SC asks states, UTs to reply on plea alleging violation of RTE

The Supreme Court today sought response of the Centre, all states and Union Territories on a petition alleging that there was violation of Right to Education (RTE) Act in schools across the country and sought its proper implementation.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam issued notice and sought their response after summer vacation on a plea filed by an organisation, National Coalition for Education.
The plea said lack of resources and failure to implement provisions of the RTE Act has resulted in a significant decline in education performance.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves sought a direction to all the states to complete the required neighbourhood mapping within six months and new schools be constructed six months after completion of the process.

The petition asked the states and UTs to recruit and train one lakh additional professionally trained teachers to end the shortage of educators within a year.
It sought a direction that "the states and UTs upgrade all deficient schools with appropriate physical infrastructure so as to be in compliance with the RTE Act within six months.

"The states and UTs regularise and make permanent all contract and para-teachers in the country," it said.
The petition also said the states and UTs should disclose the number of students admitted under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota in the state in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

"Based on the aforementioned facts, it is clear that the Right to Education is being violated across the country. These violations have persisted for years and remain today in face of the RTE Act's requirement that they be remedied within three years of it coming into force.
"And more troubling, they persist despite widespread awareness of their existence by various responsible governments and authorities and in the face of previous orders from this court on October 3, 2012 to remedy them," it said.