From Legislation to the Classroom: Effects of the Right to Education Act on School Education in India

The research examines the effect of Right to Education (RTE) on India’s elementary education and identifies challenges in its effective implementation. Utilising secondary data sources such as the Unified District Information System for Education Plus, the National Achievement Survey, and literature. The study found a dearth of research on comprehensive aspects of RTE implementation. The findings indicate that elementary education in India is at the crossroads of quantitative and qualitative development. It further observes a decline in absolute enrolment in the last decade while at the same time improving ‘Adjusted Net Enrolment Rate’ (ANER) and gender equality. Nevertheless, inclusion of ‘Schedule Tribes’ (ST) and ‘Children with Special Needs’ (CWSN) continues to be a matter of concern. The computer and internet facilities are substandard. Moreover, a consistent decline in learning achievement is observed in the national-level achievement surveys from 2012/2014 to 2021. It concludes that the provisions of the legislation have yet to transform the classroom in its true spirit.