New Delhi: A petition seeking a direction to the government to provide common syllabus and curriculum to all the children aged between 6-14 years today led the Delhi High Court to seek the Centre's response on the matter.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal issued notice to the Centre and asked it to file its counter affidavit within two weeks.
"We are issuing notice. File your (Centre) counter within two weeks," the bench said and posted the matter for hearing on October 24.
The plea, filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, has also sought a direction to the Centre "to provide an authoritative textbook on 'Environment, Health and Safety' and 'Socialism, Secularism and Nationalism' for the children aged 6-14 years and a standard textbook having chapters on fundamental rights, fundamental duties, directives principles and the golden goals as set out in the Preamble..."
It claimed that the prevailing education system under Article 21A of the Constitution was "inconsistent".
"The right of a child should not be restricted only to free and compulsory education, but should be extended to have quality education without any discrimination on the ground of a child's economic, social and cultural background," the plea said, adding "there must be no discrimination in quality of education".
It has said the Right to Education Act envisaged not only free and compulsory education, but also equitable quality education having a common syllabus and common curriculum to all the children aged 6-14 years.
"Uniform education system would ultimately eliminate disparity and discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth and lead to equality of status and of opportunity in all matters in the spirit of the Preamble of the Constitution," the plea said.
