Reader’s Feedback on the Perspectives on Volunteering (POV) – the quarterly information bulletin for volunteers.

“As we all know that majority in India constitutes THE POOR. They are the basic needed people of the present age. But no one is concerned about them. Everyone wants to see India's prosperity but no one knows that future generation will be empty handed as their forefathers have nothing to give them except poverty and lack of basic amenities.

So need of an hour is to start providing good and proper basic facilities to the majority section, so that it can help in fostering the growth and development. Besides, India's growth and development, one needs to focus on these both aspects in the case of CHILDREN. Apart poverty, major problem of the 21st century, child education is another prevailing problem that is to be looked by respective authorities. Mostly, students in India are barred from study due to one or the other reason. For their families, their child education is not an important issue, what is important to them is their earnings, their livelihood! Today, though government has provided so many schools and aanganwadis, they hardly function. Its a mixture of contribution by both- government as well as parents. Government's duty was not only to open it for the sake of education but also to look after it. The funds they get for its working is used by government for some other purposes. They hardly pay any attention to it.

Proper steps should be taken into this account so that this problem can be curbed. Many students are there who want to study but due to the deteriorating conditions of the schools, they are forced to stay away, specially girls!

Today, I encountered a rickshaw puller. He asked me," didi, kitna time hua hai??" and, to his sweet question, I replied politely,"bhaia, sawa che (6.15) hue hai.". He said," ye kitna hota hai?' and this question left my nerves numb. I was completely astounded.. Then I replied him,"bhaia, 6 bajke 15 minute hue hai..!!". Its not about only this rickshaw wala, there are many other people who are doing minor chores and actually need education,

So, I request to the concerned authorities and whosoever willing to look into this perspective that, this is high time now.. Please, take some initiative before its too late!

If you need any help, then do mail me. I am ready to help with my best possible approach.

And given below is a link from HINDUSTAN CITY, there is an article. Hope you get any help from there too!!http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HD/2011/10/06/index.shtml


Sania Bansal

Volunteer with CRY, Delhi

“Sometimes People just need a Hand to hold and a Heart to Understand.”

We are often so content and engrossed in our own lives that we fail to notice the cruel reality of life! Have you ever thought of stepping outside your comfort zone and see things that otherwise go unnoticed? You and I have all the luxuries we need, but what about the children who do not even have the basic necessities to live a normal life? Do they not have the right to have a happy childhood? Or is their life any less valuable than ours? Does any one of us have to right to take away their innocence? All these thoughts had been haunting me from quite some time and that’s when I decided to work with an NGO that supports and protects children from being exploited; and what could be better than CRY for this cause.

I started my journey with CRY on 1^st June 2011. I was all set to work for this cause, but I was absolutely clueless about how things will go. I believe that every human is valuable, and doesn’t deserve to be mistreated, be it a child yet to be born! CRY is an organization that works towards smallest of things, things we tend to ignore most of the times, and when I was made familiar with the way CRY works on the smallest of issues and brings about such major changes, I was taken aback.

When you work for such organizations, it’s very important to feel for the cause and also be sensitive towards the society at large. First day of my internship started with a field work for CRY’s first anti child labor campaign that was to take place on 12^th June 2011 at Dilli Haat, and I was more than happy to be a part of it.

I visited various villages and construction sites within Gurgaon and interacted with various children. 9 out of 10 children were not attending school because their parents wanted them to take care of the house or their young siblings or got them involved in other services like rickshaw pulling, domestic help, working at tea stalls etc. all these children were between the age group of 4- 13 yrs. They work bare feet, and most them are suffering from diseases that they are not even aware of. I was stunned to see that they were still content in what they have.

A few days later I went for another field trip to Ghazipur and I saw things I had never seen before. It was shocking to see children sleeping, eating, and living in garbage. I saw a huge dump yard and when I entered I saw 100’s of families living within that dump yard. None of these families are interested in sending their children to school; rather, they choose to make them work. It is shocking to see that the parents don’t want their children to have a better life ahead. But if you come to think of it, it is not entirely their fault because they themselves are not educated to be able to understand the importance of knowledge or any kind of awareness. And as a consequence, their next generation goes on to suffer.

Going to places I had never seen or even heard of before, interacting with people, understanding their lifestyle and problems they face, the way they work, made me realize that there is a lot more in the world than what we choose to see. It helped me open my eyes and become more sensitive towards people. I was probably not so comfortable interacting with people earlier, but this experience really helped me open up and understand the nature of such situations.

Working on an event like anti child labor was a great experience as I learnt a lot about the issue, various unbelievable facts, visited places, interacted with children involved in this activity forcefully or by their own will and most importantly, I learned how to work in a team. CRY has various departments and all of them are interrelated. All departments work together effectively and efficiently. Being a new member in this organization, I never felt uncomfortable or difficult to interact with anybody. Working with such a team for an event like anti child labor was a wonderful experience. In the end, I would just say that there is still a long way to go and this just my first step.

Minakshi Girdhar

Intern, CRY

Child Labor in India- Perspective of a Delhi-ite

With the mercury rising to 42⁰C, the drive from Delhi to Noida is never a pleasant ride. There I was in my crisp, ironed white shirt and neat trousers heading to office through the endless traffic in my air conditioned car. A light knock at my car window, woke me from my silent reverie about the approaching meetings and deadlines, and there was just another familiar sight. A girl, about 10 years old, in ragged and tattered clothes, was selling ‘Facial Tissues’ to people belonging to the ‘other world’- a world which promises of new possibilities, hope and a bright future unlike her own. I quietly, yet hesitantly handed over a note of Rs10 and took a packet of tissues as she happily moved over to the next car in an attempt to sell her next packet.

