PTI

New Delhi, Jul 20: A landmark bill seeking to provide free and compulsory elementary education and earmark 25 per cent seats to children from economically  weaker families in private schools got wide support from across the political spectrum in the Rajya Sabha.

While favouring the far-reaching provisions in the Right to Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2008, members, however, lamented that the measure has been brought a bit late.

Initiating the discussion, Najma Heptulla (BJP) said the bill was delayed and should have been brought in 2005.

She emphasized on the need for primary education in mother tongue but said, "English was not only a compulsion and necessity, but also strength" as knowledge should not be restricted to a language.

Heptulla quoted the first Education Minister Maulana Azad who equated education with defence and praised late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for giving a direction to education through the New Education Policy and Operation Blackboard.

She wondered what was happening to the cess on education collected by the government and wanted to know the legal implications if education was made a fundamental right.

Santosh Bagrodia (Congress) said equitable quality education was the right of every child.

He said unless 6% of GDP is provided for education, it is difficult to meet the goal.