Delhi HC asks for centre's reply on plea seeking common syllabus, curriculum
India Today
The Delhi High Court sought the central government's reply to a plea that is seeking a common syllabus and curriculum for children aged 5 to 14.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday requested the centre's response to a petition that challenges some provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009, terming them as arbitrary and illogical, and in addition to calling for the implementation of a national curriculum and syllabus for children. The notices were issued by a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh. The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 30.
According to the Public Interest Litigation(PIL), the existence of Sections 1(4) and 1 (5) of the Right to Education Act as well as the lack of a uniform curriculum in the mother tongue, fosters and perpetuates ignorance and delays the attainment of fundamental duties.
It was argued by petitioner advocate Ashwini Upadhyay that it is the duty of the union government to implement a common system of education.
He argued further that the union has failed to fulfil the obligation since it merely adopted the already existing National Curriculum Framework (NCF) of 2005 which is very dated.
The provisions which are challenged by the provisions under the RTE act exclude madrasas, Vedic pathshalas and educational institutions imparting religious knowledge from the ambit of the act.
Section 1(4) of the RTE Act reads, "Subject to the provisions of articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution, the provisions of this Act shall apply to conferment of rights on children to free and compulsory education."
