To provide free and compulsory education’ to all children in the age group of six to 14 years, Article 21-A was inserted in the Constitution of India through the Constitution (Eighty-Sixth Amendment) Act, 2002. Consequently, Government of India (Gol) enacted the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act in August 2009. The RTE Act provides that every child in the age group of six to 14 years shall have a right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school till completion of elementary education’.

The key objective of RTE Act, 2009 was universalisation of elementary education which encompasses three major aspects i.e. access, enrolment and retention of children in the age group of six to 14 years. The RTE Act became operative in Gujarat State with effect from April 2010 and the State Government notified (February 2012) the Gujarat RTE (GRTE) Rules, 2012.

The literacy rate in Gujarat increased from 69.14 per cent in 2001 (Census 2001) 10 79.31 per cent in 2011 (Census 2011). However, to improve the same further, effective implementation of the RTE Act was an essential requirement.

The Principal Secretary (PS). Education Department is the administrative head of the department and is responsible for implementation of RTE Act in the State. The PS is assisted by State Project Director (SPD) of SSA under Gujarat Council of Elementary Education® (GCEE) and Director of Primary Education (DoPE) at State level. The SPD of SSA is assisted by District Project Co-ordinators (DPCs)/Additional District Project Co-ordinators (ADPCs) at district level, Block Resource Centre Co-ordinators/ Urban Resource Centre Co-ordinators (BRCCs/URCCs) at taluka level and Cluster Resource Centre Co-ordinators (CRCCs) for cluster* of schools. The DoPE is responsible for granting recognition to Primary and Upper Primary schools and for implementing Section 12 of the RTE Act, 2009. Section 12 envisages admission of children of weaker sections and disadvantaged group to the extent of 25 per cent of total seats available in Class — I in unaided non-minority schools and monitor the same till completion of elementary education. The DoPE is assisted by District Primary Education Officers (DPEOs) at district level, District Education Officers (DEOs)/Administrative Officers of Municipal School Board for corporation areas and Taluka Primary Education Officers (TPEOs) at taluka level. Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) is responsible for safeguarding child rights. Elementary Education in the State is imparted through 44,545 schools as of March 2017 (33,647 Government Schools, 911 Private Aided Schools and 9,987 Private Schools). Audit was conducted with the objective of deriving an assurance about the efficacy of implementation of RTE Act in the State. Audit test-checked (March to October 2017) the records of GSCPCR, SPD and DoPE, field offices of SPD and DoPE at eight test-checked districts’. Audit also test-checked the records at 32 taluka level field offices (four talukas of each selected district) covering the period 2012-17. Audit also conducted joint field visit of 24 Government Primary Schools (PSs) and 136 Government Upper Primary Schools (UPSs) of 32 selected talukas. Audit visited 25 private schools of Anand, Ahmedabad and Surendranagar districts for assessing the implementation of admission to children of weaker sections and disadvantaged groups against 25 per cent reserved seats.