EDUCATION FOR EQUALITY
 

DISPARITIES

4.1 The new Policy will lay special emphasis on the removal of disparities and to equalise educational opportunity by attending to the specific needs of those who have been denied equality so far.

EDUCATION FOR WOMEN'S EQUALITY

4.2 Education will be used as an agent of basic change in the status of woman. In order to neutralise the accumulated distortions of the past, there will be a well-conceived edge in favour of women. The National Education System will play a positive, interventionist role in the empowerment of women. It will foster the development of new values through redesigned curricula, textbooks, the training and orientation of teachers, decision-makers and administrators, and the active involvement of educational institutions. This will be an act of faith and social engineering. Women's studies will be promoted as a part of various courses and educational institutions encouraged to take up active programmes to further women's development.

4.3 The removal of women's illiteracy and obstacles inhibiting their access to, and retention in, elementary education will receive overriding priority, through provision of special support services, setting of time targets, and effective monitoring. Major emphasis will be laid on women's participation in vocational, technical and professional education at different levels. The policy of non- discrimination will be pursued vigorously to eliminate sex stereo- typing in vocational and professional courses and to promote women's participation in non-traditional occupations, as well as in existing and emergent technologies.

THE EDUCATION OF SCHEDULED CASTES

4.4 The central focus in the SCs' educational development is their equalisation with the non-SC population at all Stages and levels of education, in all areas and in all the four dimensions - rural male, rural female, urban male and urban female.

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4.5 The measures contemplated for this purpose include:

i) Incentives to indigent families to send their children to school regularly till they reach the age of 14;

ii) Pre-matric Scholarship scheme for children of families engaged in occupations such as scavenging, flaying and tanning to be made applicable from Class onwards. All children of such families, regardless of incomes, will be covered by this scheme and time-bound programmes targetted on them will be undertaken;

iii) Constant micro-planning and verification to ensure that the enrolment, retention and successful completion of courses by SC students do not fall at any stage, and provision of remedial Courses to improve their prospects for further education and employment.

iv) Recruitment of teachers from Scheduled Castes;

v) Provision of facilities for SC students in students' hostels at district headquarters, according to a phased programme;

vi) Location of school buildings, Balwadis and Adult Education, Centres in such a way as to facilitate full -participation of the Scheduled Castes;

vii) The utilization of N.R.E.P. and R.L.E.G.P. resources so as to make substantial educational facilities available to the Scheduled Castes; and

viii) Constant innovation in finding new methods to increase the participation of the Scheduled Castes in the educational process.

THE EDUCATION OF SCHEDULED TRIBES

4.6 The following measures will be taken urgently to bring the Scheduled Tribes on par with others:-

i) Priority will be accorded to opening primary schools in tribal areas. The construction of school Buildings will be undertaken in these areas on a priority basis under the normal funds for education, as well as under the N.R.E.P, R.L.E.G.P, Tribal Welfare schemes, etc.

ii) The socio-cultural milieu of the STs has its distinctive characteristics including, in many cases, their own spoken languages. This underlines the need to develop the curricula and devise instructional materials in tribal languages at the initial stages, with arrangements for switching over to the regional language.

iii) Educated and promising Scheduled Tribe youths will be

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encouraged and trained to take up teaching in tribal areas.

iv) Residential schools, including Ashram Schools, will be established on a large scale.

v) Incentive schemes will be formulated for the Scheduled Tribes, keeping in view their special needs and life styles. Scholarships for higher education will emphasise technical, professional and paraprofessional courses. Special remedial courses and other programmes to remove psycho-social impediments will be provided to improve their performance in various courses.

vi) Anganwadis, Non-formal and Adult Education Centres will be opened on a priority basis in areas predominantly inhabited by the Scheduled Tribes.

vii) The curriculum at all stages of education will be designed to create an awareness of the rich cultural identity of the tribal people as also of their enormous creative talent.

OTHER EDUCATIONALLY BACKWARD SECTIONS AND AREAS

4.7 Suitable incentives will be provided to all educationally backward sections of society, particularly in the rural areas. Hill and desert districts, remote and inaccessible areas and islands will be provided adequate institutional infra-structure.

MINORITIES

4.8 Some minority groups are educationally deprived or backward. Greater attention will be paid to the education of these groups in the interests of equality and social justice. This will naturally include the Constitutional guarantees given to them to establish and administer their own educational institutions, and protection to their languages and culture. Simultaneously, objectivity will be reflected in the preparation of textbooks and in all school activities, and all possible measures will be taken to promote an integration based on appreciation of common national goals and ideals, in conformity with the core curriculum.

THE HANDICAPPED

4.9 The objective should be to integrate the physically and mentally handicapped with the general community as equal partners, to prepare them for normal growth and to enable them to face life with courage and confidence. The following measures will be taken in this regard :

i) Wherever it is feasible, the education of children with motor handicaps and other mild handicaps will be common with that of others.

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ii) Special schools with hostels will be provided, as far as possible at district headquarters, for the severely handicapped children.

iii) Adequate arrangements will be made to give vocational training to the disabled.

iv) Teachers' training programmes will be reoriented, in particular for teachers of primary classes, to deal with the special difficulties of the handicapped children; and

v) Voluntary effort for the education of the disabled, will be encouraged in every possible manner.

ADULT EDUCATION

4.10 Our ancient scriptures define education as that which liberates - i.e. provides the instruments for liberation from ignorance and oppression. in the modern world, it would naturally include the ability to read and write, since that is the main instrument of learning. Hence the crucial importance of adult education, including adult literacy.

4.11 The critical development issue today is the continuous upgradation of skills so as to produce manpower resources of the kind and the number required by the society. Since participation by beneficiaries in the developmental programmes is of crucial importance, systematic programmes of adult education linked with national goals such as alleviation of poverty, national integration, environmental conservation, energisation of the cultural creativity of the people, observance of small family norm, promotion of women's equality, etc. will be organised and the existing programmes reviewed and strengthened.

4.12 The whole Nation must pledge itself to the eradication of illiteracy, particularly in the 15-35 age group. The Central and State Governments, political parties and their mass organisations, the mass media and educational institutions must commit themselves to mass literacy programmes of diverse nature. It will also have to involve on a large scale teachers, students, youth, voluntary agencies, employers, etc, Concerted efforts will be made to harness various research agencies to improve the pedagogical aspects of adult literacy. The mass literacy programme would include, in addition to literacy, functional knowledge and skills, and also awareness among learners about the socioeconomic reality and the possibility to change it.

4.13 A vast programme of adult and continuing education will be implemented through various ways and channels, including-

(a) establishment of centres in rural areas for continuing education;

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(b) workers' education through the employers, trade unions and concerned agencies of government;

(C) post-secondary education institutions;

(d) wider promotion of books, libraries and reading rooms;

(e) use of radio, TV and films, as mass and group learning media;

(f) creation of learners' groups and organisations;

(g) programmes of distance learning;

(h) organizing assistance in self-learning; and

(i) organising need and interest based vocational training programmes.