Right to education in India Essay Example for Free

Right to education in India Essay Abstract Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. (Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights). This UN recommendation has been reinforced in the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act (2009), which came into effect in India on 1 April 2010, enshrining in law for the first time the rights of all Indian children aged between six and fourteen years to free and compulsory elementary education regardless of caste, class, gender, etc. After 62 year of independence, The Union of India has made free and compulsory education a fundamental right for every child between the age of 6to 14. Now India has joined the group of those countries who provide for constitutional guarantee to free and compulsory education. The enforcement of this right is the joint responsibility of the centre and the state with even the local bodies playing their role in its functioning. The present paper shares the historical perspective, salient features, critical analysis of the act, the problems ahead and suggests ways to overcome them. Index  Content Page number Introduction 4 Historical perspective 5 Salient features 6 Criticism 7 Challenges ahead 9 Suggestions 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits. Yet millions of children and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, many as a result of poverty. Normative instruments of the United Nations and UNESCO lay down international legal obligations for the right to education. These instruments promote and develop the right of every person to enjoy access to education of good quality, without discrimination or exclusion. These instruments bear witness to the great importance that Member States and the international community attach to normative action for realizing the right to education. It is for governments to fulfill their obligations both legal and political in regard to providing education for all of good quality and to implement and monitor more effectively education strategies. Education is a powerful tool by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully as citizens. Education system was in a huge problem right after at the time of independence. It was under Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpai that educatory reforms were made. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was a massive step with what followed by mid day meal. Objective: 1. To determine the problems in the right of children to free and compulsory education act, 2009. 2. To find out the problems in present and future after the amendment. 3. To find out effective solutions for the same. Historical perspective At the time of Independence, India inherited an educational system which was not only quantitatively small but was also characterized by striking gender and regional disparities. Only one child out of three had been enrolled in primary school. Thus challenge was to provide elementary education to all its children within a stipulated period of time. Accordingly, universal education for all children in the 6-14 age groups became a constitutional provision by Article 45 of the Constitution. Special care of the economic and educational interests of the under privileged sections of the population also became a constitutional obligation. But these constitutional provisions still remain unfulfilled. Governments commitment to ensure elementary education for all children aged 6-14 years was later seen in its ambitious program named Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Free and compulsory elementary education was made a fundamental right under Article 21A of the Constitution in December 2002 by the 86th Amendment. In bringing this into action, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill was drafted in 2005. This was revised and became an Act in August 2009, but was enforced on 1st April 2010. The Right to Education Act will benefit about one crore out-of- school children and a large number of drop-out children. As per an estimate, out of 22 crore children in the 6-14 years age group in the country, 4. 6 percent children have no enrolment in any school. Salient Features The Right to Education Act is a detailed and comprehensive piece of legislation which includes provisions related to schools, teachers, curriculum, evaluation, access and specific division of duties and responsibilities of all concerned. Main features of the Act are as under: 1. Every child from 6 to 14 years of age shall have the right to free and compulsory education in a neighborhood school till completion of elementary education 2. Private schools shall provide 25 percent reservation for weaker sections and economically disadvantaged groups in the admission. 3. All schools except government schools are required to meet all specified norms and standards within three years to avoid cancellation of their recognition. 