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State of Tamilnadu - Section

Section 2 in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

2. All Children In School.

- 2.1 Background2.1.1Universal access to elementary education requires schooling facilities within reasonable reach of all children. If schools are not located in or near the habitations where children reside, children are unlikely to complete schooling, even if they are formally enrolled in schools. The RTE Act provides children's access to elementary schools within the defined area or limits of neighbourhood:Section 6. - 'The appropriate governments and local authorities shall establish, within the area or limits of a neighbourhood, a school, where it is not already established, within a period of three years from the commencement of the Act'.2.1.2Further, the Act places a compulsion on the State to ensure that no child from the weaker sections or disadvantaged groups is discriminated against in any manner or prevented from pursuing and completing elementary education.2.1.3A neighbourhood school is a school located within the defined limits or area of neighbourhood, which has been notified by the State Government under the State RTE Rules. The Central Government has notified the area or limits of neighbourhood to factor in distance norms, with provision for relaxation of norms in places with difficult terrain where there may be risk of landslides, floods, lack of roads and in general, danger for young children in the approach from their homes to the school. In the case of children with disabilities, the Central RTE Rules provide for appropriate and safe transportation arrangements to enable them to attend school and complete elementary education. The neighbourhood norms provided in the Central RTE Rules would be applicable to Union Territories without Legislature for opening new schools. In the case of all other States and Union Territories, the neighbourhood norms notified in the State/UT RTE Rules would be applicable for opening new schools under SSA.
2.2Mapping to Facilitate Children's Access in Neighbourhood Schools. - 2.2.1 States/UTs need to arrive at a clear picture of current availability of schools within defined area or limits of neighbourhoods. This will require mapping of neighbourhoods or habitations and linking them to specific schools. It is possible that a neighbourhood may be linked to more than one school. Similarly, a school may be linked to more than one neighbourhood. A comprehensive exercise will help to identify gaps and areas where new schools need to be opened.
2.2.2Section 12 of the RTE Act mandates that (a) all Government and local body schools shall provide free and compulsory education to all children enrolled therein, (b) all aided schools receiving aid or grants to meet whole or part of its expenses shall provide free and compulsory education to such proportion of [children as its annual recurring aid or grants, subject to a minimum of 25%, and (c) all imaided and 'specified category 'schools, namely Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navoday a Vidyalaya, Sainik schools or any other school having a distinct character as specified by notification by the State Govemment/UT, shall provide free and compulsory education to at least 25% children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in the neighbourhood] [Guidelines regarding procedurefor 25% admission of children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups from the neighbourhood under section 12(1) (c) and 13(1) of the RTE Act issued vide Notification No. F.1-15/2010-EE.4 dated 23rd November is at Annexure 4.]. While determining the need for access of children to neighbourhood schools, the mapping exercise should factor in the availability of seats for children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections not only in Government and local body schools, but also in aided, unaided and special category schools as provided under the RTE Act.
2.3Social Access. - 2.3.1 The significance of social access in universalising elementary education cannot be undermined. India is a multi-cultural society of numerous regional and local cultures. Hierarchies of caste, economic status and gender relations that characterise Indian society, deeply influence children's access to education. The accident of birth in a particular religion, class, caste or gender should not define and restrict a child's life chances for all times to come. It is important to ensure that the schools respect India's diversity and plurality, and recognise differences arising out of uneven social and economic development. If the language of instruction, even in Class I, in a school in a tribal area is the State language, the child will find the school environment alienating. If teachers in the school are not sensitised to actively dispel traditional perceptions regarding gender or caste roles, they are unlikely to take measures which would help girls, children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections pursue education which is equitable and free of anxiety. The teachers' own patterns of communication with children: the seating arrangements in the classroom, allocation of work between children reinforce or dispel societal perceptions about the 'proper' role and place of girls or children from SC/ST and minority communities. Government schools have a high proportion of first generation school goers and children from marginalised communities. Teachers need to be sensitive to the fact that the home environments of many of these children may not facilitate 'time-dot' punctuality of children or homework or revision of school work. If these are perceived as 'lapses' and the child is punished or the school does not help such children cope with learning, the child is likely to feel discouraged and drop out of formal schooling. The curriculum and textbooks also need to be intrinsically connected with the child's life outside the school, and should reinforce the child's pride in her language, society and way of life, at the same time affording opportunities for learning about the wider world. Teachers and educational administrators must be sensitive to these children, and ensure that, given their difficult circumstances, the children are enabled to participate in and complete elementary education.
