ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Universalisation of Elementary Education WEE) 4.1.1 Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) is a constitutional mandate. Article 45 of the Constitution stipulates, as a Directive Principle of State Policy that the State shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of the Constitution for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years. Para 5.12 of the National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 says "The New Education Policy will give the highest priority to solving the problem of children dropping out of school and will adopt an array of meticulously formulated strategies based on micro-planning, and applied at the grass roots level all over the country, to ensure children's retention at school. This effort will be fully coordinated with the network of non-formal education. It shall be ensured that all children who attain the age of about 11 years by 1990 will have had five years of schooling, or its equivalent through the non-formal stream. Likewise, by 1995 all children will be provided free and compulsory education upto 14 years of age".
4.1.2 Indeed, over the years, the Centre and the States have made considerable investments in promoting Elementary Education. Furnished below is a Table which brings out the status of expansion of elementary education since 1950-51.
Table 4.1
Expansion of Elementary Education since 1950-51
1950-51 1988-89
Number of primary schools 2.10 lakhs 5.48 lakhs
Number of middle schools 0.14 lakhs 1.44 lakhs
Enrolment in classes I to V 19.15 million 95.7 million
of boys 13.77 " 57.1 "
of girls 5.38 " 38.6 "
Enrolment in classes VI to VIII 3.13 " 30.9 "
of boys 2.59 " 19.7 "
of girls 0.54 " 11.2 "
Enrolment in classes I to VIII 22.28 " 126.6 "
of boys 16.36 " 76.8 "
of girls 5.92 " 49.8 "
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4.1.3 Despite this level of expansion of education, vast ground is yet to be covered for fulfilling the constitutional mandate of UEE. Drop-out rates are significant; retention of children in schools is low; wastage is considerable. (In 1986-87, drop-out rates were 50.5 in classes I to V and 63.8 in classes I to VIII). There are striking disparities in access to Elementary Education - disparities as between regions, rural and urban areas, boys and girls, the affluent and the deprived and the minorities and the others. The clientele to be serviced in the age-group of 5-14 is of the order of eighteen crores, constituting about twenty-seven percent of the population, according to 1981 Census. While the Fifth All India Education Survey reflects that 94.60 per cent of the rural population was served with primary schools/sections within a walking distance of one kilometre and 85.39 per cent of them was served with middle schools/sections within a distance of three kilometres, it also reflects the poor status of the infrastructure at the elementary level as brought out by the following table:
Table 4.2
Status of School infrastructure at the elementary level
Primary Upper Primary
(Nos.) (Nos.)
Kachcha buildings 72,777 11,280
Thached huts 29,644 2,417
Tents 2,546 314
Open space 39,305 2,969
Total: 1,44,272 16,980
Grand Total: 1,61,252
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23 (A)
4.1.4 Investments are required to improve the school infrastructure in 1.61 out of 6.68 lakh schools (24 percent).
operation Blackboard 4.2.1 The Scheme of Operation Blackboard started in 1987-88 Was formulated to bring about substantial improvement in facilities in primary schools. It has three inter dependent components namely (1) provision of a building comprising at least two reasonably large all weather rooms with a deep verandah and separate toilet facilities for boys and girls; (ii) at least two teachers in every school, as far as possible; one of them a woman and (iii) provision of essential teaching learning material including blackboards, maps, charts, toys and equipment for work experience. Funds for construction of school buildings are provided mainly from rural development schemes. Funds for other two components are provided by this Department. The scheme envisages coverage of primary schools in all the blocks/municipal areas in the country in a phased manner.
4.2.2 Initially, the target of the scheme was to cover 20% blocks/municipal areas during 1987-88, 30% in 1988-89 and remaining 50% during 1989-90. However, due to constraint on resources phasing had to be lengthened. In the period 1987-88 to 1990-91, the scheme could be implemented in 69% of blocks in the country comprising 70.41% primary schools. An assistance of Rs. 523.41 crores was released by this department during this period; of this Rs.150.09 crores was released to 25 State Governments/UT Administrations in 1990-91.
