Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Developing Time Sense in History Nov - 2008
Developing Time Sense in History Nov - 2008
INDIAN
EDUCATION
Volume XXXIV Number 3 November 2008
CONTENTS
Editor’s Note 3
Education for a Faith in the Future 5
Manoj Das
Bringing Children Back to School 15
Perspectives from Education Policies and Child Labour Laws
Ajey Sangai
Conflict Situations and Children’s Education in Manipur 25
N. Rebecca
Child’s Rights in Sweden 32
An Experience
Saroj Pandey
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and 41
its Implementation
Kashyapi Awasthi and R.C. Patel
Quality Education: Perception of Students 63
(With reference to the higher secondary level)
Ramakar Raizada
A Comprehensive Analysis of Various Teaching Strategies and 83
Innovations at Higher Education Level
Alka Mittal and Neeru Mohini Agarwal
Creating Thinking Accountants 88
Focus on the Approaches in Teaching-learning of Accounting Practices
Shipra Vaidya
2
We believe that there is an urgency now than ever before to really ponder upon and
understand the very purpose of education. A world obsessed with the worldly success
and material prosperity has reduced the very meaning of education to a mere catering
and equipping of mankind for a competition where only the fittest survives. In this
whole orientation of education, the self of an individual and its values have
deteriorated to a situation where mankind has become more of a machine. To arrest
further deterioration of values and redirect the very purpose of our education, it is
important to revisit our great saints and imbibe their vision of education. The
NCERT organises a series of memorial lectures in which lectures on great visionaries
are delivered by eminent scholars from diverse background. The Council publishes
these lectures to reach out to a large audience. In this connection, a lecture on Sri
Aurobindo on the theme “Education for a Faith in the Future” delivered by Manoj
Das is being reproduced here so for our readers. Manoj Das in his lecture on education
said that in today’s world of moral crisis, education has to play a very important
role. Education ought to be learning for the sake of knowledge and one has to
educate oneself in order to grow in consciousness. His lecture also throws light on
the very purposes of education and also expectations from various aspects of society
to stop the increasing deterioration in the system.
We have been emphasising on children’s right including education since long,
but the real achievement is far from satisfaction and there are various reasons for
this. Even after making the provision for free and compulsory education for children,
there are many children who are out of school. In this issue, we include three
papers on different aspects of child’s right. Ajey Sangai in “Bringing Children Back
to School – Perspectives from Education Policies and Child Labour Laws” pleas for
a broader definition of “child labour in consonance with Article 32 of the Convention
on the Rights of Children, 1989” so as to include children who have been denied
education because of their occupation which even though, are not listed under
Schedule 1 of the Child Labour (Protection and Regulation) Act, 1986. The paper
also argues for vocational, life-skill and craft-based education at elementary level.
The next paper by Rebecca on “Conflict Situations and Children’s Education in
Manipur” tries to understand how the basic rights of children including their
education have been deprived of in a conflict ridden society like Manipur. In a State
like Manipur which has been witnessing different forms of armed conflict, children
become the inevitable victims. The paper also suggests possible measures to ensure
their basic rights even during times of conflict. Saroj Pandey in her paper “Child’s
Rights in Sweden – An Experience” recounts her experiences in Sweden and discusses
how Sweden is dealing with the issues of children’s right. She feels that we have
much to learn from their experiences that we can ensure a better future for the
country only by ensuring better living conditions and rights for our children who
are the future of this country.
In this regard, one can appreciate the efforts of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to
provide quality education for all children in our country. Kashyapi Awasthi and
4
R.C. Patel in their paper, “Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and
its Implementation” study the role of community under the SSA scheme. The paper,
while highlighting the important role of the communities, also studies the perception
of the various village committees in relation with SSA and its implementation and
draws implication of the study. Some of them are provision for vocational education
among the rural children, operational freedom at the village level, etc. Furthermore,
Ramakar Raizada in his paper says, “Students are ultimate stakeholders and direct
consumers of the education system who feel and judge the quality of education”.
But, it is also important to understand how they perceive of a quality education.
Raizada’s paper conceptualises students’ perception about their school environment
and facilities of education with their likings and reasons for weakness in different
school subjects at higher secondary level. The paper also calls for a teaching strategy
which can further facilitate interaction between the teacher and the students. Adding
to this, Alka Mittal and Neeru Mohini Agarwal’s paper “A Comprehensive Analysis
of Various Teaching Strategies and Innovations at Higher Education Level” suggests
some of the strategies and innovations to make the learning more interesting.
Different disciplines require different teaching techniques and methods to
enhance the understanding of the subject among the students. Shipra Vaidya in
her paper, “Creating Thinking Accountants – Focus on the Approaches in Teaching-
learning of Accounting Practices” attempts to contextualise the teaching
methodologies in order to make transaction of Accounting curriculum purposeful,
meaningful and interesting at the school level. Another paper by Seema S. Ojha,
“Developing Time – Sense in History” discusses about how we understand the record
of change in time. The paper suggests that a particular moment in the history
should be taught with the corresponding contexts. It also discusses how usages of
graphical representations of time concept in the form of timelines, time charts help
students develop a sense of time and chronology. Another paper is on the system of
evaluation adopted in Addis Ababa University, Ethopia. The study attempts to assess
the extent to which the teachers adhere to continuous evaluation system in the
University through an empirical study among the University teachers. The last paper
of the issue by Kiran Walia highlights the perceptions of student teachers about the
duration of Secondary Teacher education programmes.
