Civil bodies, teacher unions agreed on framework for joint action to address educational issues

BHUBANESWAR: The teachers unions, civil society activists and educationists with a presence in 24 states came together in Bhubaneswar on 19-20th March under the banner of the RTE Forum (Right to Education Forum) and AIPTF (All India Primary Teachers’ Federation) and agreed on a broad outline to work towards strengthening the education system across the country.

This is a historical opportunity for Indian education since AIPTF is India’s largest teacher union with a total membership of atleast 24 lakh teachers and the RTE Forum is India’s largest education coalition with a total strength of 10,000 NGOs across the country. A joint resolution- the Bhubaneswar Declaration 2012- was drafted that would act as the basis for a joint campaign by all networks, agencies and organizations, teachers unions and mass movements for taking  education to the political agenda, opposing its privatization and commercialization and supporting the implementation of the Right to Education Act.

Ambarish Rai, Convenor of the RTE Forum, said that there are teachers in every school in the country and their presence can form the core nucleus of the national movement for educational reform. Rampal Singh, President of the AIPTF said that this meeting will send a message across the country that teachers and civil society stand together on the issues of RTE and ensuring equitable quality education for all children across the country.  He also said that this meeting should be followed by joint action by teachers, communities and civil society in all States.

During the consultation, the members demanded that 6% GDP must be allotted to education as committed by the State in successive education policies. Additional funding is needed to bring about equitable, quality education for all children.The government must Protect all school spaces from being privatized including through entry into Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and All perquisite infrastructural, human and material resources under the RTE Act have to be in place in the next three months in advance of the RTE deadlines for 2013