Since the Right to Education (RTE) offers to the kids’ in-between the age group of 6-14 years, the free and mandatory education, hence the preschools also ought to also be brought under it.

Many educational and non-governmental organizations advocates that in order to make sure the anganvadi students gets good quality of education, the RTE which offers free and compulsory education should also be stretched to the preschool kids.

The RTE activist and educationist , Mr.Farida Lambley asserts, as per the directive principles’ Article 45(A ), all kids who are under fourteen years of age are allowed for free and mandatory education. Since there is no exterior boundary stated, therefore it is a basic right. But the drawback is education is given by the RTE only for the kids who are in the age group of 6 to 14, that it should also be extended to the preschools. Mr. Lambley is the cofounder of Pratham, an NGO.

Under the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) of the Government the Anganwadi plan was initiated to focus on the health and education program of the children. The Educational expert says that kids’ posses the capabilty to rapidly grab the concepts and therefore RTE makes sure that the kids have enhanced learning at their main standards
Presently the Right to Education is applicable to the kids who are in age group of 6 to 14 years, i.e., from the class one to class eight. Under the children and women development ministry, the educations for kids, who are up to four years of age, are covered by Anganwadi.

Recently the NDC, the National Development Council proposed to the HRD (Human Resource Development) ministry to expand the Right to Education to the Anganwadi plan.

Shoba Murthy, the cofounder of an NGO,Aarambh said the pre-schooling for the kids up to four years is taken by Anganwadi. She said it is the age where the utmost mental development for the kids takes place. The children can effortlessly study ideas like size, shape, colours etc. Under the control of the central government the ICDS is present, whereas the RTE under the state government’s control.

The experts also make it a point, that the RTE expansion to the preschool means the augmenting the necessary infrastructure and budget together with the human resources. A few are of the impression that the stretching up of the RTE to the Anganwadi plan does not have any impact education development of the kids.

A West Bengal child programmer said that no major difference will be made by the RTE. The dropout rate at the schools is a major problem. Most to f the kids comes to the Anganwadi only for the meals meant for them. Moreover they undertake pre-schooling, which is not formal.

A HRD ministry official speaks said the mission force has been initiated to look into the possibilities of widening the RTE to the anganwaadi programmes. Nevertheless, the the official stated that a number of discussion and deliberation is essential with Woman and the child development ministry and hence at this juncture, nothing can be done.