(Premium) Gist of Kurukshetra Magazine: October 2012

Premium - Gist of Kurukshetra Magazine: October 2012

Content

Sarva Shikha Abhiyan

  • Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA) (2001) is a flagship centrally sponsored schemefor universalization of elementary education being implemented on a sharing arrangement basis between the centre and the state in the ratio 75: 25 This programme aims at :

  • Mandatory recruitment of at lest 50% female teachers under sarve Shiksha Abhiyan

  • Separate launching of a National programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Levels (NPEGEL), under SSA in educational backward Blocks,

  • Launching of residential schools for girls under Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya comes for out of school girls,

  • Mahila sanhas under Mahila samkhya scheme for women’s empowerment,

  • Sceme of free education for girl child at elementary level.

Impact Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan-At a Glance

  • 96.7% of all-14 year olds in rural India are enrolled in school. This number has held steady since 2010.

  • Nationally, private school enrollment has risen year after year for the 6-14 age groups, increasing from18% in 2006 to 25.6% in 2011. These increases are visible in all states except Bihar

  • Nationally, reading levels are estimated to have declined in many states across North India. TheAll India figure for the proportion of children in STD V able to read a STD2 level text has dropped from 53.7% in 2010 to 48.%2 in 2011 Such declines are not visible in the southern states.

  • Basic arithmetic levels estimated in ASER 2011 showa decline. For example, nationally, the proportion of STD III children able to solve a 2 digit subtraction problem with borrowing has dropped from 36.3% in 2010 to 29% in 2011. Among STD V Children, the ability to do similar subtraction problems has dropped from 70.9% in 2010 to 61% in 2011.

  • At the All India, children’s attendance shows a decline from 73. %4 in 2007 to 70.9% in 2011 in rural primary schools.

  • Nationally for rural government primary schools, data suggests that over half of all classes visited are multigrade. For example, all India standard 2 was sitting with one or more other classes in 58.3% of STD 2classes in primary schools were sitting with another class. This figure is 53% for std 4

  • Between Fy 2008-9 and Fy 2010-11 the flow SSA grants to Schools improved significantly. However, this improvement occurred largely between Fy 2008-9 and -10 In fact a marginal decrease in the proportion of schools receiving grants is observed between Fy 2009-10 and 2010- 11 The data suggest that schools tend to get their grants during the second half of the fiscal year,

  • At the All India level, there has been a marginal improvement in the proportion of schools complying with RTE norms on pupil- teacher ratio, from38.%9% in 2010 to 40.7%in 2011

  • Nationally, the proportion of schools with no provision for drinking water remained almost the same -17.0% in 2010 and 16.6%in 2011.(a) Strengthening school infrastructure by constructing new building and upgrading the existing building (b) providing teacher and also building their capacities through training, (c) Seeks to provide quality education including life skills, (d) Promoting community participation in primary education by formulating Village Education Committees and involving them in planning and raising community contribution for primary education, (e) It aims at bridging social, regional and gender gaps in literacy and primary education, (f) It focuses on girl’s education to bridge the digital divide. (g) Development on the lines of SSA is expected to bring in the desired investments The Rashtriya Madhymik ShikhaAbhijan (RMSA), designed by ministry of Human Resource in secondary Education and facilitate the process of universalizing secondary education in the country (g) It seeks to provide computer education to bridge the digital divide.

CABE & the Importance on VEC

The central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) set up a committee on decentralized management in 1993 to formulate the guidelines on decentralization reforms in education in the context of the 73rd amendment of the constitution. According to these guidelines, the three tires panchayati Raj Institutions would form Committee (VEC) being the lowest at the village levels. The village Education Committee (VEC),the lowest at the village levels Committee on elementary education was first set up in 1998 (West Bengal) under the West Bengal Government notification. It was required under the District primary Education programme (DPEP), sponsored by the Department of International Development, of the British Government, which initially covered five district of west Bengal. It took another six years for the state Government to initiate VECs Through out the state as part of the sarva Shikha Abhijan (SSA) programme (2003). After launching of the SSAin 2001, Village Education Committee (VEC) were sought to be introduced in every Gram Sansad (Village Council) area of all the districts of the state and re constituted in viewof the changes in objectives and the target group of universal elementary education. The composition of the VEC was:

  1. Gram panchayati member of the respective Gram Sansad area,

  2. Head teacher of the primary school located in the Gram Sansad area,

  3. Siksha sahayikas of SSKs Functioning in the concerned Gram Sansad,

  4. Anganwadi worker (ICDS) of the concerned sansad,

  5. One or more Members from the managing committee of nearby upper primary school/MSK /shift School,

  6. Six or more parent members including one parent member of disabled Children

  7. Three nominated members; one person interested in education, one person from SC/ ST community and one person from minority community,

The above composition of VEC includes representation of teachers/ parents of all the educational Initiatives Undertaken in village under different Government schemes. Grampanchayati member of the concerned Gram Sansad area as a member of VEC acted as chairperson of VEC and head teacher of the concerned primary school acted as sectary of VEC Gram panchayati have the power to monitor and evaluate the activities of VEC. Village Education Committee dissolves only by the recommendation of concerned Gram Panchayati to panchayati samiti. The Gram has the power advice to recommendation any VEC of their jurisdiction. The panchayati bodies are entrusted with sufficient power in both constitutions and monitoring of the Village Education Committee, The VEC, lowest level education committee in primary school gave ample scope to people participation in elementary education. This committee evaluates the all aspects of elementary education in primary schools. This Committee also gives their valuable suggestion for the betterment.

