India guarantees compulsory education to its children (Roundup)

NEW DELHI - India Thursday gave the right to all its children to have access to elementary education, becoming among a handful of countries in the world that legally guarantees free and compulsory to education to millions of deprived children.

Citing his own example, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated the landmark measure to the nation, saying “I am what I am because of education” and education is key to progress and well-being of the nation.

“Today our government comes before you to pledge all our children elementary education. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act enacted by parliament in August, 2009 comes into force today (Thursday),” the prime minister said in his early morning address to the nation delivered both in Hindi and English.

“The fundamental right to education as incorporated in our constitution through Article 21 (A) has also become operative from today.”

“This demonstrates our national commitment to the education of our children and to the future of India. We are a nation of young people. Education will determine the well being of our nation. Education is the key to progress. It empowers the individuals. If we nurture our children through right to education then India’s future is secured,” Singh, a strong proponent of the measure, said.

The act promises 10 broad objectives including free and compulsory education to all children in the 6-14 age group. This means millions of children will now get education at least up to class eight. Currently, in India, nearly 200 million children in the 6-14 age group are in schools while nearly 8.1 million do not go to schools.

This act will benefit this significant number and empower millions of families.

Other than free and compulsory education, the act speaks of quality education, focus on social responsibility like reservation in private schools, the obligation of teachers and de-bureaucratisation of admissions. Lack of educational access was seen as a major impediment to growth and development of the county in its march towards modernity and progress that measures upto global standards.

The “national effort”, as termed by the prime minister, seeks to create conducive educational atmosphere for physically handicapped children. It also emphasizes to make learning student-oriented rather than teacher- and classroom-oriented.

He said the act would also focus on education of “girls, dalits, adivasis, and minorities”.

The prime minister said: “We are committed that all children irrespective of gender and social category have access to education. Education enables them to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitude to become responsible citizens of India.”

Giving his own example on how education has shaped his future, Manmohan Singh said: “I was born to a family of modest means. In my childhood, I had to walk a long distance to go to school.

“I read under the dim light of a kerosene lamp. I am what I am today because of education.”

He also appealed to all Indians to dream big. “I want every Indian child to dream and touched by the light to education. I want every Indian to dream of a better future. Let us together pledge this act to the children of India … to all young men and women, to the future of our nation.”

Calling upon all stakeholders to join in the national effort with full determination, the prime minister said: Our government in partnership with state governments will ensure that financial constraints do not have adverse impact in the implementation of right to education act.”

He said quality of education depends on the ability of teachers and urged teachers to become partners in the effort even as he underlined the need to “improve the working condition of our teachers”.

He said teachers must teach with dignity and help students give full expression to their talent and creativity. Parents and guardians too have a critical role to play in school management responsibilities.

The historic measure has total political support and is the execution of a promise made when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government came to power a second time in 2009.

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who powered the act, said “both private and government schools have to implement the act” and those violating would be punished under law.

He said it was an act that would “change the way we look at education”.

Leading educationist Yash Pal said the act is “great and marvellous” but it should have “come 50 years back”.

However, the act faces many challenges in its implementation, chief of them being the huge shortage of funds, untrained teachers and inadquate infrastructure across the country.

Among the countries that have guaranteed the maximum number of years of compulsory education include Chile, Germany, Netherlands, Britain, France, Canada, Brazil and Mauritius.

(Prashant K. Nanda can be contacted at prashant.n@ians.in)