THE ISSUES RELATING TO RTE IMPLEMENTATION
AND CHALLENGES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of
MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION
By
ISHITA GADDIPATI
Register No. 1326207
Under the Guidance of
Dr. Jacqueline Kareem
Assistant Professor
School Of Education
Christ University, Bengaluru-560029
2015
i
APPROVAL SHEET
The Dissertation entitled “The Issues Relating to RTE Implementation and
Challenges: A Qualitative Study” by Ishita Gaddipati is approved for the
degree of Master of Arts in Education.
Examiners: Name Signature
1. _____________________
_____________________
2. _____________________
_____________________
HOD:
Date:
Place:
ii
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that dissertation titled “The Issues Relating to RTE Implementation
and Challenges: A Qualitative Study”, completed by Ishita Gaddipati (Register
Number 1326207) is a work towards the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
Degree in Master of Arts in Education, Christ University, for the academic year 2013-
2015 under my supervision and guidance.
Place: Bangalore Dr. Jacqueline Kareem
Date: School of Education
Christ University
Bangalore: 560029
iii
DECLARATION
I do hereby declare that this study titled, “The Issues Relating to RTE Implementation
and Challenges: A Qualitative Study” has been undertaken by me in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Education, Christ University. I
have completed the work under the guidance of Dr. Jacqueline Kareem, School of
Education, Christ University, Bangalore.
I also declare that this work has not been submitted before by me or by anyone else
for any purpose either in this University or in any other University.
Place: Bangalore Ishita Gaddipati
Master of Arts in Education
Date: Reg. No. 1326207
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I take this opportunity to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher and
guide Dr. Jacqueline Kareem who gave me constant support and encouragement to do
this project. She took upon herself the role of a friend, mentor, teacher and guide and
helped me complete my dissertation.
I express my sincere thanks to Dr. Jose Cherian, HOD of School of Education, Christ
University, Bangalore, for his guidance and support throughout my master degree
pursuance.
I also take this opportunity to express a heart filled thanks to Dr. Samson R. Victor,
Dr. Greta D’Souza, Prof. Prakasha.G.S and Dr. Sumitha Rao, the faculties of school
of education, for their constant encouragement, warm support and guidance as well as
valuable information they have given which helped me in completing this study
through various stages.
I'd like to thank Dr. Dakshayini Khanna for being very supportive and helpful
throughout my research period. Her support and input was very valuable. I would also
like to thank Anay Nangalia for helping me gather information pertaining to my topic
which was not easily available.
Lastly, I thank my family and my friends for their constant encouragement without
which this dissertation would not be possible.
Ishita Gaddipati
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Approval Sheet i
Certificate ii
Declaration iii
Acknowledgment iv
Chapter I
Introduction
1.1 Background 1
1.2 The Right to Education Act (RTE) 3
1.3 Need and Significance of this Study 4
1.4 Statement of Problem 7
1.5 Objectives of the Study 7
1.6 Resume of Succeeding Chapters 8
Chapter II
Review of Related Literature
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 Review of Articles in Journals on RTE 9
2.3 Review of Articles in Newspapers on RTE 13
Chapter III
Methodology
3.1 Introduction 15
3.2 Statement of Problem 15
3.3 Operational Definition 15
3.4 Sampling Procedures 16
3.4.1 Population 16
3.4.2 Sample of the Study 16
3.4.3 Selection of the Sample 16
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3.5 Tools of the Study 16
3.6 Validation of the Tool 18
3.7 Methodology of Study 18
3.8 Statistical analysis 19
Chapter IV
Data Analyses and Interpretation
4.1 Introduction 20
4.2 Interview Responses and Interpretation for Management
Representatives 21
4.3 Interview Responses and Interpretation for Teachers 27
4.4 Interview Responses and Interpretation for Parents 33
4.5 Interview Responses and interpretation for Children 39
Chapter V
Summary and Conclusion
5.1 Introduction 44
5.2 Need for the Study 45
5.3 Statement of the Problem 48
5.4 Objectives of the Study 48
5.5 Research Methodology 48
5.6 Findings of the Study 49
5.6.1 Section 1: Findings from the study on the awareness
level of the stakeholders 49
5.6.2 Section 2: Findings from the study on the benefits of
the RTE policy 50
5.6.3 Section 3: Findings from the study on the challenges
faced by the stakeholders 53
5.6.4 Section 4: Findings from the study on the views of the
stakeholders 56
5.7 Educational Implications 57
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5.8 Delimitations of the Study 58
5.9 Suggestions for Further Studies 58
5.10 Conclusion 59
Bibliography 60
Annexure 62
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LIST OF TABLES
.
Table No Title Page No
Table 4.1 Indicating the categorized responses of the management
representatives
21
Table 4.2 Indicating the categorized responses of the teachers 27
Table 4.3 Indicating the categorized responses of parents of the RTE children 33
Table 4.4 Indicating the categorized responses of the RTE children 39
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LIST OF GRAPHS
Figure
No
Title Page No
Figure 4.1
Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the
management representatives.
21
Figure 4.2 Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the teachers 27
Figure 4.3
Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the parents of
the RTE children.
33
Figure 4.4 Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the RTE
children
39
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
Since time immemorial, education in India has been an exclusive right of higher caste
people or the elite class of the society and was limited only to a small section of
society. Though there were compulsory education laws during British rule, not much
of progress was made in this direction as British government did have any need to
implement this strictly. After independence, Article 45 of the newly framed
Constitution stated that “the State shall endeavor to provide within a period of 10
years from the commencement of the Constitution, free and compulsory education to
all children until they complete the age of 14 years." Even then, there was not much
of progress that was expected to happen. In 1968, National Policy on Education was
framed which spoke about Indian government's commitment towards elementary
education and National policy of education of 1986 and 1990 recommended to
include RTE as a fundamental right in Indian constitution. Based on this
recommendation, National policy on Education 1992 was formulated. India also
signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in 1992 and started the
process of adopting legislation to make education a fundamental right of the child.
The passing of the act which enables Children to get Free and Compulsory Education
in 2009 marks a historic moment for the children of India. For the first time in India’s
history, children will be guaranteed their right to quality elementary education by the
state with the help of families and communities.
"After almost 50 years of Independence and countless committees policy makers
realized what it required to make universal elementary education a reality. It required
not just allocation of resources and Centre-State co-ordination, but also a clear cut
mandate. India had failed in what most other countries had managed to achieve
because there was no compulsion of any on the state machinery to actually effectuate
something like elementary education. Though Centre-State coordination was taking
place for years together, India's masses remained illiterate because no agency could be
hauled up for the dismal state of education. International Declarations had always
stressed on the ‘compulsory’ aspect of education, because they knew that unless
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people were forced to act nothing would result out of policy papers. Therefore, in
1997 the Saikia Committee, consisting of State Education Ministers, came up with
their suggestions of amending the Constitution to make Elementary education a
fundamental right." (Niranjanaradhya VP)
India is divided into twenty nine states and seven Union Territories. The states have
their own elected governments while the Union Territories are ruled directly by the
Government of India, with the President of India appointing an administrator for each
Union Territory. Education in India is placed in the concurrent list. That is, school
education policies and programmes are made by the the central government and the
state governments.
There is a national organization that plays a key role in developing policies and
programmes, called the National Council for Educational Research and Training
(NCERT) that prepares a National Curriculum Framework. Each state has its
counterpart called the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
These are the bodies that essentially propose educational strategies, curricula,
pedagogical schemes and evaluation methodologies to the states' departments of
education. The SCERTs generally follow guidelines established by the NCERT.
The National Policy on Education, 1986 and the Programme of Action 1992
envisaged free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality for all children below
14 years before the 21st Century. The government committed to earmark 6% of the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for education, half of which would be spent on
primary education. The expenditure on Education as a percentage of GDP also rose
from 0.7 per cent in 1951-52 to about 3.6 per cent in 1997-98.
To know development in a society, Literacy is another proper indicator of economic
development. As per Population Census of India 2011, the Literacy rate of India has
shown as improvement of almost 9 percent. It has gone up to 74.04% in 2011 from
65.38% in 2001, thus showing an increase of 9 percent in the last 10 years. It consists
of male literacy rate 82.14% and female literacy rate is 65.46%. Kerala with 93.9%
literacy rate is the top state in India. Lakshadweep and Mizoram are at second and
third position with 92.3% and 91.06% literacy rate respectively. Bihar with 63.08%
literacy rate is the last in terms of literacy rate in India. (Census of India)
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As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of
males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate. In 2001 the literacy rate of the
state were 67.04%, with 76.29% of males and 57.45% of females being literate. The
state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India
such as the Indian Institute of Science, the Indian Institute of Management,
the National Institute of Technology Karnataka and the National Law School of India
University.
In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and
8.495 million students and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384
million students. There are three kinds of schools in the state: government-run, private
aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial
aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada
and English.
1.2 THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION ACT (RTE)
The Right to Education Act (RTE), is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted on 4
August 2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and
compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of
the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a
fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April, 2010. The
enforcement of this right is a joint responsibility of the state and the centre to provide
free and compulsory education. Free and compulsory education means that," All
children between the ages of 6 and 14 shall have the right to free and compulsory
elementary education at a neighborhood school. There is no direct (school fees) or
indirect cost (uniforms, textbooks, mid-day meals, transportation) to be borne by the
child or the parents to obtain elementary education. The government will provide
schooling free-of-cost until a child’s elementary education is completed." (UNICEF,
India)
Though there were differences in the implementation policies of different states, there
was a general consensus on the need to implement the same centre became serious
about the implementation in 2012. State governments were forced to implement the
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same in all the public aided / unaided schools without fail. The right to free and
compulsory education has proven to be a big challenge to the nation. The
implementation will not be effective unless all the agencies involved work together to
achieve the ultimate goal to universalizing education. It has been 4 years since the Act
was passed and there is still a long road that lies ahead. Not many people are still fully
aware of this Act and its provisions.
This Act serves as a building block to ensure that every child has his or her right (as a
right) to get a good quality elementary education and the State with the help of
families and communities, fulfil the what the act aims at achieving. The key features
of the Act are that it makes education a fundamental right of every child between the
age of 6 to 14. It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children who
belong to disadvantaged groups and weaker section of the society and provide free
and compulsory education till its completion (the money spent on the children is to be
reimbursed by the state as part of the public-private partnership plan). All schools
except private unaided schools are to be managed by School Management
Committees with 75 per cent parents and guardians as members. All schools except
government schools are required to be recognized by meeting specified norms and
standards within 3 years to avoid closure.
In this research the focus is on the 25% reservation in private schools for the
disadvantages groups and weaker sections of the society. It studies the benefits,
challenges and feasibility of the reservation.
