New Delhi: The educationists at an international consultation on 'Human Development in India: Emerging Issues and Policy Perspectives' on Friday, highly criticized the most talked of Right to Education (RTE) Act primarily for setting an age limit of six to fourteen years for beneficiaries.

The Vice Chancellor of National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) R. Govinda said that, "It may be too late if the children are not given the necessary nourishment which in turn may affect their cognitive capabilities."

While presenting a paper on "Literacy and Elementary Education in India: Emerging Issues and Policy Paradigms" at a panel discussion on education, Govinda added that, "It is very unfortunate that the education department has washed off its hands from the early childhood care. According to them, it is the responsibility of another department."

"I cannot fathom why the panel has mulled the RTE Act to ply only on the age group of six to fourteen years when more than 50% of children, five year old, are enrolled in regular schools. Tamil Nadu keeps the official bar at four years and eleven months," points out Rukmini Banerji of Delhi-based Pratham.

"No one has actually thought that our education system grants an official entry to children before six years of age. None of the policies or plans seems to consider that," she added.

Educationists and policy makers, instead of wasting time mulling over the alarming drop out rates should concentrate over the malfunctioning of the schools, said Vimala Ramachandran of ERU Consultant Pvt Ltd.

"The shifting blame game is an old methodology of the government, where neither the parents nor the children should be held responsible. Today, even the poorest person in the country demands education for his child. If we provide feasible educational temples to them, students will definitely come," she added.

She further proposed that if the guarantee limit of education is raised up to the age of 18 years then the act will definitely attract and motivate students to complete even their secondary and higher secondary education.

Sharing the same concern, the panelists further raised their voice regarding poor quality of teachers and the urgent need of about 12 lakh new primary teachers.

Nearly half of these posts will be created with the notification of the RTE Act, which stipulates a teacher-student ratio of 30:1, higher than Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan's 40:1.