 UNIVERSALISATION OF 
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Right to Education

145. The Right to Education should be examined for inclusion amongst the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India. All the socio-economic measures, without which realisation of this right will not be possible, should be taken. (6.1.3)

Thrust Areas

146. The Policy Statement in para 5.5 of NPE should be modified to incorporate the following three areas of concern as thrust areas :-

(a) Convergence of services,

(b) Linkage between the school and the community, and

147. Formulation of strategies for UEE must take into account the three thrust areas listed above along with the two areas already included in para 5.5 of NPE. (6.3.2)

Lacunae in NPE 1986

148. The policy has certainly done well by emphasising childcentred appoach to education and by pointing out that it is the best motivation for the child to attend school and learn (NPE Para 5.6). The Committee's perspective in this regard is presented below :

(i) Although implied in the warm, welcoming and encouraging approach mentioned in NPE, it would be better if the policy would explicitly refer to the elements of joy, fun, exploration and play as integral to learning in the early stages of primary education.

This explicit mention is required because the pre- vailing educational practice in the school system not only excludes these elements, but seems to consciously resist their introduction in the learning process.

(ii) Similarly, the policy statement should emphasise the role of singing, drawing, clay- modelling, games and particularly all forms of folk-art and folk-lore in enriching the learning process.

(iii) It is not clear why the benefit of being allowed to set their own pace and be given supplementary remedial instruction is restricted only to the first generation learners. By implication, the policy would deny the other children the advantage of setting their own pace.

(iv) The policy emphasises the need to increase cognitive learning and the skill component with the growth of the child. In the same spirit, the policy should have emphasised the role of the affective domain and psychomotor skills at the earlier stages.

(v) Whereas the Committee endorses the declaration of retaining the policy of non- detention at the primary stage, it is presented in the negative framework of detention versus non- detention. Instead, a positive concept of continuous, disaggregated and comprehensive evaluation as a means of improving the quality of learning should have been emphasised, with a clear understanding that the concept of a terminal exami- nation has no place in child-centred education (the widespread antagonism amongst the teachers to the non-detention policy in vogue in several States probably has its roots in this negative presentation and teachers lack of appreciation of the tool of continuous evaluation for quality improvement).

(vi) The policy declares that corporal punishment will be firmly excluded. While welcoming this assertion, it may be noted that corporal punishment is already

excluded on paper in most of the States/UTs. Yet it persists in most parts of the country. Therefore, the policy would have done well by emphasising measures to control the sociocultural, psychological and educational factors that justify corporal punishment in the minds of the teachers.

(vii) Similarly the policy declaration to adjust school timings as well as vacations to the convenience of children has been made time and again from several public fora. The policy should have, instead, spelt out its strategy to mitigate the reasons that have not allowed this to happen so far.

The Policy Statement on Child-Centred Approach in para 5.6 of NPE should be modified in order to remove the inconsistencies and/or lacunae, as pointed out above. (6.3.3)

149. While giving due importance to the provision of addi- tional facilities to the schools, the Policy must also stress the role of the teacher, the community and the social environment as key factors in improvement of the quality of school education. (6.3.7)

150. Since the present enrolment data are not reliable the policy should stress a continuing concern for improving both enrolment and retention, as distinct from enrolment to retention. (6.3.7)

151. The curriculum at the +2 level should not be allowed to determine the content and process of education at the primary and middle school levels. The curriculum development for the primary and middle school stages should aim. at evolving a selfsufficient model of knowledge, skills and attitudes so that the majority of children who would not proceed to the high schools would be fully equipped to enter the `world of work' and continue self-learning throughout life. (6.3.7)

152. NPE's `Resolve' in Para 5.12 should be modified to :

(a) emphasise both enrolment and retention in the school;

(b) relate fixing of targets to ground-level realities through a decentralised and participative mode of disaggregated planning, rather than fixing targets in an ad-hoc fashion; and

(c) integrate non-formal and formal education systems over a period of time such that their cadres, infrastructure and management structures would form an organic whole. (6.4.9)

Non-Formal Education

153. Over a period of time non-formalise the formal school in the following ways : (a) Shifting of the school timings to early morning hours, afternoons or late evenings, as per the convenience of the majority of children and in consultation with the Village Education Committee and the Educational Complex;

(b) Adjusting school calendar to agricultural activities, local cultural engagements and the weekly markets with a view to optimise school attendance;

(c) Introducing child-centred approach with concomitant reduction in school hours, but an increase in the learning hours. This would come about through utilisation of improved pedagogic practices involving elements of inquiry, play-way, activity, creative writing, peer group learning, experimentation etc. Creative use of singing, drawing, story telling and particularly of folk- lores and folk-arts would enrich the pedagogic practices.