The issue of child labor never fails to stir a few thoughts in my mind. When I see these children in the streets – one part of me thinks that perhaps buying a few odd things from them, some of which costs less than that of a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop would help them procure two square meals a day. The other part of me urges me to just turn a blind eye. There is, after all, so much poverty in this country that I cannot possibly be the messiah-in fact what I consider charity is one of the many reasons why India has become a breeding ground for child labor. There is always a battle between the emotional and practical mind-a battle which in the end is won by not one.

While the official statistics suggests there is about 25million child laborers in India – the actual figure can well be above 50million. While India continues to battle its population explosion- the current figure being a staggering 1.2 billion, on the other hand it is also finding itself in a diabolic situation by having the highest number of child laborers in the world(the number of child laborers in the world being 200 million). The children are employed in various occupations, sometimes under extremely hazardous occupations, like carpet weaving, textile factories, glass blowing, ‘bidi’ making factories, begging, in prostitution and as domestic helps.

While the definition of the word ‘child’ is subjective and varies from country to country, when it comes to child labor the definition of child can be referred under Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, which states that: Child means a person who had not completed 14 years of age.

The Article 24 of Indian Constitution clearly states: No child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment. India has also signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO Abolition of Forced Convention – No 105 and ILO Forced labor Convention – No. 29. 57 processes and 13 occupations, considered dangerous to the health and lives of children, were identified. In 1996, Supreme Court of India came out with a judgment in court that directed the State and Union government to enlist children engaged in hazardous occupations and processes. They were ordered to be pulled out from work and be provided with proper education.

Although in India the laws definitely seem to be in place- the complex issue of child labor is far deeper rooted than can be tackled by laws alone. With about 25% of the population belonging to the strata below the poverty line, widespread unemployment and high level of corruption are various factors contributing to child labor. In a country where a large percentage of workers still work at a rate below the minimum wage rate and which is plagued by social issues like rising food inflation rate (8.55%), inadequate schools and insufficient initiatives towards providing quality education and high dropout rates for various reasons, child labor may not come as a surprise. A study reveals that in few cases 34-37% of a household’s income is contributed by children of the family. Children are in most cases paid lesser than their adult counterparts for the same type of work. Even then in poor families children become a vital source of income. In absence of adequate governmental support in the form of bank loans and other governmental loans like those available in developed countries, parents have few options but to send their children to work to supplement the family’s income. Sometimes these children are even forced to serve as bonded laborers for years to local money lenders.

In cities like New Delhi a large number of child laborers are employed in the numerous sweatshops often under extremely unhealthy conditions. While south Delhi commands some of highest rates of realty prices in the world with its plush localities– places like Shiv Park Colony, Kanpur, Shahpur Jat are reported to harbor such industries which run in a surreptitious manner. These industries manufacture several items like garments, household products, toys and employ a large number of child laborers. Some of these children work round the clock, and ironically many of them believe that they are working out of choice and are not forced. While most of these children come from Delhi, many of them also come from poor migrant families from West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and other states.

A sad reality is an estimated 20% of India’s economy is dependent on children. When globalization is the buzzword and outsourcing is the key to ensure higher profits for multinationals, a lot of high street retail and fashion stores in the West are outsourcing work like garment manufacturing to India (owing to the competitive advantage in wage rates) which are at times subcontracted to sweatshops which are vigorously employing child laborers. The wages these children earn are meager, and the working conditions are inhuman, yet these so called branded items are sold at expensive rates in showrooms in Manhattan and London. So in a way child labor exists because there are takers and a direct or indirect demand for the same.

Delhi’s high profile and often highly criticized Commonwealth Game in 2010 attracted a lot of unskilled workers from across the country. In most of the game sites a large number of workers were working below the minimum wage rates and in many of these sites children barely 5 year old were seen to work as laborers right under the noses of the government officials Parents who employed their children to work on the site were even promised extra bonuses such as money for bread and milk for their children, on top of their normal pay.

The other day one of my office colleagues was complaining about her 13 year old maidservant being negligent of her duties. I gave her a look of disapproval, but living in India, I am not unaware of the fact that upper middle class and so called highly educated individuals like us regularly take advantage of adolescents and children by employing them as cheap domestic helps- a concept that is simply inconceivable in the West. So even barring poverty, the mindset of the society at large is another determinant of the prevailing child labor. It seems we have taken child labor for granted and are thus show nothing but apathy towards the underage delivery boy from the local grocery, the children working in tea shops and dhabas and children selling books near metro station most of whom are barely able to read a word.

With the Right to Education Act which came into being on 1st April 2010, India has been seen to take a significant and positive step towards eradicating child labor by ensuring free compulsory education for every Indian child, minimum formalities for admission into schools, free mid-day meals for children in government schools and a 25% reservation for underprivileged children in all private schools. But in order that such initiatives are successful there needs to be a change in social attitude along with a better government support system. As long as parents of poor families continue to believe that sending their children to work at an early age can earn them an additional income, while education does not help in this matter- India will not be absolved of its shame of Child labor. So, additional incentives need to be provided for these poor families so that they can genuinely consider letting their children be better educated. Those of us who want to see ‘India shining’ should understand and convince others that ensuring education for children would mean a huge development for the nation in future. In longer terms it would add to the productive capacity of future generation that had the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of education rather than being sent to work as children. Although neither enforcement of laws alone nor education can ensure the annulment of child labor – the vicious cycle of illiteracy and thereby poverty can obviously be broken and prevent the need for child labor in posterity.

