Starting at three: On RTE progress (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: Education
Prelims level: National Education Policy
Mains level: Highlighting the draft of National Education Policy

Context

•  India’s far-sighted Right to Education Act is making slow progress in mainstreaming equity, in the absence of a strong political commitment in several States.
•  The proposal to extend its scope to younger children through early childhood education is, however, wholly positive.

Highlights of the draft National Education Policy

•  The move suggested in the draft National Education Policy to put children three years and older in a stimulating nursery environment is a welcome logical measure.
•  The pedagogical view is that the pre-school phase is crucial to stimulate a child’s curiosity and help her prepare for schooling at age six.
•  The NEP proposal to infuse the existing child development schemes, which are primarily nutrition-oriented, with a learning component is in line with this thinking on holistic development.
•  An extension of the RTE would be a big step forward, but in the absence of measures that will deepen equity, the law cannot be transformative.
•  The Centre has to guarantee that in its totality, the Right to Education will encompass all schools bar those catering to minorities.
•  This is necessary to achieve its moral goal of bringing quality schooling to all in the 6-14 age group; adding the early childhood section, now under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, will then be meaningful. Unfortunately, the evidence indicates that only 12.7% schools comply with the law’s requirements, and at the pace seen since RTE became law in 2010, it will take decades to achieve full coverage.

Key implications

•  Giving all children aged three and above the right to an education can become a reality only if the state is willing to live up to its promise of devoting more financial resources.
•  An expenditure of 6% of GDP on education could have transformed the sector, given the large wealth generated since economic liberalisation.
•  But far less is spent for instance, 2.7% in 2017-18. The lost years have cost millions a brighter future, but the draft NEP provides an opportunity to make amends.
•  Bringing more children into the formal stream needs a well-thought-out road map.
•  The Centre has to play a leadership role to ensure that States, some of which have done a poor job of implementing the RTE Act, are persuaded to implement urgent reform.
•  The NEP’s proposal to have well-designed school complexes, where pre-primary to secondary classes will be available, is in itself an ambitious goal that will require mission-mode implementation.

Way forward

•  Shortcomings in anganwadi centres must be addressed in the expansion plan.
•  State governments will have to fill teacher vacancies and ensure that the training of recruits is aligned to scientific, child-oriented teaching methods.
•  Education reform is vital to prepare for a future in which cutting-edge skills will be necessary for continued economic progress.
•  Changes to the RTE Act that will prepare all children for a more productive schooling phase can help make India’s educational system morally fair and more egalitarian.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Recently, the government approved construction of the longest bridge connecting Dhubri and Phulbari. Which of the following is the current longest road bridge in India?
(a) Bandra-Worli Sea Link
(b) Bogibeel Bridge
(c) Patna-Hajipur Mahatma Gandhi Setu
(d) Dhola Sadiya Bhupen Hazarika Setu

Answer: D
Mains Questions:
Q.1) Extending the right to education to younger children would be a welcome step. Analyse this statement.