Of the two book reviews, the first review of the Meeting Special Needs in School –
A Manual, by S.R. Mittal explores the very concept of disability and inclusion of
children with special needs in the whole educational setting. He applaudes the
attempt of the author and believes that such manuals would help the practitioners
realising the goal of inclusive education. The other review of the edited volume of
Education and Social Change in South Asia by Pratima Kumari and Rakesh Meena
while providing highlights of the chapters reflecting educational scenario (past and
present) of various south asian countries observe that the volume is beneficial for
all the educationists, teachers, policy makers, educational planners and researchers
who are engaged in curriculum development, teacher training and educational
researches.
Abstract
In the history of recorded time there had never been another century more
dominated by paradox than the 20th century – the formidable backdrop of the
current decade. Great adventures and explorations were contrasted by devastations
and disillusionments. While the evolutionary spirit seems intent upon opening up a
vast avenue for a new humanity through scientific, technological and progress in
human relationship, an ominous sense of uncertainty and anxiety characterises
our life – a situation that has brewed confusion in practically every aspect of our
existence. Education is that which liberates – had been a cardinal doctrine in
Indian prudence. Has that doctrine grown anachronistic? Is the sweeping spell of
pragmatic, if not totally utilitarian, forces at work in the field of education necessarily
the highest ideal because it is modern? It is time to have a deeper look at the very
purpose of education – a question that spontaneously leads to the far more profound
issue of the very purpose of life. Is there an ideal or a vision that can challenge the
prevailing trends and offer us a way out of the present gloom? The talk will
attempt a brief examination of these issues in the light of Sri Aurobindo’s vision of
human destiny and education.
1
Reproduced from the booklet NCERT Memorial Lecture Series published by NCERT on a
lecture delivered in the First Sri Aurobindo Memorial Lecture, at Dorozio Hall, Presidency
College, Kolkata, on 2 July 2008.
* Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Puducherry.
6 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
to wonder about the nature of this wider several branches of Education. Thoreau,
interest, for a wider interest alone is not who was better acquainted with the
a sure sign of a serious or deeper ground realities, observed, “Yes, indeed,
interest. The interest the media has prolific branches there are; but what
cultivated among an even wider about the roots”?
readership in a category of news that are Life, it was agreed, was the greatest
billed out as art, culture and literature university, but a certain outlook was
are rarely anything more than required to be cultivated in the young to
entertainment, glamour and items for transform their bare experiences in the
titillation. world to lasting lessons. From its very
No doubt, the level to which the indeterminable beginning, Education in
concept of Education can be diluted has its classical sense had two aspects: first
a limit, unlike topics of culture such as it cultivated in the student a quest for
art or literature. The danger in the case knowledge and next trained him or
of Education is less perceptible. When developed in him a skill for supporting
something ugly or vulgar is presented as himself in the existential sense as well
art or music or dance, we can shut our as for playing a purposeful role in the
eyes or ears to it, we can very well do community. Innumerable testimonies
without them, but when Education is are there in the Indian tradition of
presented as a discipline entirely devoted literature and philosophy to suggest that
to external accomplishments, mastering the teachers of yore succeeded in striking
ever new inventions in technology, a balance between these two ideals of
promotion of career and prosperity, we Education for a considerable length of
may not find anything amiss in it time. They studied the pravritti – the
because we need such opportunities; inherent inclination of the student and
there is nothing vulgar or apparently accordingly helped him to choose his
degrading in them. The worldwide vritti or vocation. If the vocation was
challenge of competitions and the already fixed by heredity, the pupil was
demands of what is often termed as fast taught the way of taking equal care, if
life does not give us respite enough to not more, of his pravritti, that was
reflect on the question if what we accept generally in consonance with his
as Education today is the genuine stuff, swadharma, the inner law of his being.
