CABE meet to discuss making education up to class X compulsory

Updated on: Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Extending the right of children to compulsory education up to class X and enacting a law to prohibit unfair practices in school education are the two issues to find prominence at the 58th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education here on June 7.

The government is of the view that extending right of children to compulsory education from class VIII to class X will fulfil the aspirations of the increasing number of school going children who are seeking opportunities to continue formal learning in secondary schools.

"In this background the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009 that provides for eight years of compulsory education may be revisited. This issue will be placed before CABE to explore the possibility of extending the compulsory years of education to ten years of formal schooling," an HRD Ministry's agenda note on the forthcoming meeting said.

Making ten years of schooling compulsory has been on the agenda of several international conventions and declarations for a long time.

Consequently, the compulsory years of schooling have been progressively raised in many countries across the world.

Several countries provide for compulsory schooling up to the lower secondary stage of education, covering at least ten years of schooling, the agenda note said.

To prevent private school management from indulging in unfair practices, the HRD Ministry also proposes to bring in a legislation, the provisons of which would be discussed at the meeting.

The proposed legislation would be broadly patterned on the Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2011, already introduced in Parliament.

The legislation would have provision for criminal prosecution and civil penalties for violations, sources said.

The bill comes in the backdrop of increased complaints received by the boards about a section of private schools demanding donations, overcharging fees and not issuing written receipts of payments.

The charges against these schools also include non-refund of fees, not adhering to syllabus disclosed to public, admission through non-transparent processes, misleading advertisements, engagement of unqualified or ineligible teaching faculty, underpayment to teachers and other employees.

CABE meet to discuss making education up to class X compulsory

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