Ensure right to education to Chakma children: NCPCR to Mizoram

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the Mizoram government to ensure that schools in all Chakma inhabited villages are established in accordance with the RTE Act 2009, writes PARITOSH CHAKMA

Merinews, 17 Feb, 2011

http://www.merinews.com/article/ensure-right-to-education-to-chakma-children-ncpcr-to-mizoram/15843273.shtml

ACTING ON a complaint filed by an NGO, Mizoram Chakma Development Forum (MCDF), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has recently directed the Mizoram Chief Secretary to investigate the alleged denial of access to elementary education to the Chakma tribal children in Mizoram due to lack of schools. 

In its petition to the Commission, MCDF alleged that over 72 per cent of Chakma inhabited villages in Mizoram still do not have Middle School, and over 96 per cent do not have High School. The failure of the state government to set up Middle and High Schools tantamounts to denial of education to the Chakma children and the absence of schools has led to high dropout rate amongst the Chakma children, the petition added.

The Forum further pointed out that in September 2009, the Mizoram government had admitted that there were over 15,000 children out of schools in the state and majority of them belonged to Chakma and Bru minority communities.

Taking cognizance of the MCDF’s petition, the NCPCR directed the Mizoram Chief Secretary, inter alia, investigate the denial of access to elementary education to the Chakma tribal children in Mizoram due to lack of schools in clear violation of section 6 of Right to Education Act 2009 which requires the local authority to establish the school in areas or neighbourhood limits where there is no such school as prescribed in the Act; and (2) ensure that schools in all Chakma inhabited villages are established in accordance with the RTE Act 2009.

But the Mizoram government failed to submit a report within 30 days as per the Commission’s directive. This prompted the Child Rights Commission to issue a reminder to the Chief Secretary on 10 February 2011 asking him to send a report within 20 days.