SSA RTE NEW NORMS FOR INTERVENTIONS

Currently, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is implemented as India’s main programme for

universalising elementary education. Its overall goals include universal access and retention,bridging of gender and social category gaps in education and enhancement of learning levels of children. SSA provides for a variety of interventions, including inter alia, opening of new schools and alternate schooling facilities, construction of schools and additional classrooms, toilets and drinking water, provisioning for teachers, periodic teacher training and academic resource support, textbooks and support for learning achievement. These provisions need to be aligned with the legally mandated norms and standards and free entitlements mandated by the RTE Act. CLICK HERE FOR SSA RTE NEW NORMS FOR INTERVENTIONS

Shanthanu Gupta, Institute of Development Studies, has authored a study on RTE Act.Click the link for Full Text




http://www.right-to-education.org/sites/r2e.gn.apc.org/files/Shantanu_Gupta_RTE%20in%20India.pdf

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/article3318170.ece

OPINION » LETTERS

April 16, 2012

Right to education

With the Supreme Court upholding the constitutional validity of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (“The schools are now open,” April 13), children between the ages of 6 and 14 have been transformed into a special category of citizens. But an important question that needs to be addressed is that of quality and responsibility. Who will be responsible for giving the children good quality education? The local authorities or school principals should ensure that children attend schools regularly.

M.K. Shinemon,

Ernakulam

Supreme Court upholds constitutional validity of RTE Act  

NEW DELHI, April 12, 2012

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of the Right to Education Act, 2009, which mandates 25 per cent free seats to the poor in government and private unaided schools uniformly across the country.

By a majority view, a three-judge bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia and justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swantanter Kumar said the act will apply uniformly to government and unaided private schools except unaided private minority schools.

However, in his dissenting opinion, Justice Radhakrishnan took the view that the act would not apply to both unaided private schools as also minority institutions which do not receive any aid or grant from the government.

Justice Radhakrishnan’s view was overruled by justices Kapadia and Swantanter Kumar who took the stand that the act would be applicable even to unaided private schools.

The apex court clarified that its judgement will come into force from today and, hence, it will not apply to admissions granted after the enactment of the legislation.

In other words, the apex court said the judgement will only have a prospective affect and not retrospective affect.

Upholding the provisions of the law, the apex court said the impugned act should be construed as “child specific”.

The three—judge bench had reserved its verdict on August 3, last year on a batch of petitions by private unaided institutions which had contended that the Act violates the rights of private educational institutions under Article 19(1) (g) which provided autonomy to private managements to run their institutions without governmental interference.

During the marathon arguments in the case which went for many months, the Centre had defended the law, saying it was aimed at uplifting the socially and economically weaker sections of the society.

The Centre had emphasised the need to delink merit and talent from social and economic differences among different sections of society and said that, the Act calls for “moving towards composite classrooms with children from diverse backgrounds, rather than homogeneous and exclusivist schools”.

The main petitioner Society for Unaided Private Schools, Rajasthan, and a host of associations representing various private schools, had questioned the validity of the Act on the ground that it impinged on their rights to run the educational institutions.

The law was brought by introducing Article 21(A) in the Constitution which says the state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children between six and 14 years in such a manner as the state may, by law, determine.

The petitions had contended that the RTE Act was “unconstitutional” and “violative” of fundamental rights.

According to the petitioners, Section 3 of the Act imposed an absolute mandate on all schools, including private unaided and minority institutions, to admit without any choice each and every child whosoever comes to take admission in the schools in the neighbourhood.

National Constitutional provisions – Related to Education

(Courtesy :Right to Education Website)

The constitution is the fundamental law of the country, reflecting the underlying and unifying values of society. It spells out the basic rights of each person; it serves as a framework for all other laws and policies, and cannot be easily changed. However, it can be changed and updated through a democratic process, and it is important to keep it alive, by popularising and using it, and by campaigning for its reform or amendment if necessary. Below we have picked out what we see as some of the most relevant articles, but please be encouraged to seek and read your constitution in its entirety.

The state is the central actor in any claim to the right to education: it is the prime duty-bearer and the prime implementer; it is the guarantor; and it is the state´s signature vis-à-vis the international norms and standards which binds it to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education. The state must therefore be judged or challenged on its central text on the right to education, whether this be the constitution, the laws or the policies.

