NATIONAL
POLICY OF EDUCATION 1986 AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION (POA) 1992
In 1968, when the
National Policy of Education was formulated for improving that it would be
followed by a ‘five yearly review to progress and working out of new policies
and programmes’. regarding this statement, at the time of formulation of every
new Five-Year plan, a review has been made to assess the drawbacks or
shortcomings as well as achievements of education and finally to decide on some
plans or programmes for the coming five years. It is through making the
policies and programmes that every country seeks to develop it system of education to express and promote its
unique socio-cultural identity and also to meet the challenges of the times.
The National Policy of Education of 1986 is the result of the reviews which was
discussed and adopted during the budget session of 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi was
the prime minister of India. Again, a committee was set up under the
chairmenship of Acharya Rammurti in May 1990 to review National Policy of
Education (NPE) and to make recommendations for its modifications. The Central
Advisory Board of Education, a committee set up in July 1991 under the
chairmanship of Shri. N. Janadhana Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh;
considered some modifications in NPE taking into considerations the report of
the Rammurti Committee and other relevant development having a bearing on the
policy. This Committee submitted its report of the Rammurti Committee and other
relevant development having a bearing on the policy. This committee submitted
its report in January 1992, which is known s National Programme of Action of
1992. This policy aimed to promote national progress, a sense of common
citizenship and culture and to strengthen national integration. It laid stress
on the need for a radical reconstruction of the education system, to improve
its quality at all stages and therefore gave much greater attention to science
and technology, the cultivation of moral values and a closer relation between
education and the life of the people.
Objective
of the National Policy of Education of 1986 and Programme of Action, 1992:
The main objective of the
National Policy of Education of 1986 and Programme of Action, 1992 was to
establish a national system of education implies that all students irrespective
of caste; creed, sex and religion have access to education of a comparable
quality. Actually the objectives of this policy had been divided into the
several aspects. In relation to Elementary Education, followings are the major
objectives of National Policy of Education 1986 are mainly:
v Universal
access and enrolment
v Universal
retention of children up to 14 years of age and
v A
sustainable improvement in the quality education to enable all children to
achieve essential levels of learning.
v Regarding
Secondary Education, National Policy of Education stressed on the improvement
of the quality of secondary education. Effort to be made to provide computer
literacy in as many secondary level institutions to make the students equipped
with necessary computer skills.
v Regarding
higher education, National Policy of Education and Programme of Action of 1986
and 1992 emphasized that higher education should provide to the people with an
opportunity to reflect on the critical social, economic, cultural, moral and
spiritual issues.
v Thus,
the basic objectives of the National Policy of Education of 1986 and Programme
of Action of 1992 emphasized that education must play a positive and
interventionist role in correcting social and regional imbalance, empowering
women and in securing rightful place for the disadvantaged and the minorities.
Government should take a strong determination and commitment to provide
education for all, the priority areas being free and compulsory education,
covering children with special needs, eradication of illiteracy, education for
women’s equality and special focus on the education of S.S. s (Scheduled Caste)
and S.T. s (Scheduled Tribe) and Minorities..
v The
educational policy as highlighted in the N.P.E also emphasized on enhancing and
promoting the vocationalisation of education, adult education, education for
the mentally and physically challenged persons, non-formal education, open
universities and distance learning, rural university, early childhood care and
education. Delinking degrees from job was also one of the basic objectives of
National Policy of Education of 1986.
Various
Recommendations of National Policy of Education 1986 and POA 1992:
The recommendations of the
policy have been under following:
Early
Childhood Care and Education: Integrated Child
Development service, Balwadis, Pre-Primary schools of the State government and
Municipalities, Day-care centers and training institutes of teachers and the
existing facilities of pre-primary education should be strengthened and should
receive increased attention from the Government. Besides these, the system of
monitoring and evaluation should be strengthened.
Elementary
Education, Non-Formal Education and Operation Blackboard: National
Policy of Education and its modified policy emphasized on elementary education
as
i.
Universal enrolment and universal
retention of children up to 14 years of age and
ii.
A substantial improvement in the
quality of education. Besides these, this policy also calls for drive for a substantial
improvement of the primary schools and provision of support service. Even some
measures have been proposed for securing participation of girls and of children
from the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes families, other educationally
backward section and minorities
In the context of
operational blackboard, the policy envisaged the following facilities that
should be kept for implementing the operational blackboard:
i.
Two reasonably large rooms that are
usable in all weather
ii.
Recessary toys and games material
iii.
Blackboards
iv.
Maps
v.
Charts and
vi.
Other learning materials
Modern technological
tools-such as solar packs for provision of power in non-formal education
centers, audio-visual aids, radio-cassette players should be used to improve
the learning environment of non-formal education centers, as well a to enhance
the quality of non-formal education.
Secondary
Education and Navodaya Vidyalaya: Regarding
Secondary education, the National Policy of Education of 1986 implied extension
of the school system in the un served areas consolidating the existing
facilities and providing special arrangements for the gifted children and high
achievers. The arrangements should require:
i.
Programme to ensure access to
secondary education being widened to cover unserved areas.
ii.
Programme of consolidation in other
areas.
iii.
Programme of setting up Navodaya.
Besides these, as a short term measure the State Government should be persuaded
to open secondary schools in un served areas taking blocks as a unit having a
lower ratio than 1:2:5 duly considering the present distance of habitation in
the un served habitation.
Vocalization
of Education: From classes 1 to 5, Socially
Useful Productive Work/Work Experience creates an integral part of the
curriculum in many states. At the middle stage, the work experience programme
should aim at developing confidence and sufficient psycho-motor skills to
students through certain occupational training courses.
Higher
Education: The National Policy of Education of
1986 and its revised policy which is known as Programme of Action of 1992 had
laid importance on higher education, particularly on graduates, post-graduate
and research work. It suggested that Autonomous Colleges should be established
according to UGC directives. Technical institutes like medical, engineering,
agriculture universities etc. should be set up and development of Vocational
skill was to be stressed upon. Followings are the necessary strategies that
should be kept up for improving the innovations in higher education.
i.
Consolidation and expansion of
institutions
ii.
Development of Autonomous colleges
and departments
iii.
Redesigning courses
iv.
Training of teachers
v.
Strengthening research
vi.
Improvement in efficiency
vii.
Creation of structures for
co-ordination at the state and national levels
viii.
Mobility
Besides these, the AICTE
(All India Council of Teacher Education)had laid down norms and standards for
diploma, degree and Post Graduate courses in the various fields. Guidelines
were laid down for admission to technical institutions on merit to be followed
by all concerned. The National Technical Manpower Information System had been
set up by the Government of India with a view to generating strong database in
order to monitor the supply and utilization of engineering and technical
manpower at the national and individual state level so as to ensure a planned
development of technical education.
Open
University and Distance Education: Open University
and distance education have been designed to promote the accessibility of
education at higher stage as well as making higher education as flexible as is
required by the learners. The Central Open University which is known as Indira
Gandhi National Open University has been assigned the responsibility to
coordinate the distance learning system in the country and determine its
standards in order to develop and strengthen the Open University system. The
National Policy of Education and its Revised Policy have to develop some
conditions relating to the Open University system and distance mode of learning
which are as follows:
i.
The Indira Gandhi National Open
University should initiate action for its academic programme.
ii.
The courses should be structured on
a modular pattern with the facility for the accumulation of the credits.
Provision will be made for transfer of the credits from the formal to the
non-formal system and the vice-versa.
iii.
Standards should be prescribed to
determine the minimum level of learning at every stage of education and
criteria will be evolved to objectively assess this level of attainment so that
the opportunities should be provided to all including housewives, agricultural
and industrial workers and professionals to continue their education.
iv.
State Governments should ensure
that Open Universities will be established after very careful planning and
requiring available resources and facilities.
Rural
Universities and Institutes: The National
Policy of Education of 1986 and its Revised Policy of 1992 envisaged that the
rural universities and institutions should be developed in rural areas after
studying the needs of such pattern of educational institutions in rural
communities as well as also strengthening the programme of Gandhian Basic
Education.
Content
and Process of School Education: Regarding the
content and process of school education, NPE and POA made the following points:
i.
Access to education of a comparable
quality for all irrespective of caste, creed, location or sex.
ii.
Introduction to the norms of
minimum levels of learning for different stages and provision of threshold
facilities so that learning becomes a more enjoyable experience even for the
slow learners.
iii.
Articulation of a national system
of education with a common structure, national curricular framework which
contains common core.
iv.
Examination reforms and
introduction of evaluation as an ongoing process in schools for the improvement
of teaching and learning.
v.
Development of culture specific
curricular and instructional material for the tribal people and educationally
deprived minority groups keeping in view their rich cultural identity.
vi.
Overhauling of the system of
teacher education and strengthening that of the technical and resource support
structures, including the establishment of District Institutes of Education and
Training.
vii.
Decentralization of educational
administration, creation of a spirit of autonomy for educational institutions
with greater role assigned to the institutional heads and development of
professionalism among teachers.
viii.
Promotion of non-governmental and
voluntary efforts and people’s participation for giving impetus to innovate
ideas and practices and mobilization of resources.
Evaluation Process and
Examination Reforms: The Policy visualized integration
of the assessment of performance with the process of learning and teaching and
utilizing the process of evaluation to bring about qualitative change in
education. In order to ensure the student’s performance, the assessment methods
must be valid and reliable.
The following short term
measures had been proposed by the NPE and POA:
i.
Public examinations will continue
to be held only at the levels of classes X and XII.
ii.
Decentralization of the operation
involved in the conduct of examinations to make the system work more
effectively.
iii.
School boards in certain States have
set up a number of sub centers to decentralize the conduct of examinations.
Adoption of similar measures by other States will be pursued.
iv.
At the university level continues
institutional evaluation will be introduced at the post graduate level, to begin
with, in unitary universities, deemed universities and autonomous colleges.
v.
Students performance will be
indicated through letter grades and assessment of overall performance will be
on the basis of cumulative grade point average.
vi.
Modifications in the qualifying
recruitments for admission in the universities and colleges will be examined to
accelerate the process of change in the level of examinations.
Youth
and Sports: The NPE and POA stressed the
following formulation.
i.
Integration of sports and physical
education in the learning process and evaluation of performance and
ii.
Involvement of youth in national
and social development and sports and games etc. particularly through
educational institutions at the level of higher learning.
Language
Development: The NPE and POA elaborately
discussed about the concept of language development and emphasized the adoption
of regional languages as the media of instruction at the university stage.
Regarding language development, the NPE and POA discussed and proposed many
efforts and initiatives such as implementation of
v Three
– language formula, improvements in the linguistic competencies of students at
the different stages of education.
v Provision
of facilities for the study of English and other foreign languages and development
of Hindi language as a link language etc.
Cultural
Development: While the formulating the national
policy, the basic emphasis was given to interlinking education with culture. By
interlinking education and culture, the stress was given in the development of
child’s personality, particularly in terms
of helping the child to discover his inner talent and to express it
creatively.
Media
and Education Technology: The NPE and POA emphasized
that in order to avoid structural dualism; modern educational technology should
be reached out to the most distant areas and to the deprived sections of
beneficiaries simultaneously with the areas of comparative affluent and ready
availability.
Teacher
and their Training: The new programmes of
teacher-education should emphasize need to continuing education and also the
need for teachers to meet the thrusts envisaged in this Policy. District
Institutes of Education and Training (DIET) should be established with the
capability to organize pre-service and in-service courses for elementary school
teachers and for the personnel working in non-formal and adult education. As
DIETs get established, sub-standard institutins should be phased out. Selected
Secondary Teacher Training Colleges should be upgraded to complement the work
of the State Councils of Educational Research and Training. The National
Council of Teacher Education should be provided the necessary resources and
capability to accredit institutions of teacher-education and to provide
guidance regarding curricula and methods. Networking arrangements should be
created between institutions of teacher education and university departments of
education.
Management
Education: According to the NPE and POA,
educational planning should be linked to manpower planning. For this, such mechanism
should be set up that can link the need based requirement of the society with
what it has at present.
NATIONAL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK (NCF) 2005
Curriculum designing has
a special place among the diverse responsibilities envisaged in the charter of
NCERT. As an apex national agency of education reform, NCERT is expected to
review the school curriculum as a routine activity, ensuring the highest
standards of rigor and deliberative openness in the process. The NPE, 1986 and
the POA 1992 assign a special role to NCERT in preparing and promoting a
National Curriculum Framework. The present exercise of reviewing the NCF was
initiated following the statement made by the Honorable Minister for Human
Resource Development in the Lok Sabha that NCERT should take up such a
revision. This was followed by a decision in the Executive Committee in it
meeting in July 2004 to revise the national Curriculum Framework Subsequent to
this meeting a letter from Education Secretary to the Director NCERT reiterated
the necessity to review the National Curriculum Framework for school Education
2000 in the light of Learning without Burden (1993).
Accordingly, NCERT set up
the National Steering Committee under the chairpersonship of Prof. Yashpal. The
National Steering Committee has 35 members, including scholars from different
discipline, principals and teachers, CBSE Chairman, representatives of well
known NGOs and members of the NCERT faculty. The National Curriculum Framework
document. The National Steering Committee had the benefit of the position
papers prepared by the 21 National Focus Groups. The 21 National Focus Groups,
also chaired by renowned scholars and practitioners, covered many areas. The
draft National Curriculum Document (NCF) has emerged from the wide ranging
deliberations of the above groups. The fact learning has become a source of
burden and stress among school children. Hence, to correct this distortion the
NCF proposes five guiding principles for curriculum reform and development.
They are:
1.
Connecting knowledge to life
outside the school.
2.
Ensuring that learning shifts away
from rote memory.
3.
Enriching the curriculum so that it
goes beyond text books.
4.
Making examination more flexible
and integrating them with classroom life.
5.
Nurturing an overriding identity
informed by caring concerns within the democratic polity of the country.
THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THE REVISED NCF ARE AS FOLLOWS
Chapter
1: Perspective:
It
provides the historical backdrop and the rationale for undertaking the revision
of the National Curriculum Framework. It discusses curricular reform efforts
since Independence drawing from Gandhiji’s vision of education as a means of
raising the nation’s conscience towards injustice, violence and inequality
entrenched in the social order. It refers to the recommendations of the
National Commissions on Secondary Education, 1952-53 (Mudaliar Commission) and
the Education Commission, 1964-66 (Kothari Commission) and traces the
development of curriculum framework, 1975 as also the formulation of the
National Curriculum Framework, 1988, following the adoption of the National
Policy of Education in 1988, following the adoption of the National Policy on
Education in 1986. It refers to the report entitled Learning without Burden
(1993), which highlighted the problems of curriculum overload which made
learning a source of stress for children during their formative years. It
refers to the National Curriculum Framework for School Education introduced in
2000.
Chapter 1 reaffirms faith
in the Constitutional vision of India as a secular egalitarian and pluralistic
society founded on values of social justice and equality. It proposes four
guiding principles for curriculum development, namely
a.
Connecting knowledge to life
outside the school
b.
Ensuring that learning shifts away
from rote methods
c.
Enriching the curriculum so that it
goes beyond textbooks
d.
Making examinations more flexible.
It addresses the challenge of quality in a
system that seeks to reach every child the exclusive triangle of equality,
quality and quantity. This chapter looks at the social context education and
the hierarchies of caste, economic status and gender relations, cultural
diversity as well as uneven development that characterize Indian Society and
deeply influence access to education and participation of children in schools.
It cautions against the pressures to commodify schools quality. Finally it
discusses educational aims as deriving from the Guiding Principles. Education
should aim to build a commitment to democratic values of equality, justice,
freedom, concern for others well being secularism, respect for human dignity
and rights. It should also aim at fostering independence of thought and action,
sensitivity to others well being and feelings, learning to learn and unlearn
ability to work for developing a social temper and inculcate aesthetic
appreciation.
Chapter
2: Learning and Knowledge:
The Chapter focuses on the primacy of
the learner. Child centered pedagogy means giving primacy to children’s
experience, their voices and their active participation. It discusses the
nature of knowledge and the need for adults to change their perceptions of the
child as a passive receiver of knowledge; rather the child can be an active
participant in the construction of knowledge by encouraging children to ask
questions, relate what they are learning in school to things happening outside,
encouraging them to answer form their own experiences and in their own words
rather than by memorizing. It recognizes the need for developing an enabling
and non-threatening environment, since an environment of fear, discipline and
stress is detrimental to learning. Healthy physical growth is the pre-condition
for development and this requires that they benefit from nutrition, physical
exercise and this requires that they benefit from nutrition, physical exercises
and freedom from physical discomfort. Development of self identity through the
adolescent years, particularly in the case of girls who are constrained by
social conventions, is an important component. This chapter emphasizes that
gender, caste, class, religion and minority status or disability should not constrain
participation in the experiences provided in school. It points out that the
diagnostic criteria of ‘earning disabilities’ is not well established. It is,
therefore entirely possible that learning disabilities may arise from
inadequate and insufficient instruction.
This chapter also
highlights the value of interaction-with the environment, nature, things and
people – to enhance learning. Learning in school regretfully continues to be
teacher-dominated and the teacher is seen as transmitting knowledge-knowledge
of ten being confused with information. It points out that interaction with
peers, teachers and older and younger people can open up many rich learning
possibilities. Learning tasks and experiences, therefore, need to be designed to ensure that children seek out
knowledge from sites other than the textbooks-from their own experiences, from
experiences at home, community, from the library. Heritage sites, therefore,
assume great significances as sites of learning. The approach to planning
lessons must therefore move away from the ‘Herbartian’ lesson plan to preparing
plans, activities that challenge children to think and try out what they are
learning.
Chapter
3: Curricular Areas, School Stages and Assessment:
It recommended significant changes in
Language, Maths, Natural Science and Social Sciences with a view to reducing
stress and making education more relevant to the present day and future needs
of children. In language, it makes a renewed attempt to implement the three
language formula with emphasis on mother tongue as the medium of instruction.
India is a multi-lingual country and curriculum should promote multilingual
proficiency in every child, including proficiency in English, which will become
possible only if learning builds on sound language pedagogy of the mother
tongue. It focuses on language as an integral part of every subject, since
reading, writing, listening and speech contribute to a child’s progress in all
curricular areas and therefore constitute the basis of learning.
This chapter also focuses
on Mathematics and enhancing the child’s ability to think and reason, visualize
and handle abstractions and formulate and solve problems. It recommends that
the teaching of Science should be recast to enable children to examine and
analyze everybody experiences. Environment Education should become part of
every subject. In Social Sciences it recognizes disciplinary markers with
emphasis on integration of significant themes, such as water. It also
recommends a paradigm shift to study social sciences from the perspective of
marginalized groups. It recommends that gender justice and sensitivity to
tribal and dalit issues and minority sensibilities should inform all sectors of
social science. The document draws attention to inform all sectors of social
science. The document draws attention to four other areas, namely Art
education, Health and Physical Education, Work and Education for peace. Work
should be recognized as a creator of new forms of knowledge and promote the
values necessary for democratic order. Work education must link up with
heritage crafts, especially in craft zones which need to be mapped, so that
this important source of cultural and economic wealth can be properly harnessed
through linkage with education.
Chapter
4: School and Classroom Environment:
The chapter talks about
the need for nurturing an enabling environment by bringing about suitable
changes in the school and classroom environment. It revisits traditional
notions of discipline and discusses the need for providing space for parents
and community. It also discusses curriculum sites and learning resources,
including texts and books, libraries, education technology, tools and laboratories,
etc. This chapter address the need for plurality of material, as also looks at
issues of academic planning and leadership at school level to improve quality.
Teacher education for curriculum renewal focuses on developing the professional
identity of the teacher as also in-service education and training of teachers.
Examination Reforms is an important component of this chapter to reduce
psychological pressure, particularly on children in class X and XII. The NCF,
therefore, recommends changing the typology of questions so that reasoning and
creative abilities replace rote learning as the basis through plurality of
textbooks and use of technology and recommends partnerships between the school
system and other civil society groups.
RIGHT TO EDUCATION – ACT – 2010
Education undoubtedly is
all children’s birthright. Education is a very important aspect in everyone’s
life. Education blossoms the knowledge of a man. It enables the man to
understand the world around him, which makes him to lead a comfortable and prosperous
life. In this situation, the purpose of every nation is to produce literate,
well-educated and intelligent residents who are able to contribute to the
proper development and progress of the whole society. The Government if India
by identifying this value of education has introduced Right of children to Free
and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. Through this education has become a
fundamental right in the constitution of India. This can be called as a great
milestone in the history of India. Mahatma
Gandhi said, “Educate one man, you educate one person, but educate a woman
and you educate a whole civilization”.
The right to education has been universally
recognised since the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and has since been enshrined in various
international conventions, national constitutions and development plans.
However, while the vast majority of countries have signed up to and ratified,
international conventions (such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child, 1989) far fewer have integrated these rights into their national
constitutions or provided the legislative and administrative and administrative
frameworks to ensure that these rights assumption that the user should pay for
this right, undermining the very concept of a right. In others, the right in
practice. Inevitably, a lack of government support for the right to education
hits the poorest hardest. Today, the right to education is still denied to
millions around the world.
As well as being a right
in itself, the right o education is also an enabling right. Education ‘credits
the “voice” through which rights can be claimed and protected’ and without
education people lack the capacity to ‘achieve valuable functioning’s as part of
the living’. If people have access to education they can develop the skills,
capacity and confidence to secure other rights. Education gives people the
ability to access information detailing the range of rights that they hold and
government’s obligations. It supports people to develop the communication
skills to demand these rights, the confidence to speak in a variety of forums
and the ability to negotiate with a wide range of government officials and
power holders.
The landmark passing of
the Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 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.
Few countries in the
world have such a national provision to ensure child-centered, child-friendly
education to help all children develop to their fullest potential. There were
an estimated eight million six to 14 year-olds in India out-of-school in 2009.
The world cannot reach its goal to have every child complete primary school by 2015
without India.
HISTORY
OF RTE ACT 2009
The right to education
has been recognized since the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Article 26 of the Declaration
proclaims that: ‘Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free,
at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall
be compulsory….education shall be directed to the full development of human
personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and
fundamental freedom. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship
among racial or religious groups…..’.
The right to education has
been enshrined in a range of international conventions, including the
International Covenant on Economic, Social And Cultural Rights (ICESCR, 1966).
The Convention on the Elimination Of All forms Of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW, 1979) and more recently, The Convention On The Rights of The Child
(CRC, 1989). It has also been incorporated into various regional treaties. Many
countries have also made provisions for the right to education in their
national constitutions.
In India first time Gopal Krishna Gokhale, famous
educationist and freedo fighter felt that there should be a provision of
compulsory free education for all children. He made the resolution moved in
Imperial Legislative Council on 18th march, 1910 for seeking
provision of “Free and Compulsory
Primary Education” in India, “I beg to place the following resolution
before the council for its consideration….. the state should accept in this
country the same responsibility in regard to mass education that the government
of most civilized countries are already discharging and that a well considered
scheme should be drawn up and adhered to till it is carried out. The well being
of millions upon millions of children who are waiting to be brought under the
influence education depends upon it….”
Present Act has its
history in the drafting of the Indian constitution at the time of Independence
but is more specifically to the Constitution at the time of Independence but is
more specifically to the Constitutional 86th Amendment was passed by
Parliament in 2002 that included the Article 21A in the Indian constitution
making Education a fundamental Right. This amendment, however, specified the
need for a legislation to describe the mode of implementation of the same which
necessitated the drafting of a separate Education Bill.
A rough draft of the
bill was composed in year 2005 by UPA government. It received much opposition
due to its mandatory provision to provide 25% reservation for disadvantaged
children in private schools. The sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of
Education which prepared the draft bill held this provision as a significant
prerequisite for creating a democratic and egalitarian society. Indian Law
commission had initially proposed 50% reservation for disadvantaged students in
private schools.
The bill was approved by
the cabinet on 2 July 2009. Rajya Sabha passed the bill on 20 July 2009 and the
Lok Sabha on 4 August 2009. The act was passed by the Indian parliament on 4
August 2009. It received Presidential assent and was notified as law on 3 Sept
2009 as The Children’s Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act.
The law came into effect
in the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1 April 2010, the first time in the
history of India a law was brought into force by a speech by the Prime
Minister. In his speech, Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister of India stated that, “We are committed to ensuring that all
children, irrespective of gender and social category, have access to education.
An education that enables them to acquire the skills, knowledge, values and
attitudes necessary to become responsible and active citizens of India”. And he
said “I read under the dim light of a kerosene lamp. I am what I am totally
because of education. So I want that the light of education should reach to
all”.
Mr. Kepi Sibal, Minister, Union Human Resource Development was
said, “But to think that we have passed a law and all children will get
educated is not right. What we have done is preparing a framework to get
quality education. It is for the entire community to contribute and participate
in this national endeavor”.
Describes the modalities
of the provision of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14
in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution and Article 45 of
Directive Principles of the Constitution, “Having made it the duty of the State
to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to age fourteen in
ten years (1960)”
RIGHT
TO EDUCATION ACT 2009, IT’S STRUCTURE
v Published
authority “Ministry of Law and Justice
v It
was published by Govt. of India Press
v Total
13 pages
v Total
7 chapters & one schedule
v Total
38 points & 7 items in the schedule.
CHAPTER
– I: PRELIMINARY MEANING ABOUT TERMS
v “Child”:
a male or female child of the age of 6 to 14 years.
v “Elementary
education”: The education from first to eight class
v “School”:
any recognized school imparting elementary education
v “Capitation
Fee”: any kind of donation or contribution or payment other than the fee
notified by the school
CHAPTER
– II:
RIGHT
TO FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION
v Every
child of the age six to fourteen years shall have a right to free and
compulsory education in a neighborhood school till completion of elementary
education.
v No
child shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses
v Provided
that a child suffering from disability shall have the right to pursue free and
compulsory elementary education.
v A
child above six years of age either has not been admitted or admitted but could
not complete elementary education, then shall be admitted in a class
appropriate to his or her age.
v There
is no provision of completion of elementary education, then a child shall have
a right to seek transfer to any other school.
v Where
a child is required to move from one school to another either within a state or
outside for any reason whatsoever, such child shall have a right to seek
transfer to any other school
v For
seeking admission, the Head-teacher or in-charge of the school shall
immediately issue the TC
v Delaying
issuance of TC shall be liable for disciplinary action
v Delaying
in producing TC shall not be a ground for either delaying or denying admission
in such other school
CHAPTER
– III:
DUTIES
OF GOVT. LOCAL AUTHORITY AND PARENTS
A. Duties of Government and Local
authority:
v Shall
establish school within limits of neighborhood, within a period of three years
from the commencement of this act
v It
is the Central and State responsibility for providing funds for implementing
the act
Responsibility
of Central Government:
v Develop
a frame work of national curriculum with the help of academic authority
v Develop
the enforce standers for training of teachers
v Provide
technical support and resources to the State Government for promoting
innovations, researches, planning and capacity building
Responsibility
of State Government:
v Provide
free elementary education to every child of the age of six to fourteen years
v Ensure
compulsory admission, attendance and completion EE by every child of the age of
6 to 14 years
v Ensure
availability of a neighborhood school as specified
v Ensure
that the child belonging to weaker section and disadvantages group are not
discriminated in pursuing and completing EE on any grounds
v Provide
infrastructure including school building, teaching staff and learning equipment
v Provide
special training facility
v Ensure
and monitor admission, attendance and completion of EE by every child
v Ensure
good quality EE conforming to the standers and norms specified in Schedule
v Ensure
timely prescribing of curriculum and courses of study for EE
v Provide
training facility for teachers
v Government
may make necessary arrangements for providing free pre-school education for 3
to six years aged children
B. Responsibility of Parents:
v It
shall be the duty of every parent and guardian to admit or cause to be admitted
their children to an EE in the neighborhood school
CHAPTER-IV:
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF SCHOOLS AMD TEACHERS
A. School Responsibilities:
v Provide
free and compulsory EE to all children admitted
v Private
education institutions shall admit class I and complete till EE, to the extent
of at least 25% of the strength of that class, children belonging to weaker
section nd disadvantaged students.
v Shall
be reimbursed expenditure so incurred by it to the extent of pre-child
expenditure incurred by the State.
v Every
school shall provide such information as may be required by the appropriate
Government or local authority
v No
school or person shall collect any capitation fee while admitting a child and
any screening procedure or admission
v Any
school or person receives capitation fee or conducting screening procedure
shall be punishable
v Punishable
with fine which may extend to ten times the capitation fees charged and
subjects a child screening procedure, twenty-five thousand rupees for first
contravention and 50 thousand rupees for each contraventions
v For
the purposes of admission to EE, the age of child shall be determined on the
basis of birth certificate
v No
child shall be denied admission in the school for lack of age proof
v Provided
that no child shall be denied admission
v Prohibition
of holding back and expulsion from school till the completion of EE
v No
child shall subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment
v No
school to be established without obtaining certificate of recognition
v Any
person who establishes or runs a school without obtaining certificate of
recognition or continuous to run a school after withdrawal of recognition,
shall be liable to fine which may extend to one lack rupees and in case of
continuing contraventions to a fine of ten thousand rupees for each day during
which such contravention continues
v Shall
constitute a School Management Committee of the elected representatives of the
local authority, parents or guardians and teachers
v At
least three-fourth of members shall be from parents
v Proportionate
representation shall be given parents those who are belongs to disadvantaged
group and weaker section
v Fifty
percent of the members shall be women
v Qualified
teachers should be appointed
v Based
on the need the Govt. may relax minimum qualifications not exceeding 5 years
v Shall
acquire such minimum qualifications within a period of 5 years
v The
salary and allowances payable to teachers shall be prescribed
Functions
of SMC:
v Monitor
the working of school
v Prepare
and recommend school development plan
v Monitor
the utilization of grants
v Perform
such other functions as may be prescribed
B. Duties of Teachers:
v Maintain
regularity and punctuality in attending school
v Conduct
and complete the curriculum within specified time
v Assess
the learning ability of each student
v And
accordingly supplement additional instructions
v Hold
regular meetings with parents about regularity in attendance, ability to learn,
progress made in learning and nay other relevant information about the child
v Perform
such other duties as may be prescribed
v No
teacher shall be developed for any non-educational purposes other than the
census duties, disaster relief duties or duties or duties relating to elections
v No
teacher shall engage in private tuition or private teaching activity
CHAPTER
– V: CURRICULUM AND COMPLETION OF EE
Curriculum
and Evaluation Procedure:
v Conformity
with the values enshrined in the constitution
v All
round development of the child
v Building
up child’s knowledge, potentiality to the fullest extent
v Learning
through activities, discovery and exploration in child friendly and
child-centered manner
v Medium
instruction shall be in child’s mother tongue
v Making
the child free from fear, trauma and anxiety and helping the child to express
views freely
v Comprehensive
and continuous evaluation of child’s understanding
v No
child should be required to pass any Board examination till completion of EE
v Every
child completing his EE shall be awarded a certificate
CHAPTER-VI:
PROTECTION OF RIGHT OF CHILDREN
v The
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights constituted and the State
Commission for Protection of Child Rights constituted under section 3 & 17,
of the Commissions for protection of Child Rights act, 2005
v National
Advisory Council shall constitute for advise the Central Govt. on
implementation of RE Act and State Advisory Council shall constitute for advise
the State Govt. on implementation of RE Act
CHAPTER
VII: MISCELLANEOUS
The
Schedule: Norms and Standards for a School
1.
Number
of teachers:
a. For I class to V class:
i.
Up to 60 - 2 teachers
ii.
Between to 61 to 90 – 3 teachers
iii.
Between to 91 to 120 – 4 teachers
iv.
Between to 121 to 200 – 5 teachers
v.
Above 150 children’s 5 teachers +
one Head teacher
vi.
Pupil-Teacher ratio (excluding
Head-Teacher) shall not exceed fourty
b. For VI to VIII:
i.
At least one teacher per class so
that there shall be at least one teacher each for Science and Mathematics;
Social Studies; Languages
ii.
At least one teacher for every 35
children
iii.
Above 100 students: one full time
Head Teacher, Part time instruct for
a) Art Education
b)
Health and Physical Education
c) Work Education
2. Building:
i.
At least one class-room for every
teacher and an office-cum-store room-cum-Head teacher’s room.
ii.
Barrier-free access
iii.
Separate toilets for boys and girls
iv.
Safe and adequate drinking water
facility to all children.
v.
A kitchen where mid-day meal is
cooked in the school.
vi.
Playground
vii.
Arrangements for securing the
school building by boundary wall or fencing
3. Minimum number of working
days/instructional hours in an academic year:
i.
Two hundred working days for first
class to fifth class.
ii.
Two hundred and twenty working days
for sixth class to eighth class.
iii.
Eight hundred instructional hours
per academic year for first class to fifth class
iv.
One thousand instructional hours
per academic year for sixth class to eighth class
4. Minimum number of working
hours per week for the teacher: Forty-five
teaching including preparation hours
5. Teaching learning equipment: Shall
be provided to each class as required
6. Library: There
shall be a library in each school providing news papers, magazines and books on
all subjects, including story-books
7. Play material, games and
sports equipment: Shall be provided to each class as
required
THE
RTE ACT PROVISIONS
I.
All children will have the right to
free and compulsory elementary education.
II.
It clarifies that ‘compulsory
education’ means obligation of the appropriate government to provide free
elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion
of elementary education to every child in the six to fourteen age groups.
‘Free’ means that no child shall be liable to pay any kind of free or charges
or expenses which may prevent him or her from pursuing and completing
elementary education.
III.
It specifies the duties and
responsibilities of appropriate Governments, local authority and parents in
providing free and compulsory education and sharing of financial and other
responsibilities between the Central and State Governments.
IV.
Enrolling all children in the school and
monitoring of no of dropout is the responsibility of government and parents.
The children who are out of school should be joined in the appropriate classes
according their age and special training should be provided to those children.
V.
Children who joined in particular
class shall not be continued the same class again and they should not be
expelled from the school.
VI.
Children should not be harassed
physically or mentally, if any committed severe action will be initiated
against those.
VII.
Inception of schools, construction
of school buildings, teaching staff, learning equipments and essential
infrastructure should be provided by the Government.
VIII.
All the schools must be provided
basic infrastructure facilities. All the schools should abide by the rules,
regulations and standards mentioned in the act, the schools which fall to
maintain loosen their recognition.
IX.
Except private schools all other
schools should form school committees and these committees should monitor the
school funds and school functioning methods.
X.
Teachers who fulfill basic
eligibility norms should only be appointed. Sufficient number of teachers
should be appointed as mentioned in the act. Teachers should be punctual and
must complete the syllabus according to the academic schedules; they should
conduct regular parents meetings.
XI.
It lays down the norms and
standards relating inter alia to Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs), building and
infrastructure, school working days, teacher-working hours.
XII.
It provides for rational
development of teachers by ensuring that the specified pupil teacher ratio is
maintained for each school, rather than just as an average for the State or
District or Block, thus ensuring that there is no urban-rural imbalance in
teacher postings. It also provides for prohibition of development of teachers
for non educational work, other than decennial census, elections to local
authority, state legislatures and parliament and disaster relief.
XIII.
It prohibits
a)
Physical punishment and mental
harassment
b)
Screening procedures for admission
of children
c)
Capitation fee
d)
Private tuition by teachers and
e)
Running of schools without
recognition
XIV.
It provides for development of curriculum
in consonance with the values enshrined in the Constitution and which would
ensure the all-round development of the child, building on the child’s
knowledge, potentiality and talent and making the child free of fear, trauma
and anxiety through a system of child friendly and child centered learning.
XV.
To monitor the functioning of this
act, a state level Child Rights Protection Commission should be created.
To conclude, things will
not change overnight. It is individuals like you and me who will have to come
forward and contribute. Let us make you a vow to educate others in best ways we
can. Wherever you are, education can be shared and you can enjoy a peace of
mind of giving to the society. Educating the under privileged children will
make a change for whole family and future generations of country. Everybody
shall take vow to contribute in achieving the aim of education for all.
