Experts’ inputs, feedback to be shaped into a document: Official
By Farooq Shah
SRINAGAR: A workshop on formulation of rules and regulations with regard to the long-awaited implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 organised by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Jammu and Kashmir, concluded at the auditorium of the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), here on Thursday.
The workshop was initially designed to go on for three days but the experts later thought of extending it by another day.
Former Director School Education Kashmir, Mohammad Rafi, Principal Degree College, Pampore, Prof Seema Naz, Assistant Director Academics Dr Arif Jan, Principal DIET Beerwah, Mushtaq Ahmad Qadri, Principal DIET Kupwara Javed Iqbal, Principal DIET Kulgam, M Y Bhat, Senior Law Officer, Directorate of School Education Kashmir, Rifat Qadri, Co-ordinator Samagra Shikhsha, Syed Fayaz were among a galaxy of experts that took part in the workshop.
According to the Director SCERT, Prof Veena Pandita, the workshop was conducted after the School Education Department entrusted the responsibility of holding a consultative meet of the experts to deliberate on the various provisions of the (RTE) Act 2009 so that rules and regulations could be formulated to facilitate the successful implementation of the Act in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pertinently, the (RTE) Act, 2009 has been extended to the UT of J&K under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. The Act focuses on compulsory and free education to all children up to the age of 14.
“The implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act is mandatorily required in the UT of J&K at the earliest in the best interest of the children at par with other states/UTs wherein the said Act is being already implemented in letter and spirit,” Prof Pandita had said on the inaugural day of the workshop.
“It was a wonderful experience to be a part of an enlightened group,” Mohammad Rafi, described his engagement in the workshop as a ‘personal learning experience’. “The inputs and the feedback of the participants constituted a value addition to the entire exercise.”
“The matching resource in terms of the capital and the will to implement the Act was visible from the right from the get go,” Rafi added.
One of the experts described the workshop as a “watershed” moment to bring Elementary schools under the ambit of the RTE Act. “This will go a long way in laying a strong foundation for an equitable society by involving children from the economically-challenged backgrounds,” lecturer Sheikh Gulzar Ahmad said.
Veena Pandita thanked the experts in particular and the participants in general for taking time to take part in the activity. “It wasn’t an easy task and due kudos goes to everyone specially the experts to make this activity a meaningful exercise,” she said.
“The recommendation and the suggestion would be compiled and shaped into a document,” the coordinator of the workshop, G H Reshi, said. “It’ll take another few days to tweak the draft and present it before the authorities.”
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