The Hindu : National : Help implement Right to Education, Sonia asks States

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Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007
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Help implement Right to Education, Sonia asks States

Special Correspondent

She expresses concern over high dropout rates

Malnutrition, female foeticide challenges before government
Society has to work for full development of children

NEW DELHI: United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday expressed concern over the high dropout rates and said the Right to Education must be implemented. “However, this can only be done with the cooperation of the State governments and the private sector.”

The proposed Right to Education Bill seeks to make education free and compulsory for the age group of 6-14. Ms. Gandhi asked the States to support its passage.

She was speaking at a national conference on Child Rights, organised here by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights to mark the International Child Right Day.

Pointing out that children were the core of national development, Ms. Gandhi said the challenges before the government were malnutrition, female foeticide and infanticide and child marriage, while the failings were in protecting children who were often victims of violence and trafficked in by institutions which were supposed to protect them.

“The issue of girl child is related to problems like gender inequality, social injustice, poverty and hunger. Society has to work for the full development of children and realise that every child is exceptional and each one has a special talent and it is for society to create a nurturing and enabling environment to help the child grow into a respectable citizen,” Ms. Gandhi said.

“Prevent exploitation”

Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury stressed the need for prevention of trafficking in and economic exploitation of children. “The investments made in children now reflect what we want in the future.”

Shantha Sinha, chairperson of the Commission, asked the stakeholders to commit themselves to abolishing all forms of child labour and to ensure that children’s rights were protected.

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