RTE Act: Two years on, there's still a long way to go
The Hindu, 02 April 2012

Sunday marked the completion of two years since the landmark Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into force. Although Tamil Nadu initially took time to come out with its draft rules before it notified them in November 2011, the School Education Department, over the last couple of months, has taken up a number of initiatives to raise awareness of the RTE Act. One such attempt was setting up a help desk to offer clarifications on the Act.

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Punjab, Uttarakhand poorest on pupil-teacher norms
The Tribune, 01 April 2012

None of the states in the region is close to meeting the student-teacher ratio and infrastructure targets set by the Right to Education Act (RTE), which completed two years today. When the Act was rolled out on April 1, 2010, the deadline for schools to meet pupil-teacher ratio, teacher-classroom ratio and infrastructure goals, was kept at March 31, 2013. As of 2011, half of all rural government schools in India have no boundary walls. Only 40.7% schools have met the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) norms of two teachers for every 60 students (class I to V) and one teacher per 35 students (classes VI to VIII). The goal of ensuring that every teacher has a classroom is also unfulfilled. Nationally, 74.3% schools have achieved this target so far.

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India’s education crisis tied to unaccredited universities
The Boston Globe, 01 April 2012

ALIGARH, India - After studying for two years to be a teacher, Anam Naqvi found out that the degree her school offers is worthless. Now, instead of attending classes and finishing a mandatory internship, she and her classmates protest daily outside the university gate in the northern city of Aligarh. It is a story being replayed across Indian cities. Poorly regulated, unaccredited, and often entirely fake colleges have sprung up as demand for higher education accelerates, driven by rising aspirations and a bulging youth population.

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At home in the world
The Times of India, 02 April 2012

An increasing number of students have joined international schools in India in recent years, as parents see the benefits of an international school education. However, there are many different 'types' of international schools. Some international schools serve a largely expatriate community and focus on teaching a set national curriculum that provides access to tertiary education back in a particular home country. Other international schools have far more diverse student populations and offer opportunities for young people to graduate into a worldwide educational environment. The school has responded to the need for an international education that offers far more than a traditional academic curriculum

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Celebrate differences
The Times of India, 02 April 2012

On World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, Karen Guldberg, director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research, School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK, tells Tirna Ray why we need to stop seeing autism as a disorder As far as formal education is concerned, what is the concern vis-a-vis autism in India? There are three key concerns to be addressed in India. These include the need to raise awareness, offer appropriate schooling, curriculum and interventions and offer a range of training courses for professionals and parents. It is important to increase awareness among paediatricians to enable more accurate diagnosis. Without a diagnosis, it is difficult for individuals with autism to get the right support.

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Education events to look decade ahead
Times Record News, 02 April 2012

You're going to be tempted to say, "Back in my day ..." but you must resist. If you attend one of the three Education Summits hosted in the next eight days by the Wichita Falls Independent School District, you will come face to face with a paradigm shift in education that is so vast, it's affecting not only classrooms but also the buildings that house them. It's also creating an educational environment completely different from the one you remember.

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RTE in place, but no water or toilets
The Times of India, 02 April 2012

NEW DELHI: Little seems to have changed in the city since the Right to Education was implemented exactly two years ago. A large number of schools still lack basic facilities promised under the new constitutional right. A study by Delhi RTE Forum-an umbrella body of 20 non-profit organizations-says denial of admission and absence of basic facilities in schools pose a hurdle in proper implementation of the RTE. The forum had surveyed 207 schools in south Delhi's Madanpur Khadar and different areas of east Delhi, including Trilokpuri and Kalyanpuri, in November last year.

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Last hope for general category students
The Times of India, 28 March 2012

CHANDIGARH: Vacancy of 427 seats under RTE in some of the top city private schools has raised hope among parents of general category students. Chances are these seats will be converted into general category in next three to four days. UT education department had reinvited interested parents, eligible under RTE to apply in the nearest out of 38 private schools with vacant seats. Tuesday was the last day to apply. Now the education department is yet to take the data from the schools based on which they will decide further.

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Scheme for Augmenting School Education through Public Private Partnership Report

Abstract: PPP in school education is essentially an arrangement where the private sector partner participates in the provision of services traditionally provided by the government. It is usually characterized by an agreement between the government and the private sector, with the latter undertaking to deliver an agreed service on the payment of a unitary charge by the government. The need for PPP in school education primarily arises out of the government‟s commitment to provide world-class education to under-privileged children who cannot afford the tuition fee that a private school would normally charge. While access to quality education for the underprivileged is traditionally expected from government schools, they alone may not be able to fulfil this enormous task. The justification for PPP schools arises primarily from the need to accelerate the expansion of education, supplement investment and enable different models for improving the quality of education.

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Right to Education Act (RTE)
Education is a fundamental human right, essential for the empowerment and development of an individual and the society as a whole. Click here to read more

TED-Ed Launches on YouTube
TED-Ed's mission is to capture and amplify the voices of great educators around the world. We do this by pairing extraordinary educators with talented animators to produce a new library of curiosity-igniting videos. Click here to read more

To initiate and continue the discussion amongst concerned groups and individuals on the issue of right of education and monitor the implementation
of the RTE Act, an RTE Coalition has been formed. Join the coalition to make universal elementary education a reality in India.

Log on to www.righttoeducation.in
for more information

Skill Vouchers - Global Experiences and Lessons for India

Leah Verghese and Parth J Shah

A study of the role that skill vouchers can play in catalysing demand for quality skill development services. This study examines global experiences with skill vouchers and draws lessons for India from these experiences.

For more click here

Reservation in Private Schools under the Right to Education Act: Model for Implementation

Shekhar Mittal and Parth J Shah

Through this document the Centre for Civil Society seeks to highlight the lacunae in the current framework for 25% reservation for weaker and disadvantaged groups in unaided private schools and seeks to provide inputs on effective implementation of the same.

For more click here

School Vouchers for Girls

400 girl children from poor families of North East Delhi receive school vouchers for a period of 4 years.
For details visit our website

For more details on how to support, log on to www.schoolchoice.in or email us at [email protected]

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