if Education did not have some greater It will take long to identify the
role to play in our life than obtaining to historical forces that disrupted this
us the aforesaid accomplishments and balance, resulting in those who cared for
vocational facilities. their inner self-breaking away from the
That brings to mind a brief dialogue, so called worldly life and those who led a
but a significant one. Thoreau and normal life as social beings distancing
Emerson both had been students at themselves from their inner self. This
Harvard. Once while the two celebrated unfortunate development, by now, has
alumni were reminiscing over their days reached its culmination. We rarely
in that famous university, Emerson said remember that beneath our surface self-
that by now their alma mater had dominated by our senses, craving for
Education for a Faith in the Future 7
pleasure and pride and given over circumstance, I had two ideal ways open
entirely to satisfaction of ambitions and before me. I become an element in the
desires, we had an inner self thirsting bureaucracy and serve the country
for truth and the knowledge of a different honestly or contribute to the economic
order. progress of my country through some
But, such is the constitution of man independent enterprise. I chose the
that the satisfaction his surface self seeks latter, for I had some dynamism in me. I
does not come. Hence, the multiple do not know when I forgot my mission. It
innovations in the means of enjoyment was, I’m afraid, a gradual but fast process
and search for pastures new for pleasure. of decline that my mind was unable to
This is the psychological state of detect. I was amidst a corrupt gang of
affairs that had inevitably given a business associates and I could not have
diabolical boost to consumerism. As a competed with them without being
thinker observed, once we knew corrupt. To my amazement my college-
necessity to be the mother of invention day friends who were equally idealistic
whereas today it is the invention that is like me and some of whom were by then
the mother of necessity. Our illusory either in politics and power or in the
needs, illusory hopes for joy are administrative service and whose help
continuously whetted by the militant naturally I needed from time to time,
intelligence behind consumerism seemed to have subjected their minds to
manipulating our taste and dream. By the same brand of morphine. Thus
and by it is the culture of hedonism that together we continued to slip farther and
prevails and blinds us. “Modern man is farther down along the path of moral
drinking and drugging himself out of paralysis. But there was still that puny
awareness, or he spends his time substance called conscience somewhere
shopping, which is the same thing”, says deep down the self and at times it would
Earnest Becker, in his Denial of Death. hum a sad song; there was somewhere
in me that forgotten love for silence and
A Confession and a Question
serenity that would nostalgically remind
May I be allowed to bring in the confession me of Davies we studied in our High
of a gentleman, as a representative School: What is this life, if full of care; we
illustration of the pattern at work? This have no time to stand and stare? But the
is from a successful scholar, about ten demand of exigency, of strike in the
years senior to this speaker, who as an factory, of betrayal by a distributor,
entrepreneur proved equally successful blackmail by hoodlums, sudden fall in
but had stopped short of reducing himself export, to mention of a few, would drive
to a robot. I quote: those precious moments away into
“You know, like many other youths oblivion. My children grew up amidst
of the immediate post-independence affluence and in their show of loyalty to
decade I carried in my mind the residues me shouldered the burden of my wealth
of idealism that had inspired the best as well as my worry, but without the
among my preceding generation for so idealism that had launched me into the
much sacrifice. In the changed adventure or the knowledge of the
8 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
struggle I had put into it. My grand- told us that life was not all that we lived
children grew up amidst a new culture on the surface, that there was an inner
or call it a lack of culture if you please, life, that there was an element called
and divided their time between pleasure soul, that our true happiness or sense
on one hand and the care of their early of contentment depended on it.”
diabetes, blood pressure, etc. I was Consumerism thrives on keeping us
condemned to look on as one of my forgetful of the inner life. Glamour and
grandsons, in his early thirties, was dazzle constitute the life consumerism
dying in the intensive care ward, would like us to live; momentary sense-
suffering from a heart ailment. He had satisfaction, through power or pleasure,
returned from the West, with the highest is the purpose for which we live. This even
training available in management. Poor could pass, but the problem is it is
boy! The last query he made, before proving to be more and more frustrating.
closing his eyes finally, was regarding the There are some well-researched studies
very first export deal he was handling. in this regard and I refer to one of them,
While the family wept, I only wondered, The Price of Privilege by psychologist
what was the use of all his super Dr. Madeline Levin. She observes that
specialisation in management if he could students today are much more smart and
not manage his heart? What is the intelligent. As their parents have more
education we imparted to him if the very resources to spend, they buy them cell
last question he must ask should be phones, cars, other luxuries and provide
nothing nobler than export? What was them with enough money to spend at will.
the meaning of our having inspired him But they don’t give them love or intimate
to study more and more, do better and company. They have greater expectations
better when it led to his forgetting that from their children in terms of social and
there were more worthy issues for economic success. They drive the kids
reflection at that moment than an export into the race for excellence, not excellence
deal? Now, in my eighties, I wonder what as human beings, but as status-
the meaning of my own life was either. In achievers. And what is the result? I quote
search of happiness I spent the whole a few lines from Dr. Levin’s study: “We
life in tension. I read the other day, what know that this group of kids has three
I had read fifty years ago, that making a times the rate of depression and anxiety
cosy bed-room at a cost of one million disorders as ordinary teenagers, as well
rupees is no guarantee for even one as substantially higher rates of
minute’s sound sleep. The truth substance abuse, cutting and suicide.
overwhelms me now; but why had it no The most dangerous feelings a child can
effect on me at all fifty years ago? I tell have are of self-hatred; yet middle-class
you, my friend, something was parents are unwittingly instilling those
grotesquely wrong in the education we feelings by expecting so much.”
