Chaired by the Education
Minister, Mr R. C. Laloo, “the state advisory council is mandated to
advise the State Government on issues pertaining to the smooth
implementation of the RTE in the State,” a recent notification in this
regard said.
The principals of leading schools and colleges in the State will be non-official members of the body.
Eight
official members to the council include the executive chairman of the
Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE), officials from the law and
social welfare department, besides the principal secretary of the
education department, officials said.
Further, the
State Government has also constituted a Right to Education Protection
Authority (REPA) aimed at safeguarding the rights of children to free
and compulsory education.
Mr Kerma Lyngdoh, former
Pro Vice-Chancellor of North Eastern Hill University, heads the REPA and
is assisted by Mr Carmo Noronha, director of Bethany Society, and Ms
Farida Warjri, head lecturer, St Edmund’s social welfare department.
The REPA is also mandated to inquire into complaints with regards to the RTE in Meghalaya.
The
implementation of the RTE is expected to begin from 2013 in Meghalaya
after the Government re-drafted certain parts of the approved rules,
which stakeholders in education had vehemently opposed.
The
Committee on subordinate legislation tabled its report on the floor of
the House recently with recommendations and suggestions to effectively
implement the RTE Rules, 2011.