“Key challenges in elementary education and way forward”

“Key challenges in elementary education and way forward”

The public school system in India is not functioning; however government schools have a big responsibility in providing education to all. Broadly challenges in elementary education could be seen in five categories. first challenges within households and community, second within school education system third quality of education, fourth participation of children, community in system , and fifth parallel education system.

Historical marginalization of community in terms of social, political and economy creates discrimination based on caste, class and gender. It has created nuances on children also like dalit children do not have access to the school in upper caste area. Even some of them access to school they have been facing discrimination from the upper caste teacher; the class room sitting arrangement is also have reflection caste system of society. Parents do not send their children to school because they work in field or engage in income generation activities. There is also gender discrimination girl child are less prefer than male child to sending children to school. 200 million women can not read or write in India. 1991 census shows that 40 per cent women aged seven or above were literate, this figure goes up to 54 per cent in 2001 and if this is the speed of literacy growth then by when we will have 100 per cent women literacy India is big questions for all of us.

The challenges in schools are as follows: Comptroller and Auditor General of India reports found 40 per cent children 6 to 14 years out of school. It is one of repercussions that some of the remote areas of rural India do not have school, even some of the areas have school but it is too far (beyond 1 k.m.) for the children to go to school daily on time. There is no transportation facility to attend the school, hence children are denied from elementary education. Some of the schools are there, but there is no infrastructure, no class room, no water facility, toilet which some times are fatal for children. 75000 primary schools around the country have one teacher and nearly 7000 schools have no teacher. Many schools have teachers but they have not coming to teach children. Teachers are giving children corporal punishment and also some times children are physically and mentally abused by the teacher.

Third but very important quality of education, parents are fed up because even they send their children to school in adverse condition but after completing elementary education they are unable to write read alphabets which is very discouraging to community. Community also sees the education linked to employment, present education system takes away the youth from their culture and traditional way of livelihood. They do not left away with any option after secondary education. Children lose interest in education which also cause drop out because in their curriculum does not reflect their association with the study. Curriculum depicts different context and culture and same material is universal for all. The books material is also not attractive for children to study because it has been developed in perspective of elder ones.

Fourth participation of community and children in education system is abysmal. Concepts of village education committee came but it has value on paper only. Engagement of village communities in education reforms by involving parents in VEC has only notional value. Supposedly most villages have VEC with parents as members but many do not know about it.

Fifth, there has been parallel system developed, in the same village we can find government, trust/NGO, private teacher all have been running school separately. Private schools are mushrooming all over the country. There is dismal performance of our government school, in many states enrolment in government school has been declining. There is no synergy in their work and institution building is required to create synergy. Even there is lack of coordination between state and central government. It can be justified by the example of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), it is flagship elementary education programme introduced in 2001 to provide education to all children has been a colossal failure. Eleven states have diverted SSA fund worth 999 million to sectors and schemes.