CHENNAI: Most private schools in the State have not implemented RTE and several schools are not aware of the Act, said a report put out by Sama Kalvi Iyakkam (SKI), a Tamil Nadu-based child rights movement.
The report, released here on Friday, titled ‘Status Report of Implementation and Monitoring of Right To Education - Act 2009 in Tamil Nadu’, was compiled with support from Child Rights and You (CRY).
Speaking to reporters, M Jeyam, State president of the organisation said, according to the status report, RTE Act was not implemented in most of the private schools across Tamil Nadu. In fact many school were not aware of the act, she said. Many government schools in 12 districts including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Salem and Thiruvannamalai are facing the threat of closing down because of lack of proper infrastructure and low strength of teachers, she added.
Jeyam further said the RTE Act 2009 has not clearly defined ‘quality education and quality learning’. So the Iyakkam recommended the Centre to amend the act with clearer definition of quality. It also sought relevant measures to ensure quality education to all the children.
Releasing the report, Kushal Singh, Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said that Right to education is the right of children and that the government and the parents do not have any right to deprive it from them.
As much as 40 per cent of the total Indian population are children, so the Central and State governments should allocate more funds for the education of the children. All this will contribute to the effective implementation of the RTE Act in the country, she added.
Kushal Singh further said that many of the freedoms of children in India are not protected by the government or the parents, citing examples like right to survival, right to education and right to development among many others.