Cong MP opposes UPA's RTE implementation
PTI, PANAJI | 01 July 2013 15:49 IST
A senior Congress leader from Goa today appealed to the BJP-led state government not to implement certain rules of Right to Education (RTE) Act, which was passed by the UPA government.
"Certain things which they (UPA) try to implement, they don't know the ground reality," Congress MP Francisco Sardinhatold reporters here.
He was objecting to the extra school hours, as suggested in the RTE and enforced by the Goa government. The timings of all the schools in the state have now been extended by half-an-hour.
This extension of timings (which is as per RTE Act) should be rolled back by the state government, Sardinha demanded.
When pointed out that his own UPA government had passed the Act, Sardinha said that it was passed in the Parliament but details of it were not discussed on the floor of the House.
"Everyone does not get to speak in the Parliament," he said, when asked why he did not oppose the Act in the Lower House.
"RTE has nothing to do with the Congress party. It is the decision of the government," Sardinha said, defending his statement.
"I may belong to any party but don't forget that I represent Goa," he said, adding that the extended timings were not beneficial for the students.
"Were they (students) not studying without timings being extended?" Sardinha asked.
The RTE Act has been in force in Goa for last two years, with the education system switching over to new models, as recommended in the Act.
