Right to Education is still elusive in Karnataka

Right to Education is still elusive in Karnataka


It’s been a year since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the coming into force of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, guaranteeing education to every child in the country. Karnataka, however, is yet to notify the Act, let alone implementing it.
According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the agency that officially monitors the Act, only six out of 28 states in the country have notified the Act till date: Sikkim, Odissa, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
“It’s sad that Karnataka is yet to notify the Act even after the passage of one year. The government seems to be least bothered about providing education to the poor,” said Vasudev Sharma, senior member of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR).
Sources at the education department said that about `2,000 crore will be neededto implement the Act.
They said that a tussle between the Centre and state over the share of financial responsibility was delaying the implementation of the Act.
“The implementation of the RTE Act will change the face of education, as Karnataka has millions of children who are still out of school,” said Dr Padmini, trustee, Child Rights Trust, Bangalore.
Experts allege that government has yielded to pressure from the private school lobby. Private schools of Bangalore have already expressed their displeasure over the RTE Act being thrust on them against their will.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is hearing a slew of petitions by private and unaided schools, challenging the constitutional validity of the RTE Act and saying that it would not be possible for them to implement the law on various grounds.