Revised RTE norms bring relief to poor kids
Times of India, Sep 28, 2012

JAMSHEDPUR: From the next academic session (2013-14), the 25 per cent of seats reserved for the economically weaker section students under Right to Education (RTE Act, 2009), will remain vacant throughout the session unlike the six months valid period in the current session. Besides, the beneficiaries of the RTE Act will not have to produce the below poverty line (BPL) cards at the time of securing admission forms in schools. Two of these decisions were taken at a meeting between the district education department and unaided private English medium schools on Thursday. The parents seeking admission of their wards in the schools will have to produce the valid BPL card in the school at the time of admission.

More [+]

States may get larger central funding to implement RTE
The Mint, Oct 01 2012

New Delhi: The Union government proposes to give more money to states towards improving primary education, reversing an earlier plan to reduce funding. Over the next five years, the government may have to offer an additional Rs.15,000 crore to states lagging in human development indices such as health and education or that have other issues to deal with and are given a ‘special category’ status, said a government official aware of the development. Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the Union government contributes to states 65% of the cost of providing free primary education (except for north-eastern states, which get 90% funding). The government had been contemplating reducing the contribution to 50%.

More [+]

Consultation on Right to Education held
The Sangai Express, Oct 03, 2012

Imphal, September 28 2012: Lack of initiative by school authorities to effectively implement contents of Right to Education (RTE) Act has been pointed out at a one-day State level consultation on RTE organised by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) at MFDC auditorium, Palace Compound today. Delivering the key-note address MACR convenor K Pradipkumar alleged that almost the schools are yet to implement contents of RTE. Informing that a specific survey was recently conducted in 88 educational institutions, comprising of eight private schools, 61 Government schools, 14 aided schools and five run by ADCs, to assess extent of RTE coverage, Pradipkumar claimed that inspite of some private school authorities informing that fee relaxation has been granted to certain section of the students there is vast variation in actual implementation of the national project.

More [+]

Right to Education campaign from tomorrow
NDTV, September 25, 2012

Thiruvananthapuram: The school-level campaign programme on the Union Government’s Right to Education Act would begin on Wednesday. The programme is aimed at making people aware of the Act, which ensures compulsory and free education to children between the age group of six and 14. The state-level inauguration of the 15-day campaign would be held at the Ambalathara UP school in the city on Wednesday, an official release here said. The campaign would be led by 4,770 volunteers across the state, the release said.

More [+]

Right To Education extension to result in free, compulsory education for pre-school toddlers
India Today, September 3, 2012

An unprecedented spurt in new nursery and kindergarten classes in all government schools awaits the country as the Centre prepares to extend the right to free and compulsory education to four and five year olds as well. Toeing Sonia Gandhi’s line, the Human Resource Development(HRD) ministry has asked the Planning Commission for over Rs.65,000 crore under the 12th Five Year Plan to execute the National Advisory Council’s suggestion last year to extend the Right to Education(RTE) Act to pre-school education. Spelling out its vision clearly in a sub-group report sent to the plan panel, the ministry has proposed that every primary government school will have to compulsorily run pre-primary (nursery and kindergarten) sections and comply with stringent norms and standards such as one teacher and one classroom for every 25 students.

More [+]

RTE Act compliance survey begins
The Hindu, September 27, 2012

Shiksha Ka Haq Abhiyan, an awareness programme-cum-survey conducted by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to assess the compliance of schools with the Right To Education (RTE) Act will begin in State schools on Thursday. Minister for Education P.K. Abdu Rabb launched the project at the State level at Government Upper Primary School, Ambalathara, on Wednesday. The year-long Shiksha Ka Haq Abhiyan was launched in November 2011. The survey that follows the campaign will assess if the schools are compliant with the provisions of the Union government’s Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

More [+]

Private schools in Haryana seek repeal of affiliation norms
Times of India, Sep 26, 2012

CHANDIGARH: Seeking immediate withdrawal of Haryana government’s directives related to affiliation and enforcement of Right to Education (RTE), members of Federation of Haryana Private Schools Association on Tuesday started a 24-hour hunger strike here. The action comes two days ahead of the deadline given by education department for registration of schools, which ends on Thursday. Agitating members of the federation also threatened to intensify their agitation by closing down all the 9,500 schools to press their demands, putting around five lakh students studying in private schools at the receiving end.

