Childreach International India organized the fourth session of its flagship programme MySchoolMyVoice Children Parliament, at India International Center that focused on recognizing participative and child-led solutions to achieve the right to education in schools.

With Right to Education Act, 2009 and children’s ‘Right to Participation’ in the centre, around 100 budding parliamentarians from different government schools of Delhi, today deliberated upon the promulgation of the Act, as a landmark decision of the government to provide the needed impetus towards ensuring easy access and enhancing quality education for children from six to fourteen years. The children talked about the rules and provisions under the act, which brings them a hope and unites their ‘rights’ with their pride.

Children came up with simple but practical solutions on the issues ranging from infrastructure in schools to reaching to the children in labor and enhancing the quality of education, which can go a long way in addressing some of the emerging challenges in implementation of the Right to Education. Anu, a class VIII student of Govt. Girls Senior Secondary school, Noor Nagar said “if each one of us take the responsibility of enrolling one child to school, India will soon achieve all children in schools. (agar bharat ka har bacha apne samuday ke ek bache ko school mein admission karne ki zimedaari lega, tab hamare desh ka har bacha shikshit hoga”

Nahid Masoor of class VIII, Govt. Girls Senior Secondary school, Joga Bai, near Jasola said “Every school should have a child club that discusses on the issues in schools and identifies its solutions. This group should have the responsibility to escalate these issues to the SMCs.” Some of the other solutions were “participation of the parents in the education process by conducting frequent PTMs, employing activity- based learnings, sports facilities and extra- curricular activities to be included in the curriculum and so on. Some ‘parliamentarians’ also went as far as to willingly share their mid-day meals with those deprived of food!!

Ms. Devika Singh, Co-founder, Mobile Creches said, “ In my career of 45 years, today’s platform has infused in me the maximum hope and courage to face the issues of education in our country. Courage as you the children, have not only talked on one solution or one aspect of the whole system, you have touched each and every relevant part of it. From children with extreme deprivations, children out of school and in labour, children with disabilities, to the issues of illiteracy in parents, economics of your family to the issues in the form of active parents, active SMCs, you united the issues of education to the various colours of life. If the law in the country was equally sensitive as you all, the state of education would change”.

It was interesting to witness children talk about the scope of their participation in teaching the late enrolled children in their classrooms. Shahena said “We can discuss with our parents on our right to education and encourage them to participate in School management committee, which has a vital role in the school development process.” Children reminded us that it is imperative to shift our focus from issues towards solutions and that we all as individuals, as parents and the society have a responsibility to participate.

“ If the policy makers on education were attending this forum, there was no need for them to spend endless days deliberating on the direction and contents of the policy, Children in this platform have said it all from diversity, responsibility of state, need of aware society, parents issues, language issues to the issues of exclusion, tribals, disability, the children have deliberated on all the aspects”, said Mr. Ambarish Rai, Convenor, National RTE Forum

“Children are the present and future of our nation. Children Parliament is an effort to encourage them to be responsible and proud to be a part of India, the world’s largest democracy. Childreach International India complements and supplements governmental efforts in implementation of the law thereby achieving quality education for children in India”, said Mr. Naresh Chaudhary, Country Director, Childreach International India.

Prominent persons in the social and development sector, Mr. Ambarish Rai, Convenor, National Right to Education Forum, Ms. Sunisha Ahuja, Consultant, Ministry of HRD, Ms. Devika Singh, Co-founder Mobile Creches, Ms. Manju Khatri, Deputy Director Education - Central Zone, Municipal Corporation Delhi, Dr. Ritu Narang, Senior Technical Expert – Right to Education, NCPCR, Mr. Ajay Choubey, Research Scholar on Child Rights, National University of Education Planning and Administration summarized the deliberations and selected the most practical and innovative child-led solutions, thereby recognising children’s right to participation on the issues concerning them.

Over 5000 children were oriented on their right to education, and the participants underwent a process wherein they identified the problems and deliberated on the solutions with participative learning and action approach.

Childreach International India is a development organisation that exists to empower the most marginalised communities across India to achieve child rights (www.childreachindia.org). In a very short span of less than 3 years, Childreach International India has reached more than 2 lakh children and adults in 75 villages and 13 cities in 10 states of India. Children’s access to quality education, gender equality and early childhood care and development are the focus areas of its work. Children’s ‘Right to Participation’ is on the core of all its projects and activities. Childreach International India firmly believes people in general, especially children have the strength and willingness to overcome their challenges but lack access to information and opportunities. The organisation strives to create opportunities that empower them to achieve the rights of children.

Stepping ahead and translating the philosophy of child participation into vibrant actions, Childreach International India’s flagship campaign MySchoolMyVoice creates social sensibilities among children, at an impressionable age. MySchoolMyVoice enlightens children about the development issues, provides them an opportunity to develop their own understanding of their problems; think hard to spell out their suggestions and come out with actions they may like to undertake to contribute to the goal. Till date, MSMV has reached more than 100 schools through its various programs with a continued participation of more than 5000 children in Delhi, Haryana, Bangalore and Hyderabad.


Contact
Sumita Rathore
srsingh@outlook.com