The Human Resource Development Ministry is looking at ways to bring pre-school Education, which covers children between four and six years, within the ambit of the Right to Education Act. This is in consonance with the suggestion made by the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council.
However, the logistical and financial pressures of the inclusion of approximately four crore children under the RTE are a cause of concern. But it is argued that the inclusion of pre-school learning under the free and compulsory education law could pave the way for reforming early years of learning.
According to sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that a final decision on increasing the ambit of the RTE will be taken by the end of July.
The inclusion of children between the ages of four and six years will mean reworking the ambit of the ministry of women and child development, which administers Integrated Child Development Schemes (ICDS) targeting children below the age of six years. An inter-ministerial taskforce headed by Planning Commission member Sayeeda Hameed is already looking at restructuring ICDS.
The NAC is of the view that the ministry's anaganwadi programme should cover children up to the age of four. Simultaneously, the Planning Commission's sub-group on elementary education is examining the possibility of widening the reach of the Right to Education to include children between the age of four and six years. The sub-group of the Central Advisory Board of Education, which is examining the possibility of extending the free and compulsory education law to cover secondary education, will also be asked to look into the inclusion of pre-school learning.
In its present form, the Right to Education Act covers school education from classes 1 to 8.
The biggest impediment to include children between the age of four and six years under the RTE is the logistical and financial pressure that it will entail. The move will mean adding four crore children to the free and compulsory education recipients. It will also require setting up additional 10 lakh classrooms, and hiring at least 10 lakh trained nursery teachers.
An estimate suggests that it will cost at least 2 lakh per classroom to implement the expansion plan. There will also be recurring costs such as teachers' salaries, learning materials.
The sources said that the biggest cause of concern would be about trained nursery teachers. There is also apprehension about evolving a new system of convergence with the health sector to ensure the growth monitoring component of the ICDS is not lost.
Source:http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-07-22/news/29803507_1_compulsory-education-education-act-school-education
However, the logistical and financial pressures of the inclusion of approximately four crore children under the RTE are a cause of concern. But it is argued that the inclusion of pre-school learning under the free and compulsory education law could pave the way for reforming early years of learning.
According to sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that a final decision on increasing the ambit of the RTE will be taken by the end of July.
The inclusion of children between the ages of four and six years will mean reworking the ambit of the ministry of women and child development, which administers Integrated Child Development Schemes (ICDS) targeting children below the age of six years. An inter-ministerial taskforce headed by Planning Commission member Sayeeda Hameed is already looking at restructuring ICDS.
The NAC is of the view that the ministry's anaganwadi programme should cover children up to the age of four. Simultaneously, the Planning Commission's sub-group on elementary education is examining the possibility of widening the reach of the Right to Education to include children between the age of four and six years. The sub-group of the Central Advisory Board of Education, which is examining the possibility of extending the free and compulsory education law to cover secondary education, will also be asked to look into the inclusion of pre-school learning.
In its present form, the Right to Education Act covers school education from classes 1 to 8.
The biggest impediment to include children between the age of four and six years under the RTE is the logistical and financial pressure that it will entail. The move will mean adding four crore children to the free and compulsory education recipients. It will also require setting up additional 10 lakh classrooms, and hiring at least 10 lakh trained nursery teachers.
An estimate suggests that it will cost at least 2 lakh per classroom to implement the expansion plan. There will also be recurring costs such as teachers' salaries, learning materials.
The sources said that the biggest cause of concern would be about trained nursery teachers. There is also apprehension about evolving a new system of convergence with the health sector to ensure the growth monitoring component of the ICDS is not lost.
Source:http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-07-22/news/29803507_1_compulsory-education-education-act-school-education
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