RTE Compliance – Only 13% Indian Schools Complaint

The Right to Education Act came into force in 2009. Almost a decade later, the Unified District Information System of Education (UDISE) conducted a survey and found that less than 13% of schools in India are compliant with the law. Gujarat is considered as the state with the highest percentage of RTE compliance. In Gujarat also, only 43.9% of schools have been able to meet the RTE criteria.

The education activists say that this does not really mean that a large percentage of schools across the country is not up to scratch. This UDISE study use the parameters that include a teacher student ratio of 1:30; office for the headmaster of a specific size; ramp for students with disabilities; separate toilets for boys and girls; drinking water facilities; kitchen shed; boundary wall and availability of playground. Padam Narayanan, the Director of Chennai-based Change India, an organisation which works on children’s issues, highlighted  that on one hand some of the 10 criteria are essential like functional and separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facility, ramp for disabled children, student-teacher ratio and playground), on the other hand the others are desirable like a headmaster’s room. As per his explanation if a school is unable to provide conducive environment for education or quality education it may not be necessarily because it has been unable to fulfil some desirable RTE criteria. If that is how it is highlighted then it is misleading. It has been said that not necessary that if a school does not follow even one of these criteria it is supposed to be deemed RTE non-compliant. In Tamil Nadu, over 99% schools whether private or government do have functional, separate toilets for girls and boys. Functional drinking water is available for more than 98% schools.  Most of the schools have three WASH (Toilet, Drinking Water and Handwashing) facilities along with playground as well. 67% schools do also have ramps for students with disabilities. UDISE study considers functional WASH facilities strictly like separate toilets for boys and girls, functional drinking water facilities etc. Experts have commented that no doubt these 10 criteria are critical to ensure physical space of a child is there which is conducive and safe but having not met these criteria saying that RTE-compliance is reflective of quality education is false. Gangadhar has brought out points that infrastructure parameters for RTE compliance are important to ensure that children are in a safe environment. He also mentioned that activists have been pushing for the government to offer quality school education which is cost free and more accessible. This can really make right to education equitable and a reality with less dependency on private schools.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/only-13-pc-indian-schools-rte-compliant-why-may-not-reflect-education-quality-95181