A year on,a long way to go on RTE,says HRD report

A mere 11 states have set up the State Commission for Child Protection Rights (SCPCR),which will operate as the grievance redressal authority in each state.

According to 2009-10 data compiled by the Ministry,total enrolment at the primary level is 133 million. But there are still 8 million children out of schools between 6 and 14 years — the target age group.

Twenty-one per cent teachers do not have professional qualifications,9 per cent schools have single teachers and 41 per cent primary schools have a pupil-teacher ratio of over 40:1.

While these factors obviously require attention,state governments have been more active on other counts.

Sample this: as many as 27 states have announced a no-detention policy in keeping with RTE provisions,another 28 states have banned corporal punishment and in 26 states,there will be no board examination up to elementary level.

As many as 18 states have banned private tuitions and another 18 have banned screening procedures and capitation fee for admissions.

Bringing in greater accountability and better work ethics for teachers,21 states have specified minimum working days and teaching hours.

Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has expressed optimism about the way RTE is being implemented and pointed to the increasing literacy figures thrown up in the latest Census.

He said while some international organisations had said India would not be able to meet the Millennium Development Goals of 72 per cent literacy by 2015,the country had already notched a 74.4 per cent literacy rate in 2011 itself.

The Centre on its part has claimed a number of logistical issues have been sorted out in the first year.

With the Centre assuring a financial commitment of Rs 2.31 lakh crore over five years starting from 2010-2015,the HRD Ministry has also finetuned the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan framework to correspond with RTE provisions.

Of the 5.08 lakh teachers estimated to be required over the next three years,recruitment plan for 4.55 lakh teachers has been approved.

There is,however,a definite shortage of classrooms. According to estimates,14.25 lakh additional classrooms would be needed while the Centre has managed to approve construction of only 2.74 lakh classrooms.