In August 2009, the Indian parliament enacted the Right to Education (RTE) Act which enshrined education from 6 to 14 years as a ‘right’. The Act additionally mandated a variety of ‘requirements’ relating to infrastructure, Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR), curriculum, teacher training, inclusionary education, and the focus of this article – a continuous and comprehensive student evaluation system (CCE). The objective of these mandates was ensuring a ‘quality’ education for children.
Some Constitutional Battles in the Field of Education
Section B 44 In the last 65 years, the field of education has seen several pitched constitutional battles. Below are some of the key issues and the leading cases in a number of areas within the field of education.
When we talk to a teacher about Continuous Comprehensive Assessment (CCA) and ask them how they are doing it in their school then they almost always equate assessment with periodic examinations. The very word 'assessment' needs a careful handling of it, particularly the purpose of doing it. The important aspect being who is doing it and what is the intended outcome of such assessment. Assessment can mean how better a child learns (sharing the child's learning with her parents is the intended outcome).
Here is Munnabhai speaking on today's schools. While the screenshots are from the movie Lage Raho Munnabhai, the resource has been scripted by Rajkishore.
Note: The views expressed here are those of the author.
This essay describes the law and policy developments on the issue of early childhood care and education (ECCE), particularly, pre-school education in India. It also attempts to explore how courts have deliberated on this important policy objective. The article begins with a brief description of the constitutional position on ECCE and proceeds to an understanding of the legal developments on this issue.3
Are certain individuals born to be teachers and can only those be truly competent? Or can people without such aspirations develop to become ‘great teachers’? Are there certain conditions, the presence of which foster such development?