Implementation of RCFCE Act 2009 in Odisha Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education

1. Implementation of RCFCE Act 2009 in Odisha Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education Dr Dibakar Sarangi Directorate of Teacher Education & State Council of Educational research & Training Initiatives, Progress and Issues

2. The RCFCE Act 2009 Grants all children in age group of 6-14 theright to free elementary educationup to class 8 (Elementary Education). Makes it compulsory on part of govt./local authorities to guarantee free quality education up to CL 8 to all children in age group 6-14 in neighborhood schools. Specifieslegal accountabilities, role & responsibilities of govt. and civil authorities, school, teachers to guarantees children’s right Specifiesnorms of quality schooling in terms of infrastructure, facilities, learning materials, teachers practices and environment of schools Createsstatutory bodies for enforcement, vigilance, monitoring and safeguard RCFCE

3. Children’s Right to Elementary Education 1. Free admission in a neighborhood school- no money no screening • Non enrolled/dropout children to be admitted to age appropriate class • Admission to school any time in year & seek transfer to even out of state • Special training to enable such children to be at par with others • Child so admitted entitled to completion of EE even after age 14 • Admission with minimized procedural barriers: birth, transfer certificate • No class detention or school expulsion till completion of EE • Not to be punished, harassed and discriminated in school • EE in mother tongue • Quality education conforming to prescribed norms • No board examination until class VIII • Get a certificate of completion of EE

4. Schools covered Under RCFCE act • Govt. schools • Govt. Aided schools • Special category Schools (Central School, JNV, SS) • Private Schools NOTE: All clauses do not apply equally to all types of schools

5. Enforcement & Safeguard of RCFCE • NCPCR (National Commission For Protection Of Child Right) • SCPCR (State Commission For Protection Of Child Right) • Academic Authority NCERT(National Council for Educational Research & training) SCERT(State Council for Educational Research & training) • SMC (School Managing Committee)

6. RTE Implementation in Odisha: Govt. initiatives • RTE, 2009 implemented since April 2010 • RTE State Rules 2010 Notified by SME • Directorate of TE & SCERT, Odisha notified as State Academic Authorities (SAA) • Dist. Inspector of Schools notified as Local Authority • Constitution of State Advisory Council for RTE Implementation is under process and shall be completed soon. • A Cell for RTE is functioning in state SSA office with support from UNICEF ( By SME) • A Toll Free School Help Line telephone number is running to redress the field level issues and a grievance. • Weekly Grievances Redressing meets by the state Education Secretary being taken • Formation of SCPCR under process • Sanctions and approval for recruitments for additional teachers made • Notified schools as NO PUNISHMENT ZONES • 25% reservation of seats for weaker sections in private schools

7. RTE Implementation in Odisha: SSA Initiatives • A group of State Resource Persons on RTE is created • RTE Act and the estate rules in Odia language made available, printed IEC materials and provided to all for wider dissemination (SSA, Odisha) • Orientation to all stakeholders Teachers, support and monitoring personnel, educational administrators, district level administrative officers/depts. Linked to elementary educations completed • School Managing Committee as suggested in the Act have been Formed in every school by March 2011 • The members of SMC have been oriented in respect of RTE Act, their roles and responsibilities. • All teachers were provided 3 days training on RTE with a training package developed for the purpose. • School Mapping Exercises to assess the requirement of neighborhood school • Identification of OoSC children in the state and their enrollment in age appropriate class • Reading Primers and Supplementary readers for classes 1 and 2 in 8 tribal dialects have been developed and are running in more than 700 schools in tribal dominated areas • Recruitment of teachers are on and is made regular by SSA, Odisha • 15 Days Induction Training provided to all newly recruited teachers

8. Implementation in Odisha: SSA initiatives • Special enrollment drives to enroll the non- enrolled and dropouts by each school’ SMC. • AAMA VIDYALAYA (Our School) programme launched to ensure uniform school environment and facilities at elementary stage. • 3 Teacher support materials prepared, printed and supplied to all elementary schools • SADHANA (Resource materials to assist teachers in instructional planning) • SAMADHAN (Resource material for teachers in various subject areas for classess1-8) • SANKALPA (Task- Time frame for different officers at levels of to timely task accomplishment) • Lesson note formats to record classroom transactional process supplied • Monthly Joint Monitoring and Review Programme at the state, district and Block levels under direct supervision of state education secretary.

