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Getting down to creating a class apart
Dimple Malik feels implementing the RTE act needs more than just good intentions
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Photo: S Radhakrisnan |
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IS THE RTE Act 2009 a democratic platform for education across board? Right to Education, as we know it, is a fundamental right to equality and life. But, is it really achieving the objective it has embarked upon? Or would it lead to more disparity and discrimination towards the underprivileged.
India, as a country, is riddled with deeply embedded caste and social hierarchy issues. More than 60 years after Independence, it has failed to provide basic housing, water, electricity and sanitation amenities to all its citizens. Despite all our technological advancements, the shadow of a Dalit is still considered impure. They are kept out of places of worship and social engagements, and here we are talking about them sharing 25 percent of the school space. About them sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the classroom and playing along side the progeny of the classists and casteists. Does the RTE Act sincerely aim to provide the underprivileged quality education? Or is a government endeavour to widen the chasm?
The RTE Act 2009 is silent or ambiguous on many points. In April 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and directed every school, including privately-run ones, to immediately provide free education to students from socially and economically backward classes from class I till they reach the age of 14 years. This Act is applicable from the academic year 2012-13. According to 2007-08 statistics quoted by the Supreme Court, of the 12,50,755 schools imparting elementary education in India, 80.2 percent are government-run, 5.8 percent private aided and 13.1 percent are private unaided. Of these, 87.2 percent of the schools are located in rural areas. According to Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, this academic year more than 90 percent of households will have to enrol their wards in government schools. Schools, where lack of qualified teachers and facilities, seriously mar the objectives of quality education. Another aspect that needs to be looked into is the social trend in rural areas within which girl education is not given much preference. How does the government ensure that parents send the girl child to school?
Interestingly, a paltry Rs 25,555 crore has been put aside for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for 2012-13, against the recommended financial requirement of Rs 1.82 lakh crore. And the government seems little concerned about how the financial deficit will be bridged.
The RTE Act is also ambiguous about how the 25 percent reservation in private schools will be filled. The possibility of more than one private school in a given area cannot be ruled out, so how and who decides where the children would be enrolled. Some schools enjoy a certain snob value and their levels of education may be higher for the poor children to follow up or imbibe. Given a choice, the schools itself may not want to lower their standards (in terms of the quality of education and financial background of students). The financial deficit would also affect the fee structure of these private schools as they would have to add to their infrastructure and faculty.
For the little underprivileged children, having to eat the poor quality mid-day meals would be a daily trauma, while the rest of their classmates enjoy home cooked food. This in itself, would bring a sense of segregation amongst the majority and the minority. In the playground too, one may witness groups being made, once again isolating these children. Hygiene, mental and cultural wavelength — all these factors put together would only put the underprivileged children at a disadvantage and may also lead to their psychological scarring.
BESIDES, THE Act talks only about elementary education. There is no mention of secondary or higher education. Does this mean that once a child achieves the age of 14 years, he would be thrown out of school? Or does it mean that free education and mid day meal amenities would be withdrawn from him unceremoniously? Would the poor families suddenly turn lucky and become rich once their children reach the defined age bracket? This all sounds like a poor joke on the already deprived souls.
Sensitisation towards this democratic learning approach needs to be initiated at all levels for whatever little the government seeks to achieve with this ambitious Act. The society not only needs to give a level playing field to our future generation, but also needs to ensure that it is done in a manner that it does not deepen the existing social void. This is a difficult task and needs radical solutions. Imparting education is a noble cause and maintaining the sanctity of this cause will require a lot of spadework. Supreme Court directives merely may not be of much help.
malikdimple75@gmail.com
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