examinations is placed in a position of disadvantage in relation to his or her peers. A child who is held back and not allowed to progress to the next standard suffers from an intense psychological trauma resulting in a loss of self worth by being unable to attain the same level of proficiency as his or her peers and friends. This does not reflect a failure of the child but the inability of the teacher to address the needs of the child. The child is being conditioned by a social system which provides a disadvantaged environment. The Act casts an obligation on teachers in Section 24(d) to assess the learning ability of each child and to accordingly supplement additional instructions as are required. The Act casts obligations on the State and upon local authorities, schools and teachers to contribute in providing meaningful access to primary education on a universal basis to all children between the ages of six and fourteen until they complete elementary education. The obligation of doing so is assumed by the State. As a necessary corollary, a child who is a victim of a social handicap, is protected against the imposition of measures such as holding back or expulsion, which are liable to result in a loss of identity and add to prejudices. Children constitute the building blocks of society and define the future of the nation. Impressionable and vulnerable, children have to be moulded for the future by allowing them to grow up in an environment which promotes creativity, encourages a search for their intrinsic talents and fosters respect for diversity and inclusion. To hold back a child or expel a child from elementary school is wrong because it transfers the duty of an enabling school environment from the teacher to the taught. On the contrary, to render the Act responsive to the needs of