4. The act calls for a fixed pupil-teacher ratio, i. e. 30:1 5. The act mandates improvement in quality of education 6. Financial burden shall be shared between Central and State Governments Criticism 1. It is stated in section 3(1) that every child of the age of six to fourteen years shall have the right to free and compulsory education in a neighborhood school till completion of elementary education. Criticism: right and compulsory are two contradictory terms and thus it should be stated in duties of a parent and guardians to make sure their children get their right just like in China in their article 46 amended in 2006, although it has its presence in section 10 but there is no punishment stated on failure to do so. The age for education is also not justified. There should also be free education for the youth and adults who are uneducated and there also should be adequate stress levied upon pre schooling as a child might not be able to cope with the intellectual needs required in standard one without it. 2. It is stated in section 6 that for carrying out the provisions of this Act, the appropriate Government and the local authority shall establish, within such area or limits of neighborhood, as may be prescribed, a school, where it is not so established, within a period of three years from the commencement of this Act. Criticism: The period for the following is far too long as a school as per government norms must have a huge open space and different classrooms for each year with a strength not exceeding 30 students. This can be reached in one year and so a time limit of 18 months would’ve been adequate rather than delaying it more by another year and a half. 3. It is stated in section 8 (a) that provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child Provided that where a child is admitted by his or her parents or guardian, as the case may be, in a school other than a school established, owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the appropriate Government or a local authority, such child or his or her parents or guardian, as the case maybe, shall not be entitled to make a claim of reimbursement of expenditure incurred on elementary education of the child in such other school. And in section 18 No school established, owned or controlled by the appropriate Government or a local authority shall, after the commencement of this Act, be established or function, without obtaining a certificate of recognition from such authority, by making an application in such form and manner, as may be prescribed. Criticism: trust bodies and private tutoring as been availed by our former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, both are discouraged. 4. It is stated in section 16 that No child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education. Criticism: This may result in lack of seriousness for education and in the end result in failure after elementary education. 5. It is stated in section 17(1) No child shall be subjected to physical or mental harassment. And in 17(2) whoever contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) shall be liable to disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to such person. Criticism: the remote areas where the adults and youth are un-educated may face problems in putting forward a case for the same rather a special committee under education board must look into such issue. Challenges ahead 1. State Governments Apathy: Lack of Promptness / Commitment Poor economic conditions of the States 2. Availability of Infrastructure Facilities: Establishment of Primary Schools within one kilometer and upper Primary Schools within three kilometer distance. Well equipped classrooms, library, laboratory, play ground, drinking water and toilet facilities 3. Availability of Teachers and Required Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Five lacks new teachers are to be recruited and 5 lacks new classrooms are to be constructed to meet the required 30: 1 pupil teacher ratio. There are seven lacks teachers in the recognized 13 lacks primary schools. Out of these, three lacks teachers are either untrained or under-training. In many states large numbers of teachers are para-teachers and many of them are untrained. As per a recent report by NUEPA, Bihar tops amongst the states having poor pupil-teacher ratio and Uttar Pradesh comes at second place. In about 35 percent primary schools in Uttar Pradesh, pupil teacher ratio is 60:1. Fifty one percent primary schools in Uttar Pradesh are having three or less number of teachers. Out of these, 38 percent are para-teachers. In the present circumstances, to maintain pupil-teacher ratio as per the Act, appears a distant dream. 4. Quality of Education: Quality of education depends upon the quality of teachers. Teachers selection and training procedure and their conditions of work need a substantial improvement. Teachers accountability to the pupils, their parents, and the community and to their own profession needs to be determined. 5. Twenty Five Percent Reservation of Seats in Private Schools: What will be the identification, selection and verification of economically weaker and disadvantaged children? Would they be selected from the neighborhood or from the entire village/town/city? How the whole process will be monitored by the government? Suggestions In the light of the challenges discussed earlier, following are some suggestions which may be helpful to meet the challenges: 1. The state governments are required to show promptness for the implementation of the RTE Act. The states who have not yet released any notification regarding the Act must do it without any further delay. The Central Government should impose a time limit to release funds to the states. If any state government still shows apathy to release notification, then no funds should be released by the Centre to that state for the establishment of new schools. State governments should show full commitment for the implementation of the Act. 2. Primary schools with all minimum required infrastructure facilities should be established in the neglected areas on priority basis. Central government should release budget of its share to the states at the earliest. Facilities in the existing government schools should be expanded. To avoid the closure of unrecognized private schools for not fulfilling the prescribed recognition standards within three years, these schools must be helped to improve their facilities by resource support and providing linkages with financial institutions. To meet budgetary constraints, stress must be given on cost effectiveness and accountability at every level. 