State governments have called for a thorough review of Right to Education Act, with inclusion of 3-to 6-year-old children under it, for better understanding of the problem of Out of School Children (OoSC) and their re-engagement in education.
During the two-day review-cum-consultation organised by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) with the representatives of all State and Union Territories on devising ways to re-engage OoSC that concluded today, a call was made for thorough review of the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
"Participants made suggestions to clearly define the term OoSC and their classifications, such as children who have never enrolled in a school, children that have enrolled but never attended school, children who have dropped out of school, and devise appropriate methods to bring them back to the formal school system," a senior NCPCR official said.
Other suggestions made by the participants include identification and information on OoSC through Child welfare Committees, Child Help Line and in context of children on railway platforms and child care institutions.
"Participants were of the view that monitoring of OoSC in conflict areas should be done by NCPCR and that 3 to 6 year old children should be brought under the RTE Act," he said.
NCPCR Chairperson, Stuti Kacker said a capsule course would be developed for children in conflict with laws.
"Nation is losing human resources as OoSC often indulge in crimes, living on streets and begging. They should be given skill-based learning," Kacker said.
The states also recommended to study the challenges and best practices followed by the States and make proper guidelines using their experiences,
The Commission is in the process of drafting a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Street Children and views of the participants were incorporated in the SoP.
