State education ministers set up panel on extension of RTE to class 10

Updated on: Friday, June 10, 2011

The HRD ministry’s move to extend Right to Education till class 10 got the unanimous approval of the Central Advisory Board of Education on Tuesday. CABE, at its meeting, also approved two others proposals of the ministry: a new law to prohibit unfair practices by schools and a National Vocation Education Qualifications Framework (NVEQF). In case of extension of RTE, providing for 10 years of free education, CABE set up a committee consisting of state ministers, educationists and members of civil society to formulate the draft legislation within three months. While giving their consent for extension of RTE, many state ministers pointed out how lack of funds was creating problems in the implementation of free and compulsory education till class eight.

As for the new law on unfair practices, HRD minister Kapil Sibal said a similar legislation for higher education is with the Standing Committee of Parliament. Ministers of most states agreed that there was a need for such a legislation because of the increasing trend of use of unfair practices in schools. Again, a CABE committee consisting of state ministers, members of civil society and educationists was set up to thrash out the issue.

Explaining the rationale behind the new law, a senior ministry official made a presentation listing out growing reports of malpractices like demand for donations, refusal of admission, non-refund of fees, over-charging, fee collection without receipt, short payment to teachers and staff and commercialisation. The proposed law will make it mandatory for schools to publish the prospectus giving out all the details about physical infrastructure, admission process, number of seats, teachers and their qualifications. It will proposes to make unfair practices punishable, by imposing a penalty as well as criminal prosecution.

The vocational education roadmap would be developed by a group of state education ministers. State governments have been asked to identify regional and local skills and develop curriculum content to be fed into the framework. The courses chosen should be locally specific to be implemented through plans devised by the states, which would be woven into a national grid within the parameters of NVEQF.

State education ministers set up panel on extension of RTE to class 10

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