received. True, colleges in our time had The situation conjures up in my mind
not been cursed with careerism as it is a comical scene: At the middle of a road
today, but as I deeply reflect on what went there is a boulder, obstructing smooth
amiss, I find that nothing in our system passage. Atop the boulder there is a
Education for a Faith in the Future 9
lamp. If you ask why is the boulder there, justified their existence. But today the
the answer is, to hold the lamp. Should tradition is kept alive more for political
you ask why is the lamp there, the and egotistic purpose than for true faith.
answer is so that the pedestrians or If Gods and Goddesses are worshipped
drivers avoid dashing against the with great hullabaloo, it is not for
boulder. We embrace tension in order to devotion, but for festivity and rivalry
live, and we must live in order to go on among local formations of collective ego.
experiencing tension. The illusion is both I am told that in a city that had been the
justify each other; the reality is both home of some of the greatest intellectuals
cancel each other, thereby rendering the and spiritual giants not only of India but
whole thing absurd. The list of factors also of the world, a film star is
adding to this condition of absurdity is ritualistically worshipped as a deity,
long and it is better not to refer to them making the devaluation of divinities
at the moment. complete.
If the age of institutional religion is
Values Then and Now
past, spirituality, the only alternative
Philosophers and thinkers have that could play even with greater effect
identified many a sign that differentiates the role religion at its best played, had
man from the other creatures on our not yet made a bold debut, not to speak
planet. One of them is, be he conscious of filling up the vacuum.
of it or not, man lives by some values. We all know how Curzon’s move for
Not that the value had to be necessarily partition of Bengal created such an
lofty. The noted social reformer of upheaval that the British rulers had to
Gujarat, Ravishankar Maharaj, devoted agree to “unsettle the settled fact”. But
years to change the life of a tribe of later developments brought about not
hereditary burglars. One day, as he only the partition of Bengal, but also the
talked to a young practitioner of the partition of India, thereby planting the
tradition, he said with disarming most damaging blow to our value of
frankness, “Maharaj, if you ask me to nationalism and patriotism.
give up my practice, I will do so. But the Family values had broken down. This
fact is, Goddess Lakhmi, buried under is not to say that the family relationship
their floors of householders, shouts out had vanished. That has so far survived
to me as I pass by, asking me to liberate the changing life patterns. But what
Her. Only then I dig a hole on the wall had received the most horrendous jolt is
and enter the house and coup out the the institution of human relationship, the
treasure.” trust men could have in men, thanks to
Alas, the values in which the masses the fact that most of the sophisticated
believed have faded out one by one. Once criminals, swindlers of the people’s
men were ready to die for their kings; the treasures and saboteurs of national
situation is a distant memory. Religion security and manipulators of legal
was the most powerful, the most provisions to serve their selfish interest
meaningful and satisfying value people are people with handsome degrees and
upheld in their life and with which they diplomas. The respect the educated
10 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
commanded till the other day, the term — not love, not Eros, but sexual desire
Vidya associating in the popular undeveloped and untutored. It
imagination a personality like acknowledges the first emanations of
Vidyasagar, the epitome of truth and children’s emerging sensuality and
nobility, is only a memory. In other addresses them seriously, eliciting them
words, the moral value that went with and legitimatising them, not as little
education had been reduced to zero. That sprouts that must be carefully tended in
reminds me of what the late Dr. Malcolm order to grow into gorgeous flowers, but
Adisesaiah, noted educationist who held as the real thing. Rock gives children,
an important position in the UNESCO, on a silver platter, with all the public
once told us at Pondicherry: London was authority of entertainment industry,
bombarded during the World War II. The everything their parents always used to
state of aviation being what it was, the tell them they had to wait for until they
degree of accuracy with which the pilots grew up and would understand later…
hit their targets was surprising. The “Ministering to and according with
mystery was solved when, at the end of the arousing and cathartic music, the
the war, it was found out that the lyrics celebrate puppy love as well as
bombers were those German students polymorphous attraction, and fortify
who got their higher education in London them against traditional ridicule and
as British Council scholarship holders. shame. The words implicitly and
And who must occupy the vast space explicitly describe bodily acts that satisfy
vacated by such values? The answer sexual desires and treat them as its only
unfortunately is not any new set of natural and routine culmination for
values, but wrong values. They assault children who do not yet have the slightest
intelligence, common sense and higher imagination of love, marriage or
tastes. Their immediate preys are the family….”
students. Let me refer to one such value. The Indian film lyrics are perhaps not
Several studies have shown how pop and lagging behind in such unabashed
rock music contributes to both physical suggestiveness, for the clever culture-
and mental problems of the young. I vultures know that most healthy
quote from one serious study of the inhibitions could be eliminated through
problem, The Closing of the American Mind means that have some pretensions to
by Allan Bloom: culture. Academically sound studies
“…It has risen to the current heights have established how this process of
in the education of the young on the reckless exploitation in the name of
ashes of classical music, and in an culture had found as its intimate allies
atmosphere in which there is no in drug and violence, directly related to
intellectual resistance to attempts to tap mercenary consumerism. In an era of
the rawest passions. Modern-day rapid growth of global communication
rationalists are indifferent to it and what and exchange, we cannot expect such
it represents. The irrationalists are all developments to remain confined to any
for it. … But rock music has one appeal one continent. In fact, it has already
only, a barbaric appeal to sexual desire become a world-wide phenomenon in the
Education for a Faith in the Future 11
absence of any bulwark against the Here lies the crux of the problem.
