Education is the bridge between misery and hope- said Kofi Annan. Indeed, our law-maker realized this and compiled this to our constitution in the form of the Right to Education under Article 21A by 86th AA 2002.
The right to education serves as a building block to ensure that every child between 6-14 years has his or her right to get a quality free elementary education. Added fields of focus provided by the RTE Act are-
- The obligation of union and state governments is to provide absolute free elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance, and completion of elementary education.
- appointment of appropriately trained teachers.
- Prohibits physical and mental harassment, capital fee and private tuition.
To take it up a notch, further, the government reserved 25% of seats for economically backward students in private schools. RTE Act also promises free education to those who had left school mid-way.
However, there have been several dark clouds as well. First of all, there are many families that do not favour female education and second family destitution which makes children victims of child labour. To encounter these social flaws, many projects like Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan, the Mid-day meal program, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyaan also started. It is the result of government perseverance that India got remarkable achievements. From the ashes of slavery to 2011 census reports reveals that the literacy rate which was only 12% during the post-independence period has now become 75%.
For a growth-oriented nation, it is a prerequisite to convert its citizens into valuable assets which are only possible through education. So, the RTE act is one of those remarkable acts that provide enough buttress for its development.
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