India’s landmark Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provided free and compulsory education to children under Article 21-A. The Right to Education serves as a building block to ensure that every child has his or her right to get a quality elementary education.
Feature of Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009
- The RTE Act aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years.
- The act mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society.
- It had a clause for “No Detention Policy” which has been removed under RTE (Amendment) Act, 2019.
RTE remains inadequate in promoting incentive-based system:
- There is no focus on quality of learning, as shown by multiple ASER reports.
- RTE Act appears to be mostly input oriented.
- RTE does not provide incentives to teachers for better performance
Achievements of Right to Education Act, 2009
- The RTE Act has successfully increase enrolment in the upper primary level (Class 6-8).
- It improved school infrastructure, especially in rural areas.
- More than 3.3 million students secured admission under 25% quota norm under RTE.
- It made education inclusive and accessible nationwide.
- Removal of “no detention policy” has brought accountability in the elementary education system.
Participation of NGOs, Civil society in spreading awareness regarding its importance. Empower PRI to spurt the primary education ecosystem at village level and attach incentives on their performance. Give conditional benefits to families and child for performing better.