Right Of Children To Free & Compulsory Education, Download PDF

Education develops child personality physically, mentally, emotionally and over all. The government started Right Of Children To Free & Compulsory Education to make child educated fully. 86th Amendment) Act, 2002 inserted Article 21-A in the Constitution of India to provide free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right. Here we are going to learn in detail about Right Of Children To Free & Compulsory Education benefits.

Right Of Children To Free & Compulsory Education

86^th  Constitutional Amendment, 2002

• Art 21-A inserted in Fundamental Rights
• The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 6 to 14 years in such manner as the  State may, by law, determine.
• Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 notified on 27th Aug. 2009
• The act will be in force from 1st of April 2010

The Act: Child rights

• Defines ‘free’ as removal of any financial barrier by the state that prevents a child from completing eight years of schooling
• Compulsory means- compulsory admission, attendance, and completion of EE.
• And defines ‘compulsion’ as a compulsion on the state/ local bodies, rather than targeting parents, the fundamental duty of parents to send children to schools
• Not enrolled/dropout children be admitted to age-appropriate class
• Special training to enable such children to be at par with others
• A child so admitted entitled to completion of EE even after age 14
• Softens barriers like birth certificate, transfer certificate, etc
• No child shall be psychologically abused by calling him/her ‘failed’ in any class up to class 8, or expelling him/her from school
• Bars corporal punishment, mental harassment
• Provide education facility in the neighborhood within 3 years

Teachers 

• Qualification for appointment of teachers to be laid down by academic authority authorized by Central Government
• Lays down academic responsibilities of teachers
• Prohibits private tuition by teachers
• Prohibits deployment of teachers for non-education purpose, except decennial census, disaster relief, and election

PTR

• Requirement of additional teachers to maintain PTR – within 6 months

At the upper Upper primary level

At least one teacher per class so that class there shall be at least one teacher each for

• Science and Mathematics;
• Social Studies;
• Languages

At least one teacher for every thirty-five children.

Where the admission of children is above one hundred

• a full-time head-teacher;
• part-time instructors for –

(a) Art Education;

(b) Health and Physical Education;

(c) Work Education.

Minimum number of working days  

Curriculum

• Curriculum by the prescribed academic authority should:
• Conform to constitutional values
• Make child free from fear, trauma, and anxiety
• Be child-centered, child friendly; provide for learning through activities, discovery, and exploration
• Medium of instruction – child mother tongue to the extent possible
• Provide for comprehensive and continuous evaluation
• No Board examinations till completion of EE

Appropriate Government, Local Authority

• Ensure free and compulsory education
• Provide schools in neighborhood within 3 years
• Children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups not be discriminated against
• Infrastructure, school building, teaching staff, learning equipment
• maintain records of children up to the age of fourteen years residing within its jurisdiction, in such manner as may be prescribed;
• Special training for previously not enrolled or drop-out children to enable them to be at par with others
• Monitoring of admission, attendance, completion of EE

Responsibilities for State Govt. & local authorities

• Good quality EE conforming to specified norms and standards
• Timely prescription of curriculum, courses of study, teachers’ training

Additional Responsibilities for local authorities

• ensure admission of children of migrant families;
• monitor the functioning of schools within its jurisdiction; and
• decide the academic calendar.

Teacher’s Academic Responsibility

• maintain regularity and punctuality in attending school;
• conduct and complete the curriculum in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 29;
• the complete entire curriculum within the specified time;
• assess the learning ability of each child and accordingly supplement
• additional instructions, if any, as required;
• hold regular meetings with parents and guardians and apprise them about
• the regularity in attendance, ability to learn, progress made in learning and any
• other relevant information about the child; and
• perform such other duties as may be prescribed.

Protection of Right

• Act assigns NCPCR/SCPCR additional functions
• Examine and review safeguards for rights under this Act, recommend measures for effective implementation
• Inquire into complaints relating to child’s right to free and compulsory education
• NCPCR/SCPCR have powers assigned under Section 14 and 24 of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act
• Where SCPCR not constituted, appropriate Government may constitute an Authority

Sharing is caring!