(d) Linking at least one day care centre, providing holistic services for chidren in 0-6 age group, with the school in both physical as well as programmatic terms; the school should adopt the play-way and activity-based approach of ECCE from the day care centre; the Anganwadi workers may be viewed as associates of the school staff

(e) Wherever required and feasible, holding of classes twice in the day-mornings for the written tradition and evenings for oral tradition, games and cultural action;

(f) Introducing `ungraded class room' which would encourage all children at different levels of learning to set their own pace;

(g) Relating content and process of learning with environment and life of the community; and

(h) Allowing all working children, particularly the girls, to drop-in the school at any time of the day or the year they want; also encouraging the children of migrant families from other villages/habitations/towns to similarly drop-in (this flexibility becomes possible as a direct consequence of the `ungraded class room' approach). (6.5.11)

154. For the purpose of non-formalisation of the school, it would be essential to restructure the appointment, placement and training of teachers in the following ways :

(a) In addition to the regular teaching staff, empower the Head Master/Head Mistress to recruit `parateachers' (Shiksha Karmis)* for the early morning or evening classes and/or habitations/villages/mohallas still unserved by a school;

(b) Although the appointment of the `para- teachers' would be probationary for a period of two to three years, she/he shall be paid a respectable emolument, which in no case shall be lower than one-third (preferably, it should be one-half) of the salary of the school teacher or the local minimum wage level, whichever is higher;

*The concept of a `para-teacher' is somewhat similar to the concept of Shiksha Karmis practised at present in Rajasthan on an expertmental basis with a view to reach-out to unserved habitations.

being given to women; if necessary, young persons with commitment and aptitude for working with children having even less than minimum qualifica- tions could be recruited, provided they are willing to upgrade their educational qualifications within the probationary period through the open school system;

(d) The regular school teacher and the `para- teacher' shall be inter-changeable in terms of teaching responsibilities;

(e) At the end of the probationary period, the `parateacher' should be absorbed as a regular school teacher provided she/he has been able to upgrade her/his educational qualification to a certain minimum level (say, class XII) and ensure a concrete move towards enrolment and retention of all children in the community who were earlier outside the ambit of the school; and

(f) Organise the training of the `para-teacher' along the lines of the `Internship Model' wherein the training emerges from and is integrated into the empirical experience of the class room; a sandwich programme of internship and in-service training would be evolved by the DIET in consultation with the Educational Complex; the training staff would comprise of the senior teachers of the local school as well as the Educational Complex and also the DIET personnel. (6.5.11)

155. In order to non-formalise the formal school, the following package of measures would have to be adopted as a `pre-condition' :

(a) handing over the effective control of the school, including the appointment, posting and promotion of teachers, to a co-ordinated management system involving the school, Village Education Committee and the Educational Complex;

(b) empowering the local community, especially under-privileged sections of the society with assignment of specific role to women groups, to monitor and support the school;

(c) develop the school into a community school which would take active interest in social and cultural life of the village and welcome contribution by members of the community in both the planning and the teaching process; the school would also act as a nucleus of multiple social welfare services provided by the Government, including health, early childhood care and education, women's education, adult education etc. (6.5.11)

156. Modern technological aids should be introduced only when their role is established on the basis of the class room experience through a participative mode involving teachers and teachers-trainers; any hasty measure to introduce such aids (e.g. radiocassette player, TV or VCR) would only lead to waste of valuable resources. These should be introduced only where teacher asks for the same based on full needs.

Operation Blackboard

157. The question of continuance of Operation Blackboard as a centrally sponsored scheme may be treated in the light of recommendations made by the Committee in regard to Centrally Sponsored Schemes as a whole in the Chapter on Decentralisation and Participative Management. (6.6.6)

158. The State Governments should devolve all decisionmaking powers concerning Operation Blackboard to the Educational Complexes which would seek consultation from DIETs on the one hand, and the concerned school and the Village Education Committee, on the other hand, for planning and implementing the scheme. (6.6.6)

159. The schools and the Village Education Committees, made fully responsible for UEE in their respective areas, should

undertake a micro-planning exercise for working out their requirements under Operation Blackboard and be accountable for its implementation. (6.6.6)

160. Operation Blackboard must be given the status of one of the priority strategies for UEE, but, at the same time, it should be ensured that investment is made only on those items whose need has been established by the teachers and other related persons on the basis of micro-planning and class room requirements. (6.6.6)

161. For posting women teachers in the villages, it would be best to select them locally, wherever possible, or else make provision for their accommodation, security and other support services. (6.6.6)

Measure to `Reach Out' to Children

162. Provide each habitation with a population of 300 or more with at least one Primary School by the year 2000 (this implies an additional 1.22 lakh schools as per 1986 data). In the meantime, each such habitation may be served by a `para-teacher', linked to the nearest Primary School. (6.9.0)