3. To meet the increasing demand of qualified and trained full time teachers, the teachers in required number must be recruited at the earliest. Pupil-teacher ratio must be maintained as per requirement. As more and more children move into the primary school age group, it becomes needful to build more and more schools and recruit more teachers for sustained improvement in the quality of education. 4. Primary schools need to be made aware of the provisions made for 25 percent reservation of seats for the economically and socially weaker and disadvantaged children and the role of school managing committees in this regard. The identification, selection and verification procedure of such children should be well defined and well informed. It should also be notified that how the whole process will be monitored. 5. There is need to streamline educational administration. The pace of implementation of the Act can become faster if bottlenecks in administration are removed. Altogether, it is essential to adopt an integrated approach and establish linkages between education and other related areas such as child care, nutrition and health. Each state should formulate a State Program of Action and each district and school should formulate a Program of Action of its own by taking into account the State Program of Action. 6. Teachers performance is the most crucial input in the field of education. Well qualified and highly motivated teachers are the key to effective implementation of the curriculum. They give impetus to the teaching-learning process. Top priority, therefore, should be fixed for the improvement in the quality and content of teacher education program 7. While the Central and State Governments have their full share of responsibilities, it is community participation and involvement of NGOs which will make marked difference in meeting the challenge of implementing Right to Education Act. 8. To achieve the goals of Free and Compulsory Elementary Education, it is of upmost importance to develop curricula that is responsive to changing needs and facilitates the incorporation and integration of new content areas related to science, technology, population and the environment. Conclusion: In order to meet the challenges and surmount the hurdles that stand in the way of implementing Right to Education Act, it is needful to concentrate all efforts with full dedication and commitment. Not only the central and state governments but the nation as a whole should take responsibility in this regard. Community participation and support can make marked difference in achieving this goal. There exists a need for greater coordination amongst different agencies and functionaries involved in this task. To overcome population pressures and budgetary constraints, cost effectiveness and accountability must be ascertained at every level. Efforts should be focused on qualitative improvement of the whole program. References The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act, 2009). Education and National Development, Report of the Education Commission (1964-66), NCERT, New Delhi, 1971. Challenges of Education–a policy perspective, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi, August 1985. National Policy on Education – 1986, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, Dept. of Education, New Delhi, May, 1986. Towards an Enlightened and Humane Society, Report of the Committee for Review of National Policy on Education 1986, Final Report, 26th Dec. 1990. National Policy on Education–1986 (With Modifications undertaken in 1992), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education, New Delhi, 1992. National Policy on Education 1986, Programme of Action, 1992, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education, Govt. of India, 1993. Education for All – The Indian Scene, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, Dec. 1993. Sixth All India Educational Survey, Selected Statistics, NCERT, New Delhi, 1998. Seventh All India School Education Survey, Provisional Statistics, N. C. E. R. T. , New Delhi, Sep. 30, 2002. National Curriculum Framework, 2005, N. C. E. R. T. , New Delhi. National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, N. C. T. E. , New Delhi, 2009–10. The gazette of extraordinary India http://www. unesco. org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/right-to-education/.

Aggregate Supply and Demand Essay -- Economics

Aggregate Supply and Demand The quantity theory can be shown graphically in terms of the aggregate-supply aggregate-demand framework that has become popular in macroeconomic textbooks. Aggregate demand is the amount people will spend, or money multiplied by velocity. If money is 30 and velocity is 7, total spending will be 210. Total spending of 210 can be divided between prices and quantities in a number of ways. If the price level (P) is 1, quantity (Q) will be 210. If P is 2, Q will be 105, if P is 3, Q will be 70, if P is 5, Q will be 42, etc. When graphed with axes of price level and transactions, aggregate demand has the form of a rectangular hyperbola.1 This aggregate-demand curve is shown below as the MV curve. The quantity theory assumes that transactions are determined outside the model by the availability of resources and by technology. Because it assumes there are no adjustment problems, the aggregate supply curve is the vertical line shown in the graph above as the T curve. At each price level the same quantity is available, or price level does not influence quantity supplied. The price level is determined by the intersection of these two curves. If the amount of money increases, the aggregate demand curve shifts to the right. Since transactions are fixed, the end results must be an increase