Author: Samriddhi Bhattacharyya

Weekly Newsletter - 3 (May)

Visiting NCPCR team's attention drawn to plight of children

Publication: The Sangai Express
Date: Wed, 2011-05-25

Imphal: The plight of the children of Manipur have become worse with the occurrence of various heinous crimes against innocent children besides the enduring onslaught of certain grave issues like the pandemic HIV/AIDS, armed conflict and child trafficking, the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) has asserted in a memorandum to the visiting team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), New Delhi.

The alliance submitted the memorandum to the NCPCR team which is camping in Imphal since yesterday to study the issues being confronted by the children in the trouble torn state of Manipur.

The team led by Dipa Dixit, member NCPCR, comprises of BK Sahu, registrar, Sanjoy Kumar Tiwari and Ramnath Nayak, senior consultants of the commission.

They arrived here yesterday and will stay till tomorrow, May 26 .

In the memorandum, the MACR drew the attention of the NCPCR into certain care issues affecting the lives of children at the most, such as RTE (Right to Education), HIV/AIDS issues, juvenile/criminal justice system, child trafficking, drugs and children with disabilities.

They seek immediate attention to monitor and give necessary recommendations in order to safeguard and protect the right to life, right to protect and development of marginalized children.

Putting up the issues related with the RTE, the alliance alleged that the failure of timely publication and distribution of various text book prescribed by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur has affected the academic career of lakhs of students in the state.

As in previous years, this year too, the state government could not provide text books in time even though months have passed after the school session started.

The government has responded weakly only after witnessing violent protest from student's bodies, the alliance informed NCPCR and urged the visiting team to give a strong directive to the government not to repeat its failure in future.

Children belonging to socially disadvantaged categories and affected and infected by HIV/AIDS are not getting free education at neighbourhood schools under the mandatory 25% reservation policy.

A recent survey conducted by MACR and various news reports have testified the fact.

The state government/RTE implementing authority has not taken up punitive action for non-compliance of RTE's provisions and standard norms by private unaided schools, aided schools and schools under special category.

Even government run schools and schools run by the district autonomous councils in hill districts do not comply with the provisions of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the memorandum went on to point out.

The memorandum further mentions the plight of children living with HIV/AIDS, on criminal justice system relating to crimes against children and also on child trafficking and urged the NCPCR to press the state government to expedite the process for setting up of a state commission for protection of child rights.

They also informed the NCPCR that many children who have been trafficked from the state under the pretext of providing free education, shelter and jobs still remained untraced in various places outside the state such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Bangalore, etc.

Some criminals involved in previous child trafficking cases managed to get bail very easily and they continue to be involved in other crimes, the MACR stated in the memorandum.

Source: http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=18..260511.may11

Haryana to give education to 22 lakh children

Publication: DNA INDIA
Date: Thurs, 2011-05-26

Chandigarh: Haryana government today approved the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011, which would benefit about 22 lakh children in the state.

The rules have been prepared in pursuance of provisions of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

A decision to this effect was taken by cabinet which met here under the chairmanship of chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

A state advisory council under the chairmanship of minister in-charge shall be formed to ensure proper implementation of provisions of Rules, Hooda told reporters.

There will be a primary school within a radius of one km and a middle school within three kms from a ward in case of urban area and gram panchayat in case of rural areas. No child will be denied admission for want of age proof.

The children in age group of 6-14 who are not going school will be identified and by giving special training they would be brought at par with the other students.

Continuous and comprehensive evaluation methodology will be adopted under RTE. This will make the children free from fear and anxiety of the exam, he said.

Though there will be no Board exam in Class VIII, there will be testing of the child on a regular basis at short intervals.

This testing will help teachers understand the weak areas of the child and teacher will provide additional support where needed.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_haryana-to-give-education-to-22-lakh-children_1547801

Haryana to get child rights protection commission

Publication: Indian Express
Date: Wed, 2011-05-11

Chandigarh: The Haryana government is set to come up with a commission in the state to protect rights of child welfare. Though initially it had refused to set up such a commission, on Wednesday — during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by social activist Hemant Goswami — the government apprised the Punjab and Haryana High Court of its revised stand.

A law officer appearing on behalf of the Haryana government, apprised the court that the state has taken a decision to open a Protection of Child Rights Commission. Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, Advocate A P S Shergill, had contended that according to rules, each state is under obligation to open such a commission.

On the last date of hearing, Punjab Additional Advocate General Rupinder Singh Khosla had informed the court that the Punjab government will soon come up with such a commission

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Haryana-to-get-child-rights-protection-commission/789340/

Uncertainty looms large over RTE in UP

Publication: TOI
Date: Mon, 2011-05-09

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is caught in a catch 22 situation over Right To Education (RTE) Act. The issue relates to notification of model rules for implementation of RTE, and if the state doesnt act now, scores of children could be deprived from getting admission into new schools.

The issue rose from the term neighborhood. RTE Act talks about opening of schools in neighborhood so that target of universal education can be achieved. Accordingly, each state is expected to define neighborhood, which would relate to presence of primary and upper primary schools in terms of kilometres. This could be done only when the states form and notifies rules for implementation of the RTE Act. Meanwhile, state basic education department through Sarva Shikha Abhiyan has submitted proposal for opening of more schools and training of teachers to project approval board (PAB) which decides the fate of various projects relating to primary education. PAB, which is meeting on May 9, reportedly wants to know What have the states done since free and compulsory education became every childs right. It reportedly sees notification of the rules as the first step towards implementation of the RTE Act. In UP, the rules have been drafted, but they are yet to be notified.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-09/lucknow/29524749_1_rte-act-basic-education-primary-education

Why RTE remains a moral dream

Publication: The Hindu
Date: Sat, 2011-05-21

Krishna Kumar

The law provides a five-year window to its implementation but the dream it legislated looks as elusive now as it did when the countdown started.

Like the majority of India's children, the Right to Education (RTE) Act has completed its first year facing malnourishment, neglect and routine criticism. A year after it was notified as law, the right to elementary education remains a dream. The law provides a 5-year window to its implementation but the dream it legislates looks as elusive now as it did when this countdown started. While one important clause is facing a writ in the highest court, other provisions are struggling to receive official attention in State capitals. Any assessment of the progress of RTE in its first year must begin by underlining the federal nature of governance which assigns school education squarely to the State. Few people recognise that India's federal character offers to the Ministry of HRD at the Centre the role of little more than a moral authority. No wonder the main news on RTE at the end of its first year is that the Ministry is trying hard to persuade State governments to own the new law and accept the responsibility of implementing it. The attempt has met with rather limited success. Let us examine why.

A key feature of RTE is that it emphasises quality as an integral aspect of the child's right to be educated. Part V of the RTE Act lays down fairly specific terms under which the quality of elementary education is to be ensured. These include a comfortable teacher-student ratio, curriculum reform and improvement in evaluation methods. The success of these measures depends on teachers, and that is where the system is facing its worst obstacle. The current policy discourse prefers to use the word ‘challenge' in place of ‘obstacle.' This sweet advice of management gurus is not quite relevant to the problem at hand because it has been created as a matter of policy in many States. At the top is Madhya Pradesh which has radically lowered the status of teachers with the help of a two-decade long policy delusion. Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh present similar, though less intractable, cases. The States in the north-east come next where a vast number of teachers have been appointed over the years without any attention to basic qualifications or training. West Bengal constitutes a case of its own kind, symbolising isolation from national trends and norms. If we leave aside these dire instances, many among the remaining States also present a grim picture. Instead of improving teachers' working conditions and training, many States have opted for cosmetic solutions. Orissa has taken the lead in this respect by imposing a dress code requiring teachers to wear a pink sari and a black blouse. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh may not face an acute shortage of teachers but the issues pertaining to the quality of training are just as relevant for them as they are to the northern States.

Teacher training comprises what one might call the single biggest mess the system of education has to sort out. When the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) was given statutory status as a licensing authority, it was seen as a powerful mechanism to bring order into a chaotic sector. Over the years, the NCTE has, by itself, become a part of the problem. Thousands of private outfits of dubious institutional integrity and quality have come up. The RTE requires each State to name an academic authority which will determine and improve curriculum, evaluation and training. Most States have notified their State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) as the mandated academic authority. Some, like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and West Bengal have named their Boards of Secondary Education. Apparently, these States have no institutional resources to look after the implementation of RTE. But even the ones which have assigned this task to the SCERT need to assess the academic capacity of this institution. Barring Kerala, no State has treated its SCERT with respect; one only hopes that the political change in Kerala will not hurt the remarkable status its SCERT has achieved. All others will need both guidance and money to nurture their SCERTs.

The climate of governance, which set in during the 1990s, makes outsourcing preferable to institution-building. State officials, who have the responsibility to implement the RTE do not know where to look for the knowledge and creative energy required to address the pedagogic concerns articulated in it. Terms such as child-centred teaching and continuous evaluation are alien to a system accustomed to eliminating a majority of children by declaring them ‘fail' sooner or later. A ban on corporal punishment is similarly baffling to both officials and teachers who are used to inducing fear as a way to get children to work hard.

A peculiar development of the last two decades has further compounded the situation. This factor has to do with the culture of trivia that has become the norm of schooling of the poor. Superficial training has led many teachers to perceive their job as that of baby-sitters. A pattern of poorly conceived, shallow activities, aimed at keeping children occupied without learning anything substantial, has evolved into a full-fledged routine. Children come to school, get a free meal, and it matters to no one that they make tangible progress from day to day. The cult of ‘joyful learning' has driven many among the poor to look for whatever private provision exists in their habitation. These private outfits impose a harsh regime of home work and physical punishment to show good examination results. The paucity of good teachers is just as acute in the low-fee private sector as it is in schools run by the government and local bodies. According to current estimates, the country will need well over a million teachers over the next four years in order to meet the RTE norms. Who will train that many teachers? And who will orient the existing cadre of teachers towards the child-centric vision of RTE? One might have imagined that universities will play a major role in this national enterprise, but there is no sign of such an initiative being taken. Even the newly set up central universities have ignored teacher education. Distance education is perceived as the only viable solution to this conundrum. But even for this option, there seems to be little realistic assessment of the costs involved in creating the kind of infrastructure the SCERTs will require in order to liaison with providers of distance education. The situation is apparently so desperate that even the National Open School is likely to join the list of providers of distance training. There is a great risk that a vast number of nominally trained teachers will be allowed to enter schools. The only barrier they might face is the newly introduced eligibility test which will qualify a person to seek appointment as a teacher. How that barrier works as a mechanism for ensuring quality is yet to be seen.

