Locating Right to Education in the National Education Policy of India

• In Event: AERA Virtual Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: Division L Section 7 Poster Session

Abstract

This paper systematically traces the location of the principles of India’s Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, in the most recent National Education Policy (2020) of the country. The paper theoretically draws on the capabilities development approach that attributes a constitutive role to education in the development of human capabilities, moving beyond understanding education as a mere instrument for the global economy. Findings from Qualitative Document Analysis indicate that the Policy does not demonstrate a commitment to the central RTE tenets of public-funded elementary education, child-centered democratic learning environment, and bridging the gap between equity and quality. The policy statements and linguistic choices show allegiance to neoliberal discourses shaped by global education policy frameworks.

Author

• Gunjan Sharma, Ambedkar University Delhi