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Basic Education Law A few suggestions- 9-Nov-2009
The Rights for Basic Education Bill has been passed as Law in the Parliament. The Central Government is vigorously working to implement this Law.
Debates regarding many revolutionary plans are going on such as suspension of the tenth standard examinations, the respective State Boards decision about their quality and so on. Educationists put forward certain contradictions with regard to this Law.
The Unnikrishnan Judgement in 1993 said that education must be made basic right to all children below the age of 14. Six years old children also came under this. But, the present Law notifies that compulsory education must be provided to all children between 6 and 14 years of age. It is likely to become a historical mistake.
In the Jomtein Conference in 1990, the Central Government itself accepted the view that the childhood activities of a child largely decide the education pattern of his / her future. Hence, the present proposal is a contradiction to this. Though it is 60 years since we got Independence, still we see more than 16 crores children do not have adequate nourishing food, health and elementary education. So, the moot question is whether the new Basic Education Law will give expected benefits. The danger of gender discrimination is also there. According to Section 3, 6(1) of the new Rights for Basic Education Bill, there is a stipulation that within 3 years of implementing this Law, the respective States should provide free compulsory education to the nearby schools.
There is the compulsion that within 2 years period, this Law has to be brought into force, since by 2015 the objectives have to be reached. Our Constitutional Law includes the point that the economical, social, cultural, linguistic and physical infirmity must not be the hurdles to children getting their education. However, it does not mention about similar infrastructure. Unless there is a general pattern for all the Government / Private schools with or without grants, equal educational opportunities cannot be assured.
More financial disparity exists between Kendriya Vidhyalayas, Model Schools, Pratibha Vidhyalaya and Residential schools. This has to be expunged and quality education for all schools in general must be guaranteed. But, in this Law there is no mention about minimum quality education. This Law should take into account the easy and refined standard suitable to all children growing in different conditions.
The students in the Government schools are affected since the teachers of the school are compelled to go for census, election and other urgent works. Similarly, they are also disturbed when the schools are closed for emergent situations.
The Law is silent about mentioning of minimal infrastructure facilities, staff and library services, finance, syllabus, rules for language training and for socio-cultural aspects, in order to give equal distribution of education. This is the weakness of this Law. Though it talks about the classrooms and toilets, it does not state anything about enhancing the distinction of education.
The bill has terminated the system of detaining a student up to the eighth standard. But, it does not say anything about testing the educational knowledge acquired by the student. Similarly, it does not explain about the practice of child labor.
None is able to restrict children going for jobs because of the poverty and the status of agriculture present in the villages. No severe punishments are meted out against those responsible for child labor.
The Bill says that education in a suitable atmosphere will be provided to the physically handicapped children who are deprived of elementary education. But, a proper methodology is not given.
Elementary education for all is undoubtedly an excellent objective. Such a Bill is indispensable too. However, the educationists expect that it will be highly beneficial when it is implemented after eschewing of all its flaws.
