6.11.4. Evaluation of RTE

♤ There are no specific penalties if the authorities fail to provide the right to elementary education.

♤ Both the state government and the local authority have the duty to provide free and compulsory elementary education. Sharing of this duty may lead to neither government being held accountable.

♤ The Bill provides for the right to schooling and physical infrastructure but does not guarantee that children learn. It exempts government schools from any consequences if they do not meet the specified norms.

♤ The Bill legitimizes the practice of multi-grade teaching. The number of teachers shall be based on the number of students rather than by grade.

♤ Enrolment has reached universal levels but the problem of dropouts and absenteeism continues

♤ Also, the act doesn’t provide for those who cannot go to school

♤ Hence, it is said that it is a right to schooling instead of the right to education

♤ Bulk of the schools fail to meet the targets of improving infrastructure

♤ There is a big deficit in the country with respect to the availability of untrained teachers

♤ Some people believe that not failing a child is not a good option as it relieves the teachers from responsibility.