RTE Sensitization Workshop - Nuapada and Raygada

Just finished conducting two sensitization workshops on the RCFCE Act 2009, in Nuapada and Raygada. While the former was held on the 29th of December 2010 the latter was held on the 5th of January 2011. The workshop in both the districts, was inaugurated by the respective collectors and had an eclectic mix of people, comprising of representatives of the local bodies such as the zilla parishads, civil society organizations, media, parents, government departments, teachers, students etc. The workshops followed a presentation sequence decided in advance - discussion of the bare act chapter wise, discussion of key concepts by linking them with the relevant sections of the act and the state rules,Q&A session followed by a discussion on the Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikshya Abhiyan in the second session. 

Both the workshops elicited a good response although there were questions for questions sake as is common in all the workshops with people asking all sorts of questions ranging from textbooks (why are they not being given on time), to the problem of endemic teacher shortages and what is being done about that as part of the act, to molestation attempts by teachers in Raygada, on the day the workshop was being conducted (raised by a journalist in Raygada) etc. Questions covered the entire spectrum from interesting and thought provoking to stupid (attention garnering) to those which were utter nuisance. We had answers for most of the questions related to the act which were basically clarifications while for the others we could only sit, listen and watch the mayhem till tempers calmed down. All said it was an interesting experience. 

In Orissa the state rules have been notified and it is the second state in the country to do so after Sikkim. The implementation of the act is being planned in a very systematic way, starting with the notification of state rules, selection of State Level Trainers, conduct of sensitization workshops in all the thirty districts, selection of district level trainers and their training and conduct of sensitization workshops at the block level in each of the districts by these trainers. Gram Sabhas are being planned from April to June with a view to sensitizing the members and the masses as regards this act. A convergence plan has been worked out with six departments - Rural Development, SC/ST Welfare, Labour, Health, Women and Child Development and Panchayati Raj with the aim of implementing the act in the most comprehensive manner. A RTE Cell has been created at the state level with the support of the UNICEF, spearheading all the activities related to the implementation of the act at the state level.