163. Provide each habitation with a population of 500 or more with at least one Middle School by the year 2000 (this implies 2.5 lakh additional schools as per 1986 data). In the meantime, each such habitation may be served by a `para-teacher', linked to the nearest Middle School. (6.9.0)

164. A network of `para-schools', linked to the nearest Primary School, should be started such that all unserved habitations with population of less than 300 would be served by at least one `para- school' by the end of the Eighth Five Year Plan period. (6.9.0)

165. A network of `para-schools', linked to the nearest Middle School, should be started such that every child has access to a `para- middle school' within one km. of residence by the end of the Eighth Five Year Plan period. (6.9.0)

166. In starting `para-schools', whether at primary or middle level, priority should be given to the habitations having

enrolments and retention rates for girls below the State average. (6.9.0)

167. In order to reach out to the children who are engaged in the workforce during the day time or the girls engaged in domestic chores, it would be necessary to organise `para-schools' either early in the morning, afternoons or late in the evening, depending upon the convenience of the children. These `para-schools' may be run by the school teachers who reside in the same village or nearby. Alternatively, the school may recruit fresh `para-teachers' even for the habitations which have a school. (6.9.0)

168. For children who are engaged in wage labour in organised or unorganised sectors for durations extending beyond the stipulated 8 hour period and especially for those children who are engaged in hazardous industries*, it would be necessary to go beyond the measure of opening `para-school' within the habitation or in the evenings. For this `hardcore' measures involving provision for opportunity costs and mid-day meals may become necessary. In addition, strict implementation of child labour laws in such `hardcore areas' would become an essential `educational' task. (6.9.0)

Strategies and Measures for Achieving UEE

169. Make each school, primary or middle, fully responsible accountable or formulating and implementing strategies for UEE in villages/habitations/mohallas in the area under its coverage. For this purpose, vest the school with the necessary authority and autonomy to decide upon their mix of strategies and measures (e.g. adult education, para-schools, Operation Blackboard). Provide each school through the avenue of the Educational Complex adequate funds and intellectual resources to implement its programme of universalisation. (6.13.0)

170. Authorise the school Head Master/Head Mistress to recruit `para-teachers' (Shiksha Karmis) for reaching out either to unserved habitations or to those children who can not attend the school in the day hours. The issues of emoluments, rules

governing their probationary Period and eventual absorption in the school, and their training in an `Internship Model', have already been dealt with in this chapter. (6.13.0)

171. Encourage innovation by teachers themselves in building up diverse models of child-centred approach to education and create mechanisms for collating, integrating and disseminating the growing experience of the teaching community within and among Educational Complexes. (6.13.0)

172. In order to increase the relevance of education from the standpoint of working children, especially girls, it would be necessary to emphasise vocationalisation of the entire educational process upto Class VIII level. (6.13.0)

173. The goal of universalisation of education may be viewed in two phases-the first phase of Universalisation of Primary Education (UPE) and the second phase of UEE. While the school shall be expected to undertake micro-planning for UPE in association with the Educational Complex in the first phase itself, UEE may be allowed to grow organically out of the development of Primary Education. In the second phase, after achieving the goal of UPE, micro-planning for UEE would also become necessary and viable. (6.13.0)

174. Adopt the principle of differentiated or disaggregated targets and pluralistic educational strategies for achieving UEE. This mode of decentralised and participative planning provides scope for gender-specific, community-wise, Block-level and District-level, and regional parameters to inform the planning process. The national and State targets of UEE as well as resource allocation shall emerge from collection and integration of the disaggregated targets. (6.13.0)

175. Monitoring of the move towards UEE shall be integral to the planning process and may operate at three independent but co-ordinated levels-

(a) Within the Educational Complex, of individual schools;

(b) Within the district, of individual Educational Com- plexes; and

The reports of monitoring shall be made available publicly and discussed at specially organised fora with a view to build up public pressure for achieving UEE within this century. (6.13.0)

176. Express the learning outcome expected of schools and other educational programmes in concrete and easily communicable forms such that these would inform the public criteria and process of monitoring, questioning and intervening in the system. This may take the shape of monthly or yearly community functions in which the general public may participate in collective evaluation of children and the school, and also offer concrete support, financial and otherwise, for the improve- ment of the school. In this way, create community-based mechanisms and structures for organising a nation-wide process of community empowerment and thereby build a countervailing pressure on the school system to perform and achieve UEE. (6.13.0)

Monitoring and Data Gathering

177. In order to monitor progress towards UEE, it is essential that we move beyond the stage of enrolment and retention. Data must be gathered on actual attendance in class rooms, attainment in learning and equally, if not more importantly, on aptitude towards productive work and attitude towards society. It is only by perceiving UEE in terms of such attributes of education that the whole exercise would acquire a social significance.

UNIVERSALISATION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION