States new draft policy to help students safeguard their rights…..Dipti Khera
The Women and Child Right Dept will set up a help line accessible by a call,SMS or a letter
The Women and Child Right Dept will set up a help line accessible by a call,SMS or a letter
The state government has come up with an innovative draft policy pertaining to the Right to Education (RTE) Act.Under the draft it will be for the first time that students and guardians will get an opportunity to register a complaint regarding violation of their rights.The Women and Child Right Department will set up a help line that will be accessible by a phone call,SMS or a letter.
What is unique about the new initiative is that students can come out with the grievances and their identities will not be disclosed.This will help to maintain transparency in the system and students will not be afraid to voice all the injustice, said a senior official from the state education department.
The draft policy also states that the shifts in the school need to be reconsidered.
The RTE act states that each school has to mandatory have 45 hours of working schedule in a week.With two shifts in place schools are unable to give quality education to students and thus we will have one shift as students cannot pay attention in the mornings, said Nandkumar,state head of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and State project director MPSP,Mumbai.
Another highlight of the draft policy is that the age for children with disabilities will be extended to 18 years from the existing 14 years.The civic authorities will have to conduct a survey of each child and find out how many children between the age group of 6 to 14 years are enrolled in an area of 1 kilometre from their home.
This is a concept of neighbourhood school and student enrolling in these schools will benefit.The draft policy also states that it will be compulsory for private schools to enroll 25 per cent students from the poor strata of society.Moreover,schools will have to give a detailed account of the reimbursements and money spent on each child to the state government.All these rules shall be put for the state legislature for their approval.
* The policy also states private schools will have to enroll 25% poor students