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National Round Table on 'Education as Human Right'
 
Children & Ravi P Verma, Member of Parliament & President, NCE,lighting the Lamp
   
 
 
Disadvantaged children submitting their Petitions to Shanta Sinha, Chairperson- National Commission for Protection for Child Rights.
   
 
   
 

ISI, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, 25th April 2007

“Children continue to fight a lone battle for their education. It is an irony that such a small pledge for books is not fulfilled. The society must take the responsibility to make our children win this battle.”
Shanta Sinha, Chairperson- National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, India.

As a part of the Global Action Week (GAW) campaign, the India chapter has successfully organized a Round Table on ‘Education as a Human Right’. The Round Table is jointly organized by National Coalition for Education and Aide et Action along with the Working Group for Global Action Week. Children belonging to disadvantaged communities from Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, Parents, Member of Parliament, Teachers’ Unions, Activists and Government officials have attended the Round Table. At the outset, Welcome note extended by Sachin Dubey, Aide et Action.

The idea of the Round Table was to register the voices of underprivileged and make the Government keep their promises to achieve Education for All (EFA) in the wake of international commitments especially the UN Millennium Development Goal of EFA by 2015 which the Government of India has also endorsed. The Round Table has very well plotted a road map to achieve education as a human right by taking up the question of enacting the 93rd amendment in India to make education justiciable emphasizing on various aspects of education such as the budget allocation/ enhancement and utilisation, quality, concerns of teachers and communities.

The existing disconnects between need of children and, knowledge system, language, and curriculum was well articulated by the Panelists. Faraha Farooqi, educationist, very well underscored this point. On the similar lines, Ravi Prakash Verma, Member of Parliament and President-NCE, said, “the question of making education a basic right should be taken as empowering the society in terms of increasing the productivity of people that ensures a dignified existence.” Shalini Advani, educationist, insisted on connecting right to education with curriculum issue as it plays a vital role in retaining the children in school.
 
Taking the debate on to a specific plank, Rampal Singh, President-All India Primary Teachers’ Federation, stressed “there has been hardly a mass movement in India for education despite the fact that it is an integral necessity for all and education being a panacea to end poverty.” As the debate went on the panelists threw up different postulations, Ramesh Gupta, President-Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), argued that all children should get similar access and this was possible only when everyone is made binding to send their children to schools in the same vicinity irrespective of class/caste variations. 

Towards the conclusion, children submitted their Petitions to Shanta Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Shanta Sinha assured that the concerns of all children in India would be paid utmost importance and give due follow up to the petitions. R.S. Chaurasia, Chairperson-BBA, said “even after completion of a six decades’ freedom, the urgency of education is taking a backseat which is why a mass movement is the need of the hour.” A summation of the debate was facilitated by Apoorvanand, educationist, and the floor was opened for discussion subsequently. The following issues remained the main highlights:

  • Curriculum, Language and proximity with the community knowledge system was well linked.
  • Relevant modules of teachers’ training and methodology needed
  • Inter-linkages among Corporal Punishment, High Pupil Teacher Ratio and Drop out.
  • Liberation of children from Child Labour and trafficking.
  • Mass movement and prioritization education in the policy making and governance. 

Looking forward to have your participation in achieving EFA

Released by
National Coalition for Education
(MPs’ Forum on Education, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, All India Primary Teachers’ Federation, All India Federation of Teachers' Organisation, All India Association for Christian Higher Education and South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude)

Working Group for Global Action Week 07

Global March against Child Labour, PRIA, Aide et Action, Christian Children's Fund, India Alliance for Child Rights, Catholic Relief Services, Ashray Abhiyan, Gandhi Peace Foundation, CARE, Prayas, Wada Na Todo Abhhiyan, Indiatogether.org, Merry International, Teachers Welfare Congress, All India Federation of Public schools Organisation, Democracy Connects, and hundreds of other grassroot organizations in each state.
 
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Human Chain on ‘Education as a Human Right’

Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, Delhi, 23rd April, Time: 11:30 AM

More than a hundred thousand people including children, parents, teachers and activists from various regions of India joined up and formed Human Chain demanding Education as a Human Right today. The Human Chain has also been organized in various states of India. In Tamil Nadu 65000 people joined hands to demand for Right to Education in 12 Districts with 30 NGOs. Orissa alone witnessed participation of 6500 people in the Human Chain on the similar theme. 13 Indian states are also joining up the Week-long campaign. Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, President-Global Campaign for Education & Chairperson, Global March against Child Labour sounded a wake up call upon the Government and demanded education for all as a human right and not as a charity. He called upon the Government to stop inhuman practices such as child labour and human trafficking.

In Tamil Nadu 65000 people joined hands to demand for Right to Education in 12 Districts with 30 NGOs.

In Orissa alone witnessed participation of 5000 people in the Human Chain on the similar thematic lines at national level

In Jharkhand, the first day of the Week began with annuguration meetings and Press briefings. On the second day (24th April) of the Week, the Chief Minister of the state is joining the Action Week in support of the issues that is being raised towards achieving the Right to Education.

In West Bengal, the Human Chain was formed at the Gate of Kolkatta University near Vidyasagar statue at 4:00 pm. The occasion was graced by Mrs. Solagna Roy, Education Officer, UNICEF. The media was extensively covered. 15 NGOs participated with 500 participants.

In Bihar, the Human Chain was formed at Beilly Road, Patna. Around 500 participants came from various parts of the state on the first day. More than 10 NGOs took the lead.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Human Chain was formed by around 500 people.

The National Human Chain in Delhi: The Inauguration at Delhi

“Education is our human right” – with this slogan began the Global Action Week today i.e. the 23rd April, 2007 in India with over 1 and a half lakh children, teachers and activists forming a Human Chain across 13 states and at Delhi demanding the right to education as their human right. In Delhi, they demanded that the government hear their voice for equity in education to reach a decent standard of livelihood. The participants included former child labourers, non-school going children and great numbers of school children along with teachers and activists. Delhi saw the active participation of children and the formation of a human chain to bring into focus the goal of education for all. The participants and representatives were from different organizations and schools which included:

National Coalition for Education (NCE), Global March against Child Labour, Aide et Action, PRIA, Christian Children’s Fund, India Alliance for Child Rights, Catholic Relief Services, Ashray Abhiyan, Gandhi Peace Foundation, CARE, Prayas, Wada Na Todo Abhhiyan, Indiatogether.org, Merry International, Teachers Welfare Congress, All India Federation of Public schools Organisation, Democracy Connects, and hundreds of other grassroot organizations in each state.

Our Demands include:

  • Make Education a judiciable Fundamental Right
  • Ban Child Labour and child Trafficking in any form
  • Ensure a Minimum 6% GDP for education with subsequent increase
  • Provide scholarships, school uniforms, textbooks and free education for all 
  • Proper infrastructure and service conditions for teachers
  • 220 teaching days of the year to be fixed and 40:1 PTR
  • No to non-teaching activities and Para-teachers
  • Community monitoring system on education
  • Recruit qualified teacher with female teachers’ parity
  • Set up a National Commission on Education

The children enthusiastically raised slogans like

  • “Each child has a right to food, play, education and love”
  • “Give children toys and books instead of tools”
  • “Give equal education to all irrespective of rich or poor”
  • “End Child labour by giving education to children and work to elders”
  •  “Education is my fundamental right: why and till when should I wait?”
  • “Education for freedom, freedom for education”.

The following statements and messages were shared during the Human Chain at Delhi.  

 “It is a high time that civil society in India works for a National Commission on Education as the neglect of children’s education is future neglected”.- Ravi Prakash Verma, Member of Parliament & President-NCE.

“Teachers are committed to ensure the fundamental right to quality education for every child in India and minimize the dropout rate for which the teachers need to be excluded from all other non-teaching assignments.”- Rampal Singh, President All India Primary Teachers’ Federation & Gen. Secretary NCE

“Education for all children in India is the need of the hour which at the same time is to be ensured with quality, equality and free from any kind of discrimination.”- R.S. Chaurasia, Chairperson- Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

   
 
   
 

“The policy makers of country should not play with the future of our children. The Government should increase the GDP allocation upto 6% without any delay.”- Spokesperson- AIFTO

“Aide et Action has been partnering with communities and other civil society organizations for more than 25 years to achieve EFA as it ensures a sustainable livelihood.  We call upon all the people to join us in our efforts by making education a fundamental human right”. Sachin Dubey, Regional Manager Aide et Action Delhi.

