HRD Minister ask Delhi Govt to conduct survey

Rajesh Kumar / New Delhi

Union Human Resources and Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh has asked the Sheila Dikshit Government to conduct a survey on children in the age group of 6 to 14 years, who have been deprived from free and compulsory education. It is estimated that there are 61.5 thousand children in the Capital, who have been deprived of free and compulsory education.

Mr Singh, who had written Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on May 28, urging her to take appropriate steps to identify the children. The HRD Minister also urged Ms Dikshit to take steps to provide free and compulsory education to them.

Sources in the Government told The Pioneer that Ms Dikshit has ordered the Education Department to launch a special drive through anganwadi, to identify such children. The Government is considering to launch such drive from July 1. Sources also disclosed that they have suggested that the Central Government should allow them to use funds to generate awareness campaign in this regard.

The Government is pushing ahead with the idea of setting up education guarantee centres or alternative schools to provide education to children living in rural areas under a modified bill that envisages free and compulsory education to children in the age group of six to 14 years, the sources added.

The modified Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2004, provides Central Government framing schemes for setting up such schools, known as "transitional schools", as an interim arrangement till the children living in habitation with poor access and out-of-school were provided education in a Government school. The Government may also approve a scheme framed by any person, body or institution for setting up transitional schools for the purpose and every child studying in such schools shall be enabled to study in a Government school as early as possible, according to the draft bill which would be circulated to chief ministers and political leaders to elicit their views.

The transitional arrangements for education of children living in areas with poor access and out-of-school children was needed as it would not be possible to implement free and compulsory education under the existing facilities. For helping children with special needs to study in normal schools, the draft bill vests power with the municipalities and panchayats to direct any nearest recognised school to admit a child if there was no Government school within a certain distance. Similarly, if there is a special school within the prescribed distance from the residence of the child, the local authorities could order the special school to admit such a child.

Prohibiting physical punishment in recognised schools, the bill said that violation of this provision by a teacher shall amount to professional misconduct and shall be liable to be punished in accordance with the disciplinary rules applicable to him