RTE is also facing a major court case, filed by a group of top-end public schools. They are upset with the clause which makes it mandatory for every fee-charging school to allot one-fourth of its seats to children of the poor. Our metropolitan public schools cannot bear the idea of mixing children of the poor with rich kids. Many have started an afternoon shift for the poor; others want to test the poor kids before enrolling them. RTE's radical vision prohibits such screening procedures. The cutting edge of the legal case RTE is facing arises out of the rule that the government will subsidise the reserved seats for the poor only to the extent of the per capita amount it spends in its own schools. If RTE survives this court case, it will have the potential to alter the exclusive and moribund character of the elite public schools. However, a lot of creative energy will need to go into equipping teachers serving in these schools to deal with a mixed population of children. The Loreto School of Kolkata provides a model in this respect, and one hopes that elite schools throughout the country will want to learn from it. They also need to overcome their conceptual blinkers in order to recognise that mixed classrooms provide a pedagogically superior opportunity to bring the best out of all children.

(The author is Professor of Education at Delhi University.)

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/21/stories/2011052156150600.htm

Weekly Newsletter - 2 (May)

66% Slum Children in Delhi malnourished: CRY Survey

Publication: Development Channel
Date: Fri, 2011-05-06

New Delhi: Over 66 per cent of children in Delhi slums are malnourished, suggests a new survey. The survey was conducted by NGO-Child Rights and You (CRY) in Delhi and other states.The survey conducted in seven districts of Delhi. In the seven districts analysed, approximately 7,500 children between ages 0-6 were present in the districts.The survey found that 30 per cent of children born in these districts were under-weight, while 63 were born anaemic.

It was found that most malnourishment cases occur among children from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes. The main reason for malnourishment is the poor health status of the mothers.The survey found that Anganwadi centres in the capital city are useless as they lack infrastructure, the wages offered are low, there is unavailability of space for children to play and educational facilities are also missing.

According to the study vulnerable sections like street children, beggars, children of migrant labour and sex workers are not covered in any government schemes.The report also says that there is tremendous increase almost double in the number of people living below poverty line.The study found that in Madhya Pradesh 60 per cent children are malnourished, while in Uttar Pradesh, 85 per cent are anaemic and 41.6 per cent are underweight. The national figures show 40 per cent children as underweight.

Source: http://www.developmentchannel.org/people/children/2236-66-pc-slum-children-in-delhi-malnourished-survey

A year on, only 10 states notify RTE rules

Publication: The Statesman
Date:  2011-04-01

NEW DELHI: A year after the Right to Education (RTE) Act came into force, only 10 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan Sikkim, Orissa, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, have notified the rules for implementation of this historic Act that mandates compulsory education for all children in the 6-14 age group till class VIII.
Out of 28 states, 16 are also yet to form state commissions for protection of child rights (SCPCR) which need to be formed to monitor the implementation of RTE Act in the respective state and to receive complaints regarding its violations from people.
The 11 states which have constituted SCPCR include Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Orissa.
“It’s really sad that only ten out of 28 states have notified the Act in the last one year. It is also very important that SCPCRs are established in each state,” the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Ms Shantha Sinha told The Statesman.
“We have been writing and pushing each state for this and every time we are told that it is being done and it’s in the pipeline,” she said.
The NCPCR is the main body for monitoring the implementation of the Act. Apart from it, the responsibility of monitoring the RTE Act’s implementation lies with the SCPCRs or the Right to Education Protection Authority (REPA) .
“Awareness about the Act continues to be extremely low, specially at levels below the state.”
“While people are not aware, even teachers’ and head teachers’ knowledge is rudimentary,” Ms Sinha said, referring to 230 complaints registered by the NCPCR in the last year all over the country.
Of the 230 complaints received, 65 are from Delhi, 27 complaints were from Madhya Pradesh, 25 from Haryana and 22 each from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Most of these complaints range from admission (51) to corporal punishment (34).
To generate more awareness, the NCPCR has recommended that the basic entitlements under the Act be painted on walls of all government school buildings.
The Centre has also committed financial support of Rs 2.31 lakh crore over a five-year period from 2010-11 to 2014-15 for implementation of RTE-SSA programme across the country.
Its fund sharing pattern has been revised from the earlier pattern in the sliding scale of 65:35 ratio between the Centre and state for the five year period from 2010-11.

Source: http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&show=archive&id=364525&catid=36&year=2011&month=04&day=2&Itemid=66

Tardy progress

Publication: Deccan Herald
Date: Mon, 2011-05-09

There are serious problems in the implementation of the Right to Education Act in all the states of the country.The Act, which makes all children aged between 6 and 14 entitled to free and compulsory education, was notified in April 2010. But its enforcement is shoddy and uneven and there are large numbers of complaints about lack of compliance with the provisions of the law from all over the country. The complaints come from people who are aware of the right and find violations of the law. But the majority of the people are unaware of the law. The number of complaints would have been manifold if they knew that their children’s rights are being denied. Since schools are going to reopen in the next few weeks and this is the peak admission time, it is necessary to address the problems urgently.

A review meeting held by the human resources development ministry last week has decided to evolve procedures to address the complaints. Most complaints relate to denial of admission, prejudiced admission procedures, demand for capitation fees, poor quality of teaching, absence of schools in accessible areas and lack of teachers and physical infrastructure. Some of these problems should have been addressed in the past few months but some others like the admission problems can still be sorted out. One important complaint relates to the 25 per cent quota for economically weaker sections in private schools. Many schools are unwilling to implement the provision and some have even incited parents to oppose it on objectionable grounds. The fee compensation scheme in the case of such students is being disputed. But the refusal of some school managements to admit poor students on grounds of difference in family backgrounds and alleged learning disabilities are more serious and should be handled strictly.

The ministry has decided to make the grievance redressal mechanism more accessible to people. The mechanism does not exist in some states. Redressal bodies should function effectively at the lowest levels like panchayats. There is a proposal to put in place a malpractices law which can better handle violations of the RTE Act. While this may be considered, the present focus should be on using the powers which are already available. Wider dissemination of the rights under the Act, especially in the educationally and economically backward areas, is necessary. Non-government organisations and others interested in education should also be involved in the awareness programme.

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/159563/tardy-progress.html

 

Public school seats may double in New Delhi

Publication: Times of India
Date: Fri, 2011-05-06

NEW DELHI: The number of seats available in Delhi's public schools may double if a Planning Commission proposal is implemented. The Planning Commission has directed Delhi government to take a call on mandating public schools to go for double shift to meet the increasing demand of admissions. The directorate of education has already sent a directive to schools giving detailed guidelines about how it should be done.

NEW DELHI: The number of seats available in Delhi's public schools may double if a Planning Commission proposal is implemented.

The Planning Commission has directed Delhi government to take a call on mandating public schools to go for double shift to meet the increasing demand of admissions. The directorate of education has already sent a directive to schools giving detailed guidelines about how it should be done.

The issue came up in a meeting to finalize the annual plan for the capital where plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia asked Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit to consider the proposal which will double the intake in the public schools in the city which is struggling to meet the admission demand.

Confirming the plan, Dikshit said that the idea was basically to cater to the increased demand that would follow because of the implementation of the Right to Education Act. "This is the second year of RTE. Some schools like Delhi Public School and Sanskriti are already doing it on a voluntary basis. It is not a hard and fast rule yet because we are still looking at the proposition but what is clear is that the second school would have to be a completely separate establishment with a different set of teachers, other staff, etc."

Asked if the fee structures of the two shifts would be the same, the CM said that should ideally be the case. "But in the case of Sanskriti Umang is being run as a sort of a social responsibility initiative. Some schools have met us - some of them came today also to give their suggestions which we are open to. But as of now we do not want to force things on anybody. It is a sort of open proposition that is under consideration."

According to chairman of the DPS Society, Ashok Chandra, "It is fine, but it should be made mandatory as it will not be a viable option for all schools. The final decision should be left to the individual organizations."

On a similar line, principal of Springdales, Pusa Road, Ameeta Mulla Wattal said: "In fact nearly a month ago we received a circular suggesting that private schools should adopt double shift. It also stated that these will be run as separate independent schools with a time gap of one hour between the two shifts and with a separate principal and faculty. Private schools are already resource-challenged and as far as I know most of the schools of the National Progressive Schools' Conference are overloaded with initiatives and will not be possible, at least in my school, to start a second shift."

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Public-school-seats-may-double/articleshow/8172694.cms

 

More work hours may hit teachers’ efficiency - India - DNA

Publication: DNA India
Date: Fri, 2011-05-06

GUJRAT: Will the new working hours for primary school teachers, fixed under Right to Education (RTE) Act, make teachers quit their jobs or will they adjust to the longer hours?

Under the RTE Act, it is mandatory for primary school teachers to report for eight hour duty at schools, two hours more than the normal school hours. Teachers are supposed to spend the extra time preparing for the next day and checking note-books.

Vice-president of Gujarat Primary Teachers Association, Shanti Shah said, "The state has around two lakh primary school teachers, of which 50% are women. There are several households where husband and wife both work as teachers. If such people dedicate eight hours to their work, their family life gets disturbed. Also, what about those teachers who travel to far off village schools. Will women be able to face such a life?"

Disappointed with the government, he said it has not taken women teachers into account. "We have submitted a letter to Gujarat government to make changes in the rules. We even staged a dharna in Delhi against this rule, but in vain," added Shah.

He said that quitting the job will not be an option taken by any teacher as the association will support the teachers completely.
However, many principals seem to be happy with the decision. Principal of Sheth CN Vidyalaya, Hitendra Trivedi said, "The teachers have no option but to follow this mandatory rule. But I believe it is a good decision. Instead of checking exam papers and note-books and preparing for next day at home, teachers can do the work at school with complete concentration during the extra two hours. I don't think this will lead to teachers leaving their jobs."

Another principal of a prominent school of the city, requesting anonymity, said, "The decision has its advantages and disadvantages. It will improve the productivity and quality of work of the teachers, but it will also lead to long working hours for them."

Interestingly, principal of Aroma School of the city, Bhaskar Patel said, "A few teachers may opt out of the profession. But the figures will be marginal. Hardly 1-2% of total teachers will leave the profession due to increased timings."

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_more-work-hours-may-hit-teachers-efficiency_1539704

Parents demand municipal school at Bibvewadi

Publication: Times of India
Date: Thu, 2011-05-05

PUNE: Parents of 650-odd children in the Bibvewadi area where no municipal school exists for over four to five km, along with NGO Swadhar, have submitted a petition to the Pune Municipal Corporation's school board, pointing out the urgent need for a school in the area and for transport facilities to take the children to other schools in the interim.

The petition was signed on Wednesday during a public meeting of parents, member-activists of Swadhar -- which is also a member of the Action for the Rights of the Child, an umbrella organisation of various child rights groups in the city -- as well as officials from the PMC school board and the central government-run Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Local resident Ratna Rathod told TOI: "My daughters aged 10 and 11 years have been out of school for a year now since it is not possible for them to walk the distance to the school everyday, which is at least five km away. I request the PMC to start a school in this area at least this academic year onwards. If that is not possible, at least provide buses to take these children to school."

Anjali Bapat, member-activist of Swadhar, said: "So far the school board has kept promising that the PMC standing committee has approved a school in this area. But, apparently, since no reserved land belonging to the PMC is available, it is difficult for the school to materialise. That being the case, I wonder how the tenets of the Right to Education Act that promises free and fair education to every child -- by envisaging a school within a km of the child's residence -- would be met."