nefarious network, often enjoying the Trade and technology are indispensable
patronage of powers that be. no doubt, but we seem to have forgotten
What is wrong with this tide – this that they are only parts of the external
collective resignation to hedonism – is aspect of Education; they must not
not its immoral and unethical character, become synonyms of Education. They are
for one can argue that morality and designed to serve man; man is not
ethics change from time to time. The designed to serve them. They are by no
situation is bad because it is against the means to be shunned, for the
spirit of evolution, because it is a negative evolutionary time-spirit has placed them
reaction to the call for an adventure in at our disposal so that we become more
consciousness. Hedonism not only fails efficient masters of our environment. But
to deliver the promised pleasure, it drains trade and technology do not constitute
one of one’s zests for life, and leads to progress, they are external aids for
either self-destruction or anarchy. progress and the true progress is a
So far I have only articulated the growth in consciousness. Once in a while
obvious, for nobody can really be we come across an essay on Montessori
unaware of this situation, whether one or Bernstein or Sadler and their
be involved or not in the world of sophisticated theories, but they are in
education. And, needless to say, the academic magazines with meagre
obvious is a picture of gloom. Is there any circulations and are like a cry in the
remedial possibility involved in the spirit wilderness, for no theory or doctrine
of education itself? Sometime ago I read could stand the sudden and powerful
a summary of the Education for All global sway of education for sake of trade and
monitoring report covering up to year technology.
2005. The situation might have slightly
The Crisis and Beyond
changed, but it says that approximately
103.5 million children do not go to As Sri Aurobindo looks at the situation,
schools. About 800 million adults are “At present mankind is undergoing an
illiterate. Of this seventy per cent live in evolutionary crisis in which is concealed
nine countries of the sub-Saharan Africa a choice of its destiny; for a stage has
and East and South Asia, “notably India, been reached in which the human mind
China, Bangladesh and Pakistan”. The has achieved in certain directions an
report calls upon the governments enormous development while in others
concerned to undo the situation, but it stands arrested and bewildered and
what is surprising and disheartening, can no longer finds its way.” I wonder if
those who have commented upon the anybody could find a better definition of
report have, without exception, looked at Education than what the Indian
Education as technology-intensive scriptures had given: Sa vidya ya
training. One comment stresses the vimuktaye – Education liberates.
importance of trade among nations and Education can of course liberate us
wishes education in the developing from this impasse, for it has the greatest
countries to be accordingly oriented. support for that action in the process of
12 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
evolution itself, for, in a sense, evolution collapsed ensuring man’s social, political
itself is a route along a gradual and economic freedom. Revolutions and
realisation of liberation. The reformations, emancipation of women
manifestation of the earliest forms of life from social taboos and discrimination,
as plants out of the apparently lifeless end of apartheid, all point in the same
matter was a step towards liberation of direction. Science and technology have
the imprisoned consciousness. A far played their role in according a greater
greater degree of freedom of dignity to the individual.
consciousness – and an exercise of that But these facts of outer freedom do
freedom in infinitely variant ways – was not come to much – they even are
possible with the emergence of the vulnerable to misuse – unless there is
primeval creatures, from worms and achieved the other freedom, the freedom
insects to the whale and the dinosaur, from ignorance. Sri Aurobindo believes
from the birds to the beasts of that the realisation of such a freedom is
incalculable varieties. That urge for not only a possibility, but also is a
freedom inherent in Nature, for releasing certainty inherent in the very nature of
its possibilities and potentialities, took a evolutionary developments. The true role
new and hitherto most significant turn of Education is in preparing and helping
with the emergence of man and, needless man to arrive there – at a new phase of
to say, man is the only creature who had evolution. Man is neither an accident nor
never stopped growing. With relentless a freak of Nature. He is an evolving being,
zeal he had not only adapted himself to awaiting his fulfilment. No doubt he had
the changing environment, but also had come a long way from his primitive state
obliged the environment to adapt to his via a stage dominated by vital or raw life
demands. Emerging from the state of impulses; he has been a mental creature
primeval Nature he had created for for long and has achieved marvels with
himself new worlds of art, architecture, his intelligence and intellect. But proud
literature, music, philosophy and the of intellect though we may be, Einstein
spiritual quest. His activities and warns, “We should take care not to make
achievements in all these spheres have the intellect our God; it has of course,
again meant nothing but the gradual powerful muscles, but no personality.”
