School makes kids CRY

It was an event that brought to the fore the problems of the state’s poor children. At a forum in the city, many were incredulous that the children could articulate their problems with such clarity.

The children at the public hearing were brought to Bangalore from across the state. They were at the hearing organized by the NGO, Child Rights and You (CRY) on Friday.

Most of the children were dropouts from school, who wished to continue studying.
Rekha, 14, from Hassan district said, “I have studied till class 9. My teacher used to compare me with students from the upper castes, and ask me not to come to school at all.
Not just that, the school had no toilet or drinking water, and roof was the sort that might just cave in. I would like to study, but not at that school, not with that teacher.”

Lakshmi, 15, from Bijapur said, “I am physically challenged. It was difficult for me even to reach school. I was regular in my attendance, however, but my teachers told me that I am a ‘dalit and handicapped’, and that I need not come to school. I studied till class 7. I would like to continue studying further. But I would like to go to a school where I’m not treated any differently.”

Kavya, 12, came to Bangalore from Ramanagar. “There is one anganawadi in my village. The teachers there do not allow us, dalits, to sit with the other children. My brother was going to that anganawadi, but my parents stopped sending him there because they would not let him mix with the other children. My brother was told not to touch upper caste children.”

These are just examples. There were at least 200 children at the public hearing, who poured out their complaints to a panel comprising CS Dwarkanath, chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, Mathew Philips, director, South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring, (SICHREM), education activist Nandini and High Court advocate BT Venkatesh. The panel submitted its recommendations to CRY.

“We came to the conclusion that the state is guilty of denying the right to quality education to a majority of the children in Karnataka, despite 62 years of independence.

Discrimination on the basis of caste, gender and disability exist at all levels in the education system. Dalit children are humiliated by the practice of untouchability within schools and anganwadis. And it is not only other children, but even teachers who mete out such unfair treatment to lower caste children,” said Dwarkanath.

Three recommendations

The right of children to free and compulsory education should be extended to cover all children in the age group 0 - 8. Every habitation should have a school within one km. 

Eduction is the responsibility of the state, and all children between 0-18 years should be able to avail it.

All schools should have teachers trained to teach children with disability. And all disabled children too should have easy access to schools. All children should be treated equally at school; stringent action should be initiated against school authorities found violating the provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.

Allocate minimum of 10% of GDP to school education alone (10+2) Make human rights and gender education compulsory in school curriculum.

Making the case in a democratic way

As part of the campaign to exert public pressure on the government to effect changes in the Right to Education Act, 2009, CRY will submit a memorandum to the state governor by next week, with a copy of the panel recommendations. On December 11, CRY is will meet president Pratibha Patil to hand over a charter with the demands and signatures.