“Education as a human right will go a long way in facilitating a lasting change in the well- being and social position of vulnerable groups, especially women.”- Kokila Gulati, Program Director, CARE-India

The children put their signatures together to start a movement to demand education for all. It will form a part of the memoranda that is to be forwarded to the President and Prime Minister of India to bring to their notice the need for laws to enforce Education for all.

The Delhi electronic and print media keenly followed the formation of the Human Chain and interviewed many school children and former child labourers. The children were provided with water and food packets as refreshments.                 

The focus during the week-long campaign are on issues such as : to ensure the rights and dignity of children, especially, who are/were bonded/labour, trafficked, differentially-able children, and denied their education. The Big Chain Re-Action is the main focus of the GAW 2007 campaign with human chains formed in marches, rally, races, vigils, theatrical forms and dances. This would be mainly led by the school going and non-school going children together. The objective is to come out with deliberation of nationally collected ‘files’ to the President and Prime Minister of India. The Week is observed under the leadership of Global Campaign for Education (GCE), National Coalition for Education (NCE) convenes this yearly education campaign week in India.

NCE is a conglomeration of India’s five largest networks working on ensuring the right to education, represented by 168 MPs, from all major political parties, All India Primary Teachers’ Federations (AIPTF), Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), All India Federation of Teachers’ Organisation (AIFTO), All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE) and South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS)
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Blackboard March

New Delhi , 21 February 2006: Today, over 1000 children led the Blackboard March from the Jantar Mantar to the Parliament to make the country's elected leaders look and listen to their demand for a fast action to make the Right to Education Bill 2005 into a Law.
The children symbolically carrying their demands on blackboards and slates gave Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders a simple message - help ensure free compulsory primary education of good quality for all children as a fundamental right. In India 35 million children are still unable to attend school, nearly two thirds of them girls.
In their memorandum to the Prime Minister of India, the children demanded:

  • Make Law for Free and Compulsory Primary Education.
  • Invest at least 6% of the GDP on Education.
  • Speedy Formation of National Commission on Elementary Education.
  • A complete ban on child labour should be enforced as it is the biggest hurdle in attaining education goals.

The National Coalition for Education (NCE) and its conglomerates have proven track records of participatory intervention towards making education an achievable right for all. It was this intervention that contributed in the emergence of the 86th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2002, and 93rd Ammendment, 2005. NCE has taken spearheading role in resisting the attempts of the Government to do away with the spirits of the Amendment that advocates ensuring Education as a Fundamental Right in the country.
NCE jointly contributed to the Blackboard March that was spearheaded by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) and was supported by the Parliamentary Forum on Education and a number of other organizations including Global March Against Child Labour, the All India Primary Teachers Federation (AIPTF), All India Federation of Teachers' Organisations (AIFTO), All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE) and supported by a large number of social activists, parents and the common people present at the Jantar Mantar also joined the March to lend their support.

The genesis of NCE is a testimony to historical consensus that evolved among various individuals and Organisations that has struggled for a long of spell of decades. Thus, ensuring education for all is the most important issue that NCE propagates. NCE, in the recent years, in association with BBA have called upon the Parliamentarians and the Government to urgently eliminate child labour from the country.  

During one such call, Smt. Jaya Prada, Actor & Parliamentarian said “I stand by you (children) in your demand for your rights. Do not think you are alone. We will take your voice inside the Parliament. The Government cannot shun from its responsibility of guaranteeing free and compulsory education.” She added, “The government must bring the Education Bill in the present session.
Subsequently, Shri Ravi Prakash Verma, M.P & Convener Parliamentary Forum on Education stated, "Thousands of years of heritage make India the motherland of civilization. In a sharp, ironic contrast, this land of a billion citizens, today, also represents the biggest challenge to its holistic development. Being denied education millions of children are standing on the threshold of being caught in the vicious cycle of child exploitation, illiteracy and poverty."
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