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School makes kids CRY
Rashmi Belur / DNA
Saturday, November 28, 2009 9:04 IST
Bangalore: It was an event that brought to the fore the problems of
the state's poor children. At a forum in the city, many were
incredulous that the children could articulate their problems with
such clarity.
The children at the public hearing were brought to Bangalore from
across the state. They were at the hearing organized by the NGO, Child
Rights and You (CRY) on Friday.
Most of the children were dropouts from school, who wished to continue studying.
Rekha, 14, from Hassan district said, "I have studied till class 9. My
teacher used to compare me with students from the upper castes, and
ask me not to come to school at all.
Not just that, the school had no toilet or drinking water, and roof
was the sort that might just cave in. I would like to study, but not
at that school, not with that teacher."
Lakshmi, 15, from Bijapur said, "I am physically challenged. It was
difficult for me even to reach school. I was regular in my attendance,
however, but my teachers told me that I am a 'dalit and handicapped'
and that I need not come to school. I studied till class 7. I would
like to continue studying further. But I would like to go to a school
where I'm not treated any differently.
Kavya, 12, came to Bangalore from Ramanagar. "There is one anganawadi
in my village. The teachers there do not allow us, dalits, to sit with
the other children. My brother was going to that anganawadi, but my
parents stopped sending him there because they would not let him mix
with the other children. My brother was told not to touch upper caste
children."
These are just examples. There were at least 200 children at the
public hearing, who poured out their complaints to a panel comprising
CS Dwarkanath, chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Backward
Classes, Mathew Philips, director, South India Cell for Human Rights
Education and Monitoring, (SICHREM), education activist Nandini and
High Court advocate BT Venkatesh. The panel submitted its
recommendations to CRY.
"We came to the conclusion that the state is guilty of denying the
right to quality education to a majority of the children in Karnataka,
despite 62 years of independence.
Discrimination on the basis of caste, gender and disability exist at
all levels in the education system. Dalit children are humiliated by
the practice of untouchability within schools and anganwadis. And it
is not only other children, but even teachers who mete out such unfair
treatment to lower caste children," said Dwarkanath.
Three recommendations
The right of children to free and compulsory education should be
extended to cover all children in the age group 0 - 8. Every
habitation should have a school within one km.
Eduction is the responsibility of the state, and all children between
0-18 years should be able to avail it.
All schools should have teachers trained to teach children with
disability. And all disabled children too should have easy access to
schools. All children should be treated equally at school; stringent
action should be initiated against school authorities found violating
the provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.
Allocate minimum of 10% of GDP to school education alone (10+2) Make
human rights and gender education compulsory in school curriculum.
Making the case in a democratic way
As part of the campaign to exert public pressure on the government to
effect changes in the Right to Education Act, 2009, CRY will submit a
memorandum to the state governor by next week, with a copy of the
panel recommendations. On December 11, CRY is will meet president
Pratibha Patil to hand over a charter with the demands and signatures.
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