~ Harshdeep Singh
Education is our Fundamental Right. The Government has made elementary education compulsory but still many Children don't get the opportunity to exercise this right. This is one of the reasons behind the issues like unemployment, low awareness and poverty in our country. Education is such an important tool which helps people to live with dignity and also helps to participate in all the affairs of a nation actively. Education is compulsory and free in India for everyone till they attain the age of 14 years in the Government schools and they are also provided with mid-day meal facility over there. The main motive of the Government behind this is that everyone should have at least basic knowledge and have ability to read, write and understand. As evident, we can see many children who are working in small road side restaurants, factories and many of them are selling newspapers just because their parents want them to do so they can earn money to fulfill their family’s basic needs. Due to lack of awareness, these people are unable to understand the importance of education. In case of Maharashtra State board of secondary and higher Education v. K.S. Gandhi, it was held that the Right to Education at the secondary stage is a fundamental right.
WHY GIRLS ARE DEPRIVED OF THIS RIGHT?
In some areas, girls are not allowed to go to schools. Right to Education is a right which can be exercised by any person irrespective of the gender. The law has provided all the facilities but the change is required in our mindsets and society. If a female has proper education then she is able to educate everyone in her family. First teacher of every child is its mother and if the mother is educated and aware about the scenario then she can provide a kind of good upbringing. Our law provides everybody equal rights in terms of everything as Article 14 states Equality before law and Article 15 states no discrimination clause on the basis of religion, race, caste, gender or place of birth.
ARTICLE 21 A
Our Constitution by 86th amendment act, 2002 added this article to provide free and compulsory Education of all children in the age group of 6 - 14 years as a Fundamental Right. But as we can see in our society, Upper Class and Middle-Class children are able to take education because they are somehow aware but the scenario is different with the lower class. The Government Schools have a facility to feed the children free of cost in MID DAY MEAL SCHEME to balance the nutrition level. Despite all these, people send their children to school just to have the food. The children are not even interested in studies because their parents don’t tell them to study. They want them to earn money only. There are many NGOs who are working in this regard. They are trying to send the children to schools and also complaining about the teachers who are not teaching seriously to the students of lower class or discriminating them with other students. I am sure that one day every child of our country will be able to go to school without being discriminated on any basis specially on the basis of gender and caste. The thing required for this is the change in the society. The NGOs are doing their jobs, the Government is doing the needful but it is the time which requires all the citizens to wake up and take small initiatives like we can direct the Labour or other people working in our homes, offices or any area near us to educate their children. We can together change the world.
Source : righttoeducation.in, Bare Act(Constitutional Law)
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