Compulsory and free Education for Indian Children; a real revolution
by CT Nilesh
After decades, the law for compulsory and free education for all children from 6 to 14 years has been passed. A “historic legislation”, even though there are still many problems.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – The Indian Parliament had passed a Bill, on the 4 of August, recognizing the right to education for all the Indian children aged 6-14 years. The constitution of India had already foreseen this right, but no law was passed to enforce it. It was a commitment that has taken decades to fulfill.
This could not have come a moment too soon. India literacy rate and record are abysmal, with millions denied access to the elementary education. The 27.5% of the population are still under poverty line, 22% are illiterate and the allocation of the national budget for education has never gone beyond 3.4 %. For this reason private schools and colleges are flourishing in India but only for those who can pay. Education has become a real industry in India where to invest and make money.
“The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill”, which was passed in the Lok Sabha (parliament) could take India far in the quest for a more equitable and progressive society.
The Bill makes it compulsory on the state to provide free elementary schooling to children in their neighborhoods. The Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal, claims that it is a “historic legislation”. But many educationists had already criticized the Bill as inadequate. Anil Sadgopal from Bopal, a member of the 2005 Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) said that “the Bill will help the private sector schools and in no way provide for equal educational opportunities to all. It provides for 25 percent reservation to children from backward and economically weak sections. It doesn’t spell out if they would sit in the same classroom. Will the private schools sit such children with the fee-paying ones?”
The common refrain about the poor quality of infrastructure and teaching in the public schools has also been taken into account. Schools, whether private or government, will have to adhere to some common standards – have play fields, drinking water, toilets and a library as well and observe the 1:40 teacher-student ratio.
The Bill seeks not just to guarantee elementary education but also reform the system. It bans capitation fees, bars the screening and interviews of parents and students before admission and makes corporal punishment unlawful.
But education in India does not depend only from the central government, it is a concurrent subject, and everyone of the 27 states can legislate over it. This can be dangerous for the implementation of the law. It is desirable that the schools are made more accountable to local civil authorities including parents through the parents-teachers associations.
This law is a true and right beginning, but the increase of the standard of education, the training of enough and responsible teachers, the effort to convince the parents to send their children to school, and to improve the buildings and infrastructures will take a long time and a serious commitment.
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