Education portal: Ray of hope
The news headline of your November 13 esteemed daily ‘At long last, education department to launch portal’ must bring smiles to thousands of poor students as the state education department has finally declared the launch of the long-awaited portal on the 25 percent reservation of seats for the admission of economically weaker students in private schools across the state on the eve of Children’s Day. These poor students will get free education with the state government reimbursing their tuition fees to the private schools. Though free and compulsory education is a fundamental right for children in the 6 to 14 year age group, sadly, many school-going children in our country are not in schools owing to their parents’ poor economic condition. The state government must be appreciated for launching the much-needed portal. What is now needed is to create mass awareness among the socially marginalised, disadvantaged, and economically backward sections to mobilize them to send their children to school in order to avail themselves of the benefits of development opportunities, including safe shelter services. When we look around, we see a painful picture of children in urban slums, street, and working children on construction sites, depriving them of schooling and health care. The nation is today remembering the birthday of India’s first PM, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, by observing the occasion as Children’s Day. Merely a call to every parent to protect their little ones from any harm and save their future will not fulfil the purpose. The observance of Children’s Day will be successful when all stakeholders come forward and take a strong pledge to create an enabling environment through legislation, schemes, and enhanced budget allocation, especially for children to protect their fundamental rights. Once the education portal starts functioning, the panchayat is duty-bound to ensure that every child falling under the category is in school while protecting them from agrarian and allied rural occupations to put an end to the curse of child labour in the society.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.