More [+]

Private schools must also teach the poor for free: SC
Times of India, Sep 19, 2012

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has taken an important step towards universal education by ruling that children from weaker and disadvantaged sections have a right to quality education free of cost in all government and private-run schools. This ruling could force private schools, mandated to admit students aged between 6 and 14 from weaker and disadvantaged groups free of cost under Article 21A of the Constitution guaranteeing right to education, to dismantle the separate sections they had created in every class for the poor and disadvantaged children. “Provisions of free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality to children from disadvantaged and weaker section is, therefore, not merely the responsibility of schools run or supported by the appropriate governments, but also of schools which are not dependent on government funds, said a bench of Justices B S Chauhan and F M I Kalifullah.

More [+]

Should UK children be ‘bussed’ to school in the name of diversity?
The Guardian, 2 October 2012

London headteacher David Levin is absolutely right to identify racial, ethnic and class segregation as a problem the British education system ought to address. But his recent comments in favour of American-style “bussing” of poor children are far too blithe. Bussing has a problematic history, and though most American school districts have abandoned the practice, those that have stuck with it offer some important lessons as we think through how to best ensure that more children – white and non-white; poor and affluent – can enjoy the benefits of attending culturally diverse schools.

More [+]

Public Reform and Private Expansion: The Development of Higher Education in Brazil
Author: Centre for Development and Enterprise

Abstract: Expanding the size, quality and diversity of post-school education in South Africa is vitally important. Without this, it is hard to see how we can meet critical national goals. South Africa can learn from other countries that have successfully expanded access to higher education. One such country is Brazil. Faced with rapidly expanding demand and limited public supply, Brazilian authorities opened up the system. Private institutions have been instrumental in the rapid expansion of the higher education sector in Brazil without undermining the quality of provision. In addition private profit making companies made a large contribution to vocational training, developed more effective teaching materials, used television programmes to enhance skills development, and set-up large education chains to exploit economies of scale.

More [+]

SCHOOL CHOICE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Delivering Education: From Policy to Practice

04 December 2012
The Theatre, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

Register Now!

The Future Is Brighter With School Choice
This weekend’s release of “Won’t Back Down” has helped shine the spotlight on school choice. Heritage would like to keep it there, which is why we produced a short new video about the importance of parental choice in education. Frustrated by the status quo and failing schools, more and more parents are demanding a choice for their children. That’s the plot of “Won’t Back Down,” which showcases how two committed parents take on the establishment. It’s based on actual events that stemmed from the parent-trigger law in California. The law allows parents to organize and, with the support of at least 50 percent, implement reform measures such as converting to a charter school or changing leadership.

Will Obama, Romney debate school reform?
Wednesday night’s debate between Mitt Romney and President Obama is about different areas of domestic policy — but there’s one topic that isn’t specified on the program: education. Jim Lehrer, the moderator for the debate at the University of Denver, Stage is being set at the University of Denver for the first presidential debate. (David Goldman/AP) has said that the first half of the 90-minute debate will be focused on the economy. The rest of the time will be divided into 15-minute segments and the three topics will be: health care, the role of government, and governing.

The Bad Habits You Learn in School
It can be tough to help new college graduates adjust to the real world. Joey, a 22-year-old, Ivy League graduate who joined one of my consulting teams, was a great example. He was bright, hardworking, and motivated. But he had bad habits that were hard to break. Joey would become so focused on the perfect answer to a problem, he wouldn’t consider implementation. He feared failure so much that he would hide his mistakes until they grew worse. He was only interested in getting his own work right — rarely helping the rest of the team proactively. And he saw the world in terms of hierarchy: I was his “boss,” and no one else’s opinion really mattered. Joey isn’t real — more of a composite of many young people I’ve worked with. But his flaws are undeniable. The traits above are ones I’ve seen time and again out of many recent graduates ill-prepared to handle true leadership in an organization.

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

Skill Vouchers - Global Experiences and Lessons for India

Leah Verghese and Parth J Shah

A study of the role that skill vouchers can play in catalysing demand for quality skill development services. This study examines global experiences with skill vouchers and draws lessons for India from these experiences.

For more click here

Reservation in Private Schools under the Right to Education Act: Model for Implementation

Shekhar Mittal and Parth J Shah

Through this document the Centre for Civil Society seeks to highlight the lacunae in the current framework for 25% reservation for weaker and disadvantaged groups in unaided private schools and seeks to provide inputs on effective implementation of the same.

For more click here

School Vouchers for Girls

400 girl children from poor families of North East Delhi receive school vouchers for a period of 4 years.
For details visit our website

For more details on how to support, log on to www.schoolchoice.in or email us at [email protected]

Please write in with your feedback at [email protected]

Disclaimer: Copyright of the contents of this newsletter remains with the original author/publisher.