Children Rights for Education.

Children Rights for Education

In today’s competitive environment, education is the most important tool for living after food clothing and shelter. In today’s developing and modern world education is a guide and instruction which aims at the overall development of individual, provides children with necessary tools and knowledge to understand things which are rational and practice it in his/her day today life. It eliminates ignorance and boost moral value which can be inculcated in individual. It gives and forms the basis for long life learning and forms the basis of inspiration and confidence to face day-to-day challenges. It helps in developing and acquiring skills to an individual to become more self reliant, it helps in enhancing the abilities to manage health, nutrition and plans for future.

Education is also a fundamental requirement in a democracy. People become, more informed and responsible citizens, who are capable of exercising wise choices, and finding their voices in politics, through education. It is essential for eradicating poverty, by allowing people to play more productive roles and to earn better for living.

With passing time the importance of education in India is rising. Though India has been a great source of education for rest of the world for many years, but it needs to improve the quality of the education and also the number of graduates in the country. Still many are deprived of education mainly due to poverty and less accessibility educational services in India. The lack of education, adds to the vulnerability of children for forcing them into social evils of child labor.

During the 11th Plan the Indian education landscape saw significant developments. It was observed that there was a surge in school enrolment, and also gender and social category gap in enrollments narrowed considerably. Expansion of school infrastructure and facilities significantly widened access to schooling, and incentives and child entitlements, such as textbooks, mid day meals and uniforms began reaching a considerably large number of children. In constitution 86^th amendment, act 2002, article 21-A was inserted, which helps in making elementary education fundamental rights of the children. Its consequential legislation, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009.

The country has witnessed substantial increase in the number of primary and upper primary Schools in recent years. As per Statistics of school education, 2009-10, there are 1449420 educational institutions in the Country. These educational institutions are managed by Government, Local Bodies, Private aided, and Private unaided managements. Private sector dominated in number of Pre-degree/junior colleges/ higher secondary schools and High /Post Basic schools, whereas Government managed institutions were prominent for Middle/ Senior Basic schools, Primary/ junior basic schools and Pre-Primary/ Pre-basic schools.

Jay Rawal

(MACJ)