Press Release

Children are out of School though they have Right to Education

West Bengal Education Network (WBEN) is an alliance comprising of peoples' organisations, grass root level bodies, individuals, and local level clubs working towards making holistic child rights being established. It had been working to achieve Right to Education and campaigning in favour of Common School System for last 16 years.

Since the enactment of "The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009" WBEN have organised several Workshops on RtE Act, sensitization programmes with the SHGs, COBs, Consultation programmes with CSOs, Rally in District level. WBEN have also published Book, Poster and Leaflet on the Act for mass awareness.

We have submitted suggestive draft rule to the School Education Department along with other CSOs after Consultation.

The cases on violation of the RtE Act was collected and submitted to the concerned authorities. WBEN was actively involved in Public Hearing on violation of RtE Act in the last October, 2011 which was organised by NCPCR.

We felt that grass-root level campaign is very much necessary for the proper implementation of the RtE Act and village level intensive campaign programme was organised accordingly. During the campaign volunteers have collected village wise list of the out of School Children. The number of out of School children which was identified from our campaign area of 9 Districts after two years of the enactment of the Act is very much anxious for us. We realized that this report should be bringing to light for all the concerned people to implement the RtE Act properly and for all children to School.

The village level intensive campaign programme covered 129 villages and ward of 84 Gram Panchayts & 4 Municipality areas of 60 Blocks in 9 Districts. Volunteers have collected list of 1210 children from these 129 villages who are out of school, though there is an Act of Free and Compulsory Education for the children. We have also identified the causes – why the children are out of school.

We hope, the Report "Shikshya Adhikar Proyag Abhijan, 2012 – Ekti Pratibedan" will help to realize the real situation and status of the implementation of the RtE Act. We also hope that the concerned authorities will take necessary actions to change the situation.

Our demands are as follows:

• Proper implementation of the RtE Act, 2009.
• Mass Campaign on the RtE Act on behalf of Government.
• Proper steps in case of violation of the RTE Act, 2009.
• Government initiative to bring back the out of School Children in School.
• Special initiative to build the child friendly environment in School.
• Transformation of Govt. Aided School into Govt. School.
• Amendment of notifications issued by the School Education department regarding development fees of Rs. 240.00 and Corporal Punishment according to "The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009".
• Implementation of guidelines by NCPCR to stop the Corporal Punishment in school.

Thanks & Regards.

Dipali Nandi and Ruhul Amin
State Conveners
West Bengal Education Network