By IANS,
New Delhi : Even as the Right to Education (RTE) Act bars corporal punishment, a survey of nearly 200 schools in 11 states revealed Wednesday that only five percent of them prohibit physical punishment for students.
The study, conducted by NGO Childline India, is based on a sample of 198 schools in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa.
The survey also says that only four percent schools provide filtered water to students.
Another 77 percent provided non-filtered water, while 19 percent had no water at all. Some 28 percent have no separate toilets for girls.
“Right to education is a wonderful act, but implementation is a challenge,” Childline’s executive director Kajol Menon said.
“India can’t be faulted on policies. RTE has lot of inclusion for children, like it bars corporal punishment, but only when it is administered will it bring change,” she added.
Childline conducted an extensive study of various spaces a child is exposed to and how child-friendly the places are.
The study focused on places like juvenile justice boards, police stations, health care centres and railway and bus stations.
“Children are citizens, and even though 44 percent of our population is under 18, they are not stakeholders in decision-making, and are highly ignored in policies,” Menon said.