CAG Raps Arunachal for Sloppy Implementation of Right to Education

India/October 17, 2017/Source: https://www.northeasttoday.in

Arunachal has failed to achieve the target of providing free and compulsory education to every child even after six years of implementation of Right to Education (RTE) Act, the CAG said in a recent report.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, which was tabled in the state Assembly on Saturday by Finance Minister Chowna Mein, showed several lapses while implementing the Act in the state. The report alleged that school mapping and household survey for identification of children eligible for elementary education was not carried out.

Moreover, at the end of March 2016, the number of out of school children stood at 57,032 which included 26,009 who were not enrolled and 31,023 drop out children, which constituted 18 per cent of 3,12,255 eligible children during 2015-16.

The RTE Act came into being in 2010 in the state. The findings revealed that altogether 232 primary school buildings and 130 upper primary schools were constructed by the state government during the period 2014 to 2016 but the schools were yet to be handed over to the school authorities.

The report also highlighted 42 per cent shortfall in Science and Mathematics teachers till March 2016.

“Despite excess procurement of text books by the director of elementary education during 2010- 11 to 2012-13, there was a shortfall in receipt of text books in test checked schools in the sampled districts,” the report alleged adding, work books worth 123.02 lakh were not received from state Project Director of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the main vehicle for implementing the provision of the RTE Act.

Text books worth 10.88 lakh were not delivered to the SSA project director by the suppliers, the report said. It added there was also shortfall in supply of uniform in the test checked schools to the extent of 30.98 lakh.

2,760 number of boys uniform amounting to Rs 11.04 lakh and 13,700 number of girls uniform amounting to Rs 54.80 lakh were not delivered by the suppliers, the report pointed out. The RTE Act 2009 provides for free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years, by ensuring compulsory admission and completion of elementary education by every eligible child.

The programme also provides for creating infrastructure, adequate classrooms, playground, library and learning equipment and kitchen shed for mid-day meal. The government under the programme also laid emphasis on ensuring favourable student-teacher ratio, availability of qualified teachers and providing uniforms and text books to students enrolled in primary and upper primary schools.

The CAG report suggested the state government to conduct household survey and school mapping for identification of eligible children and ensure providing compulsory education to them. It also suggested the need to ensure timely release of fund to the implementing agencies for smooth implementation of the scheme, besides streamlining the procurement of text books and uniforms and to distribute to the targeted schools and students.

Source:

https://www.northeasttoday.in/cag-raps-arunachal-for-sloppy-implementation-of-right-to-education/