Rajya Sabha clears amended RTE bill, kids with disability to get benefits
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Apr 25, 2012, 04.46AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, making it possible for differently abled children to get benefits under the legislation. The amended law will also provide children with severe disability an option of receiving education at home.
Children with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism and multiple disabilities will also be "explicitly" covered under the amended law.
Moving the amendment bill for consideration, HRD minister Kapil Sibal said it would provide the right to receive home-based education to children with severe disabilities. "It is a historic piece of legislation and will have a huge impact on quality education to children between classes 1 and 8 in the 6-14 age group. The bill will change the way we look at education," he said.
Winding up the debate on the bill, Sibal said he shared the concerns of members against use of the word "disability". He hoped that concerns of members would be automatically addressed in the RTE Act once the social justice ministry amends laws to include some more categories under the definition of disability.
Referring to one of the provisions of the RTE Act under which all schools except unaided minority ones will provide free education to children from deprived sections, Sibal said the government will adequately contribute to these schools.
He said the government's contribution would be to the tune of Rs 6,000 to Rs 19,000 per student per annum. "There are 80-90% of private schools whose annual tuition fees are less than Rs 19,000 and less than the contribution made by the Centre," he said. The Act provides 25% reservation for students of disadvantaged sections in classes.
It also provides for establishing school management committees to prepare school development plan. However, the school management committee in respect of minority institutions will function only in an advisory capacity.
After passing of the amendment bill unanimously, the Upper House also took up for consideration the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Bill which seeks to extend the period for mandatory increase of seats in such institutions from over a maximum period of three years to six years.
The legislation, which came into effect in 2007, is meant for reservation in admission for students belonging to SC, ST and OBC to the extent of 15%, 7.5% and 27% respectively in certain central educational institutions -- established, maintained or aided by the central government.
My Take: I am personally not in agreement with certain provisions like Giving free seats for children from the economically lower segments. Not because iam against them studying but because i am worried about the psychological scarring that they may have to put up with for the rest of their life. I think the funds can be channalised to improve the conditions of the existing Govt and municipal schoold so that these children can avail of all facilities like in unaided schools. (AND THIS IS POSSIBLE).
As far as the specially abled are concerned, i applaud the efforts on the part of the Govt and hope the ball gets rolling and the Act actually sees the light of the day!
The writer has posted comments on this articleTNN
Apr 25, 2012, 04.46AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, making it possible for differently abled children to get benefits under the legislation. The amended law will also provide children with severe disability an option of receiving education at home.
Children with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism and multiple disabilities will also be "explicitly" covered under the amended law.
Moving the amendment bill for consideration, HRD minister Kapil Sibal said it would provide the right to receive home-based education to children with severe disabilities. "It is a historic piece of legislation and will have a huge impact on quality education to children between classes 1 and 8 in the 6-14 age group. The bill will change the way we look at education," he said.
Winding up the debate on the bill, Sibal said he shared the concerns of members against use of the word "disability". He hoped that concerns of members would be automatically addressed in the RTE Act once the social justice ministry amends laws to include some more categories under the definition of disability.
Referring to one of the provisions of the RTE Act under which all schools except unaided minority ones will provide free education to children from deprived sections, Sibal said the government will adequately contribute to these schools.
He said the government's contribution would be to the tune of Rs 6,000 to Rs 19,000 per student per annum. "There are 80-90% of private schools whose annual tuition fees are less than Rs 19,000 and less than the contribution made by the Centre," he said. The Act provides 25% reservation for students of disadvantaged sections in classes.
It also provides for establishing school management committees to prepare school development plan. However, the school management committee in respect of minority institutions will function only in an advisory capacity.
After passing of the amendment bill unanimously, the Upper House also took up for consideration the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Bill which seeks to extend the period for mandatory increase of seats in such institutions from over a maximum period of three years to six years.
The legislation, which came into effect in 2007, is meant for reservation in admission for students belonging to SC, ST and OBC to the extent of 15%, 7.5% and 27% respectively in certain central educational institutions -- established, maintained or aided by the central government.
My Take: I am personally not in agreement with certain provisions like Giving free seats for children from the economically lower segments. Not because iam against them studying but because i am worried about the psychological scarring that they may have to put up with for the rest of their life. I think the funds can be channalised to improve the conditions of the existing Govt and municipal schoold so that these children can avail of all facilities like in unaided schools. (AND THIS IS POSSIBLE).
As far as the specially abled are concerned, i applaud the efforts on the part of the Govt and hope the ball gets rolling and the Act actually sees the light of the day!
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