Strive to implement RTE Act, contestants urged

Visakhapatnam: In an endeavour to mount pressure on people's representatives for strict implementation of the Right to Education Act, child rights' activists consider the electioneering an opportunity to bring the issue to the notice of contestants. Taking an assurance from the contestants to raise voice against shoddy implementation of RTE Act in the Parliament and Assembly constituencies, members of Right to Education Forum, Visakhapatnam, flagged off a campaign 'My country, my vote and my agenda' to bring in a change and make education accessible to all irrespective of their social status.

As part of the campaign, members of forum meet the candidates and request them to consider the issue seriously and contribute their share to resolve the long-pending issue if they get elected.

The team has already made a representation to candidates from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency D Purandeswari (BJP), V V Lakshminarayana (JSP), and M Sri Bharat (TDP). Next the team plans to meet the contesting MLAs with the help of local NGOs across the constituencies.

Demanding the extension of RTE Act purview, the representatives of forum recommend the concept of common school system. The list of their demands also includes ensuring complete implementation of RTE Act, inclusion of pre-primary and higher secondary education in the Act, no detention policy in schools, allocating 6 per cent of the GDP for education and a total ban on child labour. "Though the RTE Act came into force on 2010, April 1, education still continues to be inaccessible to many children. The goal of the national campaign is to make education part of the political agenda and make education accessible to all children irrespective of their economic background," says B Hari Venkataramana, convener of the RTE Forum, Visakhapatnam.

The campaign, supported by Campaign against Child Labour and Early Child Development, will continue till April 7.