HRD Minister Says States Responsible For Implementing RTE

New Delhi: Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal has said that it is the state governments' responsibility to ensure that schools implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The announcement was made at a function organized to mark achievements of Unicef's 'Awaz Do' campaign, which aims at spreading awareness about the Right to Education Act.

According to the statement issued by Mr Sibal , first of all, it is the responsibility of the school to ensure the RTE, then state government has to figure out if the schools are complying with the rules of the act or not. He added that if schools are not complying, there is a mechanism in the act, but first of all its state government's responsibility to see it is implemented.

Moreover, Sibal noted that over 80 lakh children are out of school in the country, and urged the citizens to ensure that the act is implemented. He said that it is the government’s duty to ensure that every child goes to school, every citizen should speak for right to education.

As per sources, 'Awaz Do', a digital campaign started by Unicef, registered two lakh people in its campaign launched in October last year. The campaign intends at spreading information about the act and making people a part of the process of providing education to all children between 6 to 14 years of age, as mentioned in the act.

Besides, as per the findings of a study conducted in October 2010, only one out of six people has heard of the act but does not know anything else. Only three percent have heard of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which is tasked with enforcing the act.