POLICY PRIORITIES AND GOALS
 

Policy Priorities

The late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi called for a comprehensive review of the existing educational system and the National Policy of Education (NPE) came into effect in 1986. Within the comprehensive framework enunciated by the NPE (1986), the developments and experiences since then were incorporated into the NPE in 1992 and a revised Programme of Action POA (1992) was formulated. Along with its Programme of Action (POA), the NPE provides a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education. Overall, the NPE is committed to:

address all aspects of education: equity, efficiency, relevance, quality, content and process, linkages with culture, values, society, polity and economy, resources and management.

emphasize the organic unit of early childhood education, primary education, non-formal education, adult education and post literacy and life long continuing education.

tilt the balance away from quantitative expansion of institutions towards quality and equity.

give unqualified priority to UEE, adult literacy and education for women's equality; this priority is reflected in the budget allocations during the current Five Year Plan (1992-97).

Shift the emphasis from enrolment per se to enrolment as well as retention and achievement.

NPE, 1986 also broke away from stereotyped confines of thinking and promoted thoughtful introspection and key strategies such as:

i) the shift from the States to the district as the unit of planning for implementation of elementary education and adult literacy;

ii) social mobilisation to promote basic eduction; and

iii) integration of adult literacy and non-formal programmes with socially relevant themes such as small population norms, health care, environment and nutrition.

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THE GOALS OF EFA IN INDIA

UNIVERSALISATION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION : TIRE CUTTING EDGE

Against the background of the demographic implications and the complex ground realities of the Indian scene, the goals of Education for AD (EFA) in India constitute :

1. Expansion of Early Childhood Care and Development Activities especially for poor, disadvantaged and disabled children, through a multi-pronged effort involving families, communities and appropriate institutions.

2. Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) viewed as a composite programme of :

access to elementary education for all children upto 14 years of age;

universal participation till they complete the elementary stage through formal or equivalent non-formal education programmes;

universal achievement of atleast minimum levels of learning.

3. Drastic Reduction in Illiteracy, particularly in the 15-35 age- group, bringing the literacy level in this age group to atleast 80 per cent in each gender and for every identified disadvantaged group, besides ensuring that the levels of the three R's are relevant to the living and working conditions of the people.

4. Provision of opportunities to maintain, use and upgrade education and provision of facilities for development of skills to a persons who are functionally literate and those who have received primary education through formal and non-formal channels.

5. Creation of necessary structures, and the setting in motion of processes which could empower women and make education an instrument of women's equality.

6. improving the content and process of education to relate it better to the environment, people's culture and with their living and working conditions, thereby enhancing their ability to learn and cope with the problems of livelihood and environment.

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