SECTION A : ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
The goals of universalisation of elementary education (UEE) remains unfulfilled thirty five years after the nation made a constitutional commitment to give education to all children upto the age of fourteen. There is a growing nationwide concern over the Issue. The State level seminars on the New Education Policy have analysed the factors that have obstructed the fulfilment of the promise of UEE and have made concreted suggestions for implementation of the programme. UEE is considered a non-nagotiable national priority and has received the major attention of all Statess on both facets of the programmes viz. Quantitative expansion and Qualitative improvement.
The recommendations of 20 State/UT seminars are grouped under four major heads, viz.,
i) Universal Provision
ii) Universal Enrolment and Retention
iii) Curriculum and Method
iv) Structure and Administration
v) Evaluation
vi) Resources
1. Universal Provision
Bihar - Extensive and intensive approach to universalisation is needed Anganwadi to be attached to schools/centres. A school mother to be provided in each school.
- The idea of neighbourhood schools, if implemented, will contribute to spread of pre-primary education.
- Schools should be duly equipped with all the necessary facilities like buildings, furniture, libraries, teaching aids etc.
- Provision of health care, nutrition and hygiene.
- Community to be encouraged to provide facilities for schools.
- Teacher-pupil ratio of 1:25 is proposed.
- Mobile schools are recommended for inaccessible areas for imparting condensed courses or elementary education in a phased manner.
Haryana - Minimum basic facilities, class rooms, furniture, blackboards, chalks, teaching aids, play-way material, sports and games equipment, safe drinking facilities, toilets for girls, laboratories and library etc. to provided to make school effective and attractive.
- In future no school should be opened or upgraded unless these till prescribed norms including provision of teaching aids, seating arrangement, residential quarters for teachers and other requirements
Himachal Pradesh - Primary schools may have two shifts so that one child from a family may attend the school in morning shift while the other child may at that time attend to domestic chores and they may change places in the afternoon.
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- Schools should have adequate number of teachers, so that the teacher pupil ratio is around 1:30.
- Primary schools should be beautified so as to attract the children.
- For nomadic tribal area children, mobile schools may be started and provision of hostels should be made for the students belonging to these tribes.
- A suggestion for starting a scheme of entrepreneur teachers for unemployed youth was given. Such teachers would work on their own and could be paid a lumpsum amount per student passing in a board examination. The student should be identified as a confirmed dropout in a printed list, as is done in the case of IRD beneficiaries.
- As it may not be possible for the Government to achieve universalisation, it was suggested that voluntary agencies should be allowed to step in. It will have to be ensured that they do not exploit the parents, students or teachers.
Jammu & Kashmir - The introduction of pre-primary stage is recommended to help universalization and ensure qualitative improvement. It is suggested that to start with, a single institution in each block be selected for the purpose extending the programme to all other schools in the state in a phased manner.
Co-Education : The present system of co-education in the elementary sector may continue. But at places where any resistance from the locality becomes an impediment in the U.E.E., the policy of opening of separate schools for girls be continued.
Multiple entry System : A teacher may be free to allow admission at any stage upto class VIII provided the present norms in respect of age are fulfilled and the attainments of such on entrant at the stage corresponding to the level to which admission is allowed.
Neighbourhood schools : The idea of neighbourhood schools does not correspond with the constitutional requirement of the fundamental rights. But in view of the challenge of U.E.E on one hand and the paucity of financial resources on the other, it would be proper to
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relax the. restriction imposed or, the recognition of new schools upto elementary level in the private sector.
Madhya Pradesh - Communities and areas with low enrolment and low literacy rates be identified and coordinated crash programmes for formal and non-formal education as well as adult education be prepared and implemented for them.
- In opening of new schools/N.F.E. centres, preference should be given to uncovered tribal areas.
- Ashram school system should be expanded to provide greater coverage.
Manipur - At least one primary school within the distance of 1 kilometre and 1 middle school within a distance of 2 kilometre to be provided. In hill areas, a primary school for every village and a middle school for 3/4 villages is needed.
- Single teacher school to be converted into 2 teacher schools.
- Existing to be provided adequate furniture equipment and buildings.
- Opening of schools, where needed, to be done without further delay.
- Pre-primary education to be attached to primary schools.
Meghalaya - To provide schooling facilities to schooless Villages. The national norms for setting up schools should be suitably relaxed in the tribal areas of Meghalaya.
- To cater to the needs of shifting cultivators and small villages it is strongly recommended that inter-village residential schools be set up for a cluster of surrounding villages of children of the age group of 8 to 14 or so.
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- Since Education is the birth right of every child some learning facility has to be provided in every village by at least engaging a teacher to organise some learning facility at the village itself till the children are ready to move to the residential school for the real school education.
- Non-academic inputs like provision of small bridges or culverts may provided to connect villages lying across streams so that common school facilities can be shared in stead of spending more by putting up separate schools.
- The scanty populated villages where the enrolment is low the ratio should be fixed as teachers - class-ratio instead of teachers- Students ratio.
- The dilapadated school buildings and thatched huts should be replaced by pucca buildings to ensure regular holding of classes especially during the rainy season which is about 7/8 months in a year.
- Teaching aids and seating facilities like benches and chairs should be provided.
Nagaland - Providing adequate infra-structural. facilities.
- Providing adequate qualified teachers.
- Part-time schooling facilities.
- Free and compulsory education.
- Education for the physically hadicapped.
Orissa - High priority should be accorded to literacy and educational programmes for masses in order to create a demand for education generally and particularly for girls. If the social system requires and adequate number of girls are available for establishment of a viable school, exclusive schools for girls particularly for those in the age group 11-14 could be established.
- As the Scheduled Tribe population lives in widely dispersed and sparsely populated pockets, residential schools must be opened in tribal areas in adequate numbers.
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- Schools in slum areas should not be inferior in terms of physical infrastructure or personnel to schools in other parts of urban complex.
Rajasthan A realistic time frame to achieve the goals of UEE should be decided.
Access i) Provide a regular primary school for every village or habitation of population of 250.
ii) Upper primary school to be provided for every child within a radius of 4 k.m.
iii) Residential schools, particularly at middle level where cost effective.
iv) Educational facilities for working children through a variety of approaches, e.g. non-formal education, flexible timings, 3-hour school etc.
v) Compulsory attendance laws to be made enforced through active involvement of local community, village school development committee consisting of Sarpanch/Panch, enlightenea persons.
Functions of School Development Committee :
i) Preparation and publication of annual lists of school going children.
ii) Persuading parents and taking action against defaulters.
iii) Provide adequate accommodation to primary schools.
iv) Oversee welfare of' students & supervise other activities.
v) Raise additional resources.
vi) Recognition and rewards for Sarpanchs & Headmasters who mobilise additional resources.
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Sikkim
Pre-primary Education
It was unanimously agreed that at least one year of Pre-primary schooling was necessary to prepare the child for class 1. Regarding combining ICDS Centres and Pre-Primary Centres, it was generally opined that both should be separate entities. These should in turn cater to the needs of a child from the age 1/2 to 5 years. It was impressed,that each of the 405 Revenue blocks should have an ICDS Centre and each of the Primary schools should have Pre-Primary section from 4 to 5. Thus, a child of 10/11 years should complete schooling up to Class V.
Uttar Pradesh - New schools and non-formal education Centres to be opened for unserved and underserved population groups and regions, viz., girls, SC/ST children, muslim children etc.
- More middle schools for girls need to be opened wherever necessary residential schools be provided for them at least one in a block.
- Likewise, talented children. from inaccessible areas and with no middle school facilities to be brought to residential schools in the block.
- No new schools/centres to be opened without adequate physical infrastructure and teachers/instructors.
- The primary schools have a very poor level of physical facilities. Forty per cent of primary school have no pacca building and 60 per cent are without any black board. Further the conditions of the building is poor as far as maintenance is concerned. The schools also lack items like tat-patties, charts - audiovisual aids, library books or any equipment for art, craft. and games. The school so aft unattractive and unable, to retain children. All groups strongly stressed the need to provide a minimum level of physical facilities and equipment to every primary schools. Provision of physical facilities were even more deficient in rural areas it was noted. It was proposed that rural urban differences in provision of facilities should be
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West Bengal - For effective universalisation, adequate finances must be made available to the States and the Union government must participate in cost sharing.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Single teacher schools must be converted into double teacher Schools to improve quality of instruction as schools remain closed for long periods due to the absence/illness of the teachers.
- Provision of Hindi teachers in non-Hindi medium schools be made liberal to promote the national language.
- Effective access can be promoted with more funds for provision of text books, additional school buildings, and other facilities.
Arunachal Pradesh - There should be a school within the reach of every child. To cater to the needs of small hamlets a centrally located school with hostel facilities may be established.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli - There is inadequate teaching staff for elementary education in remote tribal areas. Need to provide adequate incentives to teaching serving in these areas.
Delhi - Universalisation of education should be given highest priority as an issue of great national importance. Equal importance should be given on Pre-Primary education which should be linked with Primary education. Sense of highest responsibility of teachers and administration for this should be emphasised.
- Elementary education should be made more interesting and motivating by the introduction or educational technology, new
method, good text books and inspiring environment.
- There should not be one teacher should be primary education.
Pondicherry - During the elementary stage multiple entry system should be provided so that children can join the formal stream, at any level.