in price level. Notice that aggregate-supply and aggregate-demand curves are describing what happens in the market for goods and services, not in the market for money balances. If there is a disturbance in the money market, that disturbance is transmitted to the goods-and-services market via the aggregate-demand curve. The quantity theory encourages us to see a purchase of goods as a sale of money, and a sale of goods as a purchase of money. Changes in the resource market are transferred to the goods-and-services market via the aggregate supply curve. The quantity theory does not see the market for goods and services as the place disturbances begin. What we see happening in this part of the economy is the result of events in other sectors. Though very simple, this model helps make sense of a number of historical events. For example, U. S. economic growth in the late 19th century, spurred by increases in resources and improving technology, was faster than the growth in money stock. The graph above predicts deflation... ...lry, tableware, and artistic purposes. Their actions will reflect the law of demand: whenever a commodity becomes cheaper, people use more of it. Thus if there is a sudden influx of gold into a country that uses it as money, part of the influx will be diverted to its commodity use, and the effects on the amount of money, and hence on the price level, will be lessened. On the other hand, a sudden decline will also be cushioned, because as the commodity grows more valuable, people will transfer it from its commodity use into a monetary use. If the amount of gold declines and it rises in value, there is an incentive to melt down jewelry, tableware, and artistic objects and use the gold as money. Hence a doubling of gold may not double the amount of money, and cutting the amount of gold by one half may not cut money by one half. Second, if money falls in value, the incentive to produce more of it is cut and if it rises in value, the incentive to produce more of it is raised. If the value of gold increases, more people will try to find it, and if its value declines, fewer people will search for it. The third reason takes us into the realm of international economics. Aggregate Supply and Demand Essay -- Economics Aggregate Supply and Demand The quantity theory can be shown graphically in terms of the aggregate-supply aggregate-demand framework that has become popular in macroeconomic textbooks. Aggregate demand is the amount people will spend, or money multiplied by velocity. If money is 30 and velocity is 7, total spending will be 210. Total spending of 210 can be divided between prices and quantities in a number of ways. If the price level (P) is 1, quantity (Q) will be 210. If P is 2, Q will be 105, if P is 3, Q will be 70, if P is 5, Q will be 42, etc. When graphed with axes of price level and transactions, aggregate demand has the form of a rectangular hyperbola.1 This aggregate-demand curve is shown below as the MV curve. The quantity theory assumes that transactions are determined outside the model by the availability of resources and by technology. Because it assumes there are no adjustment problems, the aggregate supply curve is the vertical line shown in the graph above as the T curve. At each price level the same quantity is available, or price level does not influence quantity supplied. The price level is determined by the intersection of these two curves. If the amount of money increases, the aggregate demand curve shifts to the right. Since transactions are fixed, the end results must be an increase in price level. Notice that aggregate-supply and aggregate-demand curves are describing what happens in the market for goods and services, not in the market for money balances. If there is a disturbance in the money market, that disturbance is transmitted to the goods-and-services market via the aggregate-demand curve. The quantity theory encourages us to see a purchase of goods as a sale of money, and a sale of goods as a purchase of money. Changes in the resource market are transferred to the goods-and-services market via the aggregate supply curve. The quantity theory does not see the market for goods and services as the place disturbances begin. What we see happening in this part of the economy is the result of events in other sectors. Though very simple, this model helps make sense of a number of historical events. For example, U. S. economic growth in the late 19th century, spurred by increases in resources and improving technology, was faster than the growth in money stock. The graph above predicts deflation... ...lry, tableware, and artistic purposes. Their actions will reflect the law of demand: whenever a commodity becomes cheaper, people use more of it. Thus if there is a sudden influx of gold into a country that uses it as money, part of the influx will be diverted to its commodity use, and the effects on the amount of money, and hence on the price level, will be lessened. On the other hand, a sudden decline will also be cushioned, because as the commodity grows more valuable, people will transfer it from its commodity use into a monetary use. If the amount of gold declines and it rises in value, there is an incentive to melt down jewelry, tableware, and artistic objects and use the gold as money. Hence a doubling of gold may not double the amount of money, and cutting the amount of gold by one half may not cut money by one half. Second, if money falls in value, the incentive to produce more of it is cut and if it rises in value, the incentive to produce more of it is raised. If the value of gold increases, more people will try to find it, and if its value declines, fewer people will search for it. The third reason takes us into the realm of international economics.

