The recent decision of Supreme Court for constitutional validity of
Right to Education (RTE) once again has brought the RTE act in the news.
RTE act was passed in 2010 by UPA bur even after 2 years there is no
update on its implementation. Only thing that comes in the newspaper,
that too once in a while, is that RTE has been a complete failure and
there does not seems to be any useful thing coming out of RTE.
It seems like RTE will have similar results as that of prohibition of child labor law where you can find every day that it remains to be implemented in every part of India and violation of law remains the practice. The question regarding the RTE providing every child a right to primary education. The problem with this law are many. First of all it makes it mandatory for every school (except few) to give 25% EWS quota, and then we must question what is this EWS quota. EWS is nothing but who so ever can get a salary certificate of less than some specified income level. We have already seen getting income certificate is not a very difficult specially for people working in unorganized sector and business owners. That is the reason why a lot of beneficiaries of income based schemes are used by business people who does not declare any income and keep enjoying luxurious life. So, what is the meaning of EWS quota. More importantly, the law removes SC/ST quota of upto 23.5% which was specifically fixed for them in govt funded school. Now it proposes 25% quota for all children including SC/ST/OBC/EWS. Does it means that 1.5% will be allocated for OBC/EWS? No, it does not give any specific percentage for SC/ST. Secondly, in a country where more than 30% of population lies below BPL by any estimate and some realistic estimate also put it above 40% and beyond that, then how can 30% or 40% can be accommodated in 25% seats. More importantly, in a social system where lineage and caste association matters more than any income criteria, how will someone ensure that SC/ST gets the fair chance to get a seat in 25% quota. Hardly any private school provide any concrete details of the admission process objectively, how can the system assure that there won't be any caste discrimination in the admission process.
Thirdly, what are measures taken by the government o improve quality of education where they have full control i.e. government funded school. From the time that people were will to join a government school willfully due to better qualified teachers, now the time has come that no sensible person earning some decent amount of money is willing to keep their children in any government school. The government school has gone from bad to worse without anyone caring about those schools and the honorable minister is talking about laughty laws without any hope for its implementation. Also, what is the update of the existing laws relating to the deadly caste discrimination in all the schooling and higher education system. Why has there been no prosecution after so many cases coming out and so many suicides.
RTE has been a failure since its announcement and even if it is implemented why has this law been designed to make the SC/ST people lose their chance to EWS people showing false certificates. Can government show all the income certificates of all the beneficiary who has availed income based subsidies. Government must act reasonably well and resist from making loss making laws for educationally and socially backward people.
It seems like RTE will have similar results as that of prohibition of child labor law where you can find every day that it remains to be implemented in every part of India and violation of law remains the practice. The question regarding the RTE providing every child a right to primary education. The problem with this law are many. First of all it makes it mandatory for every school (except few) to give 25% EWS quota, and then we must question what is this EWS quota. EWS is nothing but who so ever can get a salary certificate of less than some specified income level. We have already seen getting income certificate is not a very difficult specially for people working in unorganized sector and business owners. That is the reason why a lot of beneficiaries of income based schemes are used by business people who does not declare any income and keep enjoying luxurious life. So, what is the meaning of EWS quota. More importantly, the law removes SC/ST quota of upto 23.5% which was specifically fixed for them in govt funded school. Now it proposes 25% quota for all children including SC/ST/OBC/EWS. Does it means that 1.5% will be allocated for OBC/EWS? No, it does not give any specific percentage for SC/ST. Secondly, in a country where more than 30% of population lies below BPL by any estimate and some realistic estimate also put it above 40% and beyond that, then how can 30% or 40% can be accommodated in 25% seats. More importantly, in a social system where lineage and caste association matters more than any income criteria, how will someone ensure that SC/ST gets the fair chance to get a seat in 25% quota. Hardly any private school provide any concrete details of the admission process objectively, how can the system assure that there won't be any caste discrimination in the admission process.
Thirdly, what are measures taken by the government o improve quality of education where they have full control i.e. government funded school. From the time that people were will to join a government school willfully due to better qualified teachers, now the time has come that no sensible person earning some decent amount of money is willing to keep their children in any government school. The government school has gone from bad to worse without anyone caring about those schools and the honorable minister is talking about laughty laws without any hope for its implementation. Also, what is the update of the existing laws relating to the deadly caste discrimination in all the schooling and higher education system. Why has there been no prosecution after so many cases coming out and so many suicides.
RTE has been a failure since its announcement and even if it is implemented why has this law been designed to make the SC/ST people lose their chance to EWS people showing false certificates. Can government show all the income certificates of all the beneficiary who has availed income based subsidies. Government must act reasonably well and resist from making loss making laws for educationally and socially backward people.