Five years have gone by ever since The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (hereafter referred to as the RTE Act) came into force on April 1, 2010. The Act provides the right of children from 6 to 14 years of age to free and compulsory education till completion of elementary education in a neighborhood school.
“Being literate and being educated are two different concepts. So, the qualified teachers are the vital mechanism to educate children and not to only increase literacy rate.” said Shri. Sashikant Mishra, Member Secretary, Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) while addressing the State Level Consultation on RTE Grievance Redress Mechanism organized by Multiple Action Research Group (MARG) supported by Oxfam India. The Consultation was attended by various child rights and right to education activists and institutions such as the Odisha State Commission on protection of working on RTE Grievance Redress. Smt. Rajlaxmi Das, member OSCPCR mentioned “OSCPCR is taking suo moto action to address issue of protection of child rights and she further urged the civil society to work hand in hand and strengthen the work Commission is doing.”
The objective of the Consultation was to bring together all stakeholders working on Right to Education and protection of child rights in the State of Odisha. Since the RTE Act puts the responsibility of ensuring enrollment, attendance and completion of education on the government and makes state and local bodies accountable for the implementation. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs) and SSA have been mandated to monitor the implementation of this historic right. School Management Committees and State Advisory Councils also have crucial roles to play.
The promotion of equality of opportunity in education both in law and in fact is an ongoing challenge for all States that requires not only the elimination of discriminatory practices but the adoption of temporary special measures to bring about de facto equality with regard to education. These may include both legal and policy initiatives. MARG also released the “Booklet on Central Government Schemes for Primary & Secondary Education in Odia”. Among others, Head of Tata Steel Odisha, CSR, Ambika Prasad Nanda, Regional Manager Oxfam, Akshaya Ku Biswal, RTE Forum, Odisha Convener, Anil Pradhan were also present at the occasion.
MARG is working in Odisha to ensure every child receives quality education and that the community and institutions work in collaboration to bridge the gap in ensuring the Right to Education is implemented well.