It’s a loud CRY for changes in Education Bill

A clause in the soon-to-be tabled Right to Education Bill has drawn ire from several child rights NGO. At the forefront is Child Rights and You (CRY), which has been gathering resources to amend few sections in the Bill.

The union cabinet had cleared the Bill, which will make education a fundamental right, on October 31. However, the Bill includes certain provisions where private unaided schools will have to reserve 25% of their seats to disadvantaged children from the neighbourhood at the entry level.

“Instead of setting up more government schools across the country, the government is trying to pass the buck on private unaided schools. It is clearly shrugging away from the responsibility,” said Bidisha Fauzdar, spokesperson for CRY, Mumbai.

The Bill, to be tabled in December during the winter session at the Parliament, also says that the government will reimburse expenditure incurred by private schools. However, according to CRY, investing on education directly by mobilising resources at the existing government schools and establishing more schools in rural areas is the only option. “We have been working at the district level to improve the standards in government schools.

We have also been spreading awareness about the provision with educationists at the district and village level,” she said.

The NGO will also be sending its representatives to Delhi for talks with other voluntary organisations over successful implementation of the Bill.