Main Features of Right to Education Act

The year 2009 is a land mark year in the development of the history of elementary education, as the Government finally managed to pass the 86thamendment to the constitution that made Right to Education (RTE) a fundamental right.

The main features of Right to Education ACT are—

  1. Free and compulsory education to all children of India in 6 to 14 age group

  2. No child shall be help back, expelled of required to pass a board examination until completion of elementary education:

  3. A Child who completes elementary education (up to from class VIII) shall be awarded a certificate.

  4. Calls for a Fixed student teacher ratio

  5. Will apply to all of India except Jammu and Kashmir: Provides for 25% reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in admission to class in all private schools.

  6. Mandates Improvement in quality of education.

  7. School teachers will need adequate professional degree within five years of else will lose Job.

  8. School Infrastructure to be improved in three years, else recognition cancelled.

  9. Financial burden will be shared between state and central government.

  10. No child shall be subjected to physical punishment of mental harassment.

  11. Screening procedure shall be punishable with fine.

  12. To constitute a school management committee consisting of the elected representatives of children.

  13. No teacher shall be deployed for any non- educational purposes.

  14. No teacher shall engage him self of herself in private tuition.

Right to Education Act (2009) is a landmark initiatives of Govt. for strengthening education  system In India. Under this Act it is mandatory to complete elementary education of all children. Now Education is fundamental Right of every Indians at primary level.

At present 96.5% of children in the 6 to age group in rural India are enrolled in school 71.1 percent of these children are enrolled in private schools. The proportion of girl students, who are out schools, has declined rapidly. The percentages of five years olds enrolled in schools increased 54.6 percent to 62.8 percent in 2010.

During the last six decades, India’s per capita GDP increased three times, while literacy rates increased 3.5 times and Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at elementary education level increased 2.5 times, while India has made
tremendous progress in improving its literacy rates than countries in south Asia and sub sanaran Africa, It is still below the world and developing country’ average.

With the Right to Education Act Coming into force, India has joined the league of over 130 countries which have legal guarantees to provide free and compulsory education to children. According to the UNSCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2010’, about 135 countries have constitutional provisions for All in India the Right to Education LAW, providing free and compulsory schooling to schooling to children in the 6-14 year age bracket, came into force with the new education act now, 1st April, 2010 with the new education act Now, India has joined some 20 other countries Including Afghanistan, China and which have laws guaranteeing free and compulsory education for eight years of elementary education.

International Recognition of Education as a Human Right

The right to education is marked priority on the agenda of the international community since it is quintessential for the exercise of all other human rights. A number of human rights treaties accepted and recognized internationally, identifies right to education as a fundamental aspect for development and social transformation.

The right to education is clearly acknowledged in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of human Rights (UDHR), adopted in 1948, which states:

“Everyone has the right to education shall be Free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and
higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit” (Article 26).

Provision For Gender Equality

Article 15(1) States: “the shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth of any of them”

Article 15(3) states "nothing in this article shall prevent the state from making any special provision for women and children”

Article 16(1) States: “there shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment of nay office under the state”

Article 39(a) States: “the citizens, men and women equally have the right to an adequate means of Livelihood”

SOME CAUSES OF EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY

Studies across the globe pointed out that the main causes are slower economic growth, rising poverty and budget pressure in this respect.

  • Poverty

  • Conservative outlook of the parents

  • Early marriages of girls and purdah system

  • Parents’ preference for boy’s education to girls’ causation.

  • Unwilling to educate under male teachers etc

  • Lack of qualified women teachers

  • Lack of proper security measures for girl students and women teachers

  • Lack of awareness of the necessity of education for girls in rural areas:

  • Inadequate means of communication in rural areas:

  • Girls Involvement in the household work

  • Poor quality of instruction in school

  • Corruption at all levels and at all places is root cause of it. Out of hundred rupees allocated to any Scheme, only twenty rupees reaches the target level.

Some Causes of Educational Inequality

  • Awareness for educating the girls should be developed in the parents specially in the conservative ones

  • Facilities like- Flexibility in the timetable provision of uniforms, midday meals, book, incentives and scholarship, means of transport etc.

  • Government should try to establish schools in every village.

  • Non-formal education facilities may be provided to suit the convenience of the girls.

  • Trained lady teachers should be appointed

  • Mass media like television and radio should broadcast programmers which help in creating a conducive atmosphere in favors of girls’ education in the rural villages.

  • Efficient ladies may be appointed in the administrative field of women’s education understand the problems of girls.

  • Ensuring safety of girl students and women teachers.

  • Providing better service condition and residential facilities for teachers in rural areas

  • More special arrangements and provisions should be made for The proper education of the disabled girl child

Some Measures for Removing Educational Inequality

  • Awareness for educating the girls should be developed in the parents specially in the conservative ones

  • Facilities like- Flexibility in the timetable provision of uniforms, midday meals, book, incentives and scholarship, means of transport etc.

  • Government should try to establish schools in every village.

  • Non-formal education facilities may be provided to suit the convenience of the girls.

  • Trained lady teachers should be appointed

  • Mass media like television and radio should broadcast programmers which help in creating a conducive atmosphere in favors of girls’ education in the rural villages.

  • Efficient ladies may be appointed in the administrative field of women’s education understand the problems of girls.

  • Ensuring safety of girl students and women teachers.

  • Providing better service condition and residential facilities for teachers in rural areas

  • More special arrangements and provisions should be made for The proper education of the disabled girl child

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS FULL MATERIAL

Downloads
Magazine
Study Material
IAS - INDIAN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
UPSC