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Stress on need to monitor RTE Act

The Tribune, 20 December 2010

The second annual School Choice National Conference organized by Centre for Civil Society in the Capital today announced an audit on the Right to Education Act to be held soon. It also called for strict monitoring of the Act's implementation since it came into being.

Speaking at the conference, Kiran Bhatty, national coordinator, Right to Education, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said that NCPCR is a monitoring agency for the RTE Act which is separate from the implementing agencies.

She said the NCPCR was making efforts to ensure stricter enforcement of the law with cooperation from the panchayati and state authorities.

Speaking about the Capital, Bhatti said that the city houses a large number of underprivileged children and even now most of them stay untouched by RTE.

"NCPCR is soon going to launch a social audit of the RTE Act, a helpline to ensure grievance redressal and promote capacity building of school management committees," Bhatty said, adding that the commission was already holding public hearings by summoning appropriate authorities for effective implementation of the Act.

Vinod Raina, member, Central Advisory Board for Education, endorsed the need for larger dialogues and discussions with civil society, government agencies and educational service providers to ensure proper implementation of the RTE Act. Talking about the Act's provision that neighbourhood schools should be built within the next three years, he said he believed that school buildings would be constructed but the real challenge lay in ensuring proper learning within these buildings.

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