2.3.2School access therefore demands not merely physical access to a neighbourhood school within a notified distance, but also social access by way of addressing ail exclusionary practices in the school, especially those based on caste, class, gender and special needs.
2.3.3Mapping for access to neighbourhood schools would need to go beyond spatial planning and preparation of distance matrices for school location. The provision of schooling facilities at appropriate locations is an essential pre-requisite to universal elementary education. But mere provision of schooling facility is insufficient to ensure that all children attend school and participate in the learning process. The school may be there, but children may not attend; they may drop out after a few months; or may be absent too many days and cannot cope with the learning load. School mapping exercises will have to incorporate social mapping and should be undertaken with community involvement, to ensure that all children who cannot access school for social, cultural and economic reasons, are enabled to do so. School and social mapping is a powerful means of mobilising the community to ensure that all children attend schools and complete elementary education. A school map will help to determine the changes necessary in schools, and build a dynamic vision of the education services, including infrastructure, teachers, and equipment, required so that all children, irrespective of their caste, religion or gender are provided education of reasonable quality.
Institutional flexibility. - An important aspect of planning for universal access that flows directly from the thrust on a right and equity oriented approach is the need for creation of capacity within the education system and the school for addressing the diversified learning needs of different groups of children, who are now in the school system. The learning needs of children cannot be compromised because of limitations of the system. Planning and implementation for universal access in the right based approach would require an understanding of community needs and circumstances as well as decentralised decision making for meeting the diversified needs of children.Flexible academic cycle. - Education of many children is often interrupted because of a mismatch in the academic calendar and school timings with the life pattern of the community. The academic calendar may not adequately factor in the implications of community's economic and social circumstances on children's -attendance and participation. Centralised decisions mandating uniform academic calendar and school timings, which do not factor in social and economic events such as festivals, seasons for sowing, harvesting are among the main reasons for children's irregular attendance and participation in the schooling process. There is a need for decentralisation of processes and procedures in order to address the local specific needs to harmonise the academic and community calendars.Flexible school timings. - Flexibility of school timings has two aspects, namely (i) flexibility to accommodate the local context such as nature of occupations of the community and children's responsibilities outside the school, in the school timings, and (ii) flexibility for certain children, whose circumstances may not allow them to attend school with 'time-dot' punctuality. For example, there are children in urban areas, who are required to fetch water for their families from a public facility which may delay their attendance in schools. Similarly, in rural areas, some children have to fetch water from far off places, collect fire wood or are engaged in some other activity which may marginally delay their arrival in school, or some children would require a short break during school hours to carry lunch for their family members working in the fields. Children in urban areas who commute a long distance using public transport may get late for school for reasons beyond their control. There may be children who would want to leave a little early on Friday for prayers.Mapping for access to neighbourhood schools.• What is the 'neighbourhood' that the school serves? Does it serve one or more habitations? Is there more than one school serving the habitation?• What is the situation of children in the whole area that the school serves in terms of their enrollment, attendance and retention, completion of elementary education? Do all children go to school? Are there children in some habitations and hamlets which form part of the school's 'neighbourhood' who are not accessing school?• Who are the children not going to school? Are they involved in child labour or domestic chores? Flow can they be freed of their wage earning and domestic work responsibilities so that they can attend school?• Are all girls going to school? Are there girls who have been married off at an early age and are forced to stay at home? Are all children from SC, ST and Minority communities attending school? Are they unable to attend school on account of social distance or discrimination? Flow can the social distance be bridged and the school environment made discrimination free, so that they can attend school?• Are children with special needs able to attend school? How can they be facilitated to access school?• How will we ensure that all children come to school and participate in the learning process• regularly? How can we create a data base of children in the catchment area of the 'neighbourhood' school?• Are there children who require Special Training for appropriate admission to school? How will their needs be addressed?• What is the availability of teachers, teaching learning material, library facilities and infrastructure in the school?• What are the resources available to the school in terms of school grant, teacher grant, maintenance grant, teaching learning material, scholarships, infrastructure, drinking water, toilets, mid-day meal, etc? Is this being optimally utilised?• How can the school benefit from provisions under other schemes, such as MGNREGA, JNNURM, TSC, DWM, and NRHM?• How will we ensure adequacy of teachers, teaching learning material, infrastructure and other resources?• How can we support the school?