9. Implementation in Odisha: SAA Initiatives As per Section 29(1 & 2) of the RFCFE Act, 2009 the Directorate of TE & SCERT, Odisha as the State Academic Authority owes the following responsibilities : Preparation of Curriculum and Textbooks for elementary schools Formulation of guidelines for Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation learning & progress Formulating Special Training programme for out of School Children Teacher Preparation as per the guidelines framed by NCTE to ensure adequate supply of trained teachers Training of Untrained Teachers who joined prior to RTE, Act Capacity building of teachers to transact curriculum using activity based joyful learning approaches

10. SAA: Preparation of Curriculum and Textbooks School Curriculum and Textbooks for Classless 1-8 have been revised as per NCF, 2005 in 2008-09 After implementation of RTE Act in April 2010, SCERT has examined all the textbooks in view of the RTE imperatives in May 2012. The report is in the final stage. The textbooks may be revised on basis of the final report. Teacher Handbook on Health, Physical Education and Work Education is in progress

11. IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTINUOUS COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING CCE is incorporated in the revised pre-service Elementary Teacher Education course State Framework for implementation of CCE has been formulated and approved by Govt. Teacher manual on CCE has been prepared; to printed and supplied to all elementary schools Teacher training package for training of all teachers on CCE Govt of Odisha has issued instruction to roll out CCE in all elementary schools from the session 2013-14

12. Implementation of Special Training for Out of School Children State Framework for implementation of Special Training prepared School Readiness Package for Out of School Children 30 no. of Bridge course Material prepared for classes 1-7 Training Package for training of teachers on administering Special Training Modules for 1 day orientation of Headmasters on special training Training of Teachers shall commence in Nov-Dec. 2012

13. Teacher Preparation as Per NCTE norms • Pre- Service Teacher Education Curriculum & Textbooks for D El Ed have been revised as per NCFTE, 2010 and is adopted by the Board of Secondary Education, the Examining Body. • Curriculum for B. Ed, M. ED and M Phil courses revised as per NCFTE, 2010. The Universities, to which the IASEs/CTEs are affiliated, have been requested to implement the revised syllabi. • Generation of additional learning resources through an online web portal is under consideration by Govt.

14. Ensuring Supply of Trained Teachers • Rapid quantitative expansion over last 10 years created higher demand both at Elem 7 Secondary stage • Demand and supply of trained teachers is not balanced • Additional need of 2250 trained teachers to be met • Proposal Under active Consideration of Govt: • Increasing the intake capacity of each of the existing DIETs / DRCs from 50 to 150 • Upgradation of 6 DRC to DIETs • Opening 0f new BITEs in 6 Districts.

15. Training of Untrained Teachers • In-service Training of untrained elementary school teachers completed for about 17,000 Teachers • At present Odisha has 10,000 untrained elementary teachers who are to trained through Distance Education Progarmme by 2015. NCTE has accorded permission for this. • Many of these untrained teachers have secured less than 50% at their +2 Examination which make them disqualified as per norm. The state has gone into a memorandum of understanding with NIOS, New Delhi to enroll such teachers for higher secondary courses to create opportunities of enhancement of marks. • Scheme of Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) has been formulated, approved and notified by Govt. of Odisha. The Board of Secondary Education, Odisha conducts the Orissa Teacher Eligibility Test.

16. RTE Implementation: Challenges before the State • Providing education to within state and interstate migrant children • Ensuring neighborhood schools in hamlets in tribal and remote areas • Ensuring equitable quality of learning and school productivity • Providing In-service training to untrained teachers within the time frame, within 5 yr • Mainstreaming the out of school children/ dropout children and sustaining them till end of class VIII • Ensuring diagnostics and remediation with CCE

17. THANK YOU EVERY BODY