Right to Education Act at 15: Why the landmark law needs to be reimagined

As the landmark Right to Education marks 15 years, India’s education system faces a critical challenge. The Annual Status of Education Report 2024 released in January shows the immense strides that the country has made as well as the shortcomings that must be addressed: near-universal enrolment, with 98.4% of children between the ages of six-14 in schools, is an achievement but the quality of learning is poor.

Only a third of Class 3 students can perform basic subtraction while less than half of Class 5 students can do Class 2-level reading, according to the report.

These statistics demand an examination not just of the implementation of the Right to Education to expand schooling access but how the quality of learning is supported once children are admitted to schools.

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s capability approach is instructive here: he argues that the utility of a bicycle depends not merely on its existence but on one’s ability to ride it. Similarly, the true value of education lies not just in children’s access to schools but in their capability to learn and grow. India has succeeded in getting children into classrooms but falls short in empowering effective learning among students.

The Right to Education Act, among other actors, is equally to...

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