RTE Act Detrimental To The Learning Process, Should Be Reviewed: NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog, the government's premier think-tank, has said that the Right To Education (RTE) Act, despite good intentions, has proved detrimental to the learning process. The think-tank has called on the government to review the provision of the act that enables all students aged 6-14 years, regardless of their performance, to move up to the eight-grade.

The provision was introduced into the act to minimise drop-out due to demoralisation resulting from failing a class. This provision, as The Hindu describes, entitles every child to an eighth-grade diploma “even if he cannot recognise a single letter or a number if he has spent eight years in school”. This, according to the NITI Aayog, has deteriorated performance.

“But despite this good intention, the provision has a detrimental effect on learning outcomes, since it takes away the pressure to learn and to compete,” the Aayog has said in its review of the 12th Five Year Plan.

As revealed by the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2014, 96 per cent children in rural areas, aged 6-14 years, have been enrolled in school for the past six years. The report states that over 50 per cent of fifth-grade students are not equipped to read second-grade text. “Even more disconcerting, the trend between 2010 and 2014 has been worsening instead of improving performance,” the report states.