1.4 In a village in Gujarat, people have been facing multiple problems. Some of their problems have
been listed below.
(a) Water supply only for 5 hours per day
(b) No school in the village, which means children must walk 3 km to reach the nearest school
(C) No electricity on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
If you were a member of the Gram Sabha, which among these three problems would you take to the
Gram Sabha for discussion and why?
Answers
Answer:
Education Department, Government of Gujarat by its GR dated 31-3-2010 (Annex-A)
constituted a Committee to re draft the Gujarat ( Bombay )Primary Education Act, 1947 and Gujarat
Compulsory Primary Education Act, 1961 in the context of, and in consonance with The Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RtE Act) enacted by Government of India. The
GR also mandated the Committee to draft rules and suggest procedure to give effect to provisions of
admission of disadvantaged children and recognition of unaided schools in the RtE Act.
The Committee co-opted a few members and held several meetings. It constituted three sub
groups to work on
(i) admission of disadvantaged children to unaided schools
(ii) recognition of unaided schools
(iii) Gujarat (Bombay ) Primary Education Rules 1949
The Committee held meetings with teachers, school managements and association
representatives in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot and greatly benefited from their views.
The Committee submitted draft of Gujarat Elementary Education Act to State Government in
August 2010. As requested by the Education Department, the Committee submitted draft rules on the
admission of disadvantaged children and recognition of unaided schools in July 2010. Draft of revised
Gujarat Elementary Education Rules was submitted in January 2011.
The Committee examined many complex and controversial issues associated with RtE Act. The
thinking of the Committee on some of these issues is summarized in the following paragraphs as this
will explain the reasons for some of its recommendations:
1 The most contentious provision in the RtE Act is regarding admission of at least 25%
disadvantaged children in unaided schools. During its visits and discussions the Committee discovered
that most of the unaided schools have a high percentage of disadvantaged children on their rolls. These
children today pay fees which are generally modest and well below the estimated per student cost for
Government schools. The Committee fears that to take unintended benefit under the RtE Act school
managements will raise the fees upto reimbursement level and claim it from Government. It is for this
reason that the Committee has recommended School Card system so that the benefit of admission to
disadvantaged children is extended to the most deserving. The Committee also felt that the elite schools
are reluctant to admit such children on their own initiative and the School Card system will ensure that
they admit them.
2 The RtE Act lays down norms and standards which a new unaided school must fulfill for
recognition. These norms prescribe minimum level of academic and physical infrastructure. If an
existing school does not have the necessary infrastructure, it must provide it in three years to retain its
recognition. The Committee was informed that there a large number of existing schools which will not
be able to fulfill these norms due to physical and financial constraints. The Committee was of the view
that closure of these schools will seriously disrupt education of hundreds of children. The Committee
has therefore recommended that if such schools are able to show that they provide good quality
education then they should be allowed to continue. The Committee has drawn up minimum educational
outcomes which such schools should continuously achieve and recommended that the academic
evaluation should be done by independent educationists.
The Committee felt that the norms and standards prescribed by RtE Act will make establishment
and running of unaided schools more expensive and the burden of higher fees will badly affect the
middle and lower middle income families who aspire for good education for their children.
3 The focus of RtE Act is to make available free and compulsory elementary education to every
child of the age of 6 to 14. The Gujarat Elementary Education Rules provide for admission on
completion of 5 years and schools have been admitting children to Class I accordingly. If the age of
admission is now made 6 years then there will be virtually no admissions to Class I in the first year as all
six year olds would have progressed to Class II having been admitted to Class I the previous year. The
Committee was therefore faced with a serious dilemma and finally decided to adhere to national norm of
6 years as age of admission, but recommended that if some parents desire their child should be admitted
on completion of 5 years, schools should allow them admission. The Committee hopes that with greater
spread of pre primary education, this problem will get resolved during the next few years.
4 The RtE Act prescribes that in order to prepare children above the age of 3 years for elementaryeducation, and to provide early childhood care and education to all children
Answer:
Poulengey : (Slowly) There is something about her. It may be worth trying.
Robert : Oh, come on Polly! You must be out of your mind !
Poulengey :(Unmoved) What is wrong with it? The Dauphin is in Chinon, like a rat in a
corner, except that he won't fight. The English will take Orleans. He'll not be
able to stop them.
Robert : He beat the English the year before last at Montargis. I was with him.
Poulengey : But his men are cowed and now he can't work miracles. And I tell you that
nothing can save our side now but a miracle.
Robert Miracles are alright, Polly. The only difficulty about them is that they don't
happen nowadays.
Poulengey :I used to think so. I'm not so sure now. There is something about her. I think
the girl herself is a bit of a miracle. Anyhow, this is our last chance. Let's see
what she can do.
Robert : (Wavering) You really think that?
Poulengey : (Turning) Is there anything else left for us to think? Let's take a chance. Her
words have put fire into me.
Robert : (Giving up) Whew! You're as mad as she is.
Poulengey : (Obstinately) We want a few mad people now. See where the same ones have
landed us !
Robert : I feel like a fool. Still, if you feel sure...?
Poulengey : I feel sure enough to take her to Chinon unless you stop me.
Robert : Do you think I ought to have another talk with her ?
Poulengey :(Going to the window) Yes ! Joan, come up.
(Joan enters).
Q: after talking to poulengey what change do you notice in Robert?