Education Act numb to problems of advanced states: Kerala

The Right to Education Act did not properly address the "new generation" problems of states like Kerala which had already achieved the basic targets set by the Act, Education Minister MA Baby told the state assembly today.

The Right to Education Act did not properly address the "new generation" problems of states like Kerala which had already achieved the basic targets set by the Act, Education Minister MA Baby told the state assembly on Friday.

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If the Centre had held discussions with states like Kerala before finalising the RTE Act, the lacunae in it could have been avoided, Baby told the house during question hour.

"Even while recognising the historic importance of the Act considering the all-India situation, it is difficult to say it is without flaws. This could have been avoided if the Centre consulted a state like Kerala which has achieved the basic targets like free and universal education in 1980s itself," the Minister said.

He said the RTE Act did not make it clear how the Centre was going to support states to meet additional financial commitment for implementing programmes envisaged under it.

For instance, in the case of Kerala what was required was speical central support to upgrade the physical infrastructure of the insitutions and improve academic quality, he said.

On the problem of sharp fall in enrollment in primary classes in the state-run and government-aided schools, Baby said there were also several schools where the enrollment had increased in this academic year.