Literary Analysis of Sunrise over Fallujah Essay

The novel Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers is a historical fiction novel that retells the memories of Robin Perry’s experience in Iraqi civil war. He was in a civil affairs unit, which is dedicated to protecting by standers in the war. Robin encounters various setbacks that try to slow down the progress of his unit such as the death of his close friend Jonsey. Walter Dean Myers portrayed his knowledge of the setting, aspects from the past, and made the plot very believable in the historical fiction novel Sunrise Over Fallujah. Firstly, the historical, cultural, and geographical content involving the setting was portrayed accurately and was authentic. In addition, authors must complete detailed research of their settings before attempting to write a book of this genre. If authors want â€Å"To create accurate and authentic settings in their books, they must research the time period thoroughly† (Read). Once the author has completed a detailed research of the setting they are looking to portray they can then start the writing process of their novel. Furthermore, an accurate setting makes the fictional part of the story believable and is what keeps the readers attention. The unit Robin was in had a â€Å"Route that was northward through the city and just out of it to Al Kazimayn mosque† (p.131, 14-15). This is an example of accurate geographical knowledge of the setting. Moreover, making the setting accurate is important, but making it authentic is just as important. When the main character Robin and his crew raided a home they â€Å"Couldn’t tell if it was an apartment house or one big family† (p. 53, 7-8). Researching about how the civilian population lived, ate, and what artifacts were a common part of their lives can make the settings in the novel more authentic. This concludes the importance of the setting in a historical fiction novel. Secondly, aspects from the past were used to help the reader see the development of the plot and fictional characters. Moreover, aspects from the past are important in a historical fiction novel because the readers see key elements develop. Many authors suggest that â€Å"Any aspect from the past can be useful to the present-day novelist attempting to reanimate it to serve as the context for character and plot development† (Facts). Plots and characters begin developing from the author’s research of aspects from the Iraq War. Furthermore, the war in Iraq was full of question, which created many aspects for Walter Dean Myers to choose from. Captain Miller was â€Å"Mad because there were kids in and playing around the school when they attacked it† (p. 100, 24-25). Those types of features from the war in Iraq helped the author develop fictional characters. In addition, aspects from the war in Iraq can be used for the development of the plot. For example, at one point in the novel â€Å"The vehicle ahead of Robin’s crew made a sharp U-turn, ‘RPGs!’ Jonsey shouted; he braked to a skidding halt† (p. 101, 23). This commonly used tactic of the Iraqi military was a feature that Walter Dean Myers used to help develop the plot. After analyzing the novel, readers quickly realize the importance of using aspects to develop characters and the plot. Finally, the most important part of a historical fiction novel by far is the believability of the plot. Moreover, the plot of a historical fiction novel is the most important part because this specific element of a novel is what keeps the readers attention. In a historical fiction novel â€Å"The fictional characters, settings, and plot events must be portrayed authentically as if they actually could’ve happened† (Read). This is a key component to make sure that everything in the â€Å"fictional† event is accurate and authentic to keep the readers attention. Furthermore, the plot consists of multiple parts in the story but the most looked forward to moment is the climax. The main character Robin was explaining that, â€Å"I had my head turned when the bus exploded. The impact went through my body and slammed me against the back of the Humvee† (p. 199, 22-24). The climax of the novel is successful as it creates suspense and kept the reader focused on the rest of the novel. A key component of making the plot believable is using terms based on the event the author is writing about. When Robin’s division had to move they â€Å"Were supposed to go from the FOB (forward operations base), which was nothing but a few tents in the sand, to mining area about fifteen to twenty miles away† (p. 78, 2-4). Complex terminology such as â€Å"FOB† can keep the readers attention because it seems like the author knows what he writing about. Walter Dean Myers successfully made the plot believable and kept the readers attention. The three major components to writing a historical fiction novel; knowledge of the setting, using aspects from the past, and the believability of the plot is what made Sunrise Over Fallujah a successful novel of this genre. This novel met ends with the criteria to writing a historical fiction novel, which is why it is recommended to readers that enjoy this genre. In the end, Walter Dean Myers put together a wonderful piece of literature that was successful in the historical fiction genre. Citations â€Å"Historical Fiction.† Read Write Think. IRA/NCTE, 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Historical Fiction.† Facts On File Companion to the British Novel: 20th Century, vol. 2. 2006. Bloom’s Literary Reference Online.

African Diaspora Identity History, Race, Culture, And...

Diaspora identity is when a group of individuals is displaced from a country of origin and must migrate to a new homeland. In some cases, the migration is forced whereas in others it is voluntary but forced through circumstances. The process of identity becomes central as those that migrate are forced to determine what it means to be a member of a new culture while still maintaining their own heritage and traditions. One way that culture can be honored is through literature. When considering diaspora identity one must consider history, race, culture and language. These four factors are all aspects of self-identification that are impacted through migration. In the case of African diaspora identity, literature has allowed expression of the experiences of those who have entered America with African origins. Literature has allowed free expression when at times the African’s who were brought to America were enslaved without a voice. 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