Opening School Doors to India's Poor
Parth J Shah, The Wall Street Journal, 31 March 2010

Though not consciously designed, the Right to Education Act with the reservation of 25% in private schools has created the world's largest voucher scheme.But its implementation raises questions like can government force private schools to take students chosen by it? How would schools resist further government controls when taxpayers pay for one-fourth of their students? Would this put the whole private-school system under a new inspector raj?

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The wrong way to school
Parth J. Shah, The Mint, 31 March 2010

The Right to Education comes into effect from 1 April. But it seems more a right to employment -- for teachers.There is neither mention of evaluating teachers’ actual competencies (, nor of students’ learning outcomes. But enrolment and attendance are to be checked. All students must be in the classroom? Yes sir! Teachers? Teaching? Learning? No. No. More [+]

Joining hands in the interest of children
Kapil Sibal, The Hindu, 31 March 2010

Making available schooling facilities is an essential pre-requisite, but is insufficient to ensure that all children attend school and participate in the learning process. The school may be there, but children may not attend or they may drop out after a few months.We must address the entire gamut of social, economic, cultural, linguistic and pedagogic issues, factors that prevent children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups from regularly attending and completing elementary education. More [+]

Masti ki Pathshala for a week
Milind Ghatwai, Indian Express, 2 April 2010

More than one crore school students in Madhya Pradesh will live for a week their ultimate fantasy of going to school empty-handed, doing everything other than learning from books.They can wander in the village, chase butterflies or hear tales from grandparents. The idea is to take fear out of schooling and to make learning activity-based. More [+]

Delhi Government Ad for class 6 entrance test violates Education Act
Hindustan times, 4 April 2010

The Right to Education Act (RTE) that came into effect from April 1 mentions there should be no entrance test for a child seeking admission to any class.But a Delhi government advertisement on March 28 — an admission notice for Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas (RPVVs) — says students must sit for an entrance exam for admission to class 6. More [+]

Child rights panel to monitor RTE implementation
Aarti dhar, The Hindu, 2 April 2010

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has been mandated to monitor the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. A special division within the panel will undertake this task in the coming months and a special toll-free helpline to register complaints will be set up. More [+]

Grade budget schools
Gurcharan Das, Business Standard, 3 April 2010

Unrecognised private schools, which cater to the poor in slums and villages of India, have been under threat for a long time. With the passage of the Right to Education Act, the threat is real.The solution is not to close down budget schools but to understand their situation. Since they cater to the poor, there could be a graded system of recognition. If we can have a first and a second class in the train, why not officially designate “first” and “second” categories for schools. More [+]

The Right to Education Act: A critique
Parth Shah, 1 April 2010

The `Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009' (RTE Act) came into effect today, with much fanfare and an address by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In understanding the debates about this Act, a little background knowledge is required. Hence, in this self-contained 1500-word blog post, I start with a historical narrative, outline key features of the Act, describe its serious flaws, and suggest ways to address them. More [+]

Deprivation of Education: A Study of Slum Children in Delhi, India
Yuko Tsujita, UNESCO

ABSTRACT: Poverty, or low incomes, adversely affects the quality and quantity of education at the macro, country, level and the micro, household level. Much education research shows that education deprivation is caused not merely by poverty, but also by related factors. In the case of India, these factors might be closely related to gender, caste, labour market opportunities, the quality of learning and facilities in schools. More [+]

Private Schooling in Less Economically Developed Countries: Asian and African perspectives
Edited by Prachi Srivastava & Geoffrey Walford

This book brings together new research evidence from academics and policy makers on the nature and extent of private provision in a range of countries across Asia and Africa. Of particular interest is the nature and potential impact of private provision on the educational opportunities of economically and socially disadvantaged children.
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To initiate and continue the discussion amongst concerned groups and individuals on the issue of right of education and monitor the implementation of the RTE Act, an RTE Coalition has been formed. Join the coalition to make universal elementary education a reality in India. Log on to www.righttoeducation.in for more information.

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