Policy Briefs & Reports

Shiksha Samvad (Education Dialogue): Strengthening People’s Engagement with Education

Parash Ram Banjara, Kiran Bhatty, Priyanka Varma
Radhika Saraf

Centre for Policy Research

October 16, 2015

The success of the Right to Education (RtE) Act depends largely on ensuring accountability at a decentralized level – closer to the people. However, while the Act includes certain provisions that could further this goal, there have been problems of implementation and lack of resources. Coupled with the absence of a grievance redress mechanism within the education system, parents and children have no means of staking a claim to their rights under the Act. The Shiksha Samvad helps to address these challenges, as well as create and fix accountability within the education system. Recommended by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Shiksha Samvad can act as a modality to enable constructive engagement between the community and education administration. The Public Accountability and Governance in Education (PAGE) team at CPR is now facilitating the process of implementationShiksha Samvads in the field in a few states such as Rajasthan where the Shiksha Samvad has been institutionalized through government orders. In the process it is also documenting the experiences to enable a tracking of the changes undertaken through this process.

Suggested Citation: Paras Ram Banjara, Kiran Bhatty, Radhika Saraf and Priyanka Varma (2015).Shiksha Samvad (Education Dialogue): Strengthening People’s Engagement with Education. Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi.