New Delhi: Human Resource Development Minister M M Pallam Raju yesterday said there will be no extension in Right to Education Act (RTE) deadlines but left the decision of action against non-complying schools on state governments.
Talking to reporters after a meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the minister said it was the general consensus in the highest advisory body on education that the deadline should not be extended.
“Though some states demanded extending the RTE deadline, as of now, there is a consensus in CABE that the deadline for RTE should not be extended,” the minister said.
The deadline for implementation of RTE Act was March 31, 2013. However, a lot of states are lagging with schools lacking infrastructure, qualified teachers and other things.
Raju said the responsibility of taking action against schools for non-compliance of RTE Act was with the state governments. He, however, assured that non-complying schools will not be shut overnight.
“It is in the hands of state government to take action. There will be a process to it, there will be an inspection, then the schools will be sent notice, they can explain why they are not complying with the norms,” Raju said.
He, however, added that action should be taken against schools which are in bad shape, or fail to follow the guidelines even after warnings. The minister also said that the a lot has been achieved since the RTE was implemented.
“We have gained in creation of infrastructure, though more needs to be achieved. We are lagging behind in teachers’ training, but there have been sincere efforts. But there is a positive spirit among the states to implement the act,” he said.
Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh sought extending the deadline of RTE, while Maharasthra had sought the government to clarify its position on the issue. Speaking in the meeting, several states had complained over not getting enough funds.
Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jammu and Kashmir were among the states that complained that they were running short of funds for teachers’ salaries as well as the reimbursements to private schools for giving admission to children from weaker economic sections. IANS
