UNIVERSALIZATION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION UNDER DIFFERENT SCHEMES by International Education and Research Journal

Research Paper

Education

E-ISSN No : 2454-9916 | Volume : 5 | Issue : 5 | May 2019

UNIVERSALIZATION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION UNDER DIFFERENT SCHEMES Smriti Singh Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Education, Integral University, Lucknow, India. ABSTRACT Education is basic need of each and every child. It is an index of social, individual, economic development and progress of whole country. Elementary Education is the base of education pyramid. At this stage children learn many skill, habit formation, morality, adjustment with environment, know the world, culture, develop scientific temperament and logical thinking that will helped in carrier choice and succeed in future life. It is directed in article 45 of Indian Constitution provision of free and compulsory education up to age 14 and after 86th amendment Act 2002 made education a fundamental right for all children. In spite of these efforts universalization of elementary education cannot achieved its goal so Indian government has been started many schemes to hit the target. The current paper throws the light on various schemes like District Primary Education Program, Operation Blackboard, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, National Elementary Education Mission, Mid Day Meal and Non Formal Education etc. KEYWORDS: Elementary Education, Universalization of Elementary Education, Various Schemes. INTRODUCTION: Education is a lifelong process which make human superior to other living things. Education enhances our knowledge, learning skill, developing aptitude and values etc. It can also bring desirable changes in the behavior of the learner. Education is not only essential for the harmonious development of one's personality but also for the sustained growth of the nation. Education is being provided to the learner at different levels or stage like primary stage, secondary stage and higher stage. Primary education or elementary education is the foundation of the entire educational system. Elementary education is the first stage of compulsory education. It is preceded by pre-school or nursery education and followed by secondary education. Child normally enrolls in elementary education at the age of six. At this level child curiosity, creativity and activity should not confine by a rigid teaching learning methods. Elementary education plays an important role in developing the cultural, social, physical, moral, intellectual, emotional and spiritual aspects of child's personality. Universalization of elementary education has been established as a precondition to socio-economic and political development of society. In India UEE mean making education available to all children in the age group 6 to 14 or class I to VIII. It means 'education is for all' and nor for a selected few. This concept accepts that educations birth right of every child. Universalization of elementary education involves three steps: - universalization of provision, universalization of enrolment and universalization of retention. Universalization of provision means that school facilities should be provided to all children between the age group 6 to 14 years in the country. The school is easily accessible within walking distance of a child. Universalization of enrolment means all children between the age group 6 to 14 years must be enrolled either in formal school or non formal school. Universalization of retention means all enrolled should remain in school till they have completed eight year of schooling. If the child leaves the school in between, the ides of universalisation stands defeated and gives birth to problem of wastage. In the Article 45 “The state shall endeavor to provide within a period of ten years from the commencement of the constitution for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years”. The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002 made education a fundamental right for children in the age 6-14 years. It means that every child has a right to full time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfied certain essential norms and standard. Now every citizen has an equal opportunity to get education. The achievement of target of free and compulsory education is the great challenge. The central and state have been done efforts to achieve the goal of universalization of elementary education. The government of India has initiated new schemes for qualitative as well as quantitative improvement and reaching the goal of universaliztiton of elementary education. Operation Black-Board: The scheme of Operation Blackboard started in 1987, for bringing about improvement in primary education by providing additional facilities to the school already established in the country. Operation black board aimed to lead significant improvement in the services and facilities of primary schools that run by Government, Local bodies and Panchayati Raj and recognized related institutions.

Main Objectives of this scheme are: Provision of two large rooms with a deep veranda along with separate toilet for boys and girls.

Provision of at least two teachers, as far as possible, one of them female in every primary school.

Provision of essential teaching and learning material.

District Primary Education Programme (DPEP): The Scheme of DPEP was launched in 1994 as a national imitative to complete the objective of Universalization of Primary Education. The objectives of the programme are: Elementary education provide to all the children in formal or non formal way.

Provide free all the study material like textbooks, reading and writing materials to all SC, ST children and general girls.

Provide admission to Primary Education for all children.

Fundamental development in the school facilities for quality education.

To reduce drop-out rates for all students.

To reduce the difference in enrolment and learning achievement among gender and social groups.

To strengthen the state and district capacities for planning, management and evaluation of primary education.

To raise average achievement level by at least 25%.

Thus the overall goal of the programme is the reconstruction of primary education as a whole in the districts instead of stepwise implementation of the various schemes. Minimum Levels of Learning (MLL): This initiative was taken in 1991 to lay down Minimum level of learning to be achieved at the primary stage. M.L.L emerges from the basic concern that impartial of caste system, religious conviction, area or gender, all children must be given access to education of equivalent standard. The major focus of the strategy formulation behind the M.L.L exercise is upon equity and diminution of disparities. M.L.L also aims at improving the quality of teaching and learning MLLs are the competency to be developed in the child. Subjects covered are languages, mathematics and environment studies. Mid Day Meals (MDM): Mid day meal scheme launched on 15 August, 1995 with the objectives to universalization of primary education by increase enrolment, retention, attendance and fulfill the Nutrition need of studying children. The programme provides a mid

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International Education & Research Journal [IERJ]

Research Paper

E-ISSN No : 2454-9916 | Volume : 5 | Issue : 5 | May 2019

day meal of 450 calories and 12 grams of protein to children at the primary stage and later it is extended to the elementary level. During 2009-10, about 11 crore children were benefitted by the scheme.

of teachers to achieve the goal of universal elementary education in the state within short period.. It has paved the way for building a strong, literate and empowered youth of this country

National Elementary Education Mission (NEEM): The objective of National Elementary Education Mission is to mobilize all the resources human, financial and institutional for achieving the goal of UEE. It is expected to boast the efforts being made by the Government and Non- Government Organization.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: We would like to thanks my colleagues for voluble suggestion and helpful discussion.

Non-Formal Education (NFE): Non-Formal Education in India has been conceived as an out of school programme for the achievement of objectives of Universal Elementary Education. Non-Formal Education was emerged as an alternative approach to formal education to achieve the goal of UEE. NPE-1986 and POA-1992 envisaged a large and systematic programme of Non Formal Education for habitations without school, dropouts, hilly tribal, desert area, working children and especially for girls who cannot be offered full time for regular/formal education.

REFERENCES:

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan is implemented as India's main educational programme to resolve the issues of education for all. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is historic stride towards a achieving the long esteemed goal of elementary education. It is an effort to improving the performance of the school system, human capabilities to all children and to provide community owned quality elementary education in mission mode. This programme is included in 86th Amendment to the constitution of India to provide free and complousary education to children of age group of 6-14. Objectives of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan: Ÿ Universal retention by 2010.

Conflict of Interests: Authors have declared that no conflict of interests exists. 1.

Agarwal, J.C.(1993), Development and Planning of Modem Education. Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., 4th Ed., New Delhi.

Bala, Indu. (2017), Universalization of elementary education under different schemes. International Journal of Advanced Research and Development, ISSN: 2455-4030, Vol 2(1) 13-15.

Beteille, T. (2002), “Elementary Education in India”, ICICI Social Initiatives.org.

Bordoloi, Ritimoni. (2011), Challenges in Elementary Education in India: Various Approaches. Journal of Education and Practice. ISSN 2222- 1735; 2(7)39-46.

Goal to Achieve Universal Primary Education. (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/education.shtml).

Government of India. (1964-66), Education and national development. Report of the Education Commission. New Delhi: Ministry of Education. 1966.

Government of India. (2014), Education for All towards Quality with Equity India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

Government of India. Elementary Education. (Department of School Education and Literacy). Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

Government of India. (2000), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan: Programme for universal elementary education in India. Department of elementary education and Literacy, MDRD, New Delhi.

10. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/879t9/8/08_chapter%201.pdf.

To bridge all gender, regional and social category gap at primary stage.

To provide elementary education of satisfactory quality to all children by 2010.

12. Jha, P., Das, S., Mohanty, S. S., and and Jha, N. K. (2008), Public Provisioning for elementary education in India, Sage Publication House, New Delhi.

To provide access to all children in the age group of 6-14.

13. Kaur, Rakeshinder. (2013), Universalisation of Elementary Education in India: The Policy Perspective. Education Confab. ISSN: 2320-009X. 39.

To provide value based education to all children.

14. Mohanty, Sunil Behari. (1995), Universalisation of Primary Education in India: Lessons of experiences & pointers for action.

Focus on educational needs of girls, Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribes and other children in different status. Children in school, Education Guarantee Center, Alternate School, Back to School camp.

11. http;//wikieducators.org/index.pdf. UEE_ and _ ELL & oldid=752167.

Right to Education Act, 2009 (RTE): “The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009” (RTE Act) was legislated in August 2009, which obtains into effect on April 1, 2010. Right to Education Act is indeed a landmark law that entitles all children between the age of 6-14 years free and complousary admission, attendance and completion of elementary education. It includes good quality education for all. Major highlights of the Act are: Ÿ It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children from poor families. Ÿ

No child shall be subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment.

No child will be held back or expelled till completion of elementary education.

Make rule to ban the all unrecognized schools and also makes rule for no donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission in school.

Provision for special training of school drop-outs to bring them up to par with students of the same age.

Improvement of school infrastructure, teacher-student ratio and faculty

15. Sharma, H. Ibomcba.(2013), Universalisation of Elementary Education under SSA in Manipur. Voice of Research. 1(4). ISSN No. 2277-7733. 16. Singh, Ajender. A critical study of school management committees at elementary level in tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh. 17. Singh, Gurmeet (2010),“Progress of Human Development in the Changing Scenario”, Kurukshetra, A Journal of Rural Development, Vol 58, No 11 18. Singh, Raman P (2007), “Elementary Education and Literacy in India”, Yojana, September, Vol.51. 19. Unicef- Goal: Achieve universal primary education. (http://www.unicef.org.nady/education.html) 20. Universalzation of elementary education (A status paper). http;//www.teindia.nic.in/mhrd/50yrsedu/r/2R/7Q/@R7Q0101.html.

Both the central and state government are responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the Act. CONCLUSION: Universalization of elementary education has been accepted as a national goal. The Central and State government had many efforts to reaching the goal of universalisation of elementary education. The government is responsible for providing education to every child up to the eight standards, free of cost, irrespective of class and gender. So, there is need to draw serious attention and action to check dropout rate and improve levels of achievement in the schools, need of parents awareness and communities participation, economic incentives, quality of text books and infrastructure facilities, innovation, adequate supervision, regular work, making education relevant to society's needs, motivation and development

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