Date:04/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/04/stories/2006080406201204.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Education for all

The article "Ensuring elementary education for all" (July 27) should be an eye-opener for our policy makers, whose apathy over the years has resulted in depriving tomorrow's citizens of the fundamental right to education. As rightly pointed out, elementary education should be undertaken as a collective responsibility and should not be seen as a parental duty alone.

B.R.S. Prakash,
Bangalore

Even after almost six decades of independence, we are unable to ensure universal elementary education. The dropout rate among the children hailing from poor and deprived sections is alarmingly high. Often, we come across media reports of villages that do not have even a primary school. In the village that has a school, there are no proper classrooms. If there is a classroom, there is no blackboard. And if there is a blackboard, there is no teacher. We need to provide the necessary infrastructure in schools to make education meaningful.

S. Anand,
Chennai

Fifty-three per cent of children who enrol in class I do not reach class VIII! The Government should make it mandatory for parents to submit their children's proof of attendance in school to get family ration cards. This may sound impossible. But when children cannot fight for their rights, the responsibility of ensuring that they get what is due to them lies with the parents and the state. Some hard decisions have to be taken.

P. Balachandar,
Coimbatore

The directive to the state to provide free and compulsory education to all children below the age of 14 has not been realised even after decades. Many well-meaning persons campaigned for years to bring about the constitutional amendment making education a fundamental right for children between 6 and 14 years. But the Ministry of Human Resource Development has not made any effort to back it up with legislation. Instead the draft bill has been sent to the States. The Centre continues to fail in its duty to provide education for all.

P.J. Kuriakose,
Davangere, Karnataka