Statistical analysis of interventions affecting learning outcomes in Haryana and policy recommendations for better learning outcomes

Abstract

India has more than 1.5 million schools, 8.7 million primary and secondary teachers and 260 million enrolments, as per the data from Ministry of Statistics and Program implementation, making the country one of the largest and most complex education systems in the world. While the original enactment of constitution defined education as a state subject, it was subsequently moved to concurrent list, giving central government rights over decision of the state government. As per the MHRD’s website, “The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 inserted Article 21-A in the Constitution of India to provide free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right in such a manner as the State may, by law, determine. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which represents the consequential legislation envisaged under Article 21-A, means that every child has a right to full time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfies certain essential norms and standards.” The Right to Education act is, arguably, the most significant act passed to ensure the provision of education to the children of the country. This act has been enforced from 1st April 2010 to provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of six to fourteen years. Certain salient aspects of the act are as following: • RTE makes it a right of every child to get education. It is an obligation for the appropriate governments, under the act, to ensure that every child gets free elementary education. • The Act mandates the private educational institutions to reserve 25 per cent seats for children from the economic weaker sections. • According to the Act, schools cannot deny admission to any student. The act defines metrics and parameters such as Pupil Teachers Ratio, number of toilets, minimum number of teachers, to provide quality education schools. • Accessibility of educational institutes is a very important concern and the state government and local authorities are mandated to establish schools within walking distance of one km of the neighborhood from class I to V and within a walking distance of three km of the neighborhood for standard VI to VIII