INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR SECOND INDIA COUNTRY REPORT

STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

ARTICLE 17 [ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE INFORMATION]

1. What are the measures adopted to ensure that children have access from a diversity of national and international sources to information and material aimed at promotion of child's social, spiritual and moral well being, physical and mental health. Indicate measures adopted to encourage:

Aims of education
International agreements concluded for the purpose
Development of appropriate guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material injurious to his or her well being as well as harmful exposure in the mass media

ARTICLE 28 (EDUCATION, INCLUDING VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND GUIDANCE)

2. What are the measures including legislative, administrative and budgetary nature, that have been adopted to recognise the right of the child to education and achieving it progressively and on basis of equal opportunities? (Department of Education, ML&J)

3. Provide information on:

Measures adopted to ensure the respect for the general principles, including the view to reduce existing disparities?
Proportion of the overall budget (central, regional and local) has been devoted to children and allocated to various level of education?
Considerations given to the real cost to the family of the child's education and appropriate support provided?
Measures adopted to ensure that children may be taught in local indigenous or minority languages?
Mechanism developed to ensure the access to quality of education to all children-girls, children with special needs, children in especially difficult circumstances?
Steps taken to ensure that there are sufficient teachers in school system, to enhance their competence, and assess to quality of teachings?
Measures adopted to provide adequate educational facilities accessible to all children? What is the rate of illiteracy below and over 18 years; rate of enrolment in literacy classes-age, gender, region, rural/urban areas, social ethnic origin?
Are there any systems of non-formal education?
Are there any systems of extensive initiatives taken by State to provide early development and educational services for young children from disadvantaged social group?
What are the changes that have occurred in the education system including those of legislative, policies, facilities, budgetary allocations, quality of education, enrolment, dropout and literacy?
Any monitoring mechanism that has been developed, factors, difficulties encountered and target identified?
Give relevant disaggregated data on children concerned, including education outcomes-gender, age, region, rural/urban areas, national, ethnic and social origin.

4. Provide information on:

Measures taken to make primary education compulsory and available free for all, minimum age for enrolment in primary school, minimum and maximum ages for compulsory education, proportion of children enrolled
Give any relevant disaggregated data-age, gender, region, urban/rural areas, national, social, ethnic origin, service coverage and budgetary allocation
Measures taken to encourage development of different forms of secondary education-general and vocational
Measures adopted to make such forms available and accessible to every child; any disaggregated data age, gender, region, urban/rural areas, national, social, ethnic origin, service coverage and budgetary allocation
Measures taken to introduce free secondary education and offer financial assistance in case of need and indicate children concerned by age, gender, region, urban/rural areas, national, social, ethnic origin, service coverage and budgetary allocation
Measures taken to make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children; forms of such information and guidance; mechanism used to assess their effectiveness, budget allocated, relevant disaggregated data- age, gender, region, urban/rural areas, national, social, ethnic origin
Measures taken to encourage regular attendance at school, reduce drop out rates, research, any mechanism developed to assess the situation, incentive provided to encourage school entrance, regular school attendance and retention, alternatives provided for children who are excluded from school, relevant disaggregated data by age, gender, region, urban/rural areas, national, social, ethnic origin

5. Are there any category or group of children who do not enjoy the right to education, the circumstances in which children may be excluded from school temporarily or permanently - by disability, deprivation of liberty, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS infection. Have any arrangements been made to address such situations and to ensure alternative education? Give disaggregated data by age, gender, region, urban/rural areas, national, social, ethnic origin?

6. What measures have been taken to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with child's human dignity and in conformity with the Convention including:

Legislation applying to public and private school and other education institutions, prohibiting all forms of violence including corporal punishment, as well as any other disciplinary measures that are not consistent with child human dignity or in conformity with the provision of the Convention and its general principles
Any monitoring system of administration of the school discipline as well as mechanisms of reporting and complaint
Any independent mechanism established for that purpose
Legislation providing the opportunity for the child to participate in administration or judicial proceedings relating to education, including those related to choice of a school, school exclusion

7. What measures have been adopted to promote and encourage International co-operation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contribute to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world; facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods; taking particular account of the needs of developing countries?

8. What are the activities and programmes developed, including at the bilateral and regional levels, the target groups identified by age, gender and national, social and ethnic origin, the financial assistance provided and/or received, priorities established, and the consideration, as well as any evaluation made of the progress achieved and of the progress achieved and of the Convention, any evaluation made of the progress achieved difficulties encountered? Has any steps been taken for appropriate involvement of United Nations organs and specialised agencies and non-governmental organisations?

Article 29 (AIMS OF EDUCATION)

9. What are the legislative, administrative, educational and other measures adopted to ensure that the aims of education established in the state party are consistent with the provisions of this article, in particular with regard to:

The development of respect for the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;
The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the charter of the United Nations, indicating whether the subject of human rights in general, and children’s rights in particular, has been incorporated in the school curricula for all children and promoted in school life;
The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she originates and for civilisations different from his or her own;
The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of the sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;
The development of respect for the natural environment.

10. What type of training are provided to the prepare the personnel as mentioned in the above issue to direct their teaching towards these aims;

Has there been any revision in school policies and school curricula to reflect the aims identified in article 29 at the various levels of education;
Type of relevant programmes and material used; Has there been any peer education and peer counselling promoted;
Efforts are being made to bring school organisation in lines with the convention’s principles.

11. What measures have been adopted to ensure that the respect for the liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and direct educational institutions and to the requirements that the education given in such institutions conforms to such minimum standards as are laid down by the state.

12. Indicate the appropriate mechanisms have been developed to

Ascertain that the aims of education identified by the Convention are respected by such institutions;
To ensure respect for the general principles of the Convention to the maximum extent;
To ensure that all such institutions are conducted in conformity with standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, number and suitability of staff, as well as of competent supervision

13. Indicate progress achieved in the implementation, the difficulties encountered and targets set for the future?

Article 31 (LEISURE, RECREATION AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES)

14. Indicate measures including that of a legislative nature adopted to recognise and ensure the right of the child to rest and leisure; to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child; to participate freely in cultural life and the arts?

15. Indicate:

Proportion of the relevant overall budget- central, regional, local allocated;
The cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activities, programmes or campaigns developed to ensure the enjoyment of the right including in the family, in the school and in the community;
The enjoyment of the rights recognised by Article 31 in relation to other rights recognised by the Convention, including the right to education;
Respect been ensured to the general principles of the Convention;
Give relevant data on the children by age, gender, region, rural/urban area, and national, social and ethnic origin;
Progress achieved in the implementation, difficulties encountered and target set for the future;