'RTE Act implementation is challenging'

The challenge in RTE implementation is changing the mindsets of teachers, parents and the school managements. While during their BA and B Ed teachers are taught that every child wants to learn, once the teachers come to class, their attitude changes. Nandakumar, project officer, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan talks to DNA regarding the RTE Act.

It’s been one year since the RTE act has been enforced, how is the state faring on its implementation?
Since we already have eight years of experience in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, implementing RTE in Mahararashtra, so that every child goes to school, is not very difficult. We have already identified the problem areas and are working towards their solutions. Through School mapping we have realized that we need to create 904 new schools so that all children can be educated. There is no lack of funds. And luckily, due to our SSA experience, most of the infrastructure is already in place. Also, as the census report indicates, the number of children in the country is reducing as people are planning smaller families, so enrollment of students is also not a problem.

What are the challenges faced while implementation of RTE act in the state?
The real challenge in RTE implementation is changing the mindsets of teachers, parents and the school managements. While during their BA and B Ed teachers are taught that every child wants to learn, once the teachers come to class, their attitude changes. They think that all children are not capable of learning and so some children will fail. This attitude needs to be changed.

That is what RTE is attempting to do. We need to engrain in them that every child can learn. Commiting mistakes in learning are their birthright. Schools do not have a right to stop their learning if they do these mistakes. They cannot detain children. Instead, through remedial coaching, schools need to bring these children up to speed. Unfortunately, many schools have not understood the spirit behind this policy. So it is being misused.

What kind of training is being given to the teachers so that they can teach students who have never been to school?
Responsibilities of the teachers have increased. Under RTE, teachers have to teach students who might not even know Marathi. They might be only literate in their native language. So teachers will have to take special efforts to learn ‘one more language’ so that they can reach such students. For instance, teachers in Maharashtra only understand Marathi, so they are unable to communicate with tribal children. They will not even bother to learn their language.

So we have been giving them training on two levels. Motivational training so that they develop a positive attitude and we are training them to increase their skills, creativity , so that they can introduce innovative techniques of teaching that can relate to multiple intelligences in the classrooms.