RTE is the right step, feel parents

Thursday’s Supreme Court’s ruling upholding constitutional validity of the Right to Education Act has been welcomed with cautious optimism by parents. 

While parents are little jittery about the fee structure becoming steep and the school infrastructure being stretched to the limits, in a welcome sign they don’t seem to be unduly perturbed over the important issue of underprivileged kids mingling with children from the affluent background.

“It will be a challenge for the teachers to bring up students from the underprivileged background at par with the others,” said Vinith Nair, whose daughter will be entering LKG in the coming academic year.

Deb B, another young parent, echoed similar views. “As long as the school maintains the quality, it should not be a problem. Children will have to study with kids from varied backgrounds,” said Deb.

Most parents, though, are worried about the fee aspect. “We don’t know how the school management will be structuring the fees. Besides that, we are not worried about the effects of the implementation. In fact we are glad that our child will get to interact with kids from other socio-economic backgrounds,” said a parent. Another parent said it all depended on the people receiving the knowledge and not on those who are implementing it.
Dr Amitha Santiago, a parent, said: “There is absolutely no concern. In fact it is imperative that such a move is made in a divided society like ours.”