realisation of his own potentialities, a joy (Out of My Later Years)
in the freedom of experience, adventure As the Italian thinker Preme Levi
and expression. stated, “Normal human beings are
If the process of evolution itself is a biologically built for an activity that is
movement of consciousness realising its aimed towards a goal.” A goal always
own freedom from its bondage to material implies a call to go farther than where
and other limitations, the 20th century we are. Till the other day, so far as India
we have just left behind had been the was concerned, the ennobling goal of
witness to the most momentous events freedom kept the youths inspired. Since
and ideas ensuring greater freedom for the achievement of that goal, we have
man in several fronts. Imperialism, been fed with the illusion of false goals,
colonialism, monarchy and feudalism all bereft of nobler values. We must replace
Education for a Faith in the Future 13
them with the most optimistic goal, an produce money. Everything is judged and
aspiration for transcending the present evaluated from a monetary angle. That
dimly lighted state of our consciousness is what I call utilitarianism. And this
and entering a new phase of disease is highly contagious, for even
consciousness. In his great works such children are not immune to it. At an age
as The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, when they should be dreaming of beauty,
The Human Cycle and The Ideal of Human greatness and perfection, dreams that
Unity, Sri Aurobindo had elaborately may be too sublime for ordinary common
explained this inevitable future and we sense, but which are nevertheless far
the teachers could capture from them a superior to this dull good sense, children
thrilling new purpose for our endeavour. now dream of money and worry about
Once we subscribe to a sublime vision, how to earn it.
feel inspired by an extraordinary “So, when they think of their studies,
destination, our approach to our work they think above all about what can be
spontaneously receives a new impetus. useful to them, so that later on when they
grow up they can earn a lot of money.
Towards an Integral Education
“For them study has no other
The Mother founded the Sri Aurobindo purpose, no other interest.
International Centre of Education as a “To learn for the sake of knowledge,
part of Sri Aurobindo Ashram at to study in order to know the secrets of
Pondicherry to enable the student to Nature and life, to educate oneself in
apply to his life to the extent possible the order to grow in consciousness, to
vision of Sri Aurobindo. To a question discipline oneself in order to become
why any degree or diploma is not master of oneself, to overcome one’s
bestowed on a student, she made the weakness, incapacities and ignorance,
following observation: to prepare oneself to advance in life
“For the last hundred years or so towards a goal that is nobler and wiser,
mankind has been suffering from a more generous and more true… they
disease which seems to be spreading hardly give it a thought and consider it
more and more and which has reached all very utopian. The only thing that
a climax in our times; it is what we may matters is to be practical, to prepare
call ‘utilitarianism’. People and things, themselves and learn how to earn
circumstances and activities seem to be money.”
viewed and appreciated exclusively from The passages tell us all that
this angle. Nothing has any value unless Education ought to be and all that it is
it is useful. Certainly, something that is not today. Without a collective awakening
useful is better than something that is to the ignored purpose of Education, the
not. But first we must agree on what we rapid corrosion of life by utilitarianism
describe as useful – useful to whom, to inevitably leading to hedonism, cannot
what, for what. be checked. It is the elite who are
“For, more and more, the races who expected to realise this, to begin with.
consider themselves civilized describe as They can influence the Educational
useful whatever can attract, procure or authority or machinery to stop the
14 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
macabre deterioration in the system we that her thoughts are always beautiful
have already discussed. We must not feel and pure, her feelings always noble and
helpless or too weak to do anything in fine, her material surroundings as
this direction, for the evolutionary time- harmonious as possible and full of great
spirit will be with us. Despite the current simplicity – this is the part of education
signs to the contrary, the secret which should apply to the mother
aspiration in our consciousness will herself. And if she has in addition a
guide us through the present imbroglio. conscious and definite will to form the
I conclude with a few more passages child according to the highest ideal she
from the Mother – on her integral can conceive, then the very best
approach to Education: conditions will be realised so that the
“The education of a human being child can come into the world with the
should begin at birth and continue utmost potentialities. How many difficult
throughout his life. efforts and useless complications would
“Indeed, if we want this education to be avoided in this way!
have its maximum result, it should begin “Education to be complete must have
even before birth; in this case it is the five principal aspects corresponding to
mother herself who proceeds with this the five principal activities of the
education by means of a two-fold action: human being; the physical, the vital,
first, upon herself for her own the mental, the psychic and the
improvement, and secondly, upon the -spiritual. Usually these phases of
child whom she is forming physically. For education follow chronologically the
it is certain that the nature of the child growth of the individual; this, however,
to be born depends very much upon the does not mean that one of them should
mother who forms it, upon her aspiration replace another, but that all must
and will as well as upon the material continue, completing one another until
surroundings in which she lives. To see the end of his life.”
