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The RTE bill: A right that is wrongly designed

The RTE includes identifying 25% eligible students, No definition of neighbourhood and Harassment by education officials based on minimum norms.

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Analysing the impact of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, founding managing director of Educational Initiative in Ahmedabad, Sridhar Rajagopalan said that though well intentioned the RTE is terribly designed and implemented law. Rajagopalan was speaking on a subject: "RTE - Pros, Cons and the Way Ahead for Private Schools" at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) on Friday.

Talking about positive and negative aspects associated with the RTE, he said that in spite of focusing on quality of infrastructure available with the school, the RTE should focus on how to improve quality of education in schools and to improve learning habits of children.

"As a society, improving the quality of education in all our schools has to be our focus. More than 70% of students study in govt schools, so that will have to get focus. All of us can contribute towards this," he said, adding that though the act is known as Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education, it does not say 'compulsory' study. "In countries like Singapore, parents get call from police station of kid who misses school for five days. Parents are not given option of sending kids to school. In RTE, there is no norm depicted as punishment if parents do not send their kids to school," he said.

Talking about the implementation issues, Rajagopalan said that one norm for whole of India - the same for urban and rural is impractical (eg playground) which might not be the same in village level and urban areas. Suggesting some of the measures, he said that there should be shift in the focus from inputs to outcomes, put pressure on parents to send children to school and make education more inclusive.

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