1.3 NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY
According to the Indian sages and saints of the past, education is that which liberates
man from all bondages. It helps in self-realization and brings out the best in a person.
Education is essential for democracy, for improving productivity, for increasing
economic growth, for bringing out desirable changes in the society and for national
development. Promotion of education is important for individual and social well
being. Keeping all these factors in mind, the government made education a right of
every child. The RTE act came into place to ensure that every child gets an education
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and is not deprived of it because of the lack of economic resources or the presence of
a disability. Though the intentions of the act and policy is impeccable, it becomes
necessary to understand the practical difficulties faced by all the stakeholders on
ground and the feasibility of this clause . The main focus in this research is the 25%
reservation quota in private schools for disadvantaged children and children from
weaker sections of the society.
Education in India is now under heavy strain. The national scenario is characterized
by the growing illiteracy, unabated dropout rates in elementary education and high
absenteeism. The government chose the public-private partnership as it could not
cater to the large population of the country by itself. This suddenly became a burden
of private schools. They had to undertake this responsibility upon them as the
government could not handle the situation all by themselves.
When we look at the Act's reservation just as another member of the society it sounds
all pleasing and looks like it will change the face of education in the country and the
children are going to come out of this with flying colors. When you look closely at the
way the act functions, you begin to doubt its credibility. Yes this act is helping
children get an education but to what extent are they actually learning the content
prescribed by the boards in schools they go to. They can move on from one grade to
another even if they fail to pass in the examinations. There are chances for schools to
ignore their academic progress which will result in namesake education and not a real
education.
The free education in private schools is only from 6 to 14 years of age. After 14 years,
which will be 8th grade, the children either have to pay fees, dropout of school or join
in a government school. This puts pressure on children who want to continue studying
but their parents cannot afford it. The RTE children join in the school in the 1st
standard and go on till the 8th standard. They may not have the same background as
the other children in the classroom which will be a drawback or a barrier for their
learning. They will not be able to cope with the class like their peers and may be
disoriented. This will lead to disinterest of the child. Actual learning of the content
prescribed by the board may not be happening.
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Language barrier is another issue faced by the students and teachers. The medium of
instruction for most private schools is English. Children coming from disadvantaged
and weaker sections of the society may not even know the language. Unless the
teachers in class know their native language they might have trouble communicating.
The lessons are taught in English. If children do not know the language, how will they
learn anything. They will have trouble comprehending the lessons and as a result
cannot perform well in examinations. This may lead them to seeking external help
which may need the parents to spend extra money.
These children who enroll in private schools may not come from a stable education
and economic background. Their children might even be the first ones in the family to
receive an education. When they need help doing homework, to study for exams or
clearing doubts outside school, it will be problem. They do not have anyone in their
house to help them and seek external help. They enroll in tuitions to keep up with the
classes. Children as young as 6 and 7 years attend tuitions because they need external
help in coping with the class. When the Act looks at helping the disadvantaged groups
and weaker sections, this proves to be a drawback for them.
The income line for which parents can enroll their children under the 25% reservation
is 3,60,000 rupees. This income line is too high. There are many people who are way
below the present qualifying income line. They need the seats as they cannot afford it
anywhere else. The people who love in the prescribed radius and have enough money
to enroll elsewhere will take the opportunity instead of the people who are way below
the line. Opportunity for the weaker sections is again largely reduced.
There is a high scope for malpractice in this Act. People get low income certificates
by paying a bribe and get free education for their children even though they can afford
it. This way people who actually need the seat lose out on the opportunity. Some
parents even pay bribe to schools and other officials to get the free seat instead of
another child in the school they desire. With all the malpractice people who need the
help are still being deprived of it and people who can afford it take all the benefits
from the act.
The reimbursement based on per child expenditure in government schools may lead to
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schools to raise their fees to overcome the increased expenses which will in turn be a
burden on the parents of the non quota students.
The information collected becomes very significant as we can have deep insights into
the status of achievement of goals by implementation of the act. It also provides a
provision to analyze status of implementation of RTE, awareness and understanding
of the provisions of RTE amongst management, teachers and parents of children
studying private schools and the challenges each stakeholder is facing. Through this
study we will know if the Act is helping the children actually or it is a failed attempt.
It also helps us to understand how much of real awareness exists as a whole - a parent
being aware of their rights, management and teachers awareness, attitude and
accountability and make all of them take an active role in the enforcement of steps
necessary for the implementation of this act resulting in reaching the very goal of this
act.
1.4 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The Issues Relating to RTE Implementation and Challenges- A Qualitative Study.
This study explores the 25% reservation quota in private schools for disadvantaged
children and children from weaker sections of the society. It tries to understand the
benefits and challenges of the policy.
1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To check the awareness levels among teachers, parents, children and school
management.
2. To explore and report the views of stake holders on the RTE's reservation
policy.
3. To understand the various methods and approaches for the implementation of
the provision.
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4. To understand the key challenges, benefits and the feasibility of the 25%
reservation in private schools.
5. To find remedial measures to benefit the children more from the provision.
6. To give suggestions for the effectiveness of the Act.
1.6 RESUME OF SUCCEEDING CHAPTERS
This study has been divided into five parts, which is presented as chapters. The first
chapter deals with the background and introduction to the problem, current scenario ,
need for the study, statement of the problem and objectives of the study. The second
chapter is the review of related literature for the present study. The third chapter
includes operational definitions, sampling procedure, tools of the study, methodology
and statistical analysis of the present study. The fourth chapter deals with the analysis
and interpretation of data. In the fifth chapter, findings and conclusions of the study
are presented; a brief summary and suggestion for future research are also given in
this chapter.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The review of literature studied by the researcher for this study has been taken from
two sources: journals and newspapers. The first section is the review of articles in
journals on RTE and the second section is review of articles in newspapers on RTE.
The studies have been analyzed by keeping in mind the objectives and need of the
study in order to strengthen the rationale of the present research.
2.2 REVIEW OF ARTICLES IN JOURNALS ON RTE
Madire.Mahanandi (2014): In the implementation of the RTE act, 2009, the role of
the teacher is indispensable. The awareness among teachers is important. This paper
deals with measuring of awareness among teachers. For this purpose a sample of 50
primary school teachers were selected by the investigator from 10 schools of the
Mahaboob Nager District. Out of the 50 teachers, 30 were from government schools
and 20 were from private schools. Among these 25 were male and 25 were female
teachers. A descriptive survey method was adopted for the study and collecting the
data required. This study reveals that female teachers are more aware of the RTE Act
than the male teachers and the Government school teachers were more aware than the
private school teachers. Another finding was that the awareness of the RTE Act was
high among those teachers who attended more number of training programs on the
RTE Act.
The author says that the headmasters and teachers need to be oriented on RTE- the
objectives and provisions. The teacher might be the able to fulfill the goal of free and
compulsory education.
Vendhan.R (2014): Education is the backbone of a nation. It is the key to national
human resource development. An intelligent society will always invest in quality
education for its children. Though the government has provided free and compulsory
education, the quality of this education in government schools is poor. The families
10
which can afford are availing education from private institutions. Now government
schools have become the caterers of the poor or lower middle class families. The
children in government schools can hardly dream of joining the class four cadres in
the public or private sector. So the government is squarely responsible for creating an
unjust society.
So we need a system that focuses on quality education that allows children to develop
and grow in supporting and nurturing school environments. It should help the child
become confident, have a good self esteem, willing to strive forward and feel a sense
of responsibility towards the community.
Kalyani.K (2014): The passing of the RTE Act in 2009 marks a historic moment for
the children of India. This act serves as a building block to ensure that every child has
his or her right to get a quality elementary education and they can fulfill this
obligation with the help of the state, families and community. This paper focuses on
the implementation of the RTE Act and the challenges ahead in its effective
implementation. All children between the age of 6 to 14 shall have the right to free
and compulsory education in a neighborhood school. No direct or indirect fees to be
borne by the parents. The government takes responsibility to provide the child a free
of cost elementary education. RTE provides a ripe platform to reach the unreached,
with specific provisions for the disadvantaged groups. The RTE focuses on the quality
of teaching and learning, which requires accelerated efforts and substantial reforms as
well. The RTE act faces a number of challenges in its implementation, especially
availability of trained teachers, setting up of neighborhood schools, cooperation from
the private sector of schools, establishment of required infrastructure and authentic
screening procedure for admission.
In order to meet the challenges it is necessary for all the stakeholders to work with full
dedication and commitment. Not just the centre and state government, the nation as a
whole should take responsibility in this regard. There should be greater coordination
among the agencies involved. Community participation and support makes a marked
difference in achieving the goal.
Irfan Ali. Abbas(2014): the focus of the paper is centered around on the role of
private schools under the RTE Act. It examines the validity of the provisions
imposing an obligation on the private schools and the interpretation of the courts on
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the said aspect and the dichotomy between the state responsibility and private
autonomy. Conclusion is drawn signifying that for effective implementation of the
reservation in private schools there is a need to ensure a fair selection process, a leak
proof payment mechanism and a transparent monitoring and evaluation system. The
government needs to put a strict and effective monitoring and implementation system
in place in order to make the 25% be useful for the disadvantaged groups.
Fathima.Sk (2014): Quality education includes provision of adequate facilities,
adequate number of qualified teachers, curriculum pedagogy, learning outcomes,
evaluation and the formation of school management committees to monitor the
functioning of the schools. The fundamental goal of RTE act is to ensure that our
schools are equipped with the necessary human, physical and financial resources to
enroll all children and enable them to complete their elementary education.
This paper focuses that RTE Act. Though deserves all due credit for laying down the
specific terms related to state's responsibility towards education, it would be
appropriate to examine the status and awareness on the part of schools and school
management committee in improving the quality of education, how school
management committee actualize the intent of RTE Act and how to ensure well
formed trained school management committee to provide free elementary education to
children between the age of 6 to 14.
It is essential for all stakeholders to be aware of the Act and its provisions to bring
about the necessary change. The community, parents and management should play an
active role in improving the school.
Karunakar. Reddy(2014): the paper begins with introduction, historical
perspectives, outlines and salient features of the RTE Act. It throws light on the
problems while implementation of the RTE Act and suggests ways to overcome them
through School management Committees, monitoring systems, quality education and
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. He addresses issues related to the infrastructure facilities,
budget allocation, 25% reservation of seats in private schools and quality education.
Ravi Babu.M (2014): Community is a part of the society and education is the
counterpart of both the above mentioned elements. School is the social institution
where consciously designed learning experiences are provided with objectives of
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achieving a social aim at large. School has to functionally coordinate with its
immediate environment, the community in which it is situated. The community is
meant to employ a wider grouping of people located within fairly recognizable
boundaries and related to each other by socio economic and civic activities which
produce oneness among them to develop a recognizable identity as a group. The main
group and agents involved in the dynamics of the relationship between school and
community are: school, administration, teachers, non-teaching staff, students and
parents, governing bodies and school board. This paper discusses the role of
community in implementing right to education. Community is a potential educational
force which both administrator and teacher must realize. They should not work in
subordination to it but should understand and work with it.
Rajendra prasad et al(2014): In the recent years, higher education became free and
compulsory. Many state governments introduced RTE scheme called fee
reimbursement. This paper explores the RTE issues, challenges, particularly in higher
education and also presents feasible implications for fee reimbursement. It provides
possible recommendations, further scope of investigation and for urgent intervention
by the government to strengthen and pursue the secure operational steps for value
based education.
Deepthi.T (2014): According to the constitution of India, education is a fundamental
right of a child. The right person in the society to implement the RTE Act effectively
is the teacher. The RTE Act though deserves the due credit for laying down in fairly
specific terms teacher's responsibility towards education, it would be appropriate to
examine the status and awareness on the part of schools and the concerned authority
to provide free and compulsory education. This paper intends to explore the status of
the implementation, awareness and understanding of the provisions of the RTE among
parents, teachers and children and also the issues and challenges before the teacher to
implement it.
In order to meet the challenges, the nation should come together as whole and work
together to overcome these challenges. There should be a great level of coordination
among the different agencies involved in this act.
Abdul Fareed(2014): The author looks into deeper issues which affect the
13
implementation of the RTE Act. He says that simply using the Act as a legal
instrument to initiate action against institutions or individuals that are perceived as
responsible for failure to implement the provisions of the act, will not really address
the issues of illiteracy and lack of educational opportunity. A multi-dimensional
approach is required to address the problems which lie in various areas.
2.3 REVIEW OF ARTICLES IN NEWSPAPERS ON RTE
Ramya M (2014): Four years after the Right to Education Act was enacted in India,
discrimination remains a major factor affecting access to education for children from
marginalized communities, says a report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Research for the report was conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh,
Haryana and Delhi. HRW volunteers interviewed 160 people, including 85 children,
45 parents and 32 school staff comprising teachers and school principals. The report
quotes the principal of the UP school as saying that the tribal children were a "big
problem". The report said such discriminatory behavior contributes to increased
truancy. Several children in a dalit neighborhood in Bihar said they did not go to
school regularly because they felt unwelcome. The report also added that weak
implementation of education policies is encouraging child labor.
Mohamed Imranullah (2013): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education (RTE) Act 2009 stipulates that private schools reserve 25 per cent of seats
at the entry level for children belonging to ‘disadvantaged groups’ and ‘weaker
sections’. This article talks about whether this Act is working out in practice and
whether it is benefiting the intended group of people. It also looks at the awareness
level among people and their representation. The pros and cons of the RTE act were
discussed using the interview technique.
Abhishek Choudhari (2015): The state school education ministry has decided to
start the process of online admissions for the 25% quota under Right To Education
(RTE) act in Nagpur division from February 9. In the first phase, schools coming
under RTE will register online and enter the number of available seats. In the second
phase, likely to start by February 23, parents can start filling applications online.
Actual admission process will start in March.
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Pavan M (2015): this article talks about how the parents applying for the RTE seat
via online media are being looted. While one of the purposes of the RTE Act is to
save poor parents from paying private schools through the nose, someone else is fast
emptying their wallets. Taking advantage of the online RTE application system
launched by the government this year, internet cafes are making a fast buck from
those wanting to submit the application. They are allegedly charging anywhere
between Rs 200 and Rs 300 for submitting application forms on the education
department's website. Aspirants of RTE quota seats mostly come from poor families,
with little knowledge of computer or an internet connection at home, and that's where
they are being exploited.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, the terms and concepts have been operationally defined. The study is
designed to investigate the status of the implementation of the RTE Act with regard
to the 25% reservation for weak and disadvantaged sections of the society in private
schools. It also analyzes the advantages, benefits, loopholes and pain points of
management, teachers, children and parents.
3.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The Issues Relating to RTE Implementation and Challenges- A Qualitative Study
This study explores the 25% reservation quota in private schools for disadvantaged
children and children from weaker sections of the society. It tries to understand the
benefits and challenges of the policy.
3.3 OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
School management: Will include the staff who run and manage the school. School
management is the combination of the different administrators and their roles in the
operation of a school. The part (people) of the school which is behind the planning,
organizing, staffing, leading/directing, and controlling/ monitoring of the school and
its activities.
Teachers: The teaching staff of the school who are responsible for imparting
knowledge to the students. The ones who teach the subjects to their students without
any discrimination and partiality.
Parents: The parents of those children who admitted their children in private schools
on the basis of the 25% reservation for the disadvantaged and weaker sections of the
society
Children: The children who got admission in the school based on the 25% reservation
provision made the government through the RTE Act.
The RTE Act: An unaided school not receiving any kind of aid or grants to meet its
expenses from the appropriate Government or the local authority; shall admit in class
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1 to the extent of at least twenty-five per cent of the strength of that class, children
belonging to weaker section and disadvantaged group in the neighborhood.
Disadvantaged groups: Orphans, HIV affected and disabled = 5%
SC = 10%
ST = 4%
Weaker sections which includes Backward Castes, Minorities, OCs (whose annual
income does not exceed Rs. 60,000/- per annum) = 6%
The above arrangement of reservation in sequential order is applicable to private
schools in plain areas. Where orphans, HIV affected and disabled are not available
or available only to a certain extent such vacancies will be filled by STs and SCs.
After exhausting all applications for admission of Orphans, HIV affected and
disabled, SC and ST if any seats remain unfilled such seats will be added to the
percentage of weaker sections.
3.4 SAMPLING PROCEDURE
3.4.1 Population
The target population of the study is Management and teachers of private schools,
parents of RTE children and RTE children in private schools in the city of Bengaluru.
3.4.2 Sample of the Study
The researcher conducted an interview on all the stake holders namely management
staff, teachers, parents and students. The total sample size is 100 members, which
includes 30 parents, 30 students, 20 teachers and 20 management staff.
3.4.3 Selection of the Sample
The sample for this study was picked across 15 schools from different parts of
Bengaluru. Simple random sampling method was used to pick the sample.
3.5 TOOLS USED IN THE STUDY
The researcher prepared an interview schedule for each stakeholder. This was
validated by three professionals.
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The main points on which the interview schedule was planned are as follows:
Parent's context:
Awareness level regarding act.
Approaching schools for their rights.
Expectations from schools which have enrolled their kids.
Problems that their children face and the kind of support they need to give
them to cope up with the new environment.
Management's context:
Pressures faced by managements from education department.
On what basis does the school admit a child.
What are the documents or proofs that have to be submitted by the parents for
the admission process.
Managing parents who have come from weaker section - managing their
awareness, expectations etc.,
Making teachers aware of the responsibility and make them accountable for
the success of these children.
Managing economic implications created by these admissions.
Teacher's context:
Managing children who have no basic education and those who cannot
communicate properly (cannot speak English).
Hygiene, behavioral and stress related issues.
Home assignments without the help of anyone at home.
Communication such as emails/ SMS and related issues
Language issues while talking to the parents.
Ensuring a homogenous classroom environment and differential teaching
methods.
Remedial help.
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Student's context:
Children may not be able to understand teachers mode of communication.
Settling down with children of an upper socio-economic strata than them and
not having feeling inferior.
No help from parents for any home based work. No outside literate help.
Not able to have all the luxuries in terms of possessions, spending.
Communication between friends as a whole.
The questions of the interview schedule for each of the stakeholders is attached at the
end of the file.
3.6 VALIDATION OF THE TOOL
The interview schedule was prepared by the researcher and given to three prominent
members in the field of education, namely- Dr. Dakshayini Khanna, principal of
Harvest International School, Mrs. Manjula Mathews, principal of Treamis World
School and Mr. Ram Prasad, chairman of Harvest International School. They went
through the schedule and made the necessary changes.
Eighty questions were prepared by the researcher and sent for validation. In that thirty
one questions were removed because they were repetitive in nature. Eight questions
were modified and eleven questions were added. After validation by the experts the
total number of questions were sixty, fifteen questions for each stakeholder.
3.7 METHODOLOGY OF STUDY
This is a descriptive study and the data for the study was collected using interview
schedules. The research includes collection of data from 8 schools in Bangalore in the
form of interviews. The interviews were conducted with all the stake holders namely
management staff, teachers, parents and students. The total sample size is 100
members, which includes 30 parents, 30 students, 20 teachers and 20 management
staff.
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The interview questions were sent to three prominent people in the field of education
to check the relevance of the questions in the schedule. Dr. Dakshayini Khanna,
principal of Harvest International School, Mrs. Manjula Mathews, principal of
Treamis World School and Mr. Ram Prasad, chairman of Harvest International
School went through the questions. They made a few corrections and changed a few
questions according to what they felt is more relevant pertaining to the topic. All the
interview schedules have 15 questions each so that the interview does not become too
lengthy. It focused on asking questions pertaining to the need for the study.
For the purpose of interpretation, the responses given by the subjects have been
categorized into three items i.e, yes, no and not sure. This was done in order to
analyze the data easily and more effectively. The responses of the subjects have been
represented in the form of graphs for better understanding.
3.8 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Descriptive Statistics: Percentage analysis for the responses given by the stakeholders.
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CHAPTER IV
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 INTRODUCTION
The researcher categorized the interview responses of the stakeholders into three
options to make the analysis easy. The data analysis and interpretation is divided into
four sections, each section discusses one stakeholder.
The data analysis is divided into 4 sections:
Section-1: Interview Responses And Interpretation For Management
Representatives
Section-2: Interview Responses And Interpretation For Teachers
Section-3: Interview Responses And Interpretation For Parents
Section-4: Interview Responses And Interpretation For Children
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4.2 INTERVIEW RESPONSES AND INTERPRETATION FOR
MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVES
Table 4.1: Indicating the categorized responses of the management
representatives.
Sl.No Yes No Not Sure
1 0 45 55
2 35 30 35
3 15 50 35
4 55 25 20
5 75 0 25
6 80 0 20
7 75 0 35
8 5 35 60
9 30 40 30
10 5 85 10
11 0 60 40
12 15 50 35
13 25 25 50
14 5 50 45
15 0 45 55
Figure 4.1: Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the management
representatives.
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Questions
yes
no
not sure
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Question 1: Do you think that a developing country like India can afford the
infrastructure required to implement the RTE in its true spirit?
Question 2: Since RTE children come from weaker sections, how willing are parents
to forgo their children's earning to make them study in schools? Are they willing to
take the risk?
Question 3: Do you think that the 25% reservation in private schools is justified?
Question 4: Do you think that RTE quota in private school is being utilized effectively
by parents? Do you find that many of them drop out after a year or a few months?
Question 5: Do you think that school and the teachers will be able to treat the RTE
students exactly as other students even if you intend to?
Question 6: Do you think that you will be able to give the same infrastructural
facilities to the RTE children?
Question 7: Are you able to sensitize the school employees that they need to give their
100% to ensure that these children come up to the mark?
Question 8: Do you think the RTE children have a complex which affects them in
whatever they do?
Question 9: Do you find communication with RTE parents easy?
Question 10: Have you had instances that RTE parents' behavior has affected your
regular parents/ teachers?
Question 11: Do you feel that the current method of RTE seat allotment is justified?
Question 12: Given an option, would you like to adopt a government school rather
than having RTE children in the regular class ?
Question 13: Do you feel that there is no differentiation between other children and
RTE children in the class? Are they able to manage with ease?
Question 14: Have you observed any socio-economic factor causing problems in
school environment for RTE children?
Question 15: As a management person, do you think this reservation policy is helpful
to the in bringing 100% literacy?
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Responses to question 1:
Fifty five percent of the subjects are not sure about 100% implementation of the act in
its true spirit.
Forty five percent of the subjects think that our country cannot afford the
infrastructure required to implement the act in its true spirit.
None of the subjects think that our country can afford the infrastructure required to
implement the act.
Responses to question 2:
Thirty five percent of the subjects believe that parents are ready to forgo the earnings
brought to home by the children for the purpose of education..
Thirty percent of the subjects believe that there are parents who will not forgo their
children's earning and send them to schools.
Thirty five percent of the subjects are not sure whether the parents will forgo the
children's earnings..
Responses to question 3:
Fifty percent of the subjects think that the reservation policy in private schools is not
justified.
Thirty five percent of the subjects are not sure about the reservation policy in private
schools.
Fifteen percent subjects think that the 25% reservation is justified as the people
belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups also deserve quality education
and this is a small step to achieve bigger goals.
Responses to question 4:
Fifty five percent of the subjects believe that parents are effectively utilizing the RTE
quota. Parents realize the importance of education and make an effort in sending in
their children to school.
Twenty five percent of the subjects think that parents are not utilizing the quota
effectively because they rely on their children's earning for a living and some parents
do not believe in education.
Twenty percent of the subjects are not sure about parents effectively utilizing the act's
provision. Awareness plays a key role.
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Responses to question 5:
Seventy five percent of the subjects think that the school and teachers will treat the
RTE quota kids exactly as other students and not indulge in discrimination.
Twenty five percent of the subjects are not sure whether the school and the teachers
will treat the RTE quota children in par with the other students.
Responses to question 6:
Eighty percent of the subjects think that the facilities are common and provided to all
students.
Twenty percent are not sure whether they can give the same infrastructural facilities to
the RTE children as they may not know hot use it and cause damage.
None of the subjects think that the facilities are not common and provided to the RTE
students.
Responses to question 7:
Seventy percent of the subjects agree that they have been able to sensitize the school
employees that they give their 100% to ensure that these children come up to the
mark.
Thirty percent of the subjects are not sure whether the teachers and school employees
are fully sensitized to ensure that the children come up to mark.
Responses to question 8:
Sixty percent of the subjects are not sure whether RTE children have a complex which
affects them in whatever they do.
Thirty five percent of the subjects think that the RTE children do not have a complex
which may affect them in everything they do.
Five percent of the subjects think that they develop a complex which affects them in
everything they do.
Responses to question 9:
Forty percent of the subjects find it difficult to communicate with the parents of RTE
children.
Thirty percent of the subjects find it easy to communicate with parents of RTE
children.
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Thirty percent of the subjects do not find it easy or difficult to communicate with the
RTE parents.
Responses to question 10:
Eight five percent of the subjects did not have any instances where the behavior of the
RTE parents affected the regular parents or teachers.
Ten percent of the subjects have had instances with the RTE parents but it was minute
and did not affect the regular parents or teachers.
Five percent of the subjects have had instances with RTE parents whose behavior
affected regular parents or teachers.
Responses to question 11:
Sixty percent of the subjects feel that the current method of RTE seat allotment is not
justified.
Forty percent are not sure whether the seat allotment is justified.
Responses to question 12:
Fifty percent of the subjects prefer having RTE children in the regular class than
adopting a government school.
Thirty five percent of the subjects are not sure about whether they would like to adopt
government school or have RTE children in regular classrooms.
Fifteen percent of the subjects prefer adopting government schools rather than having
RTE children in regular classes.
Responses to question 13:
Fifty percent of the subjects cannot say for sure whether there is no differentiation
between RTE children and other children..
Twenty five percent of the subjects think that there is no differentiation between other
children and RTE children.
Twenty five percent of the subjects think that there is a differentiation between RTE
children and other children and they may not cope with the others in class which
makes it difficult to manage in class.
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Responses to question 14:
Fifty percent of the subjects have not observed any socio-economic factors causing
problems in school environment for RTE children.
Forty five percent of the subjects have observed socio economic factors causing
problems in school environment for RTE children but it was not specific to them.
Five percent of the subjects have seen that socio-economic factors cause problems in
the school environment for RTE children.
Responses to question 15:
Fifty five percent of the subjects think that this step will help in partly achieving
100% literacy but cannot be the only mean.
Forty five percent of the subjects do not think that the 25% reservation policy in
private schools is helpful to bring 100% literacy.
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4.3 INTERVIEW RESPONSES AND INTERPRETATION FOR TEACHERS
Table 4.2: Indicating the categorized responses of the teachers.
Figure 4.2: Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the teachers.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Re
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Questions
yes
no
not sure
Sl.No Yes No Not Sure
1 5 80 15
2 75 10 15
3 25 40 35
4 15 50 35
5 25 65 10
6 25 60 15
7 5 90 5
8 95 5 0
9 10 80 10
10 10 80 10
11 25 60 15
12 10 75 15
13 50 15 35
14 65 15 20
15 10 60 30
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Question 1: Do you think that a developing country like India can afford the
infrastructure required to implement the RTE in its true spirit?
Question 2: Has the school sensitized the teachers/employees towards inclusiveness?
Question 3: Will you be able to recognize the issues that may arise and deal with them
confidently and effectively?
Question 4: Would it be possible for a teacher to teach the group of students with
different academic and social levels in the same classroom?
Question 5: Do you think that the School and the teachers will be able to treat RTE
students exactly as others?
Question 6: Is it possible for you to take extra classes / remedial or tuitions afterschool
/before school hours to bring these children up to the level of others in class?
Question 7: Is it fair to put a grade 1 student in the regular class without any prior
knowledge just because of his age according to RTE rules?
Question 8: RTE addresses the education of ages 6-14 years. Do you feel that their
preschool education will be a major concern?
Question 9: Do you find communication with RTE parents easy?
Question 10: Can RTE children communicate easily with you and their classmates
and are they open and happy?
Question 11: Do they submit their assignments regularly and the quality of
assignments are good?
Question 12: Are the RTE children able to understand what is being taught in class?
Are they able to manage with ease?
Question 13: Do you feel that there is no differentiation between other children and
RTE children in the classroom?
Question 14: Have you observed any socio-economic factors causing problems in
classroom environment for RTE children?
Question 15: As a teacher do you think this reservation policy is helpful to the
children?
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Responses to question 1:
Eighty percent of the subjects think that India cannot afford the infrastructure required
to implement the RTE in its true spirit.
Fifteen percent of the subjects are not sure whether India can afford the infrastructure
required to implement in its true spirit.(budget increase)
Five percent of the subjects thinks that India can afford the infrastructure required to
implement the RTE in its true spirit. They also believe that it must if the country
wants to see growth and development.
Responses to question 2:
Seventy five percent of the subjects agree that the school has sensitized its employees
towards inclusiveness.
Fifteen percent of the subjects are not sure if the school has done its best to sensitize
the teachers and employees towards inclusiveness. They have done at a mediocre
level and not 100%.
Ten percent of the subjects think say that the school has not sensitized the teachers
and employees towards inclusiveness.
Responses to question 3:
Forty percent of the subjects think that they cannot recognize the issues that may arise
and deal with them confidently and effectively.
Twenty five percent of the subjects think that they can recognize the issues that may
arise and deal with them confidently and effectively.
Thirty percent of the subjects think that they may or may not recognize the issues that
may arise and deal with them confidently and effectively.
Responses to question 4:
Fifty percent of the subjects said that it is not possible for a teacher to teach the group
of students with different academic and social levels in the same classroom.
Thirty five percent of the subjects said that it may or may not be possible for a teacher
to teach the group of students with different academic and social levels in the same
classroom. It will be based on the support provided by the management.
Fifteen percent of the subjects said that it is possible for a teacher to teach the group
of students with different academic and social levels in the same classroom.
30
Responses to question 5:
Sixty five percent of the subjects think that the School and the teachers will not be
able to treat RTE students exactly as others.
Twenty five percent of the subjects think that the School and the teachers will be able
to treat RTE students exactly as others.
Ten percent of the subjects think that the School and the teachers may or may not be
able to treat RTE students exactly as others. It depends on individuals as well and not
just the whole group.
Responses to question 6:
Sixty percent of the subjects think that it is not possible for them to take extra classes /
remedial classes after school /before school hours to bring these children up to the
level of others in class.
Twenty five percent of the subjects think that it is possible for them to take extra
classes / remedial classes after school /before school hours to bring these children up
to the level of others in class.
Fifteen percent of the subjects think that it may or may not be possible for them to
take extra classes / remedial classes after school /before school hours to bring these
children up to the level of others in class. Not all teachers can dedicate their time
before and after school hours. So it is again individual basis.
Responses to question 7:
Ninety percent of the subjects think that it is not fair to put a grade 1 student in the
regular class without any prior knowledge just because of his age according to RTE
rules.
Five percent of the subjects think that it is fair to put a grade 1 student in the regular
class without any prior knowledge just because of his age according to RTE rules.
Five percent of the subjects think that it may or may not be fair to put a grade 1
student in the regular class without any prior knowledge just because of his age
according to RTE rules. It solely depends on the child's capacity.
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Responses to question 8:
Ninety five percent of the subjects think that their preschool education will be a major
concern. Having a background is necessary in the present education scenario.
Children start attending Montessori or preschool from the age of 2.
Five percent of the subjects think that their preschool education will not be a major
concern.
Responses to question 9:
Eighty percent of the subjects feel that communication with RTE parents is not easy.
Ten percent of the subjects feel that communication with RTE parents is easy.
Ten percent of the subjects are not sure whether the communication with RTE parents
is easy. Some people know the language and some people do not. So it depends on the
languages known to the parents. It is hard to communicate with some parents and easy
with others.
Responses to question 10:
Eighty percent of the subjects feel that RTE children cannot communicate easily with
them and their classmates and are open and happy. They are more reserved and keep
to themselves because they cannot communicate. They are left out by their peers
sometimes.
Ten percent of the subjects feel that RTE children communicate easily with them and
their classmates and are open and happy. They have some language skills.
Ten percent of the subjects feel that RTE children may or may not be able to
communicate easily with them and their classmates and are open and happy.
Responses to question 11:
Sixty percent of the subjects say that the RTE children do not submit their
assignments regularly and the quality of assignments are not up to the mark.
Twenty five percent of the subjects say that the RTE children submit their
assignments regularly and the quality of assignments are good.
Fifteen percent of the subjects say that some RTE children submit their assignments
regularly and some do not. The quality of assignments differ from one child to
another. Some submit good work and some do not.
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Responses to question 12:
Seventy five percent of the subjects think that RTE children are not able to understand
what is being taught in class and they are not able to manage with ease.
Fifteen percent of the subjects are not sure whether RTE children are able to
understand what is being taught in class and whether they are able to manage with
ease.
Ten percent of the subjects think that RTE children are able to understand what is
being taught in class and they are able to manage with ease.
Responses to question 13:
Fifty percent of the subjects feel that there is no differentiation between other children
and RTE children in the classroom.
Thirty five percent of the subjects feel that there may or may not be differentiation
between other children and RTE children in the classroom.
Fifteen percent of the subjects feel that there is a differentiation between other
children and RTE children in the classroom.
Responses to question 14:
Sixty five percent of the subjects say that they have observed socio-economic factors
causing problems in classroom environment for RTE children.
Twenty percent of the subjects say that they are not completely sure about socio-
economic factors causing problems in classroom environment for RTE children.
Fifteen percent of the subjects say that they have not observed socio-economic factors
causing problems in classroom environment for RTE children.
Responses to question 15:
Sixty percent of the subjects think that reservation policy is not helpful to the children
in terms of gaining actual knowledge and skills.
Thirty percent of the subjects think that reservation policy may or may not be helpful
to the children.
Ten percent of the subjects think that reservation policy is helpful to the children.
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4.4 INTERVIEW RESPONSES AND INTERPRETATION FOR PARENTS.
Table 4.3: Indicating the categorized responses of parents of the RTE children.
Sl.No Yes No Not Sure
1 86 14 0
2 34 33 33
3 34 50 16
4 8 66 26
5 50 34 16
6 16 66 18
7 18 66 16
8 6 86 8
9 7 93 0
10 33 50 17
11 76 10 14
12 8 86 6
13 24 66 10
14 35 29 36
15 33 31 36
Figure 4.3: Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the parents of the
RTE children.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Questions
yes
no
not sure
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Question 1: Were you aware of RTE policy and how?
Question 2: Did the school treat you well and explained everything when you
approached for admission?
Question 3: Do you think that the school and teachers are treating your child equally
as others?
Question 4: Do you think that your child is coping well with the academic demand?
Question 5: Do you think that your child is developing any kind of complex because
he/she is not able to come up to the non RTE children’s level?
Question 6: Is your child able to do homework without any help?
Question 7: Do teachers take extra effort to help your child at school?
Question 8: Are you comfortable to go for PTMs at school?
Question 9: Do you find it easy to talk to your child’s teachers?
Question 10: Do you feel that it would have been better if your child was at a
government school?
Question 11: Do you get pressurized by your child’s demands to compete with other
children in class?
Question 12: Are you able to manage with school communication in the form of
SMS’s, emails, management systems etc?
Question 13: Is your child getting good marks and progressing well academically?
Question 14: Have you observed any depression or sadness in your child?
Question 15: Is the overall school environment comfortable and encouraging for you?
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Responses to question 1:
Eighty six percent of the subjects said that they were aware of RTE policy's
reservation in private schools.
Fourteen percent of the subjects said that they were not aware of RTE policy's
reservation in private schools.
Responses to question 2:
Thirty four percent of the subjects said that the school treated them well and explained
everything properly when they approached the school for admission.
Thirty three percent of the subjects said that the school did not treat them well and did
not explain properly when they approached the school for admission.
Thirty three percent of the subjects said that the school treated them decently but not
with great hospitality and they did not proper details regarding the admission process.
Responses to question 3:
Fifty percent of the subjects think that the school and teachers are not treating their
child equally as others.
Thirty four percent of the subjects think that the school and teachers are treating their
child equally as others.
Sixteen percent of the subjects are not sure that the school and teachers are treating
their child equally as others. It depends from teacher to teacher.
Responses to question 4:
Sixty six percent of the subjects think that their child is not coping well with the
academic demand posed by the school.
Twenty six percent of the subjects think that their child is partly coping with the
academic demand posed by the school.
Eight percent of the subjects think that their child is coping well with the academic
demand posed by the school.
Responses to question 5:
Fifty percent of the subjects think that their child is developing a kind of complex
because he/she is not able to come up to the non RTE children’s level.
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Thirty four percent of the subjects think that their child is not developing a kind of
complex because he/she is not able to come up to the non RTE children’s level.
Sixteen percent of the subjects said that they are not sure if their child is developing a
kind of complex because he/she is not able to come up to the non RTE children’s
level.
Responses to question 6:
Sixty six percent of the subjects said that their child is not able to do homework
without any help.
Eighteen percent of the subjects said that their child is sometimes able to do
homework without any help and sometimes finds it difficult.
Sixteen percent of the subjects said that their child is able to do homework without
any help.
Responses to question 7:
Sixty six percent of the subjects feel that teachers do not take any extra effort to help
their child at school.
Eighteen percent of the subjects feel that teachers do take extra effort to help their
child at school.
Sixteen percent of the subjects feel that some teachers take an extra effort to help their
child at school and some do not.
Responses to question 8:
Eighty six percent of the subjects said that they are not comfortable to go for PTMs at
school.
Eight percent of the subjects said that they may or may not be comfortable to go for
PTMs at school.
Six percent of the subjects said that they are comfortable to go for PTMs at school.
Responses to question 9:
Ninety three percent of the subjects said that they do not find it easy to talk to your
child’s teachers.
Seven percent of the subjects said that they find it easy to talk to your child’s teachers.
37
Responses to question 10:
Fifty percent of the subjects do not think that it would have been better if their child
was in a government school.
Thirty three percent of the subjects feel that it would have been better if their child
was in a government school.
Seven percent of the subjects are not sure whether it would have been better if their
child was in a government school.
Responses to question 11:
Seventy six percent of the subjects said that they get pressurized by their child’s
demands to compete with other children in class.
Fourteen percent of the subjects said that they do not exactly pressurized by their
child’s demands to compete with other children in class. Their children ask for things
but do not demand.
Ten percent of the subjects said that they do not get pressurized by their child’s
demands to compete with other children in class.
Responses to question 12:
Eighty six percent of the subjects said that they are not able to manage with school
communication in the form of SMS’s, emails and management systems.
Eight percent of the subjects said that they are able to manage with school
communication in the form of SMS’s, emails and management systems.
Six percent of the subjects said that they are able to manage only some forms of
communication with the school and not all.
Responses to question 13:
Sixty six percent of the subjects said that their child is not getting good marks and is
not progressing well academically.
Twenty four percent of the subjects said that their child is getting good marks and is
progressing well academically.
Ten percent of the subjects said that their child is getting good marks in some subjects
but not all and academic progress is below average.
38
Responses to question 14:
Thirty six percent of the subjects they are not sure whether they have observed any
depression or sadness in their child.
Thirty five percent of the subjects said that they have observed depression or sadness
in their child.
Twenty nine percent of the subjects said that they have not observed any depression
or sadness in their child.
Responses to question 15:
Thirty six percent of the subjects said that the overall school environment is
comfortable and encouraging for them.
Thirty three percent of the subjects said that the overall school environment is not
entirely comfortable but not uncomfortable at the same time.
Thirty one percent of the subjects said that the overall school environment is not
comfortable and encouraging for them.
39
4.5 INTERVIEW RESPONSES AND INTERPRETATION FOR STUDENTS.
Table 4.4: Indicating the categorized responses of the RTE children.
Figure 4.4: Bar Graph of the categorized responses given by the RTE children.
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Re
spo
nse
s in
pe
rce
nta
ge
Questions
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sl.No Yes No Not Sure
1 30 50 20
2 7 93 0
3 67 20 13
4 10 70 20
5 8 83 9
6 16 76 8
7 67 33 0
8 16 80 4
9 16 80 4
10 0 84 16
11 36 46 18
12 66 34 0
13 50 33 17
14 33 59 8
15 36 56 8
40
Question 1: Are you happy coming to the school?
Question 2: Did you attend any other school before this school?
Question 3: Are your teachers friendly and treat you well?
Question 4: Do you understand what the teachers teach in class?
Question 5: Are you able to do homework at home without any help?
Question 6: Do your classmates treat you well?
Question 7: Do you feel sad anytime at school?
Question 8: Do you find it easy to talk to the teachers?
Question 9: Do you find it easy to talk and share with your classmates?
Question 10: Are the examinations easy for you? Do you feel if someone helped at
home, you would do better?
Question 11: Do you participate in all the games along with your classmates?
Question 12: Have you ever felt that you are left out for anything?
Question 13: Do teachers help you during free periods or when you ask for help?
Question 14: Are you given class monitor-ship or any other responsibility?
Question 15: Is the overall environment comfortable and encouraging for you?
41
Responses to question1:
Fifty percent of the subjects do not like coming to school.
Thirty percent of the subjects like coming to school.
Twenty percent of the subjects are not sure if they like coming to school.
Responses to question 2:
Ninety three percent of the subjects did not attend any other school before this school.
Seven percent of the subjects attended another school before this school.
Responses to question 3:
Sixty seven percent of the subjects said that the teachers friendly and treat them you
well.
Twenty percent of the subjects said that the teachers are not friendly with them and do
not treat them you well.
Thirteen percent of the subjects are not sure if the teachers are friendly and treat them
you well.
Responses to question 4:
Seventy percent of the subjects said that they do not understand what the teachers
teach in class.
Twenty percent of the subjects said that they do not understanding everything the
teachers teach in class. They understand some and do not understand some.
Ten percent of the subjects said that they understand what the teachers teach in class.
Responses to question 5:
Eighty three percent of the subjects said that they are not able to do homework at
home without any help.
Nine percent of the subjects said that they are not sure if they are able to do
homework at home without any help.
Eight percent of the subjects said that they are able to do homework at home without
any help.
Responses to question 6:
Seventy six percent of the subjects said that their classmates do not treat them well.
42
Sixteen percent of the subjects said that their classmates do not treat them well.
Eight percent of the subjects said that their classmates do not treat them well.
Responses to question 7:
Sixty seven percent of the subjects said that they do feel sad sometimes in school.
Thirty three percent of the subjects said that they do not feel sad in school.
Responses to question 8:
Eighty percent of the subjects said that it is not easy to talk to the teachers.
Sixteen percent of the subjects said that it is easy to talk to the teachers.
Four percent of the subjects said that it is not easy to talk to all the teachers. It is easy
to talk to some and difficult to talk to others.
Responses to question 9:
Eighty percent of the subjects said that they do not find it easy to talk and share with
their classmates.
Sixteen percent of the subjects said that they do find it easy to talk and share with
their classmates.
Four percent of the subjects said that they do not find it easy or difficult to talk and
share with their classmates. It depends from who they are interacting with.
Responses to question 10:
Eighty four percent of the subjects said that the examinations was not easy for them
and would have done better if they received help at home.
Sixteen percent of the subjects said that the examinations was not easy or difficult for
them and are not sure if they would have done better if they received help at home.
Responses to question 11:
Forty six percent of the subjects said that they do not participate in all the games
along with their classmates.
Eighteen percent of the subjects said that they participate sometimes in some the
games along with their classmates.
Thirty six percent of the subjects said that they participate in all the games along with
their classmates.
43
Responses to question 12:
Sixty six percent of the subjects said that they felt left out sometimes.
Thirty four percent of the subjects said that they never felt left out for anything.
Responses to question 13:
Fifty percent of the subjects said that the teachers help them during free periods or
when they ask for help based on availability.
Thirty three percent of the subjects said that the teachers do not help them during free
periods or when they ask for help based on availability.
Seventeen percent of the subjects said that only a few teachers help them during free
periods and other teachers do not make an effort to help them.
Responses to question 14:
Fifty nine percent of the subjects said that they are given class monitor-ship or other
responsibilities.
Thirty three percent of the subjects said that they are not given class monitor-ship or
other responsibilities.
Eight percent of the subjects said that they are not given class monitor-ship but given
few other responsibilities.
Responses to question 15:
Fifty six percent of the subjects said that the overall environment is not comfortable
and encouraging for them.
Thirty six percent of the subjects said that the overall environment is comfortable and
encouraging for them.
Eight percent of the subjects said that the overall environment is comfortable and
encouraging for them sometimes but not all the time.
44
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
5.1 INTRODUCTION
Since time immemorial, education in India has been an exclusive right of higher caste
people or the elite class of the society and was limited only to a small section of
society. Though there were compulsory education laws during British rule, not much
of progress was made in this direction as British government did have any need to
implement this strictly. After independence, Article 45 of the newly framed
Constitution stated that “the State shall endeavor to provide within a period of 10
years from the commencement of the Constitution, free and compulsory education to
all children until they complete the age of 14 years." Even then, there was not much
of progress that was expected to happen. In 1968, National Policy on Education was
framed which spoke about Indian government's commitment towards elementary
education and National policy of education of 1986 and 1990 recommended to
include RTE as a fundamental right in Indian constitution. Based on this
recommendation, National policy on Education 1992 was formulated. India also
signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in 1992 and started the
process of adopting legislation to make education a fundamental right of the child.
The passing of the act which enables Children to get Free and Compulsory Education
in 2009 marks a historic moment for the children of India. For the first time in India’s
history, children will be guaranteed their right to quality elementary education by the
state with the help of families and communities.
The Right to Education Act (RTE), is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted on 4
August 2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and
compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of
the Indian Constitution. The enforcement of this right is a joint responsibility of the
state and the centre to provide free and compulsory education. Free and compulsory
education means that," All children between the ages of 6 and 14 shall have the right
to free and compulsory elementary education at a neighborhood school. There is no
direct (school fees) or indirect cost (uniforms, textbooks, mid-day meals,
45
transportation) to be borne by the child or the parents to obtain elementary education.
The government will provide schooling free-of-cost until a child’s elementary
education is completed." (UNICEF, India)
Though there were differences in the implementation policies of different states, there
was a general consensus on the need to implement the same centre became serious
about the implementation in 2012. State governments were forced to implement the
same in all the public aided / unaided schools without fail. The right to free and
compulsory education has proven to be a big challenge to the nation. The
implementation will not be effective unless all the agencies involved work together to
achieve the ultimate goal to universalizing education. It has been 4 years since the Act
was passed and there is still a long road that lies ahead. Not many people are still fully
aware of this Act and its provisions.
This Act serves as a building block to ensure that every child has his or her right (as a
right) to get a good quality elementary education and the State with the help of
families and communities, fulfil the what the act aims at achieving. The key features
of the Act are that it makes education a fundamental right of every child between the
age of 6 to 14. It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children who
belong to disadvantaged groups and weaker section of the society and provide free
and compulsory education till its completion (the money spent on the children is to be
reimbursed by the state as part of the public-private partnership plan). All schools
except private unaided schools are to be managed by School Management
Committees with 75 per cent parents and guardians as members. All schools except
government schools are required to be recognized by meeting specified norms and
standards within 3 years to avoid closure.
In this research the focus is on the 25% reservation in private schools for the
disadvantages groups and weaker sections of the society. It studies the benefits,
challenges and feasibility of the reservation.
5.2 NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY
Promotion of education is important for individual and social well being. Keeping all
these factors in mind, the government made education a right of every child. The RTE
46
act came into place to ensure that every child gets an education and is not deprived of
it because of the lack of economic resources or the presence of a disability. Though
the intentions of the act and policy is impeccable, it becomes necessary to understand
the practical difficulties faced by all the stakeholders on ground and the feasibility of
this clause . the main focus in this research is the 25% reservation quota in private
schools for disadvantaged children and children from weaker sections of the society.
Education in India is now under heavy strain. The national scenario is characterized
by the growing illiteracy, unabated dropout rates in elementary education and high
absenteeism. The government chose the public-private partnership as it could not
cater to the large population of the country by itself. This suddenly became a burden
of private schools. They had to undertake this responsibility upon them as the
government could not handle the situation all by themselves.
When we look at the Act's reservation just as another member of the society it sounds
all pleasing and looks like it will change the face of education in the country and the
children are going to come out of this with flying colors. When you look closely at the
way the act functions, you begin to doubt its credibility. Yes this act is helping
children get an education but to what extent are they actually learning the content
prescribed by the boards in schools they go to. They can move on from one grade to
another even if they fail to pass in the examinations. There are chances for schools to
ignore their academic progress which will result in namesake education and not a real
education.
The free education in private schools is only from 6 to 14 years of age. After 14 years,
which will be 8th grade, the children either have to pay fees, dropout of school or join
in a government school. This puts pressure on children who want to continue studying
but their parents cannot afford it. The RTE children join in the school in the 1st
standard and go on till the 8th standard. They may not have the same background as
the other children in the classroom which will be a drawback or a barrier for their
learning. They will not be able to cope with the class like their peers and may be
disoriented.
Language barrier is another issue faced by the students and teachers. The medium of
47
instruction for most private schools is English. Children coming from disadvantaged
and weaker sections of the society may not even know the language. Unless the
teachers in class know their native language they might have trouble communicating.
These children who enroll in private schools may not come from a stable education
and economic background. Their children might even be the first ones in the family to
receive an education. When they need help doing homework, to study for exams or
clearing doubts outside school, it will be problem. They do not have anyone in their
house to help them and seek external help. When the Act looks at helping the
disadvantaged groups and weaker sections, this proves to be a drawback for them.
The income line for which parents can enroll their children under the 25% reservation
is 3,60,000 rupees. This income line is too high. There are many people who are way
below the present qualifying income line. They need the seats as they cannot afford it
anywhere else. Opportunity for the weaker sections is again largely reduced.
There is a high scope for malpractice in this Act. People get low income certificates
by paying a bribe and get free education for their children even though they can afford
it. This way people who actually need the seat lose out on the opportunity. Some
parents even pay bribe to schools and other officials to get the free seat instead of
another child in the school they desire.
The reimbursement based on per child expenditure in government schools may lead to
schools to raise their fees to overcome the increased expenses which will in turn be a
burden on the parents of the non quota students.
The information collected becomes very significant as we can have deep insights into
the status of achievement of goals by implementation of the act. It also provides a
provision to analyze status of implementation of RTE, awareness and understanding
of the provisions of RTE amongst management, teachers and parents of children
studying private schools and the challenges each stakeholder is facing. Through this
study we will know if the Act is helping the children actually or it is a failed attempt.
48
It also helps us to understand how much of real awareness exists as a whole - a parent
being aware of their rights, the awareness of management and teachers, their attitude,
accountability and make all of them take an active role in the enforcement of steps
necessary for the implementation of this act resulting in reaching the very goal of this
act.
5.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The Issues Relating to RTE Implementation and Challenges- A Qualitative Study
This study explores the 25% reservation quota in private schools for disadvantaged
children and children from weaker sections of the society. It tries to understand the
benefits and challenges of the policy.
5.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To check the awareness levels among teachers, parents, children and school
management.
2. To explore and report the views of stake holders on the RTE's reservation
policy.
3. To understand the various methods and approaches for the implementation of
the provision.
4. To understand the key challenges, benefits and the feasibility of the 25%
reservation in private schools.
5. To find remedial measures to benefit the children more from the provision.
6. To give suggestions for the effectiveness of the Act.
5.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study is designed to investigate the status of the implementation of the RTE Act
with regard to the 25% reservation for weak and disadvantaged sections of the society
in private schools. It also analyzes the advantages, benefits, loopholes and pain points
of management, teachers, children and parents. It is a descriptive study and the data
was collected using interview schedules. The research includes collection of data from
49
8 schools in Bangalore in the form of interviews. The interviews were conducted with
all the stake holders namely management staff, teachers, parents and students. The
total sample size is 100 members, which includes 30 parents, 30 students, 20 teachers
and 20 management staff.
5.6 FINDINGS
An attempt has been made to study the opinion of stakeholders regarding the issues of
the implementation of the 25% reservation quota for the disadvantaged groups and
weaker sections of the society in private schools according to the RTE Act. This
research was done to understand the problems or issues faced by the stakeholders and
to try and give solutions to the problems identified.
The findings of the study are categorized into four sections to connect them to the
objectives of the study.
