Children can demand education from April 1 - From "The Telegraph" - Feb 23, 2010

Children can demand education from April 1
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, Feb. 22: India has notified education as a fundamental right for all children between 6 and 14 years, enabling them and their parents to legally demand schooling from the government for the academic session beginning April 1.
Eight years after Parliament amended the Constitution recognising education as a fundamental right, the government has finally notified the amendment and a law was passed last year to make the right a reality.
The notification, dated February 19, was received by the human resource development ministry today and has set in motion a chain of measures the ministry and state governments need to take to effectively implement the law.
Starting April 1, the Centre or state governments can be hauled up in court for failing to provide schooling to any child between 6 and 14.
Schools can be penalised for seeking donations, screening students for admissions and for corporal punishment under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
But top government sources cautioned that a shortage of physical infrastructure and funding could discourage states from promptly notifying rules to accompany the law.
In the absence of a state notifying rules, the law may merely lead to a stacking up of cases in court as the local government may be unable to effectively implement the provision.
“We expect teething problems in the first few months. But no government wants to face a mountain of cases and the notification should propel them towards urgent implementation,” a ministry source said.
Last year, after both Houses of Parliament passed the act, HRD minister Kapil Sibal had promised that the government would implement it from the 2010 session.
But the Centre has since struggled to put in place the financial, statutory and infrastructural backbone for the landmark law that holds the government legally accountable for schooling to all.
The notification now binds the central and state governments to guarantee schooling — irrespective of how prepared they are.
The ministry has been keen on a fund-sharing arrangement with states under which the Centre will bear 65 per cent of the expenses on implementing the law while the states will bear the remaining 35 per cent.
This has been the Centre’s preferred sharing ratio for over a year now, after it became apparent that states would be unable to fund more than 35 per cent of the expenditure on implementing the law.
But most state governments have refused to accept even a 65:35 sharing ratio, and are insisting that the Centre fund at least 80 per cent of the total expenditure.
No decision has been taken on the fund-sharing yet because of the differences, top sources confirmed.
The ministry has circulated among states a set of model rules specifying the architecture needed to implement the law.

Please visit the link http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100223/jsp/nation/story_12140342.jsp for the actual webpage.

-- Volunteer Blogging Team

Glory of Taj

Taj Mahal is a monument that is of immense historical importance to our country. Of late our beloved Taj is under potential threat posed by environmental pollution. Taj Mahal also lost its status as one of the seven Wonders of the World.

Last year we had an SMS contest where we voted whole heartedly to make Taj one of the “Wonders of the World”. Taj Mahal got the maximum number of votes and regained its lost status. But has Taj got back its lost glory?
Just outside the Taj Mahal there are lots of street children who earn their livelihood by selling small replica of Taj Mahal to the tourists who visit the historical place. Forget education they don’t even get food twice a day.

It is unfortunate that the city of Agra which is famous for its Taj Mahal is also infamous for housing child labor.

50,000 children below the age of 14 work in the glass bangle and glassware industry of Agra. This is one of the highest concentrations of child labor in the world. According to statistics provided by Indian government there are 20 million child laborers in the country, while other agencies claim that it is 50 million.

It is time when we should do something for all children, who are denied their childhood. A day will come when Agra will be free of any form of child labor.. Perhaps that day our Taj Mahal will regain its lost glory.

Don’t we all need to act? May be just try changing our neighbourhoods and make it child friendly- where children go to school and not work!

Sourav Guha

GO GIRL-THERE IS NO STOPPING YOU NOW

(Picture courtesy: JUPC)

The intolerance both visible and invisible, directed towards a girl child is the sole cause that acts as a hindrance for social development. CRY’s campaign “Go Girl- There is no stopping now” helps the underprivileged to overcome the trauma of discrimination. This is a noble activity and has stroked my mind the most.

It is sad and shameful that in a magnanimous population like ours, we can hardly reckon the number of women high fliers. The reason is that we as a society never takea firm stand to help womanhood flourish, realize and explore their true potentialities to the fullest. We need to wake up the sleepers now and generate awareness amongst them about the injustice caused to women for decades. We need to educate our fellow communities about the drawbacks that we have been facing because of immense suppression of a woman’s capabilities. We must focus on survival, proper health and education of a girl child as they are very important in her maturing into a person, who can take the charge of her own life.

