AAP govt's new education reform plan under HC scanner

The Delhi High Court has sought AAP government's reply to a plea challenging its new education reform plan 'Chunauti 2018' which seeks to check dropout rate of students and improve education quality with special focus on the weaker students.

Under 'Chunauti 2018' scheme, students would be mapped and the weaker students would be given "special focus" to enhance learning levels from classes 6 to 9.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also issued notices to all the three municipal corporations here and sought their stand on the plea which has demanded that 'Chunauti 2018' be extended to primary classes as well. The plea said the current scheme prescribes assessments and supplementary learning interventions only for children of classes 6 to 9.

The court has fixed the matter for hearing on November 28.

The plea, filed by Centre for Civil Society, has alleged "Right to Education has been reduced to right to schooling".

Advocate Prashant Narang, appearing for the organisation, said, "The current emphasis is on buildings, teachers and toilets rather than learning. Assessment showed huge learning deficits and government knows it very well."

"RTE places a legal obligation on the government, local authority and teachers to ensure learning through assessments and targeted learning intervention. Not only for middle classes, but for primary classes as well," it added.

The plea further said the recent assessment of sixth graders conducted by the government found that 74 per cent students were unable to read or write basic text of Hindi, indicating huge learning deficits accrued during primary classes.

'Chunauti 2018' academic plan announced by the Directorate of Education of AAP government lays down the framework for assessing and mentoring students of classes 6-9 to raise their performance to expected levels.

The plea said it has been observed in the past that the children from government schools reaching secondary grade levels have huge learning deficits but the scheme completely excludes children of primary classes.

'Chunauti 2018' aims at training and mentoring all students enrolled in class 9 for 2016-17 academic year, regardless of their learning levels at this point, to successfully appear for the class 10 examinations in 2018.

PTI