A State-Level Call to Reform RTE in Jharkhand
In Feb 2023, APNA and the RTE Watch Team held a press conference, exposing that 94.3% of RTE seats in Jharkhand were unfilled. With data and testimonies from Ranchi, Bokaro and Hazaribagh, APNA highlighted systemic gaps and amplified parents’ voices, reinforcing its stand for education justice.
Press Conference with the RTE Watch Team in Ranchi
In February 2023, amidst growing discontent around the under-implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, the Association for Parivartan of Nation (APNA) joined hands with the RTE Watch Team, Jharkhand, to amplify concerns, demand accountability, and call for systemic reform. The centrepiece of this advocacy effort was a state-level press conference in Ranchi, aimed at spotlighting educational injustice in Jharkhand, where tens of thousands of eligible children were being denied their legal right to free education in private unaided schools.
“This isn’t just a policy gap- it’s a denial of futures. When 94% of reserved seats remain vacant, we must ask: who is the system working for?”- Hasan Al Banna, President, APNA.
APNA’s Role in the RTE Watch Intervention included various steps. The first being data compilation & analysis. APNA’s research and monitoring team compiled district-wise data on admission rejections and procedural delays, school-wise compliance rates, and communication gaps between families and school authorities. This data formed the evidentiary backbone of the press release shared with media outlets and policymakers.
“Numbers don’t lie- when 24,347 seats are reserved, and over 94% remain unfilled, that’s a failure we can’t ignore,” said Faizan, Programme Coordinator, APNA.
The second step involved on-ground evidence collection. APNA’s field teams documented first-hand accounts from families in Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Bokaro, highlighting recurring patterns such as misinformation by school staff, incomplete grievance redressal systems, and complex and opaque documentation requirements. “We went to the school five times. Each time, they asked for a different document. We lost two years waiting,” shared Laxmi Devi, a mother from Ranchi.
The third step included amplifying parents’ voices. The press conference didn’t just focus on policy; it gave the mic to those most affected. Parents like Rakesh Lal, a daily wage labourer from Bokaro, shared their experiences of frustration and helplessness in trying to enrol their children under RTE. “No one picked up the school’s helpline. No one responded to our application. But my son waited in uniform every morning for a school that never called,” with his voice cracking.
94.3% of RTE-reserved seats in Jharkhand’s private unaided schools remained unfilled in the 2022-23 academic year. By supporting the RTE Watch Team’s press conference, APNA reaffirmed its commitment to educational justice- not just as an implementer of programmes, but as a watchdog and voice for the voiceless. The figures may shock us, but it’s the families waiting, hoping, and still believing that move us to act.
“Every child left out is a story interrupted. Our work is to help finish those stories- with school, with learning, with dignity,” said Hasan Al Banna, President, APNA.