2.3.4School mapping would include the following steps: (i) environment building in the village; (ii) conduct of a household survey; (iii) preparation of a map indicating different households, the number of children in each household and their participation status in school; (iv) preparation of a village/ school education register; (v) presentation of the map and analysis to the people; (vi) preparation of a proposal for improved education facilities in the village; which would form the basis of the School Development Plan mandated under the RTE Act.
2.4Upgradation of Alternate Schooling Facilities. - 2.4.1 In the past, SSA has supported alternate schooling facilities in the form of centres under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE). EGS and AIE Centres across the country have been invaluable in reaching education to children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections, especially children in unserved habitations. However, EGS centres were, since inception, envisaged as transitory measures to provide schooling till such time as regular, full time schooling facilities could be provided in the area concerned. AIE centres catered to the bridging needs of out of school children till they were mainstreamed into regular schools. Indeed, the RTE mandate for full time schooling facilities for all children implies that EGS centres will now have to be upgraded to regular primary schools, and all children availing AIE will need to be mainstreamed into full time schools in a time bound manner. Therefore, in keeping with the RTE mandate:
(i)EGS Centres: Existing EGS centres will continue to be supported for a period of two years (2010-11, 2011-12) during which period States would take steps to convert the EGS centres into regular primary schools. No new EGS centres will be sanctioned under SSA with effect from the financial year 2010-11. In case, the existing EGS centre is not required to be converted into a regular school, on account of an existing neighbourhood school, the EGS center would be closed down and children mainstreamed in the neighbourhood school.
(ii)In place of AIE Centres, facilities for 'Special Training' will be provided to out-of-school children, who have been admitted to school, to enable them to cope with age-appropriate enrollment and participation in regular elementary schools.
2.5Enabling Provisions under SSA to Universalise Access. - 2.5.1 Opening new schools: The revised SSA norms provide for opening of new primary and upper primary schools within the area of the limits of the neighbourhood as laid down by the State Government under the State RTE Rules. All new schools opened under SSA will be provided requisite school infrastructure, teachers and teaching learning equipment as mandated under the Schedule to the RTE Act. With a view to facilitating States to move towards composite elementary schools, the revised norms provide that new upper primary schools/sections will be opened in the campuses of existing primary schools.
2.5.2. Overcoming barriers to opening new schools, upgradation and expansion of schools Opening of schools within the area/limits of neighbourhood is the responsibility of the appropriate Government. The appropriate Government will, therefore, ensure that land is made available for opening new schools as also upgradation and expansion of schools. The appropriate Government would need to overcome barriers emerging out of unavailability of land of Gram Panchayat/ ULB for opening of school. The right based approach necessitates sensitisation of authorities dealing with land allotments in the Revenue, Panchayat Raj, and Forest Departments to provide land for schools on priority. Provisions such as transportation and hostel are exception measures for areas where opening a school is not viable. Provision of hostels for urban deprived children without adult protection is primarily to provide them with institutional care and support facilities to address their vulnerability.
2.5.3Special Training for out-of-school children. - The RTE Act makes specific provision for Special Training for age-appropriate admission for out-of-school children. A majority of out-of-school children belong to disadvantaged communities: Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims, migrants, children with special needs, urban deprived children, working children, children in other difficult circumstances, for example, those living in difficult terrain, children from displaced families, and areas affected by civil strife, etc need Special Training.
2.5.3.1Special Training for never enrolled children or those who dropped out before completing elementary education would require an identification of children, who must be enrolled. For this the State Government, Local Authority and School Management Committee will need to undertake a community level school mapping exercise. The neighbourhood and school mapping exercise will be followed by (i) immediate enrollment in school (ii) organisation of Special Training of flexible duration to enable the child to be at par with other children, (iii) actual admission of the child in the age-appropriate class on completion of Special Training, and his/her participation in all class activities, (iv) continued support to the child, once admitted to the regular school, so that the child can integrate with the class socially, emotionally and academically. The RTE Act also provides that such children shall continue to be provided free and compulsory elementary education even after they cross 14 years of age
2.5.3.2The duration of Special Training may be flexible, varying from 3 months to 2 years, depending on the child's needs. Special Training may be in the form of residential or non-residential courses organised, preferably in the premises of the school, but if such facilities are not available in school, alternate facilities which are safe, secure and accessible may be identified and used. At the end of the duration of Special Training for a particular child, the suitability of placing the child in a class may be reviewed. For example, if a 10- year old child was admitted to Class IV, and received two years of Special Training till age 12, an assessment may be made as to whether the child could cope better in Class V or VI in the formal school, and the child appropriately placed. Even after a child is appropriately placed in the formal school, she may continue to receive special attention by the teacher to enable her to successfully integrate with the rest of the class, academically and emotionally. SSA will provide support for Special Training as envisaged under the RTE Act for out-of- school children, who have been admitted to regular schools to ensure that they are integrated into the school system. Such support will be in the form of residential or non-residential courses, as needed and such children will continue even beyond 14 years of age to complete elementary education.
2.5.4Residential facilities. - There are certain areas in the country where it may not be viable to set up schools. These include sparsely populated or hilly and densely forested areas with difficult geographical terrains. There are also densely populated urban areas, where it is difficult to get land for establishing schools. Also, in urban areas there are a number of urban deprived children: homeless and street children in difficult circumstances, without adult protection, who require not merely day- schooling facilities, but also lodging and boarding facilities. Residential facilities may be provided for these children under SSA. However, there may be an inherent difficulty in locating such schools all over the country; the establishment of residential schools should therefore be restricted, as an 'exception' measure to sparsely populated, hilly/forested terrains and for urban deprived children, street children and children without adult protection.
2.5.4.1For urban deprived and children without adult protection. - Children on the streets may suffer from many denials and vulnerabilities: these include deprivation of responsible adult protection, coercion to work to eat each day, work in unhealthy occupations like rag-picking, begging and sex work, abysmally poor sanitary conditions, inadequate nutrition from begging, a range of psycho- social stresses, physical abuse and sexual exploitation, and exposure to hard drug abuse. For such children SSA will provide support for residential facilities as per the following interventions:
(a)Redeploying public buildings and infrastructure. - Lack of buildings because of the high cost of real estate in cities is the severest bottle-neck to provide facilities for urban deprived, vulnerable children. The Government can at best fund a few 'model' hostels, but this would not cover the tens of thousands of street children in every city. Most State and local governments have large unused and under-utilised buildings and infrastructure , which need to be redeployed and shared with street children. The best and most economical approach, and one that has the potential to reach every street child, is to share spaces in existing schools that are vacant. Such buildings may need only small additions for toilets, bathing places and a kitchen. Such an approach also has the potential to lead to integration, dignity and the learning hands-on of egalitarian compassion and pluralism.
(b)Refurbishing unused old buildings. - The sharing of existing schools should be the preferred model. But it is also possible to secondarily rely o n refurbishing unused old buildings, with additions and alterations. The State and municipal governments have many buildings that are unused and under-used which can be allotted and upgraded as residential homes. These can be old school buildings, or other municipal or other departmental buildings. Ideally these residential schools should also be developed as regular primary schools, so they approximate the first model over a period of time.
(c)New residential facilities. - The last option would be the construction of new residential facilities for children without adult protection, in which case the norms pertaining to KGBVs would apply. The civil work cost of the hostels will be within the existing ceiling for civil works per district.
2.5.4.2Residential facilities to serve children in sparsely populated areas. - SSA would support the construction of residential facilities for boys and girls to serve children in sparsely populated areas of tribal, desert or hilly districts, where it may not be viable to set up a full-fledged school. Such facilities may be in the form of hostel in the premises of an existing primary /upper primary school, or a residential school where primary/upper primary school does not exist. SSA approval for such facilities is, however, contingent on States conducting a school mapping to ensure that there is no 'neighbourhood' school in the area and transportation facility to and fro the school nearest to the neighbourhood is not practical, and identifying all children who would benefit from such intervention.
This model has been adopted in Andhra Pradesh, where some residential schools for children without adult protection have been set up as part of existing schools in Hyderabad with support from Aman Vedike. This has been found to have many advantages: not only low costs, but the integration of children with families and homes with those who have been deprived, to the great pedagogic advantage of both. Many government schools also welcomed this, because it has pushed up the enrolment in the schools, and made them more viable.
