 MAJOR INTERVENTIONS SINCE 1986

Major interventions in the years since 1986 include :

1. Operation Blackboard

This programme is designed for improvement of primary schools and provision of support services. it envisages conversion of all single teacher schools into double teacher schools ensuring that at least one of the teachers is a woman and provide all such schools at least two reasonably large rooms.

Under this scheme 1,10,000 teachers (of them 57 per cent were women) have been recruited and 1,36,000 class-rooms were constructed. This scheme has been expanded to cover upper primary schools and also provide a third teacher to primary schools with enrolment more than 100.

2. Non-formal Education (NFE)

This has become an important alternative channel for children who cannot attend full time schools. Although the focus of the centrally sponsored scheme of NFE is still on the ten educationally backward states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, it covers urban slums, hilly, tribal and desert areas and areas with concentration of working children in the other states as well.

Financial responsibility is shared by the Central and state Governments in the ratio of 50:50 for co-educational centres and 90:10 for girls'NFE centres. Assistance to the extent of 100 per cent is provided to voluntary agencies for running NFE centres for experimen- tal and innovative projects.

The number of NFE centres increased from 126,000 in 1986 to 255,000 by March, 1994 and the enrolment from 3.65 million to 6.4 million. During this period the number of girls centres has incresed from 20,500 to 96,766. Over 425 voluntary agencies are participating in this programme. Alongside, around 50 experimental and innovative projects and 22 district resource units are in operation for in-depth work. Though the coverage has expanded a major challenge is the de-

velopment and scaling up of effective NFE models that can help the learners to learn at their own pace.

3. Minimum Levels of Learning

The NCERT has developed the National Curricular Framework and within this framework the minimum levels of learning have been laid down for primary level and concerted steps are being taken to achieve these levels.

The strategy to improve learning acquisition in school focuses attention on what is happening in the class room, and seeks to bring the principles of equity, quality and relevance to bear upon it. The strategy aims to lay down learning outcomes expected from basic education at a realistic, relevant and functional level, prescribes the adoption of measures that would ensure that all children who com- plete a stage of schooling achieve these outcomes. These outcomes define the Minimum Levels of Learning common to both school and equivalent NFE programme.

The main steps by which MLLs are being introduced in schools are:

i) an assessment of the existing level of learning achievement;

ii) a definition of the MLLs for the area and the time-frame within which it will be achieved;

iii) reorientation of teaching practices to competency based teaching;

iv) an introduction of continuous comprehensive evalu- ation of student learning;

v) review the textbooks and revision, if required;

vi) the provision of inputs as necessary including provision of physical facilities, teacher training, supervision and evaluation, etc., to improve learning acquisition to the MLLs.

The endeavour is to monitor learning achievement, to direct greater resources where levels of learning are lower, and to consciously accelerate the

pace of development in the needy areas, thereby to reduce disparities, equalise standards and govern inputs for quality improvement in the performance of the system.

4. Teacher Training

The NPE perceives teacher education as a continuous process and its pre-service and in-service components being inseparable have been incorporated in the new restructured programme of teacher education initated in 1987. Setting up of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) is a significant institutional mechanism in this direction. Eventually DIETs are expected to provide academic and resource support to basic education and also to engage in action research and innovation. As of now, DIETs are being set up in 380 districts out of the 462 districts in the country; in 190 districts DIETs are already conducting training programmes. It is proposed to set up 425 DIETs by the end of the eighth plan (1997-98). Efforts are afoot to strengthen the SCERTs so that they can provide the resource back up.

5. The National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE)

NCTE has been setup as a statutory body for determination and maintenance of standards of teacher education. This is expected to improve the quality of pre-service training, and upgradate the syllabi and curricula of teacher training programmes.