By amending the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the suggestion of making provision for free education to children up to the age of 18 years has been described as good by the Central Government. The government said on Monday that the states will have to talk on this subject and the central government will fulfill its full responsibility. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said this in reply to a supplementary question by Congress member Manish Tewari in Lok Sabha.
Tiwari said that the 2009 Act provides for free education to children in the age group of 6 to 14 years, in such a situation, when many children reach the 9th standard, schools ask them for fees and they face problems. In reply, Pradhan said that there are not enough provisions in the RTE Act brought in by the then Congress-led UPA government in 2009, which has been accepted by Congress MP Tiwari, it is a welcome thing.
‘Some private schools are teaching children from 9 to 12 free of cost’
Pradhan said that under this law, children face problems after eighth, I also accept it. He said that it is a matter of state jurisdiction and some private schools provide free education to children in classes 9 to 12. The minister said that this suggestion is good and today this concern has come to the fore. Taking a jibe at the Congress, he also said that it could have been thought of even while enacting a law in 2009.
‘Discussions will have to be made with the states to amend the law’
Pradhan said, “There will have to be discussion with the states to amend the law to provide free education to children up to the age of 18 years. The Government of India will fulfill its responsibility. We are moving forward by increasing the budget of education. In the budget of the year, the Finance Minister has given more than one lakh crore rupees for education.