The government of the Delhi National Capital Region had introduced the Chunauti scheme to improve learning.
Features of the Scheme
- Under the Chunauti scheme children are divided into groups on the basis of who can read and write Hindi and English, and solve mathematical problems.
- The students segregated based on their learning abilities were given special classes.
- The scheme was implemented to check dropout rates of students and improve the quality of education, with a special focus on weaker students.
Scheme is questioned in Delhi High Court
A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking to strike down the Chunauti scheme.
- The petition filed by the Parents Forum for Meaningful Education has alleged that the unintelligible plan is contrary to the law enacted to streamline education of children under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and the National Policy on Education.
- The petition alleges that testing and segregation has been left to the whims of the principal of each school, as deemed fit by her/him. Based on unreliable results through such an unscientific, illegal, ad-hoc test, children are segregated and are labelled Pratibha (superior) and Nishtha (inferior) .
- Those labelled and disempowered are made to sit in separate groups in the same school or in separate sections.
- The plan was proclaimed through arbitrary circulars in 2018 to achieve the so-called objectives based on ability-based segregation , and is antithetical to the core essence of inclusive education .
- The segregated children are looked down upon in every passing moment of their formative days and ultimately get unceremoniously wedged out.
- The discrimination through segregation is creating an irreversible class divide; class hatred; loss of happiness; inferiority; loss of friendship.
The court remarked that the issue before it is very serious and listed it for an immediate hearing.