Children’s Day miles ahead in India (November 20, 2009)
published in Online edition of The Hindu

According to reports 13 million children below the age of 14 are engaged in child labour and 7 million kids are out of school in India. It is surprisingly so in a country which was one of the signatories to the UN Child Rights Convention (UNCRC). Incidentally November 14-21 is observed as the UNCRC week.

Article 32 of the UNCRC speaks of a child’s right to protection from doing any work that is harmful to his/her physical, mental or social development. On the other hand, the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act in India is limited as it applies to only those kinds of work that are “hazardous” for children. The existing law is also not strictly implemented across the country.

In sync with Article 28 of the UNCRC which recognises a child’s right to education, India has made some progress through Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and the recent Act on Right to education of each child aged from 6-14. However reports suggest that still today only 47 per cent of Indian kids finish their elementary schooling.

More for information, visit the following link:
http://www.hindu.com/mag/2009/11/15/stories/2009111550120400.htm

Free and Compulsory Education for Young India

The Bill for Free and Compulsory Education for children aged between 6 and 14 was passed by the Indian Parliament in the month of August. Steered by Kapil Sibal, the HRD minister, this Bill will finally help in realising one's fundamental right to education as per Article 21-A of the Indian Constitution.

Achieving Universal Primary Education was one of landmark pledges taken by 189 international leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit in the year 2000. This was part of Millennium Development Goals to be realised by 2015 and one of the "eight-point road map with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world's poorest people." The aim to achieve Universal Primary Education is specific: "Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling."

For more information, visit the following links:

www.financialexpress.com/.../free-compulsory-education-for-children.../498039/ -

www.unescobkk.org/education/.../indian-legislation-provides-free-and-compulsory-education-for-all-children

Grades fully replace Marks in CBSE from 2009

Long debated- the gradation system finally makes its way into Indian school education system replacing marking system from 2009. It will be introduced in all schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Students will be awarded grades for their performance throughout the year.

The CBSE schools will have a nine-point grading system introduced in Class X from 2010. The grading system will have A1 as the highest grade and E2 as the lowest. However, as per the announcement by the Union Human Resources Development Ministry, the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system will be implemented in Class IX from 2009.

However, if a student insists, he/she can opt to take a board exam and will have to pass in a minimum of 4 amongst 5 subjects.

For more information, visit the following links:

www.indianexpress.com/news/official-from...x-cbse.../0

www.telegraphindia.com/1070922/asp/calcutta/index.asp