State Advisory Council on education yet to come up in State: NCE

--strengthening of RTE implementation in State demanded

BHUBANESWAR: Members of the National Coalition for Education (NCE) on Thursday alleged that the State Advisory Council on Education, the body which would help in effective implementation of Right to Education (RTE) provisions in the State, has not formed yet.

NEC State Advocacy Coordinator Naba Kishor Pujari at a Press meet here said that almost three years have passed from the enforcement of RTE Act in the State, but there are bottlenecks in its implementation which is yet to be strengthened immediately to progress in the field of RTE. “Though Odisha is the second State to enact the State RTE rules, still, many of the RTE-progressive parameters are not yet sorted out,” Pujari added.

Pujari said the deadline for fulfilling all norms and requirements under RTE Act is March 31, 2013, but it is seen as hardly achievable for the State according to the existing growth record. The State Government has agreed to install 105 schools under PPP mode in the State run by the corporate houses would not be accepted at any cost in a case where RTE Act is implemented, he rued.

Another problem is, according to the NEC member, recruitment of contractual teachers instead of regular which affects the RTE Act 2009. Around 10 per cent schools of the State have a single school teacher which is also affecting the proper implementation of the Act, he added.