

Many children have been deprived of the right to education because of poverty, and the RTE has become their ray of hope for a better future. Education is the only way to get out of the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. In addition, all students need a committed teacher. How do we ensure that a first-generation school-goer gets all this?

Shaikh Jamir Munir,New Delhi

I studied in a small town in Telangana till Class 10. The teachers who taught me never shunned a first-generation learner. They took it upon themselves to put in extra efforts to teach “those kids” and ensure that they imbibed what was being taught. The problems of a first-generation learner, and as I see it, intensifies when a teacher is not given the autonomy to design an individual/group academic programme. Unless this issue is rectified, the process of a social transformation will not be complete.

Sarayu Sankar,

Chennai