ASER Report: RTE Vs Reality

Right to Education is a rather noble cause, but is it getting implemented right or are schools able to follow closely? It does not seem like at least in rural India. The basic framework,  be it in terms of student to teacher ratio or even the basic infrastructure, is fundamentally weak.

Pupil to teacher ratio

Infrastructure

Per RTE, a school shall have an all weather building with the following facilities:

• At least one classroom for every teacher
• Office cum store cum head teacher’s room
• Separate toilets for boys and girls
• Safe and adequate drinking water facility to all children
• A kitchen where midday meal is cooked in the school
• Playground
• Arrangements for securing the school building by boundary wall or fencing.
• Teaching learning equipment: shall be provided to each class as required.
• Library: There shall be a library in each school providing newspapers, magazines and books on all

It does clearly seem that there are miles to go before the current framework manages to catch up with what RTE prescribes or aims for. In an earlier post, we had mentioned the government's desire to get public sector units to fund many of these initiatives. The money could certainly come in handy to improve basic infrastructure, but teachers have to find it monetarily lucrative enough to remain in rural areas as well.