The office of Bihar Child Rights Protection Commission on Hardinge Road, Patna. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Child rights remain a vague concept in India. The central government, in its attempt to define the subject, issued directives to all states to set up bodies which would work as child rights’ watchdog. As many as 10 Indian states complied with the directive and Bihar was the ninth state to set up a Child Rights Protection Commission. Nisha Jha, the chairperson of the commission, talks to The Telegraph on the issues concerning the panel and the steps initiated to protect child rights

 

Vocational training must

 

Being the first chairperson of the Child Rights Protection Commission (CRPC), Bihar, what are your priorities?

Among my top priorities is to provide education to all, especially underprivileged and deprived children. Not only education but also skill-based training has to be imparted to children both in primary and secondary schools. School dropout rate should be curtailed and also children should get vocational training apart from the regular education so that they can get employment on the basis of their learning. Special courses like information technology should be taught. Efforts should also be made to introduce competition-based education after Class VI so that students can develop competitive attitude and excel in the advanced stage of education.

 

No-entry board no more

 

What steps are being taken to help underprivileged children get admission in private schools?

I do not claim that we have achieved cent per cent result but we have managed to open the doors of private schools which had “no-entry” policy for underprivileged children. Situation has changed and children of parents having income of less than Rs 7,000 per month have got entry in big schools. Some minority schools have moved courts against the provisions of Right to Education Act. Steps are being taken to get underprivileged children admitted in such schools. Delay and denial are there but things would improve as efforts are being made to implement the Right to Education Act in true spirit. From 2012, there will be a total transparency in the admission of underprivileged children in big, private school. The move to provide quality education to all will narrow the divide and ensure a better tomorrow for today’s children.

 

Uniforms, books after vacations

 

What about the uniform and books for the underprivileged children?

We will talk to the govern- ment on these issues soon. We intend to ensure delivery of uniforms and books to underprivileged children after the summer vacation. All efforts are being made to help under- privileged children get quality education.

 

Panel to address child labour

 

What steps are being taken to curtail child labour and help children join back school?

Bihar is the first state to set up a state child labour commission. The panel is supposed to execute the norms to end the practice of child labour and we have the judicial powers to penalise those violating the norms. If the child labour panel faces any obstacle in their motive, we are there to help them.

 

Crusader for underprivileged

 

About Nisha Jha…

Nisha, the third daughter in her family, went to a government school and graduated from the Magadh University. She also pursued mass communication (correspondence) course. Always fond of children, Jha always did her bit to help the underprivileged children. While staying in Delhi, Nisha helped her domestic help get her son admitted in nursery in a private school. She convinced the school authorities that the child deserved quality education and became the local guardian of the child. The child is in Class VIII today. Several other underprivileged people in the area later came to Nisha for help. Jha became the local guardian of many other underprivileged children and got them admitted in private schools. Jha feels the environment in which a child grows up matters a lot. The environment assists in the development of a child. So it’s important to ensure a healthy environment for all children.

Jha also taught in a private school in Dhanbad for three years. She assisted her husband Madan Mohan Jha in his research on inclusive education while staying in London. Her husband used to take suggestions from her on different topics and used to include them in his research. After the death of her husband in 2007 (he was then principal secretary, Bihar human resource development department) Nisha started an NGO — Shikshansh — in 2008 to help underprivileged children. Jha resigned from the post of Shikshansh chairperson to join CRPC). Jha’s aim is to improve the quality of school education up to village level and says it will be possible only when both privileged and underprivileged parents will come forward to assist her.

What would you have been had you not been the chairperson of Bihar CRPC?

I was the chairperson of Shikshansh. I always loved children and wanted to do something for their welfare. Had I not been chairperson, Bihar CRPC, I would have continued with Shikshansh.

Attempt to develop government schools

What steps have you initiated to improve the quality of education in government schools?

Quality of education in government schools is often discussed and criticised. The commission will first look into the factors responsible for poor quality of education in government schools. We will interact with the teachers teaching in government schools and zero in on the reasons that affect the academic process. We would also find out whether students are getting due attention of the teachers in government schools. Our role will not end at this point, we will also help the government schools in addressing these weak points so that quality of education improves. The commission will go the grassroots level to address this issue.