Text Box: FACT FILE:
The Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009 guarantees free and compulsory education to all children between 6 and 14 years of age.
8,150,618 children are still out of school.
In the year 2009-10 nearly 92 lakh children have either dropped out from schools or have never been to any educational institution.
CLICK RIGHTS – Focus on the Child kick-starts on 16th July 2013 with a month-long online campaign designed to involve citizens including eminent photographers to use photography as a medium to advocate for child rights. Select pictures depicting the reasons that keep children away from school will be showcased at exhibitions in five cities – Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. CRY invites citizens from all walks of life to click photographs of children who are not in school - whether in their neighborhood, around their work places or colleges and in and around the city at large. Photographs can be uploaded on www.cry.org/focusonthechild
Speaking about the campaign, Suma Ravi, Southern Regional Director, CRY says, “Click Rights is CRY’s flagship initiative that aims to use photography to raise public awareness about critical issues confronting children in India today. This year, the focus is on the reasons why children are still out of school, despite the RTE act being enforced three years ago.”
As the country approaches another general election, CRY is urging citizens to step up and join the call for effective policies that will fundamentally ensure the health, safety, development and happiness of each child in the country – regardless of social and economic background. The Click Rights initiative is part of this endeavour. The photos collected will be attached as photographic evidence to a list of demands for change to the ministry of Human Resources and Development.
In particular, CRY is hoping to mobilise first-time voters – youth between 18-22 years. “We at CRY believe very strongly in the “You” of Child Rights and You,” says Suma Ravi. “We believe that the 110 million first-time voters can become strong advocates for the rights of children. As they prepare to exercise their electoral rights for the first time as citizens of India, we hope that they will also consider and speak up for the right of every child to a healthy, happy childhood.”
For more information on the Click Rights Campaign please visit www.cry.org .
CRY - Child Rights and You (formerly known as Child Relief and You) is an Indian NGO that believes in every child's right to a childhood - to live, learn, grow and play. For over 30 years, CRY and its 200 partner NGOs have worked with parents and communities to ensure Lasting Change in the lives of more than 2,000,000 underprivileged children, across 23 states in India. For more information please visit us at http://www.cry.org
