Child Rights and You, India’s leading Child 30th rights NGO and its alliance, APR - Alliance for People’s Rights, organised a day long theatre festival in the capital.
This was an open forum for children to speak out on issues that affect them the most in school. Shiksha Hamara Haq theme of the festival amplified the voices of more than 50 children between ages 6-14 from different parts of city. Corporal punishment and discrimination, barriers in education due to lack of infrastructure, positive impact of RTE Act are the issues which the festival addressed.
Padhna isi ka naam hai, Dhoondte reh jaoge, Thoda hai thode kee zarurat hai, were three plays where children showcased what they have observed as issues of basic infrastructure in their school, hygiene and access to playgrounds. The theatre festival was followed up by a panel discussion on the status of education in Delhi.
Themes of the discussion were, ensuring enrolment of all children between 6-14 years in school, as per the current provisions of RTE Act, 2009, ensuring that no child is subjected to any kind of corporal punishment of any nature- physical or mental, To ensure 'compulsory education' for all children through availability of a neighbourhood school with proper infrastructure.