Lack of obligation in implementing RTE Act
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 20 2011 -

The Right to Education Act (RTE) Act is an act instituted by the government of India which provides free and compulsory education to children of 6 to 14 years of age.

The act was implemented with an aim to ensure compulsory education to all children of the nation with special focus to school drop outs due to poor academic performances and those underprivileged children whose parents could not afford the expense required. It was an integral part of the National Literacy Mission which primary objective is "Education for All".

In Manipur also, the state government has also adopted the Act and implemented fully from the current academic session. Even though the act has been implemented in the state, many government schools are still charging admission fees and many other education related fees.

Although it is a well known fact to all the people of the state, the matter became public when various such cases were presented before the jury at the Two Day State Level Public Hearing on Child Rights Issues held in Kangla Hall, Imphal which was headed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

Almost all the cases were of charging admission fees and games and sports fees. In those cases school authorities were found charging Rs 500 to 750 to students as various education related fees at the time of admission.

After hearing the complaints made by students, the jury directed the State Education Director and the concerned headmasters to refund the fees to the students within a stipulated time of one week. In one of the cases, the concerned ZEO told the jury that the fees were taken with consent of the concerned parents which draws humorous attention of the general public.

Although it was not known whether the ZEO's reply was a naïve and simple reply or a reply which has no other option rather than the reply given by him to the jury, it surely indicates the lack of obligation and willingness on the part of government officials while implementing the Act in the state.

Fortunately the Chairperson of NCPCR was quick enough to give him a reply with a sharp reaction lambasting him by saying "you cannot come here with a report that their parents have consented."

"This does not justify anything" she said while adding "when a government official violates the RTE Act, it is not acceptable". Well these might not be the only case, there may be still other such cases, in the government schools of the state, untold and unrelated to the public or any authority.

By observing these cases and the admission procedure of any government school near your locality, one can easily assess the implementation of RTE Act in the state. The present situation of the RTE Act clearly shows the lack of obligation of government officials ranging from Ministers to Primary teachers in the implementation of the Act in the state.

In order to successfully implement the Act in the state one should do their duty with a sense of obligation and sincerity. Another major factor in the failure of implementation of the Act in the state is lack of awareness among the target population and the implementing officials. With all these in view, there is still need of organizing awareness programmes for students, their parents and the government officials including the teacher community.

When it comes to private schools, the guidelines of the RTE Act instruct the private schools to provide free educations to students of BPL family. However the private schools are also not following the guidelines of the Act even though some extremely underprivileged students' tuition fees are exempted in some private schools.

That is a different matter since such offers are carried out of virtue not under the RTE Act. Keeping aside the matter of whether the BPL status certified by the government is true or not, special attention from the government in implementing the Act in the private schools is highly needed.

Be it the private schools or the government schools, government officials of concerned department should do their duties with a sense of obligation and sincerity in order to successfully implement the Act in the state and provide free and compulsory education to all children of 6 to 14 years of ages for a bright future of the state.