The RTE Act: An Overview

Leah VergheseAzim Premji Foundation

History

2

1950

•Article 45 of the Constitution : free and compulsory education till the age of fourteen years

2002

•86th amendment: Introduction of article 21A

2009

•Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act received passed by Parliament and received Presidential assent

2010

•Act in force from April 1, 2010

Terminology

Right

Compulsory

Free

4

RTE for the Child

•

Every child between 6 and 14 has the right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school

Ban on collection of capitation fee

Ban on detention in a class

Ban on screening of children and parents

Ban on corporal punishment and mental harassment

5

RTE for Schools

Private schools to reserve 25% seats in the entry class for weaker sections and disadvantaged groups

Private schools have to obtain recognition within a period of three years from the commencement of the Act

Recognition is contingent on meeting norms and standards prescribed in the Schedule to the Act. Norms include:

Pupil-teacher ratio Building Playground Kitchen for mid-day meal

6

RTE for Parents and Communities

•

School Management Committee

monitor utilisation of grants

present and recommend the school development plan

perform the other prescribed functions

monitor the working of the school

7

Grievance Redressal

Centre

•National Commission for the Protection of Child RIghts

State

•State Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights or Right to Education Protection Authorities

Distric

t

•Local authority having jurisdiction

Criticisms of RTE

Right to schooling vs. Right to education

Impact on low-cost private schools and NGO schools

No sanctions for govt school not meeting norms and standards

Challenges

Political will

Financial constraints

Legal challenges

Legal Challenges

Reservation for economic classes

Freedom to manage and administer

Rights of minority schools

Horizontal application of fundamental rights

The Story So Far

33 states and UTs have notified the Rules

21 states have notified the grievance redressal authorities

Drop-out rate reduced from 9.1 in 2009-10 to 6.9 in 2010-11

4,96,231 classrooms and 6 lakh teacher posts have been sanctioned