Demand for public debate on RTE bill before placing it in Parliament

From: ambarish rai
Date: Jul 4, 2008 12:12 PM
Subject: Demand for public debate on RTE bill

Demand for public debate on RTE bill before placing it in Parliament





As we are hearing the long awaited "Right to Education Bill" (RTE) is now expected to be tabled in the Parliament during its next session in July. After the modification done by the "review committee", the draft of RTE bill made by CABE, earlier, is now with the law ministry for its legal formatting. Unfortunately no one has seen the draft's copy after the corrections, while the central government is denying any further debate in the public domain. This corrected draft is supposed to be the seventh version of the RTE bill; in the meanwhile, a lot of confusion was created by the central government. Now, the government is planning to place the draft before the Parliament without seeking any opinion or suggestions from the public. This is an undemocratic and anti-people approach of the central government.



We are afraid of the proposed draft due to the following shortcomings:



· Regarding equity providing equitable quality education to all our children without any discrimination

· Approach towards Non- formal schooling, which is substituting/destroying the structure of regular schooling system of our country

· Financial commitment for fulfilling the fundamental right to education in full strength

· Time frame for its implementation

· Justiciability of the RTE bill

· Regulatory mechanism for mushrooming private schools, stopping privatization and commercialization of school education and converting education into commodity

· Regarding building the common school system, committed by the Parliament and recommended by the 1986 education policy as well as recommended by several commissions appointed by the Government of India.



As you are aware friends, the parliamentary elections are is at our door-step and the Central Government is in a hurry to include the RTE Bill as its popular achievement like others just prior to the elections, while it would affect the future of our 20 crore children of school-going age in the present as well as the future. We need a comprehensive pro-people bill based on equity, while making a central legislation for realization of the fundamental right to education.



Therefore, we are demanding for time-bound debate in the public domain before placing the proposed draft in the Parliament.



If the proposed draft could be placed for public debate in the perspective of equity before it is tabled in the Parliament, certainly, it would be a welcome step of UPA Govt.



Hope you all are agreed upon the same.



Thanking you,

Regards,

Ambarish Rai

Convener,

People's Campaign for Common School System (PCCSS)




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