Gujarat HC provides guidelines for implementation of RTE Act

The Gujarat High Court today directed the state government to give wide publicity to the rights of children under Right to Education Act and asked the parents to approach the concerned authorities if they have any complaints against the schools.
The court disposed of a PIL seeking proper implementation of 'Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009', commonly known as RTE Act.
The bench of acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel and Justice V M Pancholi gave several directions in the judgement.
Among other things, the HC asked the state to give a wide publicity to the provisions of the Act through newspapers, TV, etc, more particularly towards the end and the start of the academic year.

It also asked the government to submit 'action taken report' to the Registrar General of the High Court within a month and warned of action if it is not submitted.
Parents/guardians of children may approach the concerned authorities and lodge complaint if the provisions of the Act are violated; action must be taken on such complaints within a prescribed time, the court said.

Parents can also approach the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, it said.
Copies of the judgement should forwarded to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority and Child Rights Commission, State Advisory Council under the RTE, the judgement said.

The court noted that some students approached the competent authority for getting admission but the schools were not asked to admit these students or the schools did not comply with the direction of authorities on some or other excuse.
The HC cannot look into each and every case but under RTE Act there is a grievance redressal mechanism which the parents should use first before moving the court, it said.