New Delhi: India is entering into the processes of finalization of the 12th Five Year Plan. At the same time, the Right to Education Act that holds the promise of increased investment on education has a whole host of deadlines that would come to fruition only in the next Five Year Plan period. Furthermore, the track record of delayed implementation in several states implies that several issues would spill into the 12th Plan. The intention of the government to extend the Right to Education until Class 10th, creates the need for a fundamental rethink in the secondary education sector. Given that the Plan would lay down the contours of planning and financing till 2017, it is also time to re-open the debate about upward revisions of the RTE norms, if equitable quality education for all of India’s citizens is to be ensured. Issues related to ensuring foundational investment for children under six would also need to be looked at.

The present consultation was organized by RTE Forum. This is an informal alliance of all principal Education Networks and Civil Society Organizations including, but not limited to UNICEF, Oxfam-India, PCCSS, Save the Children, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, Plan-India, CACL, CRY, NAFRE, NCE, AKF, World Room to Read, AIF, Welthungerhilfe, ActionAid India, UNESCO, ChristianAid, World Vision, VSO, Skillshare International and Water Aid as members. In addition to these, several State education networks and agencies are part of the process in over 10 states of India. The consultation drew upon the experience of the National Stocktaking of the RTE Act held on 31st March the report of which was released.

Prof. Muchkund Dubey, Former Foreign Secretary, Government of India and Chairperson, CSD said “A multi-layer education system is not acceptable. The money required for creating a strong education system is actually affordable for every child in India at present”. Vinod Raina, Member RTE National Advisory Council of the Government of India and one of the drafters of RTE Act said, “Education finances have to be enhanced significantly if equitable quality education has to reach every Indian child from pre-school to class X. The need to meet the fiscal deficit target should not a constraint for the financing of the RTE and the direction of the 12th Five Year Plan. Entry into Public- Private partnership is not a solution for ensuring universalisation of education. It has been an adhoc decision and relies on seeing corporate players as funders, not partners in the process.”

Urmila Sarkar, Chief-Education, UNICEF (ICO) said that civil society is a key partner in the process of planning and it is essential to strengthen the voices of children in the same. It is imperative for education to focus on Learning for All which can be realized through a lifecycle approach stretching from preschool till Class 10.

Annie Namala, member RTE NAC said that the 12th Plan should be guided by a vision of inclusive schooling and should see an education revolution. The opportunity costs of investing in good schools should not be a barrier.

The consultation highlighted the need for a strategic long term roadmap for atleast a decade on education. In the process of planning there is a need to use identify pockets of exclusion and ensure that the necessary resources reach these places to make RTE a reality. Simultaneously School Management Committees (SMCs- the parent groups under the Act) to play an effective role in the Act’s implementation and redressal of the complaints filed. This would require their capacity to be built. The funding for education needs to go up and RTE norms revised upwards. Emphasis needs to be placed on a strong foundation beginning from early childhood education, going up to elementary and secondary education. It is essential to rethink how we view enrollment which needs to go beyond admission in school towards regular attendance The ministries / departments that run schools and the ICDS need to coordinate with each other and MHRD to ensure that all schools adhere to similar norms and processes.

The outline of the consultation was as follows:

Context Setting:

Welcome and opening remarks: Urmila Sarkar, UNICEF

Some of the Issues for the 12th Five Year Plan- Some Issues from the Civil Society Report: Anjela Taneja, Oxfam

Multilayer Education System-Prof. Muchkund Dubey, Chairpoerson CSD
Perspectives on the 12th Plan Process: Vinod Raina

Summing up: Sanjeev Rai

Finances and Inclusion in the 12th Plan

PPP – Vinod Raina, BGVS

Inclusion- Annie Namala, CSEI

Disability & RTE – Rajshree, Aarth Astha

Chair: Venita Kaul, Director CECED, Ambedkar University

Summing Up: Randeep Kaur

Quality and Community Issues in the Plan

Community Participation: Vinay Kantha, East West Society
Urban Realities and the challenges to RTE – R Bannerjee / Shailendra Sharma, Pratham

Next Steps: Ambarish Rai, PCCSS

Vote of thanks: Venkatesh Malur, UNICEF