She needs to be believed, encouraged and supported inher decisions. She deserves to be respected for her individuality – She is herself, not the imposition of someone else. To revolutionize this view we have to spark off an outlook that will change the normal thinking pattern and eliminate the trend of gender favoritism from our society completely.

All the possible barriers to a girl child’s education should be totally eradicated. The causes of low levels of literacy, especially among girls, should be judged thoroughly and must be abolished from the roots so as to achieve global development.

Priyanka Chakrabarti

Tea Plantations and Volunteer Action

The knell is ringing-Tea is an inherent part of our lives. 81% of the total production of tea in the country is consumed in India. While we sip our tea - at home, in office, at tea-bars and roadside dhabas, flavored or regular - those who are producing it are dying out of neglect and marginalization. Shocking when the total turnover of the tea industry is approx Rs.8000 crores.Rights violation in the Tea Gardens:
Fall in economic indices of tea engendered a growing apathy among plantation owners towards thousands of labourers. Denial of basic rights and exponential increase in child labour and trafficking. Mandate of justice and law being clearly flouted.

What has been done:

1. A legal advocacy group and IIM group made field visit to a tea garden area in Jalpaiguri as a fact finding mission.
2. The legal advocacy group stayed with the workers’ family in the gardens.
3. Two articles (one published in Times of India) written by volunteers.
4. Posters and bookmarks designed by volunteers.
5. Volunteers performed a street play which was written and directed by a volunteer.
6. 15 law students were a part of this group. They made a critical view of the violation of rights (particularly on the context of minimum wage legislation by the employers).
7. Volunteers collectively shaped the campaign and led from the front. Coordinated and finalized campaign strategies.

Objectives of this campaign:
Raising ‘public’ awareness and discussion on the Human Rights situation in North Bengal tea plantations with particular reference to child rights; Launching a movement oriented towards achieving observance of statutory and human rights standards in tea plantations by the State and tea estate owners. CRY volunteers demand that the government has to demand a minimum wage and at least upto class 3 children should be taught in their mother tongue (rec. by Kothari commission( Sadri).

(Picture courtesy: JUPC)

Topsia and RTE

The congested localities of Ward No 59 and 66 of KMC in Topsia (Kolkata) are inhabited by residents from a different socio- economic backgrounds and religious minority.
1 out of every 2 children in Topsia does not attend school.Topsia has 4 Government schools for 3250 students. School premises are sometimes used for commercial purposes like motor bike showrooms. Textbooks and motorbikes is an unthinkable concept, yet a reality.
In most schools of Topsia:
Classrooms are shared by more than one class.

Toilets are being shared by both the boys and girls.

Schools are located near the leather and rubber factories (the prime source of pollution).

Average teacher student ratio is 1:55 when the ideal should be 1:25.

Few residents of Topsia decided to brainstorm. The idea was on ways to ensure quality education for all children in the locality. A team of enthusiastic law students of South Calcutta Law College also came forward to make Right to Education a reality in Topsia.

They wanted to:

1. Highlight the violations of Article 21A (Fundamental Right to Education) in Wards 59 and 66 and build pressure to make the Right to Education or more importantly Right to life a reality for everyone.

2. The law college students and the public of Topsia journeyed forth to find out more and document the gross child rights violations taking place.

They achieved in:

1. Conducting a survey of both private and public schools revealed that the children in were denied basic quality education. The failures of the education system are seen in the skewed ratio of children to both schools and teachers.
2. Conducting a household survey to know the reasons for school drop out and paremts’ attitude.
3. Filing a number of RTIs- some of which revealed some crucial information.· Presenting their findings in community hearings attended by politicians, ward officers and renowned lawyers.
4. Publishing their articles in the media.
5. Completing the groundwork for filing a PIL.
6. Planning to take up the issue of child labor in the locality and demand for addressing the root causes of child labour and not just ban it.

(Picture courtesy: JUPC)