5.6.1 Section 1: Findings of the study on the awareness level of the stakeholders.
1. Seventy percent of the management representatives agree that they have been able
to sensitize the school employees that they give their 100% to ensure that these
children come up to the mark. Workshops and meetings have been held by the
school to sensitize the teachers and staff about the RTE children. Teachers are told
to ignore social or economic background of all children.
2. Seventy five percent of the teachers agree that the school has sensitized its
employees towards inclusiveness. The school has arranged workshops during the
holidays and conducts various meetings at regular intervals to sensitize the
employees towards inclusiveness.
3. Forty percent of the teachers think that they cannot recognize the issues that may
arise and deal with them confidently and effectively. Teachers have not been
trained to cope with these kind of situations in a classroom. Many RTE children
do not have any educational background. They may have many problems and do
not communicate about it. So the teacher may not recognize the problem and if
she is not trained properly, she may not be able to deal with the problem.
50
4. Eighty six percent of the parents said that they were aware of RTE policy's
reservation in private schools. They got to know about the policy from
newspapers, news channels and well wishers.
5.6.2 Section 2: Findings of the study on the views of the stakeholders.
1. Thirty five percent of the management representatives subjects believe that
parents are ready to forgo the earnings brought to home by the children for the
purpose of education. Education is the priority of many families. They have been
made aware of the importance of education. They look at it as form of returns and
do not mind forgoing the children's earning. They are some other parents on the
other hand who will not forsake the earnings. They need the money for their
survival.
2. Fifty percent of the management representatives think that the 25% reservation
policy in private schools is not justified. They feel that it poses to be a big burden
on the school. Extra responsibility and extra expenditure will be incurred by the
school and the school does not benefit from it in any way.
3. Fifty five percent of the management representatives think that this step will help
in partly achieving 100% literacy but cannot be the only mean. The act will not
help in achieving 100% literacy as private schools are not there in every nook and
corner of the country. It will definitely help in increasing literacy but not 100%.
Some parents might not send their children to study. They prefer them to work but
this is fast changing.
4. Eighty percent of the teachers think that India cannot afford the infrastructure
required to implement the RTE in its true spirit. The budget allocated for
education is very less when compared to various developing countries. For a
country as big as India, the budget has to be higher. The population seeking
primary education is very high and the country's budget and various policies does
not allow it to afford the required infrastructure to implement the RTE in its true
spirit.
5. Sixty percent of the teachers think that it is not possible for them to take extra
classes / remedial classes after school /before school hours to bring these children
up to the level of others in class. A teacher's job is not limited to teaching in a
51
classroom. There are various other responsibilities to be fulfilled before leaving
the school premises. So it will be difficult for teachers to conduct remedial classes
after school hours. Teachers will not get an extra pay for putting extra effort.
Without incentive it is difficult to go out of the way.
6. Ninety percent of the teachers think that it is not fair to put a grade 1 student in the
regular class without any prior knowledge just because of his age according to
RTE rules. All the regular children in the classroom have been to an educational
institute, be it Montessori schools or play schools. Pre- primary education has
become a part of the society. They develop a lot of knowledge at an earlier age.
Without this background, the RTE children will not be of the same level as the
other children in the classroom. This affects their academic progress and also
becomes a burden on the teachers.
7. Seventy five percent of the teachers think that RTE children are not able to
understand what is being taught in class and they are not able to manage with
ease. Language is a barrier again in this case. The medium of instruction is
English and children who do not know the language properly find it difficult to
comprehend what is being taught in class. As a result the child's academic
performance takes a toll. Unless they get external help, they cannot perform with
ease.
8. Thirty four percent of the parents said that the school treated them well and
explained everything properly when they approached the school for admission.
The school staff explained the details of the policy and told them what is expected
of them.
9. Fifty percent of the parents think that the school and teachers are not treating their
child equally as others. There is a small amount of difference observed in the way
they talk to their children and the way they treat them.
10. Fifty percent of the parents think that their child is developing a kind of complex
because he/she is not able to come up to the non RTE children’s level. The non
RTE children come from better economic backgrounds. They carry fancy items or
better lunch, this sometimes affects the RTE children.
11. Sixty six percent of the parents feel that teachers do not take any extra effort to
help their child at school. RTE children need extra help outside class as they do
not have the proper basic foundation. Teachers are not willing to stay after school
52
hours and help these children who find it difficult to cope with the rest of the
class.
12. Eighty six percent of the parents said that they are not comfortable to go for PTMs
at school. They cannot speak to the teachers freely as they do not know the
language. Sometimes they also feel inferior among the other parents present at the
PTM.
13. Fifty percent of the parents do not think that it would have been better if their
child was in a government school. Government schools are low in quality and do
not offer infrastructure and facilities like the private schools. Private schools
provide a better environment for development of the child.
14. Sixty seven percent of the children said that the teachers are friendly and treat
them well. The teachers do not discriminate in class. They are encouraging and
understanding.
15. Seventy six percent of the children said that their classmates do not treat them
well. They leave them out or do not involve them in games or activities during
breaks or free periods. Sometimes they get bullied and other students make fun of
them. The low status of the children is picked upon by the other regular children.
16. Sixty seven percent of the children said that they do feel sad sometimes in school.
They feel left out sometimes or feel that they do not fit in. some of them do not
enjoy coming to school. Various such reasons contribute to their sadness.
17. Eighty percent of the children said that it is not easy to talk to the teachers.
Language plays a barrier in this case. Some of the children are not able to
communicate their thoughts and in other cases the teachers are not willing to
listen. These factors make it difficult for the children to talk to the teachers easily.
18. Eighty percent of the children said that they do not find it easy to talk and share
with their classmates. Some of the classmates discriminate them based on
appearance and the kind of things they carry to school. Language is a barrier in
this case as well. These factors make the children find it difficult to talk to their
classmates.
19. Sixty six percent of the children said that they felt left out sometimes. The
children in the class do not always involve them in play or during activities. When
it's not teacher monitored activities, they do not get to join them. Students do feel
left out sometimes.
53
5.6.3 Section 3: Findings of the study on the challenges faced by the stakeholders.
1. Sixty percent of the management representatives are not sure whether RTE
children have a complex which affects them in whatever they do. Even among
RTE children, they all come from different backgrounds. Some kids develop a
complex and some kids do not. It is entirely dependent on each individual child's
background, be it social, economical, etc.
2. Forty percent of the management representatives find it difficult to communicate
with the parents of RTE children. Parents of RTE children do not know English
language. It is difficult to make them understand things unless spoken in their
language. They take the help of other staff who know the language to
communicate. Direct communication is difficult.
3. Sixty percent of the management representatives feel that the current method of
RTE seat allotment in private schools is not justified. The seat allotment is
reserved for various categories. The reservation which was supposed to help the
needy get quality education becomes narrow. Equal opportunity in a reservation is
lost.
4. Fifty percent of the management representatives cannot say for sure whether there
is no differentiation between RTE children and other children. Differentiation and
discrimination goes down to an individual level. The school as a whole will not
differentiate the children but individual teachers or other staff members may
differentiate. It depends on the individuals in the school and nothing can be said
for sure about it.
5. Fifty percent of the teachers said that it is not possible for a teacher to teach the
group of students with different academic and social levels in the same classroom.
Not all teachers are equipped with skills to identify and teach slow learners. All
children are never of the same level, but too much difference or gap between
learners makes it difficult for the teachers to teach in a classroom.
6. Sixty five percent of the teachers think that the School and the teachers will not be
able to treat RTE students exactly as others. The fact that these children come
from a lower status in the society and do not pay fees there is a possibility that
school and teachers won't treat the RTE children exactly as others. No one is
accountable for the academic progress of these children and hence they may be
neglected at times. The children also come from different educational background
54
and this poses to be a barrier for teachers to treat them same as the regular
children.
7. Ninety five percent of the teachers think that the preschool education of RTE
children will be a major concern. Having a background is necessary in the present
education scenario. Children start attending Montessori or preschool from the age
of 2 and learn various things. In a way they are prepared for grade 1 and equipped
with knowledge. RTE children may not have that and that becomes a concern.
8. Eighty percent of the teachers feel that communication with RTE parents is not
easy. Language plays a huge barrier. When parents do not know English and the
teacher does not know their language, it is difficult to communicate with them.
Most parents do not know English as they come from a lower strata of the society
and have not received any education.
9. Eighty percent of the teachers feel that RTE children cannot communicate easily
with them and their classmates and are open and happy. They are more reserved
and keep to themselves because they cannot communicate or are not comfortable.
They are sometimes left out by their peers. Other than language, the socio-
economic status also proves to be a barrier.
10. Sixty percent of the teachers say that the RTE children do not submit their
assignments regularly and the quality of assignments are not up to the mark. These
children do not understand everything being taught in class due to various reasons.
They require help to complete their homework. Most of their parents are not
educated and cannot help in this aspect. So without external help their assignments
are not up to the mark or are not submitted at all.
11. Sixty percent of the teachers think that reservation policy is not helpful to the
children in terms of gaining actual knowledge and skills. Children are exposed to
the school system and develop in various aspects by coming to the school but they
are not gaining the actual academical knowledge that is expected of them.
Language and basic foundation being a barrier hinders the growth of academical
knowledge.
12. Sixty six percent of the parents say that their child is not coping well with the
academic demand posed by the school. They get low marks in the exams or tests
conducted in the school.
13. Sixty six percent of the parents said that their child is not able to do homework
without any help. The children cannot understand everything taught in class and
55
sometimes do not know what to do for homework. They need extra help to do the
homework.
14. Ninety three percent of the parents said that they do not find it easy to talk to their
child’s teachers. The teachers do not know the language of the parents and the
parents do not know the language of the parents. Some teachers are able to talk in
the language known to the parents but most of them do not know.
15. Eighty six percent of the parents said that they are not able to manage with school
communication in the form of SMS’s, emails and management systems. Parents of
RTE children are not tech savvy. They cannot manage the school's form of
communication and seek alternative methods. Most schools use various kinds of
technology for communication.
16. Sixty six percent of the parents said that their child is not getting good marks and
is not progressing well academically. The children cannot comprehend everything
being taught in class and they are not getting any help at home. This results in
poor performance of the students. Parents are also uneducated and cannot help
their children perform better.
17. Thirty six percent of the parents said that they are not sure whether they have
observed any depression or sadness in their child. Depression is a difficult thing to
spot or identify. Only when the children are ready to express can depression be
understood. Children are happy one day and sad another. It becomes difficult to
judge them by mere observations.
18. Fifty percent of the children do not like coming to school. They feel left out and
cannot socialize properly with their classmates. Also they are not able to cope
with the academical pressure.
19. Seventy percent of the children said that they do not understand what the teachers
teach in class. They do not have solid foundation or some basic knowledge like
the other children. They are first time learners and find it difficult to understand
what is being taught in class. Along with the lack of a foundation, they also don’t
understand the language of instruction properly.
20. Eighty three percent of the children said that they are not able to do homework at
home without any help. Everything taught in class is not understood by the
students. The medium of instruction itself is out of the comfort zone. So they need
extra help in understanding the content and completing the homework.
56
21. Eighty four percent of the children said that the examinations were not easy for
them and would have done better if they received help at home. They felt that they
didn’t understand the subject very well and hence could not perform well in
examinations. They feel that if they got external help from parents or tuitions, they
could perform better.
22. Fifty six percent of the children said that the overall environment is not
comfortable and encouraging for them. Students and some teachers are
discriminative and make it hard to be normal in class. They find it difficult to cope
with academics and understand the language used to instruct.
5.6.4 Section 4: Findings of the study on the benefits of the RTE policy.
1. Seventy five percent of the management representatives think that the school and
teachers will treat the RTE quota kids exactly as other students and not indulge in
discrimination. Students are students at the end of the day. Teachers and other
school staff will treat them as regular children.
2. Fifty percent of the management representatives have not observed any socio-
economic factors causing problems in school environment for RTE children. The
school environment as whole is not affected by socio-economic factors. Children
do not bring out their differences out in the open. There might be problems among
individuals because of socio-economic factors but it has not been observed that
the school environment being disturbed because of it.
3. Eight five percent of the management representatives did not have any instances
where the behavior of the RTE parents affected the regular parents or teachers.
The parents are well behaved and respect the institution in which their children
study. They do not do anything to disrupt the environment or disrespect anyone.
4. Fifty nine percent of the children said that they are given class monitor-ship or
other responsibilities. The duty is on rotation and this way all children get a turn
irrespective of their status. There is no single leader. The children learn to be
leaders and grow holistically.
5. Fifty percent of the children said that the teachers help them during free periods or
when they ask for help based on availability. Teachers are helpful when students
57
approach them in the free hours. They sometimes stay back in school to help the
students.
5.7 EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
The following educational implications are drawn from the review of literature and
findings of the study.
1. Reduce burden on private schools from 25% to 15%. This way management will
not incur too much expenditure. This will in turn reduce the burden on the parents
which is in the form of increased tuition fee.
2. There should be a centralized system of allotting children who fall under the
RTE's 25% reservation policy in private schools. This will ensure equal
opportunity and the corruption involved will be curbed.
3. From the study it has been understood that the subjects thinks the seat allotment is
justified. Remove reservations for various groups in the 25% reservation. This
reservation aims at providing education to the underprivileged and disadvantaged
children so having reservations in a reservation is not fair.
4. The government should conduct training workshops to sensitize the school staff to
the RTE children, understand their needs and help them cope with regular school
system.
5. The government could provide funds to private schools who would like to take
some extra classes after school hours for the RTE children to help them come to
the level of the regular children in the class.
6. Schools can devise some programs where they can help the RTE children come to
the level of the other children in the class.
7. The income line under which parents can admit their children under the
reservation in private schools is high and should be reduced. The opportunity is
diluted for those who really need the free education and in no way can afford it.
8. Documents submitted by parents for the admission process have to be
crosschecked and verified by the school or government to make sure that fake
documents are not provided. People who really need it should benefit from it and
not the people who are misusing the act.
58
9. Counselors should be stationed in every school and help the RTE children as well.
Help these children cope with any form of stress or other psychological issues.
RTE children should not be deprived of meeting with the counselor.
10. From the study it has been observed that children discriminate based on the status
of a child. Students should be sensitized to respect children coming from all
backgrounds. They should be taught to not discriminate and treat everyone equally
irrespective of their skills, social and economic background.
11. From the study we can see that medium of instruction in private schools is English
and this is a huge barrier for the RTE children to comprehend what is being taught
in classes. The school could conduct English classes for these children so that they
learn the language and can cope with the classes. The school may take a nominal
fee to cover a few costs.
12. A developing country like India needs to focus on providing good quality
education for the children to go up to the level of the developed countries. The
budget allocated for education in the annual budget is low. The budget allotted for
education as a whole should be increased, specifically for the RTE policy
implementation.
5.8 DELIMITATIONS OF MY RESEARCH
1. Present study covers very small sample of private schools in Bangalore as not
many schools want to disclose this information.
2. There is no guarantee for the responses given by the samples under the study.
They may be fabricated or biased.
3. The present study is a small effort to bring in the understanding of the actual
situation of RTE Act's implementation and suggest probable measures which can
improve the benefits to the children whom it is meant.
5.9 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
1. The study can be expanded to other parts of Karnataka to understand the
challenges and benefits of the RTE Act in the whole state.
2. The study can be expanded to other parts of India to understand the challenges
and benefits of the RTE Act in the whole country.
59
3. A study can be conducted to understand the implementation level of the RTE Act
in the country.
4. A similar study can be conducted using a larger sample of stakeholders.
5.10 CONCLUSION
The present study analyzed the 25% reservation of seats for disadvantaged and
weaker sections of the society in private schools under the RTE Act. It studied the
benefits, challenges, feasibility of the reservation and the views of the stakeholders,
namely management representatives of private schools, teachers in private schools,
parents of children who admit their children in private schools under the 25%
reservation quota and RTE children in private schools.
Children who come for admission in private schools should be rightfully treated and
given admission if they qualify. Malpractice and discrimination should be curbed.
Teachers should be sensitive towards the RTE children and their needs i.e, individual
attention, remedial help after classes and bilingual teaching. The teacher must also
ensure and monitor peer interaction. The school and government should take steps
towards sensitizing the teachers and other school staff towards accepting and treating
the RTE children equally as the non RTE children.
The study indicated that RTE children are not able to cope with their classmates in
terms of academics. Evaluation system in CBSE schools are such that no child can be
detained. This acts as a barrier in achieving the primary aim of the act which is
education for all. Education is merely represented by the marks that a student obtains
but not by the quality of it. The RTE children are not able to obtain good marks. They
need help after school hours so that they can come up to the expected level. The lack
of a proper foundation and medium of instruction prove to be a major problem for the
RTE children to understand the lessons taught in class. To overcome this problem, the
school and teachers could work together to provide the necessary help to these
children to cover the gaps.
60
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Education in India. Books for change.
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Conference on Law. New Delhi : UNESCO.
MHRD: National Policy on Education. (1968) New Delhi. para 4(4)
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The Constitution (Eighty-Sixth Amendment) Act (2002)
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37- 39. Right to Education: Issues and challenges.
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Education: Issues and challenges.
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ANNEXURE
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS
1: Do you think that a developing country like India can afford the infrastructure
required to implement the RTE in its true spirit?
2: Since RTE children come from weaker sections, how willing are parents to forgo
their children's earning to make them study in schools? Are they willing to take the
risk?
3: Do you think that the 25% reservation in private schools is justified?
4: Do you think that RTE quota in private school is being utilized effectively by
parents? Do you find that many of them drop out after a year or a few months?
5: Do you think that school and the teachers will be able to treat the RTE students
exactly as other students even if you intend to?
6: Do you think that you will be able to give the same infrastructural facilities to the
RTE children?
7: Are you able to sensitize the school employees that they need to give their 100% to
ensure that these children come up to the mark?
Question 8: Do you think the RTE children have a complex which affects them in
whatever they do?
9: Do you find communication with RTE parents easy?
10: Have you had instances that RTE parents' behavior has affected your regular
parents/ teachers?
11: Do you feel that the current method of RTE seat allotment is justified?
12: Given an option, would you like to adopt a government school rather than having
RTE children in the regular class ?
13: Do you feel that there is no differentiation between other children and RTE
children in the class? Are they able to manage with ease?
14: Have you observed any socio-economic factor causing problems in school
environment for RTE children?
15: As a management person, do you think this reservation policy is helpful to the in
bringing 100% literacy?
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INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS
1: Do you think that a developing country like India can afford the infrastructure
required to implement the RTE in its true spirit?
2: Has the school sensitized the teachers/employees towards inclusiveness?
3: Will you be able to recognize the issues that may arise and deal with them
confidently and effectively?
4: Would it be possible for a teacher to teach the group of students with different
academic and social levels in the same classroom?
5: Do you think that the School and the teachers will be able to treat RTE students
exactly as others?
6: Is it possible for you to take extra classes / remedial or tuitions afterschool /before
school hours to bring these children up to the level of others in class?
7: Is it fair to put a grade 1 student in the regular class without any prior knowledge
just because of his age according to RTE rules?
8: RTE addresses the education of ages 6-14 years. Do you feel that their preschool
education will be a major concern?
9: Do you find communication with RTE parents easy?
10: Can RTE children communicate easily with you and their classmates and are they
open and happy?
11: Do they submit their assignments regularly and the quality of assignments are
good?
12: Are the RTE children able to understand what is being taught in class? Are they
able to manage with ease?
13: Do you feel that there is no differentiation between other children and RTE
children in the classroom?
14: Have you observed any socio-economic factors causing problems in classroom
environment for RTE children?
15: As a teacher do you think this reservation policy is helpful to the children?
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INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS
1: Were you aware of RTE policy and how?
2: Did the school treat you well and explained everything when you approached for
admission?
3: Do you think that the school and teachers are treating your child equally as others?
4: Do you think that your child is coping well with the academic demand?
5: Do you think that your child is developing any kind of complex because he/she is
not able to come up to the non RTE children’s level?
6: Is your child able to do homework without any help?
7: Do teachers take extra effort to help your child at school?
8: Are you comfortable to go for PTMs at school?
9: Do you find it easy to talk to your child’s teachers?
10: Do you feel that it would have been better if your child was at a government
school?
11: Do you get pressurized by your child’s demands to compete with other children in
class?
12: Are you able to manage with school communication in the form of SMS’s, emails,
management systems etc?
13: Is your child getting good marks and progressing well academically?
14: Have you observed any depression or sadness in your child?
15: Is the overall school environment comfortable and encouraging for you?
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INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR RTE CHILDREN
1: Are you happy coming to the school?
2: Did you attend any other school before this school?
3: Are your teachers friendly and treat you well?
4: Do you understand what the teachers teach in class?
5: Are you able to do homework at home without any help?
6: Do your classmates treat you well?
7: Do you feel sad anytime at school?
8: Do you find it easy to talk to the teachers?
9: Do you find it easy to talk and share with your classmates?
10: Are the examinations easy for you? Do you feel if someone helped at home, you
would do better?
11: Do you participate in all the games along with your classmates?
12: Have you ever felt that you are left out for anything?
13: Do teachers help you during free periods or when you ask for help?
14: Are you given class monitor-ship or any other responsibility?
15: Is the overall environment comfortable and encouraging for you?