This letter is being written on a red-letter day in the history of Indian education. Today (April 1), the Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education Act (2009), more popularly known as the RTE Act, which makes it obligatory for the State (Central and/or state and local governments) to enrol free-of-charge, every child between ages six-14 in a convenient neighbourhood school, has become justiciable law. In effect it means that every citizen can call upon the local/state government to pull children in this age group out of employment or a habitation, and insist upon his/her admission into school. It also means that ordinary decent citizens can report neighbours who employ children as domestic or vocational labour, and insist that they are enroled in a neighourhood school.
The tortuous passage through Parliament and final enactment of the RTE Bill into law, is cause for modest celebration for us in EducationWorld. Since November 1999, when the first wan issue of this publication entered the public domain, we have been plowing a somewhat lonely furrow doggedly advocating deployment of a greater proportion of national resources towards education of India’s 450 million short-changed and neglected children. There-fore enactment of the RTE Bill marks the crossing of an important milestone in our long march to secure QEFA (Quality Education for All).
Yet it’s pertinent to note that historic as it is, the RTE Act only covers children in the age group six-14, and arguably discriminates against children in the age groups three-five and 15-18. In our opinion, children in these age groups are as entitled to excellent education as those aged six-14. And it’s our intent to continue to educate and mobilise public opinion, as also to suggest ways and means to ensure they secure it as well.
Fortuitously, some initiatives in this direction have already been taken. One of them is the promotion of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 1985. Despite having to bear the heavy cross of government management, over the past 25 years since it was modestly promoted as a distance (postal correspondence courses) varsity, this low-profile and under-marketed institution has morphed into the world’s largest distance education university, with an aggregate enrolment set to cross the 3 million milestone in its current silver jubilee anniversary year. The achievements of IGNOU and its ready and willing involvement with targets and goals set by the Central government for the advancement of higher and vocational education, are detailed in our hitherto untold story of an institution which deserves to be encouraged and celebrated in its landmark silver jubilee year.
And in our special report feature, following the presentation of the now-forgotten Union Budget 2010 just a month ago, we examine the grudging provision it has — yet again — made for education of the world’s largest child population. Quite obviously the objective of government and the establishment is not to eradicate illiteracy and its handmaiden poverty, but merely to alleviate it. Our sui generis special report offers a detailed road map of how to attain the former more desirable objective.
