Set up child helpline to ensure Act is implemented

The day Right to Education Act,ensuring free and compulsory schooling to children in the 6-14 year age bracket,came into force...

The day Right to Education Act,ensuring free and compulsory schooling to children in the 6-14 year age bracket,came into force,the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) stressed on its role in the implementation of the law,being the governments monitoring agency.

In a presentation on Thursday,the DCPCR chairperson Amod Kanth said the commission had a major role to play as the legislation empowered it to monitor the implementation of the Act and it was also to decide appeals against the orders of any local body.

Kanth also favoured the setting up of a child helpline,accessible by messages,phone and letters,which would be a forum to register complaints regarding the violation of rights under the Act.

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As per the rules,with respect to children in classes I to V,a school shall be established within a distance of 1 km of the neighbourhood. With respect to children in Classes VI to VIII,a school shall be established within a distance of 3 km of the neighbourhood, a DCPCR release stated.

Pointing to deficiencies in the Act,Kanth noted that around 157 million children under six and children aged between 15 to 18 years have been excluded from the ambit of the law. Moreover,disabled children have not been categorised as disadvantaged,while there are no provisions for fixing responsibility of guardians and officials,Kanths presentation noted.

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