What is Right To Education Act?

The essence of human life is the ability to learn continually. Education is the process which enables the physical, social and psychological growth of the individual such that he can take his rightful place in the global arena. To enable every individual reach his true potential, education then becomes, a primary necessity.

India, as a nation, has worked on the Right to Education Act. Why is the Right to Education so important? We, the humans, are different from the entire animal kingdom and this difference is due to a long phase of growth and development that takes place in Childhood, a time for learning and education and when learning for life happens. However, India today reflects, children without a childhood. But at least, 35 million children aged 6 - 14 years do not attend school. 53% of girls in the age group of 5 to 9 years are illiterate. The average teacher student ratio in India is  1: 76.

The Right to Education Act (RTE) passed by the Indian Parliament on 4th August 2009, made the provision of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 years in India. India with a population of approximately 1,198,003,000 became one of the 135 countries to make Education a Fundamental Right of every child.  The Right makes it clear that no Child should be left, behind. The Right focuses on exploring the natural curiosity that children have to harness their true potential developed into a sense of wonderment. As childhood is the period when we as people actually learn to learn and learn for life. Education to every child is now neither a luxury nor a privilege. It is a Fundamental Right.

The salient features of the Right to Education act are –

1. Free and Compulsory Education to all children of India in the 6 to 14 years age group;
2. No child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until completion of elementary education;
3. If a child above six years of age has not been admitted in any school or though admitted, could not complete his or her elementary education, then, he or she shall be admitted in a class appropriate to his or her age;
4. No child shall be denied admission in a school for lack of age proof
5. There shall be a fixed student-teacher ratio;
6. School infrastructure to be improved in three years, else recognition is cancelled;
7. Financial burden will be shared between the state and the central governments.