Though three years have elapsed after the introduction of the Right to Education Act, the children in the age group of 6-14 years are still deprived of the benefit, thanks to callousness of the State Government and lack of awareness among the parents, alleged NGO Challe Challo.
Notably, the organisation is working on the Right to Education in the tribal dominated Sundargarh district.
In a Press briefing, the members of organisation alleged that though the State Government implemented the law in 2010, but from a joint study conducted by Challe Challo, OXFAM India and BPCl in seven gram panchayats of Kuarmunda block, it was found that many children were still denied benefits under the fundamental right. Shortage of qualified and trained teachers and infrastructure was one of the reasons for poor implementation of the law. The NGO found that over half of students resort to dropout in the district.
The NGO members alleged that irregularities in mid-day meals were rampant making the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) a farce in the district. It revealed that to check dropout and make people aware of the law, it had organised pada yatras in many places, but it did not get much support from the villagers, teachers and parents. Among others, field coordinator Anil Ekka, programme officer Bijaya Dung, Nangua Minz and Rinulata Moharana were present.