Status of Implementation of the Right to

Education Act: The First Year

Some Preliminary Findings

About the Report

• Right to Education is one year old- citizens want to know the status

• Look at what has worked and what has not.

• If something was done, and done well in some state, appreciate it.

Draw recommendations for others

• If something not done: Hold government to account, see potential role

of civil society

• Report is a draft- inputs required.

• Would be finalized only after consultation

• Prepared by networks and agencies themselves based on our

collective knowledge. Sources: Government Reports, Network

reports, media coverage of issues. Drafting team process

• Highlighted, lack of transparent systematic sources of info. in public

domain

Preparation Status

• Revision of SSA Framework in line RTE

• State Rules: Only 5 States- AP, Arunachal, Orissa, Sikkim, Manipur. 2 got

Cabinet approval

• Proposed amendments for persons with disability not yet passed

• School Management Committees- First line of grievance redressal- not

formed in majority states

• SCPCR: 11 States, REPA: 3 more.

• NCPCR/SCPCR/ MHRD: Human Resources

• Delayed Start to implementation over question of resources

• Additional Resources for RTE: 8,522 Crores in last financial year.

• MHRD Asked for 34,000 Crores for SSA in 2011-12, received 21,000. In

contrast, government estimates 7,907 crore spent on Commonwealth Games

last year.

• Persistent under spending- late release of money, need for additional account

staff, occasional mismatch between community need and supply

• 18% schools (2009-10) did not receive TLM grant

• Children under six under the Act: Clause not fully implemented

• Talk of extension of RTE to secondary education

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

• RTE Provides considerable space for nation’s citizens coming out in

support of their schools and strengthening national public education

system

• However, awareness of Key Provisions limited: 6m into the Act, 1 in 6

people knew the Act existed. Under 3% aware of NCPCR/SCPCR.

• SMCs not in place in large number of States: Despite deadline of 6m

across country

• Consequently, School Development Plans not prepared in states.

Bottom up process of planning, strategizing to lay direction of each

school not happened. Deadline was 9 months

• SMCs for aided schools? Unaided school lacked them from the start

• Local Authorities: Largely ignored in discourse, preparation. Local

Authorities control majority of elementary schools in 4 States.

Previous legislations like PESA, PRI Acts, 73d and 74th Constitutional

Amendments hold great potential for supporting RTE Act provisions

Teachers

• RTE Act seeks to redress consistent problem of teacher shortages-

MHRD Estimate 12 lakh additional trained teachers needed for Act’s

implementation. UP: Situation particularly grave.

• Recruitment started in a few states.

• First time, consistent norms for teacher qualification. National

Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education. Teacher Eligibility

Tests. ? Translated on ground

• 2009-10, 1 in 5 teachers not compliant with old norms. Hiring

parateachers not stopped.

• JRM of SSA: Number of untrained teachers more than training

capacity

• Minimum Working Days for Teachers: Over 50% Upper Primary

Schools (2009-10) did not reach new target levels

• Non Teaching Work: Curtailed, but would require secretarial support

• 40% Schools lack head teachers: Lack of specific training of HMs-

National Program being considered

• Onsite support systems weak

INCLUSION

• Dropout- Gov. 8.1 million. In practice higher. Migrants, child labourers. Street

Children, Children living with and affected by HIV AIDS, trafficked children

• Closure of small schools due to “rationalization” risk for those in “remote” areas

• Long Standing Issues of Exclusion of some social groups.

Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims , Girls disproportionately likely to drop out. Sacchar

Committee Recommendations.

• RTE Reiterates instruction in mother Tongue- but no significant change on the

ground.

• School Fees: Arjun Sengupta 70% of India on Rs 20 a day

• Children with Disability: PWD Act being amended. Figures Gross under-

estimate, 1.5 population disabled in India, but 9% in US? Single resource

teacher for 242 identified disabled children, 10 States/UTs lack even a single

teacher receiving trained on disability

• Child Labour: Still not illegal. Children in Agriculture outside purview. NCLP ?

• Areas of Civil Unrest: Schools targeted by Naxalite groups. Army occupation

not ended

• Private Schools- Compulsory Recognition. Need to adhere to new norms.

Issues of inclusiveness and equity. 25% Quota.

• PPP: An emerging risk?

QUALITY

• Shortage of Upper Primary Schools

• At time when RTE Came into force: 1 in 10 schools lacked drinking

water, 45% lacked a toilet, Half lacked a ramp

• Yes, considerable effort , especially in some states, to enhance

infrastructure

• 40% Schools (ASER 2009) Not RTE Ready

• 27 States banned corporal punishment in schools. But it continues.

Need to remedy teaching environment, promote positive discipline

• 20 States prohibited detention expulsion. Often being interpreted as no

learning

• 26 States, no board examination.

• 22 States planned to move to CCE- however, lack of robust teacher

training systems?

• 14 States reviewed curriculum to align with NCF

• Teaching Methodologies: 30% classrooms have some form of group

work. “Chalk and Talk”

• Learning Outcomes??

How does it all come together?

• Policy Changes happening, albeit slowly

• BUT, all or almost all ground level deadlines either missed or at risk of

being missed

• Mechanisms of ambitious vision being translated into reality not

completely clear

• Implementation has been slow, Lot of initial time lost

• However, situation is not beyond remedy!

• Issues need to be pushed more given the time bound deadlines and the

legally justiciable nature of provisions

• Civil Society support for a concerted push to ensure implementation of

RTE minimum norms in direction of equitable, quality education of all

the young citizens of the country and setting up of a comprehensive

system of public education system along the lines of a common school

system

Still the Beginning?