Ignorant teachers in Bangalore to receive RTE lessons

The implementation of the Right to Information (RTE) Act, which is likely to take place in the state from early 2011, could face a stumbling block as school teachers in rural Karnataka lack awareness on the bill, according to an official of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

The resource team from SSA which, along with child rights activists, is on a visit to 12 districts of North Karnataka, found that the teachers were clueless on how the Act will change the education system in the country.

“Our visits to few villages across Raichur and Bellary districts have shown that teachers in rural schools have little knowledge about the RTE Act. If teachers have no knowledge about the Act, then implementing it will be tough for the government,” said the SSA official.

The state education department is planning to conduct an awareness campaign on the Act for teachers in the rural areas of North Karnataka involving resource persons from SSA and members of voluntary organisations working on the education of underprivileged children. The RTE Act, also known as Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, includes children in the age group of 6-14 years of age. “Once the Act comes into force, teachers will shoulder the primary responsibility of ensuring that the Act is implemented in its totality,” said the SSA official.

According to the Act, all schools should set aside 25% of the seats for the children from the neighbourhood — a euphemism for kids from the underprivileged section of the society.
According to sources, the reservation would be implemented from the next academic year. Moreover, schools cannot ask for any sort of donation or capitation fee under the pretext of admission. The Act also states that schools should accord priority to children who live near the school.

“In a rural set-up, it’s the teachers who will have to ensure that neighbourhood children are attending schools regularly,” said the official.

Along with the lack of infrastructural facilities, about 50% of rural schools in Karnataka have only one teacher, managing children from class I to class V. The RTE Act specifies that any school with enrolment of up to 60 students must have at least two teachers.

“Even a school with 10 children must have at least two teachers,” said the SSA official. In addition to teaching and allied responsibilities, the teachers will have to now go for home counselling visits, census work, disaster relief duties, and election duties, to name a few.