Right to education may have become a reality for some butthere are many still out of its ambit. These are children belonging to areasaffected by civil strife, who continue to face absence of schools and teachersin their localities.
The reports of the 14th and 15th joint review mission of theSarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) had recommended the need to understand thechallenges in these areas and work out strategies to address these forimplementation of RTE. The NCPCR has also consistently highlighted the issuethrough its interventions like the Bal Bandhu programme. But Professor RGovinda, Vice Chancellor, NUEPA says there is no clear cut strategy to work forchildren living in abnormal conditions.
“UN statistics show that there has been a considerableincrease in number of children affected by violence in recent years globally.These children are left out from the purview of RTE and we cannot even classifythem as drop outs,” he said.
Govinda who was addressing the two-day national consultationon education in areas affected by civil strife, jointly organized by theNational Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), National Universityof Educational Planning & Administration (NUEPA) and UNICEF in Delhi.
He added that it is not just important to enroll and retainchildren in schools but it is equally important how they are dealt with. “Weneed to re-think in terms of treatment given to these children once they are inschool,” he said.
According to an annual report by the ministry of HomeAffairs (MHA), three locations widely considered as affected by varying degreeof civil strife in India. These are parts of central India affected by Maoistactivities, Kashmir and some parts of north east.
Reports of destruction and militarization of schoolbuildings is reported in all these areas. As per a home ministry’s report, 260schools have been destroyed in Naxal violence in Maoist affected states in last5 years. The highest number of schools hit by Naxal violence was inChhattisgarh (131), followed by Jharkhand (63) and Bihar (46).
Also, there are reports which cite instances in Jharkhandand Bihar, where in spite of court orders security forces were occupyinggovernment school buildings as bases for carrying out anti-naxalite operations.
Teacher’s recruitment and retention also remains a bigchallenge as most are reluctant to take up posts in these areas. In Kashmir,for example, a number of primary and middle schools have been built in the lastfew years, but recruitment of teachers remains a big issue.
The UNESCO’s Education For All (EFA) Global monitoringreport (2011) says that 28 million children in the primary age group, 42percent of the world’s total out of school children, come from conflict areas.
While considerable efforts have been made at the nationaland the state levels for RTE implementation, still there are challenges inreaching the most marginalized children living in areas of civil strife.
Shantha Sinha, Chairperson NCPCR discussed strategies forimplementing the Right to Education in such areas. She said implementation ofRTE will be further strengthened if agencies and departments of childprotection, health, security and law work together in these areas.
“There are schools, Ashrams, scholarships and bridge courseprogrammes available in such areas, but all these are largely unutilized. Somework has started for implementing RTE in some areas, but it is still at thestage of developing the culture and habit among children to go to school,” shesaid.
Sinha emphasized that education is a neutral agenda and isconcerned neither with the police nor with the armed group. “It just has to dowith children. We should not just focus on providing education upto 14 yearsbut we must ensure the safety till they turn 18.”
in association with Governance Now
