Premium - Gist of Kurukshetra Magazine: December 2013
RURAL EDUCATION – THE WAY FORWARD
Education is the single most important instrument for social
and economic transformation of the country. A well educated population,
adequately equipped with knowledge and skill is not only essential to support
economic growth, but is also a precondition for growth to be inclusive since it
is the educated and skilled person who can stand to benefit most from the
employment opportunities which growth will provide. In India, considerable
emphasis has been given to literacy, school enrolment, and network of schools
and spread of institutions of higher education including technical education
over the decades.
The literacy rate has gone up from 18.33 percent in 1951 to
64.84 percent in 2001. The decade of 1990s has been a watershed for basic
education as the Census 2001 showed 12.63 percentage point increase in literacy,
the highest since 1951. As per Census 2011, the literacy rate increased further
by 9.20 percentage points to reach 74%. Female literacy increased at a faster
rate (11.79%) than that for males (6.88%). The gender gap in
literacy declined from 21.59% in 2001 to 16.68% in 2011. The number of literates
increased by 218 million and illiterates, declined by 31 million.
The National Literacy Mission has been recast with a renewed
focus on female literacy and a new mission ‘SAAKSHAR SHARAT’ has been launched
targeting 60 million women and 10 million men. School education and Literacy
has, thus, been given the highest priority in Plan allocation. Universal
Elementary Education (UEE) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) since its Inception In
2001-02 as the main vehicle for providing elementary education to all children
in the 6-14 years age-group has made considerable progress in universalization
of elementary education {UEE}. However, with the Right to Education {RTE} Act,
2009 having come into effect from April 2010, it is now a fundamental right of
all children to demand eight years of quality elementary education. Effective
enforcement of this right requires that vision, strategies and norms of the SSA
are aligned with the mandate under the RTE. To achieve UEE in a planned and time
bound manner, a much higher level of funding and also better targeting of
uncovered and under covered population will be necessary. Isolated habitations,
educationally backward blocks and districts shall require special attention.
Flexible approach and concerted efforts are needed to reach out to the Out of
School Children (OoSC) including children with special needs and street
children. Bridging the social and gender gaps in enrollment with regard to SC,
STs and minorities would receive special attention. Given the fact that several
States face serious limitations of funds in implementation of the RTE,
innovative ways would have to be found to address resource constraints.
