ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
The education policy of the Government in the post independence era has been to provide free and compulsory education to all children atleast upto the elementary stage. Recongnising the need for literate population and provision of elementary education as a crucial input for nation building, the Government's stand was reiterated in the National Policy on Education, 1986 (NPE) and the Programme of Action 1992, to work towards provision of education of satisfactory quality to all children upto 14 years of age before the commencement of the 21st century.
The strategy for the VIII Five Year Plan has the following three broad parameters.
Universal Access i) Universal enrolment of all children, including girls and persons belonging to SC/ST;
ii) Provision of primary school within one km. of walking distance and facility of non-formal education for school dropouts, working children and girls who cannot attend formal schools;
iii) Improvement of ratio of upper primary to primary schools from the existing 1:4 to 1:2;
Universal Retention iv) Reduction of dropout rates between class 1 to V and VI to VIII from the existing 46% and 60% to 20% and 40% respectively.
Universal Achievement v) Achievement of minimum levels of learning by almost all children at the primary level, and introduction of this concept at the upper primary stage.
Progress over the Years The concerted efforts over the years have improved performance in enrolment and resulted in increase in institutions, teachers as shown in Table below:
12
No. of Institutions (in lakhs)
1950-51 1994-95
Primary Schools
(Classes I-V) 2.10 5.8
Upper Primary Schools 0.13 1.6
(Classes VI-VIII)
2.23 7.4
No. of Teachers (in lakhs)
Primary Schools
(Classes I-V) 5.38 17.14
Upper Primary schools 0.36 11.22
(Classes VI-VIII)
5.74 28.36
Gross Enrolment
1950-51 1994-95
Primary stage
Total Enrolment (in millions) 19.2 109.0
Gross Enrolment Ratio (%age) 43.1 104.5
Upper Primary Stage
Total Enrolment (in millions) 3.1 40.2
Gross Enrolment Ratio(%age) 12.0 67.2
In pursuance of constitutional directives all State governments have abolished tuition fees in the government, local body and aided schools upto the upper primary level.
13
Accessibility of schooling facilities is no longer a major problem. 8.25 lakh habitations covering 94% of the country's population have now schooling facilities within one km. distance at primary stage. At upper primary stage also 726 lakh habitations covering 83% of rural population have a school within 3 km. distance. Enrolment ratio is 104 for classes I-V and 67 for classes VI-VIII.
Gender Disparities Gender disparities are conspicuous in regard to enrolment and retention. Girls' enrolment has grown at primary stage from 5.4 million in 1950-51 to 46.8 million in 1994-95 and at upper primary stage from 0.5 million to 15.8 million. The rate of growth of enrolment of girls has been higher than that of boys. But disparities still persist as girls still account for only 42.8% of enrolment at primary stage and 38.9% at upper primary stage. The drop out rates of girls is much higher than those of boys at primary and upper primary stages.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes According to the 1991 census, the population of Scheduled Castes (SCs) was 138.12 million (16.33%) and that of Scheduled Tribes (STs) 67.8 million (8.01%) of the country's population.
Both SC and ST population are not homogeneous target groups in all respects. There are wide variations between different SC and ST groups regionally. Thus SC girls in Kerala ara likely to be better placed than non-SC boys in some of the more backward states and districts.
Because of the affirmative policies of the government, the enrolment of SCs and STs has increased considerably at the primary stage. The participation of SCs and STs at the primary level is now more or less in proportion to their share in population. Drop outs, though declining over the years, are significantly large. Gender disparities are very conspicuous among SCs and STs also.
Strategy Frame In order to achieve Universalisation of Elementary Education by 2000 AD, following key strategies have been worked out in consultations with States and UTs:
14
a) overcome the problem of school drop outs and lay emphasis on retention and achievement rather than on merely enrolment;
b) Strengthen the alternatives of schooling, particularly the Non- Formal Education system for working children, girls and children from other disadvantaged or marginalised sections of the society.
c) Shift focus from educationally backward states to educationally backward districts.
d) Adopt disaggregated approach with a focus on preparation of district specific and population specific plans;
e) Provide universal access of schooling facilities, particularly to girls, disaggregated groups and out-of-school children;
f) Improve school effectiveness; teacher competence, training and motivation.
g) Introduce Minimum Levels of Learning for enhancement of learners, achievement; micro planning will provide the framework of universal access and universal participation while MLLs would be the strategy for universal achievement.
h) overall planning and management and stress on participative processes;
i) Converge different, schemes of elementary education and related services such as early childhood care and education and school health and nutrition programmes etc.
Operation Blackboard The National Policy on Education, 1986 recognising the unattractive school environment, unsatisfactory condition of buil- dings and insufficiency of instructional material in primary schools, which function as demotivating factors for enrolment and retention, called for a drive symbolically called "Operation Black- board" for substantial improvement in the quality of primary schools. The scheme was started in 1987-88 to bring all existing primary schools in the country to a minimum standard of physical facilities by providing them with:-
15
i) At least two reasonably large all weather rooms alongwith separate toilet facilities for boys and girls;
ii) At least two teachers as far as possible one of them a woman; and
iii) Essential teaching and learning material including blackboards, maps, charts, a small library, toys and games and some equipment for work experience;
Achievements Under operation Blackboard
Physical
(In lakhs)
Coverage Sanction Construc-
of of tion of
Schools Teachers Classrooms
Target 5.23 1.53 2.63
Acheievements 5.23 1.50 1.62
Out of 1.50 lakh teachers sanctioned, 1.43 lakh posts have been filled up.
Expanded OB 8th Plan Targets Achievements
Sanction of Third 42,000 (30%) 23,000
Teacher
Coverage of Upper 47,000 (30%) 33,600
primary schools
It is proposed to sanction teaching learning equipment to 13,400 upper primary schools and sanction third teacher to about 10000 primary schools during the remaining part of the financial year 1995-96.
During the current year as well as the next year the thrust is essentially on monitoring of the system and close follow up with the States on the
16
progress and utilisation of the funds sanctioned under the scheme. It is proposed to set up a system of concurrent monitoring and evaluation of the scheme through external agencies from the current financial year. This is expected to provide feedback on areas which might require further strengthening. Because of constant monitoring the utilisation of funds by States has gone up from 71% during 1993-1994 to 79% during 1994-95.
Non Formal Education National Policy on Education, 1986 envisages a large and systematic programme of non-formal education as an integral component of the strategy to achieve UEE.
The scheme lays emphasis on organisation, flexibility, relevance of curriculum, diversity in learning activity to suit the needs of learners through decentralised management. The scheme primarily covers the educationally backward states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. It also covers Urban Slums, hilly, desert and tribal areas and areas with concentration of working children in other states as well. Special emphasis is on girls and SCs and STs, working children, who cannot attend school.
At present, the scheme is being implemented in 21 States/UTs. Under the scheme, central assistance is provided to States/UTs and Voluntary agencies on the following pattern:
1. Co-educational centres and 60%
administrative support
2. Exclusively girls centres 90%
3. Centres run by Voluntary 100%
Agencies.
National Programme of Nutrition Support to Primary Education For the first time in the country a nation-wide programme of Nutritional support to Primary Education was launched on 15th August, 1995. The programme is intended to give a boost to universalisation of primary education by increasing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving the nutrition status of students in primary classes.
17
District Primary Education Programme The District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) is a national initiative to achieve UEE through district level intervention. The overall goal of the programme is the reconstruction of primary education system to operationalise the strategy of UEE through decentralised planning and management, disaggregated target setting, community mobilisation and district and population specific planning.
DPEP moves away from the earlier schematic seggregated approach and takes a holistic view of elementary education. It goes beyond the conventional packages such as opening of new schools and appointing new teachers but addresses the issues of content, process, quality and equity in education. The fundamental principle of DPEP is to evolve strategy at State and District level which are replicable and sustainable.
Minimum Levels of Learning India is one of the few developing countries which took initiative to lay-down Minimum levels of Learning to be achieved at primary stage. It is a part of larger curriculum reforms to achieve greater relevance and functionalities in Primary Education.
Teacher Education The scheme of restructuring and reorganising teacher education envisages strengthening of the institutional base of teacher training and also taking up special programmes for training of teachers in specified areas and other non-instructional programmes of orientation of teachers.
National Council for Teacher Education National Council for Teacher Education has been set up for providing proper maintenance of norms and standards for teachers education system apart from its planned and coordinated development.
Bal Bhavan Society of India Bal Bhavan Society of India, New Delhi is an autonomous institution fully funded by the Government of India and has been contributing towards enhancing creativity amongst children in the age group of 5-16 Years specially from the weaker sections of the society.
18
Shiksha Karmi Project Rajasthan Shiksha Karmi Project is being implemented in Rajasthan with the assistance from Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). The project aims at universalisation and qualitative improvement of primary education in remote and socioeconomically backward villages with focus on girls. The project also identifies teacher absenteeism.
Bihar Education Project Bihar Education Project is a basic education project aims at bringing out qualitative improvement in the educational system and through it in overall socio-cultural sitatuion in Bihar. It envisages to cover, in a phased manner, 150 blocks spread over 20 Districts over a 5-Year period ending 1995-96. Special emphasis has been laid on education of SCs/STs and women. Major activities during 1995-96 include operationalisation of Village Education Committee, participation of Community in enrolment drive, workshop on Microplanning and school maping, construction/repairs of school building, drinking water facilities in schools, special orientation/inservice training of teachers, extension of Mahila Samakhya programme.
Lok Jumbish It is an innovative peoples movement on education for all, undertaken in Rajasthan with assistance from SIDA.
19