4.2.3 Data on achievement under Operation Blackboard are presented in Table 4.3.
Table 4.3
Operation Blackboard :-Achievements
1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 Total for
anticipa- 1987-88
ted by to
31.3.92 1991-92
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
Amount spent
(Rs. in crores) 110.61 135.73 126.98 150.09 100.00 623.41
Amount committed
by States for
school buildings
(Rs. in crores) 300.00 340.00 64.60 140.00 140.00 984.60
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(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
No. of States/
UTs covered 27 22 22 25 15
No. of Blocks
covered 1703 1795 578 343 400 4819
No. of Schools
covered (in lakhs) 1.13 1.40 0.52 0.39 0.31 3.75
Percentage of
Primary schools
covered 21.00% 26.40% 9.90% 7.35% 5.76% 70.41%
Post of Primary
teachers
sanctioned 36891 36327 5274 14379 5000 97871
Non-Formal Education 4.3.1 The role of non-formal part-time education in providing education to working children, girls and children in habitations without schools has been recognized since the Education Commission of 1964-66. During the Sixth Five Year Plan the scheme of Non-Formal Education (NFE) was introduced as an alternative strategy to impart education to children, who for some reasons cannot attend formal schools. The New Education Policy 1986 envisaged a large and systematic programme of NFE to achieve UEE. The scheme was revised in its content and emphasis in 1987-88. Although its focus is on the ten educationally backward States, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, it has been extended to cover urban slums, hilly, tribal & desert areas and areas with concentration of working children in the other States as well. Financial responsibility is borne by the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 50:50 for general (co-educational) and 90:10 for girls NFE centres. Assistance to the extent of 100% is provided to the Voluntary Agencies for NFE centres and for experimental and innovative projects.
4.3.2 The revised NFE scheme has been visualized as a child- centred environment-oriented, flexible system to meet the educational needs of the comparatively deprived geographical areas and socioeconomic sections of society. Other features of the scheme are its organisational flexibility, relevance of curriculum, diversity in learning activities to relate them to the learners needs and strengthened, decentralized management. The programme is being implemented on a project basis, generally co-terminus with the CD Block comprising about 100 NFE Centres.
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4.3.3 Particulars of achievements under the programme since 1988- 89 are furnished in Table 4.
4.3.4 During 1990-91 emphasis has been on consolidation and improvement of quality of the existing programme. A three tier training programme for NFE functionaries continued to be run by NCERT.
Computerised Planning for Education 4.3.5 In the later half of 1988 a project "Computerised Planning for Education" (COPE) was started to develop a Management Information System (MIS) for Non-formal Education as well as for Decision Support System. After pilot studies the project has been extended to cover the entire State of Madhya Pradesh and also the districts covered under Bihar and Rajasthan Education Projects.
Table 4.4
Non-Formal Education : Achievements
1990-91 Total for
(antici- 1988-89,
pated by 1989-90 &
31.3.1991 1990-91.
1988-89 1989-90
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
1. Amount spent 36.92 32.95 46.84 116.71
(Rs. in crores)
2. NFE Centres brought 2.41 2.57 2.70 2.70
to function (in
lakhs) cumulative.
3. No. of exclusive 64,792 77,832 81,282 81,282
girl centres
sanctioned cumulative.
4. No. of Voluntary 296 376 410* 410
organisations appro-
ved for NFE programme
cumulative.
5. NFE Centres brought 20,957 25,602 27,087* 27,087
to function by
voluntary agencies-
cumulative.
6. Estimated enrolment 60 64 67.5 67.5
(in lakhs)
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(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
7. No. of experimental 25 36 46 46
innovative projects
approved cumulative.
8. No. of States/UTs. 16 17 18 18
covered.
* Include Projects/Centres approved in 1990-91 for
commencement during 1991-92.
Teacher Education 4.4.1 A Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Restructuring and Reorganisation of Teacher Education is being implemented since 1987- 88. It aims at strengthening the teacher education system in the country to enable it to provide effective training and academic support to schools and adult and non-formal education systems. The scheme has the following five components:-
- Mass Orientation of about five lakh School Teachers (MOST) annually till 1989-90 to familiarise them with the major thrusts envisaged in the National Policy on Education - 1986 and to improve their. professional competence;
- Setting up of about 400 District Institutions of Education and Training (DIETs) either by upgrading suitable existing Elementary Teacher Education Institutions or, where necessary, by establishing new ones so as to provide total academic and training support to the elementary and adult education systems at the district level;
- Strengthening of about 250 Secondary Teacher Education Institutions (STEIs) development of about 50 of them as institutions of Advanced Study in Education (IASEs) and the rest as Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs);
- Strengthening of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs); and
- Establishment and strengthening of Departments of Education in Universities by the University Grants commission.
4.4.2 Achievements under the scheme during the period since 1987- 88 have been given in the Table 5 below.
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Table 4. 5
Teacher Education : Achievements
Cumulative
Achievements
1. Amount spent 156.74
(Rs. in crores)
2. No. of persons 12.96
oriented under (in addition, 4.66 lakhs teachers
Programme for Mass were covered in 1986)
Orientation of Teacher
(MOST) (in lakhs).
3. No of District 257
Institutes of Teacher
Education (DIETs)
sanctioned.
4. No. of Colleges of 25
Teacher Education
(CTEs) sanctioned.
5. No. of Institutions 12
of Advanced Study in
Education (IASEs)
sanctioned.
6. No. of States/UTs 22
covered.
4.4.3 No new projects were sanctioned during 1990-91, and the year was being utilised mainly for consolidation of the already sanctioned projects.
4.4.4 Sixteen induction training programmes have so far been organised by NIEPA, NCERT and, its Regional Colleges for the faculty of DIETs which were attended by 340 participants.
4.4.5 Setting up DIETs, CTEs & IASEs is a long-gestation activity in view of the time it takes to put up necessary buildings, and create and fill up posts. Yet, 112 DIETs have become operational and have started conducting training programmes. Appraisal of a selected number of institutions is also being undertaken.
4.4.6 Guidelines for strengthening' of SCERTs are being developed. Implementation of this component will begin as soon as these are finalised.
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4.4.7 As regards strengthening of University Departments of Education, UGC's Panel on Education is seized of the matter.
Mahila Samakhya 4.5.1 In pursuance of para 4.2 of the National Policy on Education, 1986 and Chapter II of the Programme of Action, Mahila Samakhya was launched in April, 1988. This programme seeks to mobilise rural women for education through Mahila Sanghas in each of the village concerned. This is Central Sector scheme where 100 per cent financial assistance is provided to Mahila Samakhya societies in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat set up under the chairmanship of the concerned State Education Secretaries. As an Indo-Dutch programme, it receives 100 percent assistance from the Government of the Netherlands.
4.5.2 Essentially, the programme revolves around village level activators (Sakhis or Sahayoginis) who mobilise women around issues like access to health, education, water, information about development programmes, general information about their immediate environment and above all issues related to their personality and self-image in society. The programme tries to facilitate critical reflection and analysis which would encourage women to take active interest in issues that affect their daily life. The main focus of the programme is to generate demand for education and introduce innovative educational inputs for pre-school, non-formal, adult and continuing education. Mahila Shikshan Kendras - a residential institution for condensed education is also to be set up to enable dropouts from schools and other women to pursue their education in a secure environment.
4.5.3 A joint Indo-Dutch review held in February, 1990 gave a very positive feedback on the social response of the project. Mahila Samakhya is currently operational in 1500 villages in 10 districts of Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
4.6.1 Education has been accorded a high priority since the beginning of the planning process in our country. A holistic view of Basic Education has replaced sectoral view of Primary Education, Non-Formal Education and Adult Education comprises (a) universalisation of primary education comprising (i) universal access, (ii) universal participation and retention, and (iii) universal achievement at least of minimum levels of learning; (b) functional literacy; (c) emphasis on women's education and development; and (d) post-literacy, continuing education. This concept received international validation at the World Conference on Education for All held at Jomtien in March, 1990. The Conference made a fervent appeal to all nations and international agencies for achieving education for all by the year 2000 A.D. The expectations from the Conference is that donor agencies would show greater support for basic education. In the last few years, an attempt has been made to tap external funds selectively for Basic Education in educationally backward State which is listed below.
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Andhra Pradesh 4.6.2 In the year 1983, Phase I of the Andhra Pradesh Primary Education Project (APPEP) was taken up as a pilot programme covering 330 schools with assistance from Overseas Development Agency of the Government of the United Kingdom. A tripartite review was conducted in early 1987 by the representative of the UK, Central Government and the State Government.The tripartite review expressed satisfaction over the success of Phase I and recommended its expansion to cover the entire State of Andhra Pradesh. The outlay is of the order of 31.2 million dollars spanning the period 1989-96. The bridging phase was mainly to concentrate on unfinished works of the programmes of Phase I during 1987-89. The programme in Phase II covers not only construction of class rooms and buildings for Teachers' Centres but also as a substantial human resources development component in the shape of in-service training of primary school teachers and training of various teacher educators.
