SC denies monitoring implementation of Right to Education Act

New Delhi: The Supreme Court recently said monitoring the implementation of the Right to Education Act ( RTE) across the country is a herculean task and it's not possible for Supreme Court to undertake such an exercise and directed the petitioner to approach each High Court to ensure proper implementation of the Act in the respective states.

A social justice bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit refused to entertain a plea seeking direction to the Centre and state governments to appoint sufficient number of teachers and build schools as per the Act saying "it would be impossible for us to monitor".

The petition filed by NGO, National Coalition for Education, alleged that the governments were not taking steps for implementation of RTE Act in true spirit and sought the court's intervention.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that there were not sufficient number of schools and teachers to provide primary education to all children. He said that around 1.5 lakh schools and 12 lakh teachers are needed to implement the Act.

However, the bench said it could not ensure implementation and it would be proper that high court of respective states look into the issue.

The Constitution (eighty-sixth amendment) Act, 2002 inserted Article 21-A to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a fundamental right.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, says that every child has a right to full time elementary education.