-The Times of India
Apart from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa was the only other state or union territory not to provide information to the Union government on the status of implementation of the facilities required under the Right to Education Act in March this year.
The Union human resource development ministry sought information from all 35 states and union territories in March on the measures implemented and facilities put in place by them for implementation of the Right of Child to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
A copy of the review compiled by the Centre on facilities for RTE implementation is in TOI’s possession.
Goa did not provide the central government with the information, where it had to reveal whether the state had put in place a screening process for private tuitions being conducted and capitation fees being charged by schools.
Most states have responded in the positive to the query, as also to the question on whether states have provided students an option to skip the public board examinations for class X and class XII.
On ground, the state has neither put in place a screening process to keep a check on private tuitions nor capitation fees being charged by schools. Goa would also have to respond negatively to the query on board exams being made optional.
Goa has also not notified any authority for implementation of the RTE, as most states have empowered the state council for educational research and training to do so. Most states and union territories had also notified the state RTE rules.
Goa informed the Centre that notification of RTE rules in process only in another meeting held later in the year.
If the state had to respond to the review questionnaire of the Centre, it would also have to reply in the negative to the query on whether the state has clubbed Class VIII with elementary education. Goa has not raised its minimum instructional days to 220 for the upper primary as recommended under the RTE.
The state’s response could be positive only to having banned corporal punishment and having implemented the no detention policy up to Class VIII.
April 2013 is the deadline provided by the Union HRD ministry to states and union territories to put in place facilities for RTE implementation.