India has a Right to Education Act which was enacted in 2009, that dictates how every child has the right to learn and must receive free and compulsory education.
What are the key aspects of free education according to the RTE Act?
For children in the age group 6-14 years the RTE states:
- Elementary education is a must and children from 6 to 14 years of age can enrol themselves in any government school.
- There should be at least 25% reservation in private schools for economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. They are also eligible to receive free uniforms, textbooks and other school requirements.
- RTE Act strictly prohibits both mental and physical harassment of students as a form of punishment.
- The student-teacher ratio in an institution, qualifications of teachers and requirements of other staff members in a school quality of education imparted, infrastructure and design of curriculum are all set according to the quality standards provided by this Act.
- There is a special training programme for out-of-school children who have not completed their elementary education under special circumstances they can be admitted back into the age-appropriate classes to provide them with basic training and learning with equal opportunities.
- A certificate is given to students who complete the levels of education in their elementary schools. Given they don’t achieve passing marks, they can be held back in a particular class.
- It is the responsibility of both central and state governments to implement all the policies effectively as given under the Act.
Are private schools also required to comply with RTE act guidelines?
All types of schools including NGO-organised, completely government-funded, and private schools are to comply with the provisions of the RTE act. They regulate all the quality standards mandates on some reservation of seats, course and curriculum admission processes, etc.
Education is something that can increase the opportunities for a person to live a better life, especially in a developing country like India. Since every child has the right to education making it compulsory incorporates the idea of learning in their lives very young and encourages them to seek more knowledge in the future.
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