The Constitution of India 1950, amended 2006

EDUCATION

Art. 21A. The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine. (EIGHTY-SIXTH AMENDMENT ACT, 2002)

Art. 41. Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases.

The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.

Art. 45. Provision for free and compulsory education for children.

(1) The State shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.

(2) The State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years. (EIGHTY-SIXTH AMENDMENT ACT, 2002)

Art. 46. Promotion of educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections.

The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.

Art. 51A (k) who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years. (EIGHTY-SIXTH AMENDMENT ACT, 2002)

MINORITIES

Art. 29. Protection of interests of minorities.

(1) Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.

(2) No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.

Art. 30. Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.

(1) All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

(1A) In making any law providing for the compulsory acquisition of any property of an educational institution established and administered by a minority, referred to in clause (1), the State shall ensure that the amount fixed by or determined under such law for the acquisition of such property is such as would not restrict or abrogate the right guaranteed under that clause.

(2) The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language.

Art. 350A. Facilities for instruction in mother-tongue at primary stage.

It shall be the endeavour of every State and of every local authority within the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups; and the President may issue such directions to any State as he considers necessary or proper for securing the provision of such facilities.

Art. 15 (5) Nothing in this article or in sub-clause (g) of clause (1) of article 19 shall prevent the State from making any special provision, by law, for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in so far as such special provisions relate to their admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State, other than the minority  educational institutions referred to in clause (1) of article 30. (NINETY-THIRD AMENDMENT ACT, 2005)

EQUALITY

Art. 14. Equality before law.

The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.

Art. 15.  Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

(1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.

(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to—

(a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment; or

(b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.

(3) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children.

(4) Nothing in this article or in clause (2) of article 29 shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Art. 17. Abolition of Untouchability.

“Untouchability’’ is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability’’ shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.

Art. 24. Prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc.

No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment

GENDER and VULNURABLE GROUPS

Art. 39. Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State.

The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing

(a) that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood;

(e) that the health and strength of workers, men and women, and the tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength;

(f) that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.

RELIGION

Art. 25. Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.

(1) Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.

(2) Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any existing law or prevent the State from making any law

(a) regulating or restricting any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice;

(b) providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.

Explanation I.—The wearing and carrying of kirpans shall be deemed to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion.

Explanation II.—In sub-clause (b) of clause (2), the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina or Buddhist religion, and the reference to Hindu religious institutions shall be construed accordingly.

Art. 26. Freedom to manage religious affairs.

Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right

(a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes;

(b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion;

Art. 28. Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions.

(1) No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds.

(2) Nothing in clause (1) shall apply to an educational institution which is administered by the State but has been established under any endowment or trust which requires that religious instruction shall be imparted in such institution.

(3) No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto.

കുട്ടികള്‍ക്ക് പ്രഭാത ഭക്ഷണം

സ്കൂളില്‍ കുട്ടികള്‍ക്ക് പ്രഭാത ഭക്ഷണം നല്‍കുന്നതിനെപ്പറ്റി ഗവണ്മെന്റ് ഗൌരവമായി ആലോചിച്ചു വരുന്നു 

പ്രഭാത ഭക്ഷണം കുട്ടികളുടെ പഠന നിലവാരത്തെ എങ്ങിനെ സ്വാധീനിക്കുന്നു എന്ന് പ്രത്യേക പഠനം ഒന്നും കൂടാതെ തന്നെ നമുക്ക് അറിയാവുന്നതാണ് 

എങ്കിലും താഴെ കൊടുത്തിരിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ലഘു ഗവേഷണം ഈ മേഘലയിലെ ശാസ്ത്രീയ നീക്കങ്ങള്‍ക്ക്‌  ആക്കം കൂട്ടിയേക്കാം http://psychology.about.കോം എന്ന വെബ്‌ സൈറ്റില്‍ വന്ന ഈ നിര്‍ദ്ദേശം പരീക്ഷിച്ചു നോക്കാവുന്നതാണ്.പ്രാദേശികമായി നടപ്പിലാക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ഇതിലെ പാശ്ചാത്യ രീതികളും സൂചനകളും ഒഴിവാക്കേണ്ടതാണ് 

                                                                                                  (SHINEMON M K)

Courtesy :http://psychology.about.com

As you sit hunched over your bowl of cereal, you may find yourself wondering, "Will eating this really help me get better grades?" Put the question to the test in the following psychology experiment.

