Right to Education one step closer

Years after it was first drafted,the legislation to provide free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Years after it was first drafted,the legislation to provide free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday. On the 100-day agenda of the UPA government,the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill,2008 promises 25 per cent seats reserved in private schools for needy children,that all children will be promoted till standard VIII and also sets out logistical and infrastructure-related standards that every school must have.

The Bill seeks to achieve 10 broad objectives which include free and compulsory education,obligation on the part of state to provide education,nature of curriculum consistent with Constitution,quality,focus on social responsibility and obligation of teachers and de-bureaucratisation in admissions besides a provision for neighbourhood schools to be set up by states within three years.

Nobody can say no to admission to children. We are sitting on a great opportunity. If we lose it,I do not know what will happen to our country, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said.

The bill was passed by voice vote after negating several amendments moved by Moinul Hassan of the CPM. While the Rajya Sabha debate threw up a slew of questions on the funding formula and Centre-state fund sharing arrangement for implementation of the ambitious provisions of the legislation,Sibal claimed that this was not a cause for worry and an expert group would be set up to provide inputs to the 13th Finance Commission on the issue.

Once Parliament passes it,it will be a fundamental right of the child. There is no way in the world that we will not have finances, Sibal said in his reply to the House. Strongly advocating the passage of the bill,Sibal said though it was a difficult task,the government could not have waited any longer. We have to do it. We have wasted a whole lot of time.

On the issue of private schools reserving 25 per cent seats for students from weaker sections,Sibal said it was for the state governments to implement the provision.

During the debate,Rajya Sabha members voiced their concern about the lack of clarity on the funding arrangement for its provisions. Najma Heptullah sought to know whether minority schools would also be covered under the 25 per cent reservation scheme and how would a neighbourhood school be defined.

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Santosh Bagrodia from the Congress pointed out that the 25 per cent reservation clause may be violative of the Constitution and needs looking into.

P Rajeev from the CPM said the Bill must also clearly say that each school must at least be of the Kendriya Vidyalaya standard to ensure that every child gets quality education.

K Malaisamy of the AIADMK said parity between private and government schools must be brought in to bridge the gap between students who pass out from both.

N K Singh of the JDU expressed his disappointment with the bill not coming with a clear financial settlement pointing out that there have been four different estimates of the Centre-state fund sharing.

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CPMs D Raja called for inclusion of pre-school level children also within the ambit of the bill and covering children from Class I to the secondary level.