The Enriching Workshop at Paramount Public School
On 23 Feb 2020, APNA held a workshop at Paramount Public School, Ranchi, on the Right to Education Act, 2009. It explained the 25% reservation in private schools for poor and disadvantaged children. Linked to SDG 4, the event pushed APNA’s mission of education for every child.
Informing stakeholders about the Right to Education Act, 2009 and its provisions
On the warm afternoon of February 23, 2020, at 2 pm, the assembly hall of Paramount Public School in Mali Tola, Ranchi, buzzed with anticipation. Teachers, parents, students, and local stakeholders gathered not just for a lecture but for a call to action. APNA’s workshop, titled “Free Education, Our Right,” was a moment of awakening for many.
The workshop began with simple questions like “Do you know every child in India has the right to free education?”
Through interactive discussions and simplified explanations, APNA broke down the Right to Education Act (RTE), 2009, emphasising Section 12(1)(c), which mandates 25% reservation in private schools like DAV, DPS, and Guru Nanak for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups. APNA, as an organisation, believes that education is a fundamental human right that every single child of this nation should realise, this being a constitutional fight for equal opportunity and quality education.
"Every workshop is not just about awareness, it’s about giving communities the confidence and tools to claim what is rightfully theirs under the Constitution.” — Ehtesham Anwar, Governing Body Member of APNA
The participants were informed that students aged 3 to 7 are entitled to free and compulsory education, and that this isn’t charity, but their constitutional right. For this, the students have to avail and submit documents like birth certificate, income certificate, BPL card, orphan and disability certificate, etc, for which APNA provides real-time documentation support. APNA further explained how it was working hard towards fulfilling Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the United Nations. SDG 4 guarantees comprehensive and unbiased quality education, encouraging life-learning opportunities for all, and aims for all children to complete free, equitable and standard primary and secondary education. The event, which drew local press coverage in Dainik Bhaskar and Sanmarg, sparked many personal commitments. For participant Tahira Khatim, the session was transformative: she shared that she had never known her daughter could study in a good private school for free under the law, and left determined to take the first step toward applying for admission.
Media coverage for the workshop “Free Education, Our Right”
The overarching aim of the workshop “Free Education, Our Right” was to ensure a collective step toward a future where no child is left behind due to their social or economic circumstances. APNA remains committed to walking this path hand-in-hand with the underprivileged and marginalised communities until quality education becomes a lived reality for all.
