Right to Education: What is Right and What is Wrong?

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows” is well said phrase by Sydney J. Harris. Its cent percent right. Knowledge is what imparted to the children firstly by their parents which is called “informal” education and it is the first step in child’s life that can make or ruin his life. It is informal because it is not provided in any school or in any classroom. It is provided in an environment that helps the child to grow and build its mentality at the very early stage of his life. The second phase of a child’s life is his/her school that provides him the environment in which he learns to cooperate, to perform well in every walk of life and what it is called is “formal” education. Thus both informal and formal education is necessary for a child for his development. But today, do all children have access to this education? What happens when children couldn’t get what he deserves? When their parents’ inability ruin their lives?
In India, nearly 14 crore children are depriving of education. Who is responsible for all this? Numerous questions and a few answers. Their parents’ inability and lack of understanding proves a bane for the entire life of their children. But above all, the government is taking a number of initiatives that helps these children. Some of the praiseworthy initiatives are Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, Sarva Shiksha Abhyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme and many more. Right of Children to free and compulsory education is providing free education to the children of age 6-14. These acts not only take care of education of children but also provide them an environment to maintain their health and nutrition level. But these acts are facing number of challenges today.
One of the challenging situations for RTE is that private schools don’t agree to make 25% reservation for minority children. They don’t agree to impart free education to minority children. Recently in Karnataka, two such children expelled out from a private school only because they are minors. But is it right? Why the private institutions are behaving like this even after knowing that the education is a right of every child? The main reason could be the discrimination in such institutions. Children of belonging to rich families study in these institutions. They may feel less comfort by studying with these children. It may result in fall of “business” of private school. But what should be done to combat these problems? In fact the students should be well trained and should provide education on the lessons of indiscrimination. They should learn to educate in a cooperative environment.
The government didn’t have proper number of teachers to teach children. Less pupil-teacher ratio may result in improper and unhealthy education. The less pupil-teacher ratio is the result of desire of teachers to earn more and more money. The teachers are providing private tuitions to the students. The primary reason why teachers underperform in the classes is the want of additional income. Banning teachers from doing this won’t do away with the problems. Under the strict norms of RTE full fledge educationists should be appointed. The local authorities should be appointed in each district to verify these cases.
Other implication of RTE is that the unrecognised schools should be shut down after 3 years of RTE came into force. Do really these unrecognised schools should be shut down? Today most of the unrecognised schools are solving outreach problems of the school going children. In large slums these unrecognised schools are imparting education to the children. These unrecognised
schools are not the alternatives to the recognised schools. In fact these are the alternatives for education not at all! Do still the unrecognised schools should be disposed off?
One implication of the RTE is that no children shall be failed or expelled from the school till he/ she completes his/her elementary education. Now the questions arise here that is it advantageous for children? Should the students be promoted in the higher standard before he or she does not attain the level what is required for the next class? The intention of this rule is no doubt to support the students who are not able to attain the level of the performance required to gain admission in the next class. But what about the skill development of such children? Failure, no doubt may cause the child to intensely doubt his/her abilities. But remaining in the same class after failure may help the children to develop their skills. If he/she is promoted to the next class, it may ruin his entire life and he would have no chance to build his/her skills again. The government also suggests that the board exams should not be taken during the period of elementary education. The government thinks that the board exams put unnecessary pressure on the students at a young age. But exam pressure is a part of life. The system should face such pressures instead of doing away with them. The reason why the board exams should be taken is that it will also help the government to evaluate the performance of students as well as teachers and to evaluate the RTE that how successful it is going in the country. The students will, in fact, learn to perform well in such “pressures”.
So, in accordance with the measures discussed above, the government should take initiative to make the Right of children to free and compulsory education much more effective.

 Failing should be allowed in the schools because it would help the students to develop their skills. It acts as a critical feedback for both teachers and students. Poor feedback means lack of knowledge about their inabilities and it will smash the whole system. This will also ensure the lesser burden on students in their higher classes.

1.  Unrecognised schools should not be disposed off. These schools are the alternatives for education not at all! Instead of education in a recognised school. The unrecognised schools are imparting education to those children who are living in a very critical situation in the slums or the students who are living in remote areas. One initiative that the government should take is that it has to recognise all these schools which are performing better instead of being aided by government.
2. Proper sanitation facilities should be provided in the schools along with education especially for girls.
3. Teacher-pupil ratio should be improved. The government should appoint well educated teachers. Proper verification should be done from time to time. Teachers should be banned from opening their private tuitions. Proper training should be given to the teachers at the very early stage of their teaching.
4. Board exams should be taken. It helps the government to evaluate the performance of the teachers as well as students. School tests etc. also help to evaluate the performance of the students but board exams pressurise the students as well as teachers to perform well.
5.  Government should introduce some incentives to help poor students to continue their study after 14 years of age.

These are some of the steps that government should take to ensure an effective RTE.

PRAFULL KUMAR