Two years after implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, a survey has found that implementing it still poses a challenge in rural West Bengal.
“While doing an intensive field survey in several districts in West Bengal, it has been observed with concern that though the Act is in place, underprivileged children are often being denied of their rights,” the survey conducted by the Child Rights and You (CRY), co-partnered by the West Bengal Education Network (WBEN), said.
After two months of extensive survey, a WBEN report found that 1,210 children from the nine districts dropped out of schools before completing their education.
“The data shows that all is not well in West Bengal as far as far as the implementation of the Right To Education is concerned,” it said.
“Data on school dropout children, collected by WBEN, was submitted to the appropriate authority.” CRY spokesperson, Mr Satya Gopal Dey, said, “Our organisation believes that each and every child has rights to access full time formal school. Building public awareness is absolutely necessary.”
Districts surveyed
The districts surveyed were South and North-24 Parganas, East Midnapore, Hooghly, Burdwan, Bankura, Murshidabad, Malda, and North Dinajpur.