Right to Education in Delhi being violated
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Avnish Jolly
Dec 21, 2010, 10:58:20 AM12/21/10
to SAFE - Social Action Foundation for Equity
Right to Education in Delhi being violated
http://igovernment.in/site/right-education-delhi-being-violated-38986
Over 10,000 cases of violation have been registered by a child rights
body in the capital in just nine months of the implementation of the
Act
Published on 12/21/2010
By Azera Rahman
New Delhi: Just nine months after the Right to Education (RTE) Act was
implemented in India, promising free and compulsory education to all
children in the age group of 6-14, over 10,000 cases of violation have
been registered by a child rights body in the capital.
Some children were denied admission to school, some were subjected to
corporal punishment by the school authorities and yet others were
denied the benefit of the economically weaker section (EWS) quota for
poorer students in Delhi schools.
According to the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights
(DCPCR) Chairman Amod Kanth the body has registered 10,500 cases of
RTE Act violation since its implementation.
"As per the RTE Act, the DCPCR monitors its implementation in Delhi.
We have registered cases which involve violations of at least 15
kinds, like screening tests before admissions, corporal punishment,
admission denial, mental harassment and others," Kanth said.
"Initially, we had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports, but
gradually parents started approaching us and now it seems like the
floodgates have opened. Wherever required, we approach the school
authority concerned and the compliance level is as high as 95 per
cent," he added.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was
enforced April 1, 2010. The Act promises free and compulsory education
to all children in the age group of 6-14.
Among others, it says no child shall be denied admission for lack of
documents or if the admission cycle in the school is over. Disabled
students should also be enrolled in mainstream schools. The violations
registered by DCPCR have been on the same lines.
In one case, 10 girls living in Delhi's Azadpur area were denied
admission to a school in Classes 6 to 8 because they could not provide
school leaving certificates. The girls were tutored at home.
"The commission intervened and issued a notice to the school principal
after which the girls were admitted to the Government Girls Senior
Secondary School, Azadpur," a DCPCR document revealed.
In another case, a physically handicapped father approached the
commission after his daughter was denied admission under the EWS quota
in a public school at Shalimar Bagh, northwest Delhi. In yet another
instance, a Class 5 child was asked to take admission elsewhere on
complaint of his "poor hygiene" and behaviour, prompting his parents
to approach the commission.
In the EWS quota case, a notice was issued to the school after which
the girl was given admission under the quota, while in the other case
the child was taken back to the school after counselling.
The main reason for these violations, Kanth said, is lack of awareness
among teachers, school authorities and parents alike.
"For this reason, we have been conducting awareness programmes for
teachers and others on the RTE Act. Teachers and schools have to
realise that nearly half a million children in Delhi alone are out of
school and most of them are homeless, working children. Across the
country the number is nearly 60 million," Kanth told IANS.
"They have to also understand that it's their responsibility to bring
those children who are unreachable to schools. The role of voluntary
organisations is important in this, but it is not mentioned in the RTE
Act," he added.
The DCPCR issued notice to the Delhi government Friday on the nursery
admission guidelines that it says are against the provisions of the
RTE Act.
Other than the random selection criteria for 25 percent seats in the
EWS category, the notice said for the rest of the 75 percent the
guidelines violated the RTE Act since schools would be able to
formulate their own admission policy.
"The schools will be free to base their criteria like sibling, alumni,
single parent, transfer case or neighbourhood. Multiple criteria would
create preferences for certain types of categories of children over
the other category of children which would be a clear violation of
provisions of the RTE Act," a DCPCR statement said.
Kanth added, "The DCPCR is like a legal body. We are not toothless and
our aim is not to act like an NGO. We act like a civil court."
http://igovernment.in/site/right-education-delhi-being-violated-38986
Over 10,000 cases of violation have been registered by a child rights
body in the capital in just nine months of the implementation of the
Act
Published on 12/21/2010
By Azera Rahman
New Delhi: Just nine months after the Right to Education (RTE) Act was
implemented in India, promising free and compulsory education to all
children in the age group of 6-14, over 10,000 cases of violation have
been registered by a child rights body in the capital.
Some children were denied admission to school, some were subjected to
corporal punishment by the school authorities and yet others were
denied the benefit of the economically weaker section (EWS) quota for
poorer students in Delhi schools.
According to the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights
(DCPCR) Chairman Amod Kanth the body has registered 10,500 cases of
RTE Act violation since its implementation.
"As per the RTE Act, the DCPCR monitors its implementation in Delhi.
We have registered cases which involve violations of at least 15
kinds, like screening tests before admissions, corporal punishment,
admission denial, mental harassment and others," Kanth said.
"Initially, we had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports, but
gradually parents started approaching us and now it seems like the
floodgates have opened. Wherever required, we approach the school
authority concerned and the compliance level is as high as 95 per
cent," he added.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was
enforced April 1, 2010. The Act promises free and compulsory education
to all children in the age group of 6-14.
Among others, it says no child shall be denied admission for lack of
documents or if the admission cycle in the school is over. Disabled
students should also be enrolled in mainstream schools. The violations
registered by DCPCR have been on the same lines.
In one case, 10 girls living in Delhi's Azadpur area were denied
admission to a school in Classes 6 to 8 because they could not provide
school leaving certificates. The girls were tutored at home.
"The commission intervened and issued a notice to the school principal
after which the girls were admitted to the Government Girls Senior
Secondary School, Azadpur," a DCPCR document revealed.
In another case, a physically handicapped father approached the
commission after his daughter was denied admission under the EWS quota
in a public school at Shalimar Bagh, northwest Delhi. In yet another
instance, a Class 5 child was asked to take admission elsewhere on
complaint of his "poor hygiene" and behaviour, prompting his parents
to approach the commission.
In the EWS quota case, a notice was issued to the school after which
the girl was given admission under the quota, while in the other case
the child was taken back to the school after counselling.
The main reason for these violations, Kanth said, is lack of awareness
among teachers, school authorities and parents alike.
"For this reason, we have been conducting awareness programmes for
teachers and others on the RTE Act. Teachers and schools have to
realise that nearly half a million children in Delhi alone are out of
school and most of them are homeless, working children. Across the
country the number is nearly 60 million," Kanth told IANS.
"They have to also understand that it's their responsibility to bring
those children who are unreachable to schools. The role of voluntary
organisations is important in this, but it is not mentioned in the RTE
Act," he added.
The DCPCR issued notice to the Delhi government Friday on the nursery
admission guidelines that it says are against the provisions of the
RTE Act.
Other than the random selection criteria for 25 percent seats in the
EWS category, the notice said for the rest of the 75 percent the
guidelines violated the RTE Act since schools would be able to
formulate their own admission policy.
"The schools will be free to base their criteria like sibling, alumni,
single parent, transfer case or neighbourhood. Multiple criteria would
create preferences for certain types of categories of children over
the other category of children which would be a clear violation of
provisions of the RTE Act," a DCPCR statement said.
Kanth added, "The DCPCR is like a legal body. We are not toothless and
our aim is not to act like an NGO. We act like a civil court."
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