Rally on Education in Delhi - Join March to Parliament - December 2, 2010

This National Convention of Students, Teachers, University Employees, Parents, Youth and Science Movements held on 13^th August at New Delhi resolved to fight against the anti-people policies of UPA II Government in the field of education. These policies are aimed at pushing centralisation, privatisation and commercialisation of the education sector in the country. Such policies will undermine the goal of expansion, excellence and equity in education which can only be achieved through increased public spending based on a democratic education policy.

National Forum In Defence Of Education (NFDE) was formed in this Convention. It gave a clarion call to hold a massive rally on December 2, 2010 in Delhi in front of Parliament involving all stakeholders like students, teachers, non-teaching employees and officers of schools, colleges & universities, youth, parents, people’s science movement and general public in order to force the Central Government to accept our demands and related issues.

NFDE appeals to all to reach Delhi on December 2, 2010. Assemble at RAMLILA GROUND at 9.00 a.m. The MARCH from Ramlila Ground will start at 10.30 a.m. for PARLIAMENT.

Stop Centralisation, Privatisation and Commercialisation

Save and Strengthen Public Education

SFI, AISF, AISB, PSU, DYFI, AIYF, RYF, AIYL,

STFI, AIFUCTO, DTF, AIUEC, AIPSN, BGVS, AIPA

National Forum in Defence on Education

14, V.P. House, Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001.

Phone: 9868185505, 09013260017, 09850009665

National Forum in Defence of Education

Charter of Demands

· Allocate 6% of GDP for Education as committed in the CMP of the UPA-1 Government.

· Include pre-primary to senior secondary education under the purview of the Right to Education. Central Government should bear all the expenditure for implementing the Right to Education. Increase the number of schools along with strong social monitoring mechanism involving local stake holders. Allow parents-teachers association in non-aided institutions. Delete the provision, Section 35 of the Act, requiring prior permission for any prosecution. The 86^th Constitution Amendment (2002) should be amended to make the right to education inclusive of common school and neighborhood school.

· Recruit quality teachers on a permanent basis. Remove the freeze on appointments and cuts in teaching and non-teaching positions. The para-teachers/ contract teachers should be absorbed on permanent basis.

· Oppose handing over of public educational institutions’ infrastructure and management to the private sector in the name of Public Private Partnerships.

· Reject fee hike. Fully subsidize students from economically backward and disadvantaged backgrounds.

· Enact a central legislation to bring all private self-financing institutions under strict social control.

· Implement constitutionally mandated SC/ST/OBC reservations in all educational institutions.

· Fight all attempts to undermine the democratic control of the Parliament, State Assemblies and statutory structures of Universities and colleges (including through instruments like NCHER). Fight against centralization of education.

· Oppose FDI in Education.

· Scrap the FEI Bill.

· Scrap private universities and deemed university status to private institutions.

· Stop bringing education under GATS (WTO).

· Use Information Technology for Distance Education to provide universal lifelong quality education. Do not commercialize distance education.

· Undertake Assessment for improvement not Accreditation or Funding. Evolve a democratic and transparent mechanism for Assessment.

· Uphold democratic rights in the sphere of education. Hold elections for Students’ Unions, Teaching and Non-Teaching Associations. Provide elected representation in all decision making bodies.

Vijender Sharma

For NFDE