 EDUCATION FOR EQUALITY

DISPARITIES

3.1 While it is true that the tremendous expansion in educational facilities since independence has, to some extent, benefited all sections, the overall situation reveals a disturbing increase in sectional disparity. The new Policy will therefore lay special emphasis on the removal of these disparities mid to equalise educational opportunity by attending to the specific needs of those who were unable to derive equal benefit so far.

EDUCATION FOR WOMEN

3.2 Women has the sane need for., and right to, education as men. However, disparities in access to education between the sexes not only continue but have widened during the last few decades, resulting in a disparity: non-access: disparity vicious circle.

3.3 The discrimination shows itself through indicators like adverse female-male population ratio, higher female infant and child mortality, lower female enrolment in school, higher rate of

school drop out, higher female illiteracy, lower access to health care, lower nutritional status, higher morbidity and proneness to diseases, discrimination in wages in the labour market,. inferior status -resulting in atrocities on the one hand and low self-esteem on the other. Education, therefore, has to be used as an 'agent of basic change in the status of women. In order to neutralise the accumulated distortion over a period, a well-conceived edge in favour of women would be considered. It will be an act of faith and social engineering, apart from the recognition of the positive correlation between higher female literacy and better access to health care, improved acceptance of family planning, increased age of marriage and corresponding lowering of birth rate.

EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN :

3.4 The National Educational System will therefore play a positive, interventionist role in the empowerment of women and the development of new values through redesigning of the curriculum, text books, training and orientation of teachers, decision makers and administrators, and an active involvement of educational institutions. Women's studies will. be promoted as a part of various courses and educational institutions encouraged to take up active programmes of women's development.

3.5 Removal of women's illiteracy and of 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. While some support services, e.g., establishment of child-care centres' will be provided by educational authorities, some, such as improvement of water supply, health care, and access and fodder for rural households, will require action by development sectors. Critical emphasis will be laid on participation in vocational, technical and professional at different levels through positive action to promote equal access. The policy of non-discrimination will be vigorously to eliminate sex stereo-typing in vocational and professional courses and to promote women's participation in training in nontraditional occupations, where it is at present marginal. Such. training will seek to introduce women existing and emergent, technologies and to arrest the present trend of displacement of women workers with the emergence of new technological change.

SCHEDULED CASTES' EDUCATION

3.6 A vast majority of Scheduled Castes are characterised by social, economic and educational backwardness . In terms of absolute figures, there has been considerable improvement in their educational status; yet their literacy rate as per the Census of 1981 is still only about half of that of the non-SC population; for SC women, it is about one- third. The proportion

of enrolment of, their children is much less than that of their population and the drop-out rate continues to be particularly high. There has also further trends of a slide-back, which underscore the need to pursue the programme until the position is consolidated irreversibly.

OBJECTIVE

3.7 The central focus in the SCs' educational development is their EQUALISATION with the non-SC part of the population at all stages and levels of education in all are and in all the four dimensions - rural male, -rural female, urban , male and urban female. This will be achieved in the shortest time practicable through an effective strategy with continuous monitoring at the Central and State levels.

3.8 Measures contemplated for the purpose under the new Policy include

i) Incentives to indigent families to send their children to school regularly till they complete 14 years;

ii) Pre-matric Scholarship scheme for children of families engaged in occupations, such as scavenging, flaying and taming to be made applicable from class I onwards, to remove the income ceiling, cover all children of such families and undertake time bound programmes targeted on them;

iii) Special steps to provide non-formal education to SC children who drop out of school in large numbers;

iv) Constant micro-planning and verification to ensure that the enrolment, retention and successful completion of the courses by the SC students are not allowed to fall at any stage;

V) Recruitment of teachers from Scheduled Castes to receive particular attention;

vi) Facilities for Scheduled Castes students to be provided in the student's Hostels at District Headquarters according to a phased program;

vii) School buildings, Balwadis and Adult Education Centres to be so located as to facilitate full participation of Scheduled Castes;

viii) E.P. and R.L.E.G.P. resources to be utilised so as to make substantial educational facilities available to Scheduled Castes;

ix) Constant innovation to be pursued to find new methods to increase the participation of Scheduled Castes in education.

SCHEDULED TRIBES' EDUCATION

3.9 According to the 1981 Census, the literacy rate of the Scheduled Tribes is less than one-half of that of the entire population. In the case of ST females, the literacy rate is less than one third. The drop-out rate is also very high at all stages. In order, therefore, to fulfil our Constitutional responsibility, the following measures will be taken urgently with a view to bringing the SCHEDULED TRIBES at par with others:

i) Priority will be accorded to opening of primary schools in tribal areas, particularly those with extreme educational backwardness. Construction of school buildings will be undertaken in these areas under the normal funds for education, as well as under N.R.E.P., R.L.E.G.P., Tribal Welfare Schemes etc.;

ii) The socio-cultural milieu of the Scheduled Tribes has its distinctive characteristics including, in many cases, their own spoken languages. This underlines the need for taking effective steps to develop the materials etc. for devising of curricula and use of the tribal language at the initial stages, with arrangements for bridging over to the regional language;

iii) Educated and promising young people from the Scheduled Tribes will be encouraged and trained to take up teaching in the tribal areas;

iv) Residential Schools, including Ashram Schools, which have proved useful, for the children of remote villages, will be set up on a large scale;

v) Incentive Schemes for the Scheduled Tribes will be formulated, keeping in view their special needs and life styles, in addition to those available to the deserving students among the other sections of the population. In the scholarships for higher education, there will be slant in favour of technical, professional and paraprofessional courses;

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

vii) The Curriculum for all students at all stages of education should create awareness of the rich cultural identity of the Tribal people as also of their enormous creative talent.

MINORITIES

3.10 The educational gap is pronounced among some minority groups. Greater attention would be - bestowed on the education of these groups in the interest of equality and social justice. This would naturally include the Constitutional guarantees given to them to establish an administer educational institutions and protection to their language and culture. An attitude of

scientific objectivity will be reflected in the preparation of text books and in all the activities in schools, all possible measures will be taken to promote integration based on an appreciation of common goals and ideals in conformity with the core curriculum. All educational programmes will be carried on in strict conformity with secular values.

EDUCATION OF THE HANDICAPPED

3.11 Among the disadvantaged sections of society in the country, the handicapped deserve special attention. The objective should be to integrate them with the general community as equal partners, to prepare them for normal growth and to enable them to face life with courage and confidence.

3.12 The existing services are generally confine to a handful of special schools whose number, teaching staff and equipment are far from adequate. Since the right to universal primary education equally applies to the handicapped, the following measures would be taken to deal with this problem:

i) In all cases where it is feasible, education to children with motor handicaps and other mild handicaps would be common with others. Pre-school preparation and special assistance or facilities to take them to school would, however, nave to be provided;.

ii) Special schools with hostels would be required for the severely handicapped children and such schools would be provided as far as possible, in district headquarters;

iii) Adequate arrangements will be made for vocational training of the disabled both in general and special schools in such trades and crafts as can help them in their economic rehabilitation;

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

v) Voluntary effort for the education of the disabled has a long tradition in India. This will be encouraged.