UPSC Mains 2022 GS Paper 2 Q18: model answer

Enrolment in elementary school is now near-universal, yet ASER surveys repeatedly find that a large share of children in Class 5 cannot read a Class 2 text. A family that sees its child learning little will soon see little reason to keep her in school.

RTE's design

• Article 21A and the RTE Act, 2009: free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14.
• Neighbourhood schools, no detention (until 2019 changes), pupil-teacher norms.
• Section 12(1)(c): 25% seats in private unaided schools for disadvantaged children.

Incentives offered

Free textbooks, uniforms, mid-day meals, scholarships, bicycles for girls (Bihar), and reimbursement for private school seats.

Why incentives are not enough

• Attendance: children enrolled but absent, especially in harvest seasons.
• Learning: inputs (buildings, books) did not ensure outcomes.
• Awareness: many poor parents do not know of the 25% quota or how to apply; unfilled seats remain in many States.
• Value of schooling: where schooling does not lead to jobs, parents prefer work or marriage for adolescents.
• Social barriers: caste discrimination and safety concerns for girls.
• Age limit: the Act ends at 14, while dropout peaks after that.

Evidence

• Learning losses during Covid were largest among poor children.
• Bihar's cycle scheme raised girls' secondary enrolment because it changed parents' views on safety and distance, not just costs.

Measures

• School management committees with active parents; community meetings on learning results.
• Foundational learning under NIPUN Bharat with simple report cards for parents.
• Extend RTE to age 18, as NEP 2020 suggests universal schooling to Class 12.
• Online, simple 25% quota admissions with help desks.
• Link schooling to skills and careers through counselling.
• Campaigns using SHGs and panchayats.

Conclusion

RTE opened the school door. Awareness that learning changes lives is what keeps the child inside.