Bapat said that when the activists of Swadhar and ARC had asked the PMC for buses to ferry these children to schools, they were told that there was no budgetary allocation for the same. "The school board says it would provide free PMPML passes to these children, but that would not be of much use. These children belong to the primary school level and are too young to travel alone. Their parents, who are struggling to make ends meet, cannot take them everyday."

Dhananjay Pardeshi, deputy education officer, PMC, and Rajesh Thorat, co-ordinator of Sarva Shikshan Abhiyan, who were present at the meeting, asked Swadhar to identify places where a school could be run on rent. "Alternately, we, for our part, will look for land where a temporary shed can be built to house classes. If none of that works, we will provide transportation to these children", they said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Parents-demand-municipal-school-at-Bibvewadi/articleshow/8163711.cms

Delhi schools should admit children throughout the year: Minister

Publication: The Hindu
Date: Fri, 2011-05-06

New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, said the process of enrolling children in nursery and pre-primary classes would continue throughout the year as per provisions of Right to Education Act.

Although Delhi government had set a July 31 deadline for nursery admission, Mr. Lovely said the RTE provides for enrolment throughout the year.

At a meeting, Mr. Lovely directed top officials of his department to ensure that all eligible children get admission in government-run as well as private schools.

“The Minister issued clear instructions to enrol the children in appropriate classes. He also directed the officials to ensure not a single child is left without getting admission,” said the official who attended the meeting.

Mr. Lovely said all the deputy directors of various zones have been told to prepare of list of private schools where seats under economically weaker section are lying vacant.

“These seats will be filled soon. We will seek fresh applications from children of poor families for admission under this category,” Mr. Lovely said.

The Delhi government had earlier this year issued guidelines asking all schools to reserve 25 per cent of the total seats for students belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) as per RTE Act.

The Education Minister said there has been an increase in enrolment of about one lakh students in government-run schools this year, compared to last year.

A total of 13,99,000 students were enrolled this year compared to 13,01,591 last year, an official said.

The city government is currently running 943 schools, which include around 700 senior secondary schools, 200 secondary schools and around 40 middle schools. 

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article1996654.ece   

News Articles collected by Abhinav Jaipuriar

Weekly Newsletter -1(May)

Madhya Pradesh topped in malnourishment among children

Publication: Visionmp.com news service
Date:  2011-04-29

BHOPAL: One of the study conducted by Child Rights and You (CRY) across four states -Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan – found child malnourishment to be highly prevalent in Madhya Pradesh as the share of children in the age group of 0-6 was 14.53%, a decline of 3.34% from the 2001 Census figures.

Yogita Verma, director of CRY said, “In a random sample survey of 255 children across 11 settlements of Bhopal we found that 69% children were severely malnourished. Not only this, there is shortfall of 47% Anganwadi centres in MP”.

“Of the total budget of Rs90 crore allocated for the National Nutrition Mission, the share for child health has seen a decline from 21.7% to 17.56%,” Saighal said, adding child malnourishment in India was preventable if there is timely investment in terms of resources, staff and planning.

“These child deaths and diseases are entirely preventable. The most damaging effects of under-nutrition occur during pregnancy and the first two years of a child’s life. These damages are a leading factor behind India’s high infant mortality and morbidity rates,” she said.

Child population in MP is 10,548,295. And the infant mortality rate in Madhya Pradesh is 72 out of 1,000 children born, said 2011 census report.

Source: http://visionmp.com/madhya-pradesh-topped-in-malnourishment-among-children254114727717/

Cannot support 25% - Minority Institutions

Publication: Financial Express
Date: 2011-04-28

New Delhi: Minority educational institutions in the city have expressed inability to implement government guidelines on reserving 25 per cent seats for students from economically weaker sections as per provisions of the Right to Education Act, citing financial constraints. These schools have already approached National Minority Commission to take up the issue with the HRD Ministry as well as Delhi govt. NCM member H S Hanspal, who looks after minority related issues in Delhi, today took up the matter during a meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit but she apparently told him that only HRD Ministry can examine the issue. "We will soon take up the issue with HRD Ministry. These schools have told us that they cannot provide free education to 25 per cent students due to financial constraints," he told reporters after a meeting with Dikshit. Delhi Government, earlier this year, had issued a notification making it mandatory for all schools in the city to reserve 25 per cent of seats for economically weaker sections (EWS) as per provisions of the RTE Act.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/minority-educational-institutions-unable-to-give-25-seats-to-students/782932/0

Steps to address complaints against schools not conforming to RTE

Publication: ET Bureau
Date:  2011-05-02

NEW DELHI: The Human Resource Development Ministry is contemplating steps to address complaints against a number of schools that they were not conforming to the Right to Education Act.

The next meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education, which is likely to be held in early June, is expected to discuss the proposal.

Most of the complaints over the past year, since the Right to Education Act was notified on April 1, 2010, relate to corporal punishment, collection of fees and funds, denial of admissions and scholarships, quality of education and classroom transaction, poor infrastructure, especially toilets, and poor quality mid-day meal. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which is the central monitoring agency, is of the view that the numbers of complaints would be much higher if people were aware of their legal entitlements.

However, mere publicity or dissemination of information about legal entitlements may not help address the issue. There is a thinking within the education establishment that a malpractices law making denial of entitlements an offence would help address the situation. A discussion on the efficacy of a malpractice law for schools would have to be taken up on a wider scale.

Meanwhile, the ministry has suggested strengthening the existing grievance redressal mechanism. Under the Right to Education Act, the local authorities serve as the grievance redressal agencies, while the state commissions for the protection of child rights serve as the appellate bodies at the state level.

At a meeting held last week to review the implementation of the Act chaired by Human Resource Development minister Kapil Sibal, it was decided to lay out the procedures to help people access the grievance redressal mechanism in case of violations. It has been suggested that information about legal entitlements of children provided for in the Act should be disseminated widely beginning at the Panchayat level. The state government has to designate officers, who will be responsible for ensuring entitlements.

The state government will also require to designate persons to hear complaints under the Act at the panchayat, block and district level.

It has been suggested that designated person, should be a member of the state education department.

Besides this, it was decided that information about the system and process of registering grievances be instituted at the district and sub-district level. Information about this system must be disseminated widely to ensure that grievances are not ignored by the system. Proper system of registration, will have to be accompanied by speedy redressal. To this end, it was decided that a time schedulefor disposal of complaints must also be provided.

Source: http://m.economictimes.com/PDAET/articleshow/8137985.cms

Students fail, parents allege RTE violation by school

Publication: Express News Service
Date:  2011-04-27

Pune: Parents of class II students of Hume McHenry Memorial High School in Salisbury Park on Tuesday protested outside the school alleging the school authorities have violated the Right to Education Act (RTE) by failing a few students. While the principal admitted that some students have been failed, he said all the students will be promoted and the intention of failing them was to let parents know where their wards were lagging behind.

The parents, who went to the school to talk to the principal, however, said the school had failed the children because a few of them had complained against one of the teachers. ¿A few months ago, we went to the principal to complain against a teacher who shouts at children and behaves badly in class. The children of those parents have been failed,¿ said a parent on condition of anonymity.

Snehita Shivsagar, another parent, said, ¿We complained against a teacher who never used to teach properly. Following this, that teacher refused to check the notebooks of the children whose parents had complained against her. The school is going against the RTE. As per the Act, they are not allowed to fail a student till class VIII. As many as 10 students, out of 40 have been failed by the school. They have failed the students saying they are an ICSE school and only SSC schools are supposed to follow the RTE norms.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Students-fail--parents-allege-RTE-violation-by-school/782087/

3 drunkard teachers, woman principal face suspension

Publication: TNN 
Date:  2011-04-27

NAGPUR: Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Shantha Sinha has issued directives to the state education department to suspend three teachers working in a zilla parishad middle school at Yewati village in Amravati district for entering the premises in an inebriated condition on a regular basis. Directions were also issued by the chairperson to initiate action against the woman principal of Little Star Convent School in Mozari in the same district for brutally thrashing a class second girl student for not paying school fees in time.

A panel of NCPCR comprising Sinha, members Yogesh Dube, Lov Verma, Kiran Bhatty and retired judge H Suresh conducted a public hearing of Vidarbha region on violations of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 at the collectorate on Tuesday. As many as 25 complaints on the issues relating to corporal punishment, alcoholism among teachers and their inadequate strength in schools, denial of admission, lack of transport facilities, non-adherence to timing by teachers and absence of residential facilities for children of migrant families were highlighted. Over 300 people, including petitioners and those representing various sections of the society, attended the hearing.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-27/nagpur/29477991_1_corporal-punishment-school-fees-three-teachers

School disregards disabled boy's form

Publication: Mid-Day
Date:  2011-04-25

Delhi: Four-year-old Aarav Porwal suffers from hearing impairment. His parents had filled his admission form at Mother's International School, Sri Aurobindo Marg in the Capital in the hope that he would get admission there under disabled category. However, when the school came out with the list of children selected for admission in nursery, Aarav's parents found that their son's name was not there.

His father PS Porwal then went to the school to request the management to admit his child but was told that the 25 per cent quota reserved for disabled category had already been filled and hence they could not admit his child. However, when Porwal inquired into the issue, he learnt that his child's form was not even considered for the admission in the first place.

On learning this, the parents then filed a complaint against the school with the Commission for Disabilities for not informing them that their child's form was not being considered during the admission process . "When I met the school authorities for my child's admission, they told me that the school was not equipped with facilities to take care of children with such disabilities," said Porwal, who is working with the Ministry of Defence and is a resident of Gupta Colony, Malviya Nagar.

"My son has undergone Cochlear implant surgery, which enables an individual to hear properly. As such he faces no major problem in the studies. So I filed a complaint with the Commission for Disabilities and they issued an order to the school asking them to admit my child," he added.

MiD DAY made repeated attempts to reach the school principal Sangamitra Ghosh but she was not available for a comment on the matter.

The Commission's Take
The Commission for Disabilities had issued a notice to the school and summoned both the parties - the school principal and the parents - for a hearing. (A copy of the notice is with MiD DAY). During the hearing, the principal had promised that she would take up the matter with the school management and create a seat for the child. The representatives from the Education Department of Delhi government also confirmed that they have written to the school to admit Aarav Porwal. "We had issued an order to the school to make place for the child and admit him without any further delay. The school cannot deny him admission under the Right to Education Act though the school principal was reluctant to give admission saying they were not equipped to handle such students," said, Rajesh Kumar, Welfare Officer, Commission for Disabilities. "We have advised the parents that they can take the matter to the High Court, if the school refuses admission to the child even after this," Kumar added. Porwal, who is still waiting for his child's admission said, "The school has not given us any clear reasons why they have refused admission to our son. I might go to the High Court if they don't do anything about it. I will fight for my child's right to education now. They cannot humiliate us this way," said he.

Source: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/apr/250411-news-delhi-Nursery-admission-disabled-form.htm