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India Education For All. Overview of Progress and Challenges. E-9 Ministerial Meeting 8-10, November 2012 New Delhi, India. Overview. Diverse contexts and conditions – consists of 35 States and Union Territories About 1.3 million schools of which 87% are in rural areas
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IndiaEducation For All Overview of Progress and Challenges E-9 Ministerial Meeting 8-10, November 2012 New Delhi, India
Overview • Diverse contexts and conditions – consists of 35 States and Union Territories • About 1.3 million schools of which 87% are in rural areas • Involves around 190 million children and 6 million teachers at the elementary stage of education • Demographic changes – increasing youth population – shrinking cohort of children entering primary schools
Overview of ProgressUniversal Primary Education and Literacy • Access – Universal access to all within the neihbourhood • Primary Enrolment Ratios – Near Universal at 97% • Primary Completion rate – around 70% - cause for concern • Literacy – 81% - on track for achieving 2015 goal
Overview of ProgressTowards Gender Equality • Significant reduction in gender disparity but needs improvement • Ratio of boys to girls in education – near parity in primary level - but still at around 0.87 overall and Gender parity index in literacy is around 0.84 – youth literacy is near parity • One of the major focus areas being pursued –special programmatic thrusts
Overview of ProgressMajor Programmatic Initiatives • SarvaShikshaAbhiyan – Programme for Universalisation of Elementary Education • Universal provision of Mid-Day Meals in schools • Integrated Child Development Programme covering all children of 0-6 years • RashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyan – Programme for Universalisation of Secondary Education • Sakshar Bharat – National Literacy Programme with special focus on Youth and women
Right to EducationEducation as a Fundamental Right • Landmark event • Amendment to Constitution in 2002 • Right To Education Act notified in April 2010 • Making Free and Compulsory Education a basic Right - Looking to ensure that all children not only have access to education but access to education of good quality
Right to Education ActSome Key Provisions • Rights and Entitlements of children • Ensuring Participation of Children in Schools – Responsibility of the State • Specifies Teacher qualifications, Pupil Teacher Ratio • Benchmark for Schools - Specification of infrastructure and academic provisions • Nature of Curriculum – Teaching Learning Process – Child Centred – National Values • Independent Bodies at Central and State levels for Monitoring the Protection of Child Rights – National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
Right to Education ActSome Key Provisions Focus on Equity and Social Justice • Special Provisions made for marginalised groups - Scheduled Caste children, tribal groups, children with special needs • New Framework for Participation of Private providers - 25% reservation for children from disadvantaged groups Child friendly classrooms • Ban on corporal punishment and classroom free of fear and anxiety • Calls for education through mother tongue (Without making it compulsory)
Continuing Challenges • Retaining children in Schools to complete elementary with particular focus on girls and the disadvantaged – Around 40% children aged 6-14 years drop out without completing 8 years of schooling • Strategy – (a) Special Training to mainstream out of school children and drop outs – age appropriate classes ; (b) Programmes for girls including residential schools; (c) Mid-day Meals for all; (d) Draw support from NGOs
Continuing Challenges • Problem of Qualified Teachers - Around one million additional teachers to be recruited and trained to meet RTE norms. • Strategy – (a) Teacher Eligibility Tests to improve quality; (b) Additional Teacher Training Institutions in Educationally Backward Blocks; (c) Use of Modern Technology and open learning systems for professional development of Practicing Teachers
Continuing Challenges • Enhancing Learning Outcomes – Independent assessments as well as Surveys by NCERT show that majority of children completing 5 yrs of schooling lack basic competencies • Strategy - Special programme of Quality Enhancement – (a) Curriculum and Textbooks Reform (National Curriculum Framework); (b) Reforming classroom teaching – Ability Based Learning; (c) Revamping Learner Evaluation – Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
Continuing Challenges • Out-of-school Adolescents and Young Adults – Large number still fail to complete schooling and enter the world of work • Strategy – (a) Special Programmes of life skills for Adolescents and Youth – through National Literacy Mission; (b) Expansion of open schooling network to reach the unreached; (c) Assessing and certifying skills acquired through non-formal education under the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF)