RTE ( Right to Education)

RTE (RIGHT TO EDUCATION)

The Right to Education Act 2009, also known as the RTE Act 2009, was enacted by the Parliament of India on 4 August 2009. It describes modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children aged between 6-14 years in India under Article 21 (A) of the Constitution of India.. This act came into effect on 1 April 2010 and made India one of the 135 countries to have made education a fundamental right for every child. It prescribes minimum norms for elementary schools, prohibits unrecognised schools from practice and advocates against donation fees and interviews of children at the time of admission.

WHY WAS IT NEEDED?

Educational challenges have been prevalent at both the centre and states for many years in India. The Right to Education Act 2009 maps out roles and responsibilities for the centre, state and all local bodies to rectify gaps in their education system in order to enhance the quality of education in the country.

PROCEDURE OF ADMISSION IN SCHOOLS UNDER RTE

Children of families falling within in Economically Weaker Section category (EWS), are eligible to seek admission under the RTE Act. EWS category includes families earning less than a certain amount of annual income. The procedure of RTE admission varies from state to state. Generally, first a school is identified in the neighbourhood. A form must be submitted along with relevant documents to prove the child’s age, parents’ or guardian’s income, and/or caste certificate. In case of a child with special needs a certificate to prove that must be submitted.

ACHIEVEMENT OF RTE IN INDIA TILL DATE

●The RTE Act has successfully managed to increase enrolment in the upper primary level (Class 6-8).

●Stricter infrastructure norms resulted in improved school infrastructure, especially in rural areas.

●More than 3.3 million students secured admission under 25% quota norm under RTE.

●The Government has also launched an integrated scheme, for school education named as Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan,which subsumes the three schemes of school education:

□Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

□Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)

□Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE).