GUWAHATI, April 1 � With the Right to Education Act formally coming into nationwide effect from today, the State Government has embarked on a drive to ensure that every child in the age group of 6 to 14 secures quality education in an enabling environment.
Addressing media persons, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that an action plan would be prepared to meet the goal of universal elementary education comprising several critical areas from enrolment and infrastructure development to teaches' training.
�A major part of the expenditure for the endeavour-costing about Rs 4,000 crore in five years � would be borne by the Centre,� Gogoi said.
Terming the job ahead as a big challenge, Gogoi said that on the educational infrastructure front, the State needed over 25,000 additional teachers (primary and upper primary), over 40,000 classrooms, over 35,000 girls' toilets, and over 20,000 common toilets among other things. Similarly, there has been an acute shortage of trained teachers and "this aspect would also be looked into in the right earnest," he added.
The Chief Minister said that for realizing the avowed objective of universal education, the Government would involve NGOs and other stakeholders in the exercise.
Gogoi said that notwithstanding the substantial improvement in enrolment in recent years, the high rate of dropout continued to be a persistent irritant. "There has been a definite progress in enrolment. In 2001, of the total child population (6-14 age group) of 54.94 lakh, 41.54 lakh were enrolled in schools. In 2010, of the total child population (6-14 age group) of 57.77 lakh, 57.18 lakh have been enrolled. But the high dropout rate has been a matter of serious concern," he said.
Gogoi said that at the moment there were over 11,000 vacancies in teachers' posts, which would be filled up within a reasonable period.
Revealing that the State Government was in the process of setting up a Commission for Protection of Children's Rights, a State Advisory Council for Education, and a Knowledge Commission for Elementary Education, Gogoi said that efforts would also be directed towards meeting various norms such as rationalizing the teacher-student ratio to 1:30. "Ideally, there should be an LP school in a radius of one km while the norm for an MP school is 3 km. We will try to ensure that such norms are maintained in the State," he said.
Another important aspect of the Act on which the Government has put much emphasis is the provision for keeping 25 per cent seats of private educational institutions reserved for poor but meritorious students. "This provision has been challenged by the private institutions in the court but we will implement this if the court gives a favourable verdict," Gogoi said.
The Chief Minister said that the days ahead would witness greater involvement of the parents in the management of schools, as it was necessary to rectify many of the ills plaguing education.
On the start of the 2010 census, Gogoi said that it would reveal vital inputs concerning the State's economic front which would help the Government to formulate appropriate policies.
GUWAHATI, April 1 � With the Right to Education Act formally coming into nationwide effect from today, the State Government has embarked on a drive to ensure that every child in the age group of 6 to 14 secures quality education in an enabling environment.
Addressing media persons, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that an action plan would be prepared to meet the goal of universal elementary education comprising several critical areas from enrolment and infrastructure development to teaches' training.
�A major part of the expenditure for the endeavour-costing about Rs 4,000 crore in five years � would be borne by the Centre,� Gogoi said.
Terming the job ahead as a big challenge, Gogoi said that on the educational infrastructure front, the State needed over 25,000 additional teachers (primary and upper primary), over 40,000 classrooms, over 35,000 girls' toilets, and over 20,000 common toilets among other things. Similarly, there has been an acute shortage of trained teachers and "this aspect would also be looked into in the right earnest," he added.
The Chief Minister said that for realizing the avowed objective of universal education, the Government would involve NGOs and other stakeholders in the exercise.
Gogoi said that notwithstanding the substantial improvement in enrolment in recent years, the high rate of dropout continued to be a persistent irritant. "There has been a definite progress in enrolment. In 2001, of the total child population (6-14 age group) of 54.94 lakh, 41.54 lakh were enrolled in schools. In 2010, of the total child population (6-14 age group) of 57.77 lakh, 57.18 lakh have been enrolled. But the high dropout rate has been a matter of serious concern," he said.
Gogoi said that at the moment there were over 11,000 vacancies in teachers' posts, which would be filled up within a reasonable period.
Revealing that the State Government was in the process of setting up a Commission for Protection of Children's Rights, a State Advisory Council for Education, and a Knowledge Commission for Elementary Education, Gogoi said that efforts would also be directed towards meeting various norms such as rationalizing the teacher-student ratio to 1:30. "Ideally, there should be an LP school in a radius of one km while the norm for an MP school is 3 km. We will try to ensure that such norms are maintained in the State," he said.
Another important aspect of the Act on which the Government has put much emphasis is the provision for keeping 25 per cent seats of private educational institutions reserved for poor but meritorious students. "This provision has been challenged by the private institutions in the court but we will implement this if the court gives a favourable verdict," Gogoi said.
The Chief Minister said that the days ahead would witness greater involvement of the parents in the management of schools, as it was necessary to rectify many of the ills plaguing education.
On the start of the 2010 census, Gogoi said that it would reveal vital inputs concerning the State's economic front which would help the Government to formulate appropriate policies.
