An alteration in the basic structures of a social group or society is called as social change. Education, I believe is one of the most dominant factors that would bring about a social change. Education leads to consciousness which plays an important role in social change. Keeping this in mind the Government of India (GOI) passed the Right to Education Act, free and compulsory education for all children from the age of six to fourteen, on 1st of April, 2010. It is now a fundamental right! This can arguably be one of the landmark acts that have been passed by the GOI in order to make the people of India educated and hence provide a way to eradicate poverty, which has been one of the main agenda of all the parties in power since the independence.
At the time of independence, India’s primary education was characterized by historical inequities. Though Article 45 of the Directive Principles of state policy was committed to ensuring free and compulsory education for all, this did not translate into action and school enrollments and participation remained low for decades after Independence. GOI did not give up; it brought in more such initiatives like the Shiksha Karmi Project (1987), District Primary Education Programme (1994), Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (2001) and few more. These initiatives have been proved to be effective. Primary education has made remarkable progress, as is evident from the provision of schooling facilities. There is statistics that nearly 83% of the villages have a primary school within a distance of one kilometer. There is also considerable increase in the school enrolment in almost all the states of India. But still India lags well beyond most of the other developing countries, why?
The primary reason for this is the Socio-economic conditions in rural India. It has constrained the process of primary education and the social inequalities of caste, class and gender have been identified as the major causes of educational deprivation among the children in India. A large proportion of children from the economically poor and socially disadvantaged groups and girls, especially in rural areas, are either denied access or are failing to complete even five years of basic education. The goal of universal education remains a challenge to achieve even after six decades of independence.
There are also several other reasons why children do not attend school in rural India. One of the main reasons is the economic role of children in the rural family. The economic participation of children in the rural Indian family has been a part of the ancient Indian culture and tradition. Agriculturists are the main portion of the population in rural India. Children of a farmer are given specific tasks such as keeping a watch on crops, older children helped out in looking after younger siblings. The other portion of the population is artisans and craftsman. Children of artisans and craftsmen learnt the skill of craft through training imparted by family members. Children are entrusted with work that was time consuming and it kept them occupied, allowing elders to pursue heavier labour and complex skills.
Stressing the importance of the Act, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “the health, education and creative abilities of our children and young people will determine the well being and strength of our nation. Education is the key to progress. It empowers the individual. It enables a nation”. The PM also referred to the need for all stakeholders to work in unison to realize the Right to Education, describing it as a “common national endeavour” - Source, ET, 2nd of April edition.
This act will propel India to even greater heights of prosperity and productivity by guaranteeing children their right to a quality education and a bright future. If all the people involved in implementation of this Act do their jobs with honesty and dedication, I believe we will be a super power and remain a super power in the long run!
No comments:
Post a Comment