Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Andhra Pradesh Zone and Hyderabad City chapters intend to further the cause of education for children as schools and colleges are reopening in the state.
Through its week-long Right to Education Campaign, the organization conducted various programs to bring awareness about importance of education for children, as well popularize the constitutional right to education given to the citizens of this country.
SIO has spread the message of Right to Education (RTE) Act among the masses that every child has a right to full time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school.
The organisation has highlighted the state government records that show that there are 1.07 crore children in the 6-14 age category in Andhra Pradesh. More than 67% of the state’s 8.7 crore population lives in rural areas and the remaining 33% in urban area. Of the 1.07 crore children, nearly 60 lakh live in rural areas where government schools are poorly equipped and private schools almost doesn’t exist.
With the conclusion of the RTE Campaign on 30th June, SIO AP Zonal President Iqbal Hussian, SIO Hyderabad City President Dr. Atif Ismail made following demands:
SIO Demands:
- Although the RTE Act puts the applicable age-group at 6-14, it has been left to the states to decide whether they want to widen this group, say from 5-14 for all children and children with disabilities till the age of 18, as Kerala have done. AP State Govt should include more children under the Act’s ambit.
- With the Act coming into effect, it has been found that there is a shortage of 12-13 lakh teachers in schools. State Govt must take steps to employ more teachers and not rely on para-teachers to provide children with quality education.
- The government should ensure that all government schools are well-equipped to take in students, so that they are not left with the sole choice of going to private schools.
- School management committees should take it upon themselves to spread awareness about the Act at the community level, in panchayats, so that people are encouraged to send their children to school.
- School management committees should be provided the necessary financial and other support by the state to go about their duties.
- The public private partnership (PPP) model in primary education should be avoided at all costs so that there is no commercialization of education.
- There is a conflict between the child labor law and the Right to Education Act, although both deal with related issues and promote the overall development of children. It is important to bring them in step, to avoid confusion.
- To effectively implement the RTE Act, the Human Resource Development Ministry, Labor Ministry, Women and Child Development Ministry, Panchayati Raj Ministry and Rural Development Ministry have to work together. There should be an umbrella body that brings all these agencies together to work towards a common goal.
- The government must make every effort to become self-sufficient by using the education cess and other taxes to effectively implement the RTE Act. It must not always beg from the private sector and international agencies.
- Effective implementation of The Andhra Pradesh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules 2010 under the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act,2009 (Act No.35 of 2009)*
- Common Schooling System should be included in RTE#.
