RTE Act benefit eludes poor

Shivani Bhakoo

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 12

The basic objective of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, is that every child from the age of 6 to 14 years shall get free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school till completion of elementary education. However, owing to a lack of awareness and will on the part of respective schools, the weaker sections and disadvantaged groups are not able to get the benefit of this right to education.

An RTI to know about the true status of the RTE Act was filed by Rohit Sabharwal to the District Education Office (Primary). The applicant asked for the school-wise information showing a total number of students who were provided free education under Section 3 of Right to Free and Compulsory Education from 2017 to 2019. The RTI was filed on January 7 this year.

In his reply dated March 5, the DEO (Primary) states that the department has “nil” information on this (means there is no record). Following this, Sabharwal wrote to the Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, New Delhi, that the authorities concerned had failed to create awareness among the weaker sections and disadvantaged groups to get their children enrolled in the neighborhood schools and provide them free and compulsory elementary education.

“It is evident in information provided by the department that no child has been enrolled in private schools for the past two years under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. People from the weaker sections and disadvantaged groups fail to get benefits of this Act and educate their children,” said Sabharwal in a letter to the Chairperson.

A school’s take

The Principal of Nankana Sahib Public School says the RTE Act has not been implemented in the state. “The district administration had to conduct a survey of children from weaker sections and accordingly, the children were to be adjusted in government schools first. If there were still more children, then private schools in the areas had to be contacted. But we never got any such query,” said the Principal.

What DC says

Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said children from weaker sections were to approach government schools and if they were denied admission there, they needed to approach the DEO concerned who will then make sure that the child is not denied admission in the nearby school.