According to many experts, eating breakfast can have a beneficial influence on school performance. One study found that children who ate a healthy breakfast had higher energy levels and better learning ability than similar students who did not eat breakfast.¹Another study conducted by Harvard researchers found that students who ate breakfast were "…significantly more attentive in the classroom, earned higher grades in math, and had significantly fewer behavioral and emotional problems."²

Conduct your own psychology experiment by examining the impact that breakfast has on academic performance or school behavior. The first step in developing your project is to form a research question that can be used to create a testable hypothesis.

Possible Research Questions:

·        Will students who eat breakfast perform better on a math test than students who have not eaten a morning meal?

·        Do students who do not eat breakfast before school have a more difficult time staying on task?

·        Does the content of the meal have an impact on school performance? For example, does eating a Pop Tart have the same beneficial effects as eating a bowl of oatmeal?

·        What effect does eating breakfast have on vocabulary test performance?

·        Does eating breakfast provided by the school produce different results than eating a breakfast prepared at home?

Develop a Hypothesis

After you have selected a research question that you would like to investigate, the next step is to create a hypothesis. Your hypothesis is an educated guess about what you expect will happen. For example, you hypothesis might be one of the following:

·        Students who eat breakfast will perform better on a math test than student who do not eat.

·        Students who do not eat breakfast will spend more time off-task than students who do eat breakfast.

·        Students who eat a nutritious breakfast will perform better on an academic test than students who consume unhealthy foods for breakfast.

Choose Participants, Develop Study Materials and Identify Your Key Variables

Talk to your instructor about finding possible participants for your experiment. In some cases, other students in your class may act as participants, or you may be required to post ads looking for subjects. Be sure to get permission from your instructor before advancing any further.

Once you have some participants, create the materials you will use in your study. For example, you may need to create a survey to ask students about their eating habits or a quiz to test students on academic performance.

Finally, identify the key variables in your experiment. These variables will differ depending on the hypothesis you choose to investigate. For example, your independent variable might be "Breakfast Consumption" and your dependent variable might be "Performance on a Math Test."

Collect Data, Analyze and Report on Results

After collecting the data for your experiment, analyze your results. Did the independent variable have an impact on the dependent variable? Were the results significant? Prepare to report and present the results in the manner suggested by your instructor, such as a lab report or other type of psychology paper.

_{References and Further Reading:}

¹ Crockett, S., & Sims, L. (1995). Environmental influences on children's eating. Journal of Nutrition Education, 27, 235-245.

² Kleinman, R. (1998 March). New Harvard research shows school breakfast program may improve children's behavior and performance. KidSource Online. Available at: http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/breakfast.html

Education and 4 As (courtesy-http://www.right-to-education.org)

For education to be a meaningful right it must be available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable. The concept of these 4 As was developed by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Katarina Tomasevski, and it is one of the best ways to assess and act upon the situation.

However, it should be noted from the outset that these 4 As are not definitive. Whilst they are an extremely useful way of explaining the right to education in terms of tangible factors, they are not necessarily the standard used in every international treaty and as such should not be treated as a generic, comprehensive guide to what the right to education means under every law. 

The 4 As are to be respected, protected and fulfilled by the government, as the prime duty-bearer, but there are also duties on other actors in the education process: the child as the privileged subject of the right to education and the bearer of the duty to comply with compulsory-education requirements; the child’s parents who are the ‘first educators’; and professional educators, namely teachers.

By using a participatory process this framework of the 4 As canbecome a tool to enable people to think through what the right toeducation means to them, and compare their current reality to thisideal context.

The 4 As can be summarised as follows - please click on each A to read more:

Availability – that education is free and government-funded and that there is adequate infrastructure andtrained teachers able to support education delivery.

Accessibility – that the system is non- discriminatory and accessible to all, and that positive steps are taken to include the most marginalised.

Acceptability – that the content of education is relevant, non-discriminatory and culturally appropriate, and ofquality; that the school itself is safe and teachers are professional.

Adaptability – that education can evolve with the changing needs of society and contribute to challenging inequalities, such as gender discrimination, and that it can be adapted locally to suit specific contexts.