Needed: Rs 14,000 crore for free education

Expressbuzz, Oct 25, 2009


BHUBANESWAR: Orissa would require at least Rs 14,000 crore of the Rs 200,000 crore of additional expenditure that implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RCFCE) Act, 2009, will necessitate over the next five years to achieve the set goals.Given the level of improvement the Act demands at every level - academic as well as infrastructure - the financial implications would be huge.According to Secretary, School and Mass Education Department, Vandana Jena, first year itself will require an additional Rs 8,000 crore by Orissa while by the end of the third year, another Rs 3,000 crore would be needed. By fifth year-end, the total expenditure is estimated at Rs 14,000 crore.Vandana was speaking at the State-level workshop on RCFCE where stakeholders of various sectors of education including teachers, principals and civil society members took part.The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education guarantees education to children in the age group of six to 14. Currently, there are over two lakh out-of-school children in the State, and at least 3,000 schools have to make do with just one teacher.The challenge to implement the legislation is huge, she said adding, Orissa will execute the Act from the next financial year.As part of the plan to put the Act into practice and achieve the objectives, the Government has planned to upgrade 18,000 schools up to Class VIII by 2012. This will make the schooling structure compatible with Act’s goals.For the KBK region, where these parameters run further below the yardsticks, the State Government has sought special permission for relaxation of norms for establishment of schools and student intake.Jena said that the Government would recruit over 17,000 teachers to meet the student-teacher ratio of 30:1 because the current status is 32.8:1.Speaking on the occasion, Vinod Raina, who was instrumental in drafting the legislation, said the Act will require the government to ensure enrolment, attendance and education of children in the age group of six to 14 years as anyone staying out of the ambit of the school will amount to violation of the legislation. The states, too, will have to act in tandem with the Centre to provide a fair ground. School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena spoke.