Bihar Education Project 4.6.3 In the year under review the Bihar Education Project, (BEP) was approved by the Government. BEP would cover all components of basic education and would be expanded in a phased manner to cover 20 districts over a period of 5 years. The outlay would be Rs. 360 crores of which UNICEF would contribute Rs. 180 crores, Government of India Rs. 120 crores and Government of Bihar Rs. 60 crores. The BEP has been conceived as a societal mission for bringing about fundamental change in the basic education system and through it the overall socio-cultural situation. The most important characteristic of management will be a mission mode which pre-supposes a time-bound scheme of things in which specific responsibility is attached to institutions, agencies or individuals. Management of the project would be vested in a State-level autonomous body. Pre-project activities were initiated in three districts of Ranchi, West Champaram and Rohtas.
Shiksha Karmi Project 4.6.4 The Shiksha Karmi Project is being implemented since 1987 in Rajasthan with assistance from the SIDA (Sweedish International Development Agency). Its aim is universalisation of primary education in selected remote and socio-economically backward villages of the State.
4.6.5 The project identifies teacher absenteeism as a major obstacle in achieving the objective of universalisation. It, accordingly, envisages substitution of the primary school teacher In single teacher schools by a team of two locally educated workers called "Shiksha Karmis". To ensure appointment of local persons, educational qualifications prescribed for teachers are not insisted upon in selection of Shiksha Karmis. However, they are provided training and academic 'support on a sustained and intensive basis to enable them to function efficiently as teachers. The existing primary school when run by Shiksha Karmis
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is called a 'Day Centre'. Besides, each Shiksha Karmi also runs a 'Night Centre' for children who cannot attend the 'Day Centre'. The Project also lays emphasis on recruitment of female Shiksha Karmis and envisages establishment of special Training Centres in order to prepare local women to function as Shiksha Karmis.
4.6.6 As on 28.2.1991, the Project was being implemented in 275 villages of 24 block units through 275 'Day Centres' and 384 'Night Centres'. By 30.6.1991 another Ujrec/block units are to start under the project, and it is expected to be extended to another 15 blocks units during 1991-92.
4.6.7 An independent study done in the second half of 1990 has shown that achievement levels of children in Shiksha Karmi Centres compared favorably with those of children in nearby conventional schools. During 1990-91, an expenditure of Rs.132.76 lakhs was incurred.
4.7.1 The Working Group set up for the formulation of the VIII Plan for Elementary Education, observed that, a great deal of progress had indeed been made in expanding and improving the facilities and infrastructure for Elementary Education, but the backward areas, regions and groups continue to remain outside the pale of educational process. It, therefore, recommended a change in strategy to enable an area-specific, population specific Micro-level planning that would integrate existing programmes with innovative schemes and measures to provide a complete Universal Elementary Education (UEE) package; which would enable every child within the specified area to regularly attend school and complete at least 5 years of schooling, or its equivalent at the non-formal centre at pace suitable to him/her.
4.7.2 As a follow-up measure, NIEPA was requested to prepare detailed guidelines which were circulated to States. Ministry has now come up with a document titled "Operationalising Microplanning: Guidelines". This document elaborates the concept and details the procedure for taking specific projects on implementation of Micro- planning strategy as the UEE package by State Governments for financial assistance and academic support.
National Evaluation Organisation 4.8.1 The National Policy on Education - 1986 refers to laying down of Minimum Levels of Learning for each stage of education and to promotion of educational quality not only in access to education, but also in conditions of success. It also states that as a part of the new educational strategy, examinations will be employed to bring about qualitative improvements in education. The Programme of Action drawn up for implementation of NPE 1986 spelt out the measures proposed to be taken up for creating a comprehensive evaluation system including examination reform.
4.8.2 It is in this direction that it is proposed to set up a National Evaluation Organisation (NEO) to assist the learning acquired by children at the end of primary and upper primary
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stages. The NEO is seen as an important component to bring about reform in the system of testing and assessment at elementary stage. After the laying down of minimum levels of learning at primary stage, a comprehensive learner evaluation system will enable teachers to continually assess the learning acquisition of students to modify classroom instructions to ensure that the prescribed levels of learning are achieved to mastery level by all students of the class. The NEO will serve the purpose of :-
i) To undertake simple assessment of student learning on national sample basis;
ii) To assess areas where levels of learning are low and corrective measures may be taken;
iii) To help develop good quality standardized test schools and NFE system; and
iv) To serve as means to assess the impact of policy and programme.
4.8.3 It is proposed to start the NEO as a modest approach to be expanded as it gains experience and expertise and to begin with a project has been sanctioned to Lady Irwin College Delhi for conducting and achievement testing in a few blocks of Uttar Pradesh. A sum of Rs. 6.88 lakhs has been sanctioned for this purpose.
Minimum Level of Learning 4.9.1 In the light of the NPE averment that the curriculum should play a major role in fostering equality, the Government set up a Committee to study the learning outcomes defined in the existing curriculum and lay down Minimum Level of Learning (MLL) that all children who pass the primary stage must achieve. MLL is intended to serve as a performance goal for both the teacher and the system, and become the basis for deciding the provision of inputs and programmes to reduce disparities and ensure equity. MLL will be introduced in schools in composite programme requiring continuous evaluation of learner achievement, revision of textbooks and teacher training. The Committee submitted its report in December, 1990. To begin with it was decided that NCERT will introduce the prescribed MLLs in selected blocks in the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Ministry has also organized three workshops at Delhi, Ahmedabad and Ajmer in which report on Minimum Levels of Learning has been thoroughly discussed with the representatives of university departments, research institutions and voluntary agencies active in the field of formal and non-formal education at the primary stage. The deliberations in these workshops has motivated many organisations and individuals to take up specific projects for durations of one to five years in the areas of their activity. Twelve such projects have already been approved for sanction of funds. it is anticipated that 35 to 40 of such projects would be taken up in 1990-92 for implementation of the MLL report at field level.
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Bal Bhavan Society 4.10.1 Bal Bhavan Society (India), New Delhi was founded at the initiative of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and established by the Government of India in the year 1955 as a society registered under the Societies Registration Act. It is an autonomous organisation fully financed by the Department of Education. The Society has been contributing towards promotion of creative activities amongst children in the age-group of 5 to 16 years, in different fields like science, performing and creative arts, museum techniques, photography, astronomy, environment, physical education etc. The institution also acts as a National Resource Centre to impart training to teachers, trainers and supervisors from all parts of India in the medium of creative education through the Bal Bhavan methodology. The Society has fifty Bal Kendras spread all over Delhi and is also funding two Jawahar Bal Bhavans one each in Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) and Dehra Mandi (Delhi). Besides, the Society grants affiliation to State and District Bal Bhavans in the country, providing them with general guidance, training facilities, loan of exhibitions and information transfer on Bal Bhavan movement. The Society also sanctions modest project-related grants to State and District Bal Bhavans.
4.10.2 During the year of report, the Ninth All India Directors' Conference was held on in the Society's campus wherein about thirty- five Directors from Bal Bhavans from various States and Union Territories participated. Various issues relating to the Bal Bhavan movement were discussed in the conference.
4.10.3 Special programmes were organised to observe and celebrate various occasions such as World Environment Day, Literacy Week, Teachers' Day, Harit Vahini Day, Varsha Ritu Festival, Raksha Bandhan, Silver Jubilee of Sputnik, New Years' Day and Basant Utsav.
4.10.4 The ladies' wing of Delhi Police organised a self-defence course in which senior girl-members of Bal Bhavan were trained for five weeks.
4.10.5 In the field of sports and recreation, Bal Bhavan organised annual tournaments in chess, badminton, table tennis, and judo. A fifteen-day trek to Sar Pass by a group of thirty children and three escorts was also sponsored to inculcate the spirit of adventure among children.
4.10.6 A team of six multi-talented children from Bal Bhavan along with one escort took part in the Asia-Pacific Children's Convention in Japan. The children lived with foster parents, which was a novel experience for them. Bal Bhavan hosted a group of ten children from Bulgaria.
4.10.7 A new aquarium fabricated in Bal Bhavan was installed adding many new species to the collection of fish.
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4.10.8 The annual feature of National Children's Assembly and Integration Camp was held from 10th to 19th November. This being the centenary year of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the programmes revolved around the personality of Pandit Nehru.
4.10.9 Children from twenty-one States and Union Territories camped in the Bal Bhavan hostel interacting freely and communicating in spite of the language barrier.
4.10.10 To extend the outreach of the Bal Bhavan movement to children of slum and resettlement colonies in Delhi, Mobile Bal Bhavan activities were introduced during the year.
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