2.5.4.3Thus, SSA will provide support for (i) addition of spaces such as toilets, bathing spaces, kitchens in existing schools proposed to be used as residential facilities for street children without adult protection , (ii) refurbishing of unused buildings also for use as residential facilities for street children without adult protection, and (iii) construction of residential facilities to serve children in remote, sparsely populated areas, including tribal, desert and hilly areas and street children without adult protection in urban areas. The design should be inclusive to serve children with disabilities as well. The construction of full-fledged hostels would be in accordance with KGBV norms. Addition of spaces in under- utilised existing schools or refurbishing of unused existing schools would be examined on a case to case basis. Running costs of the hostel facilities would be as per KGBV norms.
2.5.5Transportation or Escort Facilities. - Children in remote habitations with sparse populations or in urban areas where availability of land is a problem or children belonging to extremely deprived groups or children with special needs may not find access to schools. Such children may be provided support for transportation or escort facilities. The requirement of fluids for this facility will be kept under the National Component, to be utilized on receipt/appraisal of district specific proposals from the State, justifying the need for providing transportation facility to children in sparsely populated, hilly/densely forested/desert terrains, as well as urban areas where unavailability of land makes it unviable to set up schools as per the 'neighbourhood' norms of the State.
Sister Cyril of Loreto School, Sealdah, has shown how it is fully feasible to provide full education to both regular and street children. The Loreto homes are all located within existing schools. The children enjoy the benefits of being inside a regular school with all the activities, the interaction with the more privileged peer group of the regular school, the rough and tumble of normal school life and the friendly interaction with other children of various backgrounds, creeds and castes. This positive environment enables each child to grow and reach her full potential. When girls come off the street, they have to be prepared during the initial period for attending classes. They will not go to a regular school until they can fit into a class of approximately their own age group. This normally takes one year or less. They are taught on a one to one basis by the regular children of the school during their obligatory Work Education classes.
2.5.6School Uniforms. - The RTE Act mandates free and compulsory education for all children in Government schools. Uniforms constitute an expense which poor families are often not able to afford, and thus becomes a barrier for many children pursue and complete elementary education. SSA will provide two sets of uniform to all girls, SC, ST children and Below Poverty Line (BPL) children, wherever (i) State Governments have incorporated provision of school uniforms as a child entitlement in their State RTE Rules, and (ii) State Governments are not already providing uniforms from the State budgets. In case, any State Government is partially subsidizing the cost of uniform being supplied to children in school, then the amount under SSA would be restricted to the remaining.
2.5.6.1The purpose of school uniforms is to inspire a sense of belonging and ownership of the school for the children using its services. It is not to instill a sense of regimented, homogenized order. Therefore, decisions on design of uniforms and their procurement should be local rather than centralized. Procurement of uniforms would be in decentralized mode at the SMC level.
2.6Addressing Systemic Issues for Universal Access. - 2.6.1 Removal of financial barriers. - The RTE Act provides that no child in a neighbourhood school, as notified by the State Government, shall be liable to pay any kind of fee, charge or expense that may prevent her/him from enrolling, participating and completing elementary education. States may ensure convergence of resources from different schemes of the Central and State Governments to remove financial barriers to school access. Some expenses such as textbooks, uniforms and transportation can be defrayed under SSA, unless these are already being provided under any other scheme of the State Government Free noon meals will continue to be provided under the MDM Scheme. Other schemes of the State Governments and local authorities, such as scholarships, school bags, stationary, bus passes, etc., will contribute to meet the 'hidden' costs of education. All entitlements as notified in the State RTE Rules should be provided through existing State/Central schemes that may be further expanded to include new and specific items for the purpose of removal of financial barriers to school access.
2.6.2Removal of procedural barriers. - The RTE Act also provides for removal of procedural barriers to school access. It provides that no child shall be denied admission in a school for want of a Birth or Transfer Certificate. The Central RTE Rules provide that wherever a Birth Certificate under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Certification Act, 1886 is not available, an anganwadi record or an ANM record or a declaration of the age of the child by the parent or guardian would be deemed to be proof of age. Similarly, State RTE Rules may notify the documents that may suffice in the absence of a Birth Certificate. Delay in issue of Transfer Certificate shall not be a ground for denial of admission to a child in the new school. Executive instructions may be issued to all Headmasters to issue Transfer Certificates on priority, whenever a child requires it.
2.6.3Any-time admission in school. - Admission of a child in school is a fundamental right and it cannot be denied at any point of time. Ideally, all children should be enrolled in school at the beginning of the academic session. However, in the case of children in difficult circumstances, including children affected by migration, displacement or ill health, etc schools mav need to be flexible to allow admission at any time during the session. The Central RTE Rules provide that children admitted after six months of the beginning of the academic session may be provided Special Training as determined by the Head Teacher of the school to enable him/her to complete studies.
2.6.4Ensuring an eight-year elementary education cycle. - The National System of Education envisages a common educational structure. At the elementary level, the national system of education comprises five years of primary education and three years of upper primary. Efforts have been made to follow an eight-year elementary education cycle through out the country; however, several States continue to follow a seven-year elementary education cycle. Existing SSA norms provide support to States to move towards an eight- year elementary education cycle through provisioning for additional teachers and classroom for Class VIII at the upper primary stage.
In addition, SSA will provide support for teaching learning equipment for Classes V and VIII, in order to facilitate States to adopt an eight-year elementary education cycle.
2.7Interventions for Universalising Access
Intervention Norm
School and social Mapping a. To be part of Community Mobilisation,research and management
New Primary School/Upgradation of EGS b. Primary school within the area of the limitsof the neighbourhood as laid down by the State Governmentpursuant to the RTE Act
  c. All existing EGS centers which have beenfunctioning for two years shall be upgraded to regular schools,or closed down where children are mainstreamed into neighbourhoodschools. No new EGS centres will be sanctioned from 2010-11onwards.
Upper Primary school/ section d. Upper primary schools within such area orlimits of neighbourhood as per notified State norms.
  e. Upper primary schools shall be provided onlythrough upgradation of existing primary schools so that schoolbecomes an integrated elementary school from Classes I to VIII.The building and infrastructure will, therefore, be constructedin existing primary school campuses.
Residential facilities f. Residential facilities may be provided forchildren in sparsely populated or hilly and densely forestedareas with difficult geographical terrains, densely populatedurban areas, where it is difficult to get land for establishingschools. Also, for homeless and street children in difficultcircumstances, without adult protection, who require not merelyday schooling facilities, but also lodging and boardingfacilities.
Transport / Escort g. Children in remote habitations with sparsepopulations or in urban areas where availability of land is aproblem may not find access to neighbourhood schools. Similarly,children from extremely deprived groups and children with specialneeds may require transportation/escort facilities. Such childrenmay be provided support for transportation/escort.
Uniforms h. SSA will provide two sets of uniform to allgirls, SC, ST children and BPL children, wherever StateGovernments are not already providing these from the Statebudgets.
Eight-year EE cycle i SSA has been supporting States to move towardsan eight-year elementary education cycle through provisioning foradditional teachers and classroom for Class VIII at the upperprimary stage. In addition, SSA will provide support for teachinglearning equipment for Classes V and VIII, in order to facilitateStates to adopt an eight year elementary education cycle
Special Training j. Special Training would be provided afteradmitting out-of-school children in the school to facilitate ageappropriate enrolment.
25% reservation in private unaided schools k. 25% reservation in private unaided schoolsfor children belonging to disadvantaged groups and weakersections. Reimbursement of expenditure so incurred shall be madeby the State Government.
2.8Summing Up. - 2.8.1 Universal access is an essential component of UEE. Access does not constitute mere physical availability of school; it implies facilitating full, free and joyful participation of children in learning. Any barrier to children's learning means that access has been denied fully or in part. Access comprises children's participation in learning by addressing social, economical and linguistic barriers in addition to barriers arising out of physical distance, topography and infrastructure etc. Interventions for universalising access, therefore, cannot be limited to school infrastructure, residential facility or transportation, but must encompass curriculum, including 'hidden' curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Equitable access must amalgamate with equitable quality to institutionalise and sustain universal access. This would be necessary for enabling real access to children disadvantaged in socioeconomic, cultural and linguistic terms. Such an understanding of access must percolate to the grassroots level for enriching the process of planning, implementation and monitoring, and moving away from the present practice of viewing access as a stand-alone intervention dealing merely with the physical availability of school and infrastructure. States which are considered well provided in terms of physical access must introspect in this perspective to determine whether or not access is really available to all children.