Bringing Children Back to School 15
Abstract
capabilities, the substantive freedoms an attended the school yet. With Gross
individual enjoys to lead the kind of life Enrolment Ratios nearing 100% level5 ,
s/he values, 2 underdeveloped which the attention must shift to a large share
further hampers functioning. Sen argues of children who fail to complete basic
that capability improvement may lead to education failing which the productivity
greater earning power. Thus, basic of the labour force, the potential for
education may not only improve the knowledge-driven development, and the
quality of one’s life directly but may also reservoir of human potential from which
increase an individual’s ability to earn society and the economy can draw, are
which may also check child labour too all fundamentally constrained.6 Thus,
as the economic interest in learning is the focus is shifting from universal
created. primary education (enrolment) to the
The Universal Declaration of Human unfettered universal primary
Rights states that everyone has a right completion.7
to education and at least elementary
Education as Right and What it Entails
education should be compulsory and free
while ICESCR makes it obligatory for the As mentioned earlier, right to education
nations to devise an action plan for its is now a fundamental right under Article
implementation.3 India, with the 86th 21A. At this juncture, it is important to
Amendment to its Constitution inserted know what this right means for the
Article 21A 4 which made free and recipients and the co-relative duties of
compulsory elementary education a the State for ensuring the enjoyment of
fundamental right. this right. In this, it is explained that
‘Out of school children’ include both child labour policies and education
the children who have dropped out of the policies relating to retention in elementary
schools and those who have never education must operate in tandem.
2
Sen, Amartya, Development as Freedom, 1999, p. 87, 88 cited in 2nd year, 4th semester, Law
and Poverty reading material compiled by Prof. Amita Dhanda, pp. 10, 11
3
Article 26, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 and Article 14, International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966 (ratified by India on July 10,
1979)
4
Art. 21A, Constitution of India: The State shall provide free and compulsory education to
all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law,
determine. (Italics supplied). The Article provides that manner for carrying out this task
will be determined by the State made law. The Right to Education Bill tabled in the
Parliament in 2005 has not yet been passed to have a force of law.
5
Gross Enrolment Ratio basically measures the enrolment to the estimated child population
in that age bracket. However, while measuring this ratio, enrolment in these stages includes
under-aged and over-aged children giving us the inflated figures.
6
Bruns, Barbara, Mingat, Alain and Rakotomalala, Ramahatra, Achieving Universal Primary
Education by 2015: A Chance for Every Child, 2003, p. 27
7
Second goal in the list of eight Millennium Development Goals: Ensure that all boys and
girls complete a full course of primary schooling. (italics supplied)
Bringing Children Back to School 17
8
Shue, H., Basic Rights: Subsistence Affluence and US Foreign Policy, 1980, p 13 cited in 2nd
year, 4th Semester, Law and Poverty reading material, compiled by Prof. Amita Dhanda, p. 140
9
By productive pedagogy, life-skills and employment oriented education system is implied
here.
10
Supra n. 24, ibid. at p. 20. However, he agrees with that enjoyment of right to education is
much greater, richer and perhaps more distinctively human than merely going through life
without ever being assaulted.
11
Ms. Mohini Jain Vs. State of Karnataka, (1992) 3 SCC 666, (678-680, paras 8-14) though
this case basically dealt with higher education (which is beyond the scope of the paper),
yet the judicial dicta on education as a right and jurisprudence behind it is vital.
12
Bajpai, Asha, ‘Right to Development’ in Child Rights in India: Law, Policy and Practice,
2003, p. 328.
13
Unni Krishnan, J.P. Vs. State of A.P., (1993) 1 SCC 645 (730-736, paras171-175)
18 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
covered the age group of 6-14 years only). violates the child’s right to a life with
Herein, the issue of enjoyment of this dignity in a smuch as it interferes with
right free from exploitation must not lose education and is harmful for child’s
sight. physical, mental, spiritual, educational
and social development.15
Gravity of the Problem
The provisional statistics for 2004-
India has improved upon the primary 05 puts dropout rate at 29% for the
completion rate over a period of time yet primary level but it shoots up to 50.48%
the number of children out of school in elementary level which is a matter of
remains alarmingly high. According to concern. In that it is, 50.49% in case of
the government estimates (criticised as boys and 51.28% for girls.16 This should
gross under-estimation; CRY an NGO on however be seen in relation with
Child Rights puts the number at about dropouts at the primary level, wherein
4 crore in 2006) the number of out-of- in case of boys it is 31.81% and in the
school children in the country is case of girls it is 25.42%. It can be said
1,34,59,734 comprising 6.94% of the total that there is a sharp rise in the girls’
children in 6-14 years age bracket.14 ‘Out dropout rate not to leave a significant
of school children’ includes dropouts and rise in boys’ dropout too around primary
the children who have never attended level,17 an age when the child can be put
the school and incidentally the latter are to work in employments and homes.
more in numbers. Its proportion tends Hence, dropouts at primary stage need
to be higher in the rural areas than the to be controlled as an essential first step
urban areas where also the difference for securing the aim of complete
between primary education completion elementary education and eradicating
between girls and boys is more child labour.
pronounced. These children are doing Having discussed the right to
some work which might be exploitative education and dropout as a detriment to
but unprotected by the Child Labour actual enjoyment of this right along with
(Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 or statistics (which though are suggestive
even if such works are banned by law, but not revealing!) expressing the gravity
legal loopholes permit them. of the problem in numbers, it would be
Nevertheless, this is child labour and opportune to understand the causes
14
All India Sample Survey on ‘Out of School Children’ in the age group 6-13, 2005 under
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India, p. 1.
15
Article 32, Convention on Rights of Child, 1989: States Parties recognise the right of
the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is
likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s
health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.
16
Source: Selected Educational Statistics 2004-05 as on 30th September 2004, released in
2007, p. XXI
17
However, in the hindsight it must be kept in mind that dropout would tend to be low if the
percentage of ‘out of school’ children is high since the larger chunk of this number would
have never attended the school which is, if not more, equally problematic.
Bringing Children Back to School 19
issues such as dysfunctional schools, that all these factors are mediated by the
unfamiliar medium of instructions, lack social and gender relations in the
in motivation and commitment of community, poverty and conception and
teachers, quality of schools, etc. Other prevalence of child labour. Whether laws
factors instrumental in the dropout and policies address these under-
amongst girls, that the survey points out, currents is the question of the hour.
are requirement for household work or
Education Policies: A Bird’s Eye View
work outside home, lack of proper school
facilities (e.g. lack of proper building, From above discourse few causes of
boundary walls, toilets, drinking water, dropout appear quite centrally namely:
etc.), lack of adequate transport when (i) ‘Child labour (banned by law)
schools are too far from the homes and (ii) household chores performed by girls,
early marriages. ‘child labour unpaid’ (not recognised by
Education attainment levels of laws and policies)24 (iii) child labour
parents are often related with the child’s legitimised by law from the loopholes it
own participation in schooling which is carries, and (iv) disinterest towards
accentuated by a report from UNESCO education, the fourth not being unrelated
on out of school children. It said that in to above three. With the passage of time
India, the primary school-age children it has been realised that the government
whose mothers have had no education now lacks the capacity to work
are 3.3 times more likely to be ‘out of simultaneously on several fronts like:
school’ than those whose mothers have access, quality and relevance.
some education. 22 The probability ‘Relevance’ of education is an
increases when the student is a girl, important issue as it, to some extent
finds the report prepared by Pratham an underlies all the causes mentioned above
NGO.23 and also perhaps answers the disinterest
In nutshell, the factors, thus, for factor that keeps the children out of the
exclusion in elementary level, broadly schools or compels them to quit midway,
may be age, gender, income and a little more closely. At very basic level
educational status of the household, problem comes when the core
place of residence (urban-rural divide competencies are poorly taught and what
and higher share of rural out of school is taught is of little or no value.
population), inter alia, other socio- Gandhi stressing on harmonising the
economic determinants endemic to intellectual with the manual opined that
certain groups and locations. The knowledge imparted should be of some
undercurrent beneath these statistics is use in practical life at least up to the
22
Children out of School; Measuring Exclusion from Primary Education, 2005, pp. 44-46.
23
Annual Status of Education Report 2006, January 2007, p. 32.
24
Collections of water, fuel, maintenance of the house, taking care of younger siblings,
preparing meals, etc. constitute important elements of a girl’s domestic life especially in
villages. While many of these activities do not necessarily fall under definition of hazardous
work, inasmuch as they interfere with the normal development of the child and his/her
education, they constitute exploitation of the child and hence must be seen as child
labour. These factors as explained before pull out, especially the girls out of education.
Bringing Children Back to School 21
elementary level. He advocated that skill- child labour interfering with the child’s
based and self-supportive education education, in effect provides for a system
should be provided to the students which of child education which does not
hence will inculcate self-respect amongst interfere with child labour. It also called
them besides opening job avenues.25 for ‘Operation Blackboard’ for improving
Education then will not be irrelevant to school facilities and creating requisite
the masses and families who will see the infrastructure for primary level.28 The
interest in educating the children. Skill policy was modified in 1992 which
learning in schools that augurs a besides enrolment and retention,
productive future, it is believed, is itself emphasised on ‘universal access’ in
an incentive for sending children there. elementary education and strengthening
However, post independence, science, the non-formal education by equipping
technology and scientific research and it with technological aid. 29 Quite
moral education received much evidently what was envisaged was not
emphasis and it seems that the free, achieved not surprisingly questions were
compulsory and skilled based elementary raised about the efficacy and
education did not get due deliberation implementation of these guidelines.
from the policy framers.26 Not before It must be noted that no policy
1968, the first education policy was concerned with eradicating child labour
formulated. It focussed on free and which as has been discussed is a clog in
compulsory education to all children up educational attainment. Moreover, no
to 14 years but provided for vocational attempt has been reflected in policy to
education only at secondary and introduce vocational and life-skill
university level.27 teaching in elementary education.
The New Education Policy of 1986 Government of India launched an
adopted a child-centred approach for ambitious project of Sarva Shiksha
elementary education. It proposed a Abhiyan in 2001 with the objective that
programme of non-formal education all children complete five years of
catering to the primary school dropouts; primary schooling by 2007 besides the
working children and girls who may not mission of universal retention by 2010.
be able attend the whole day of school. It Its implementation was termed inept by
should only be a temporary measure in the Comptroller and Auditor General
the long run because it instead of Report of 2006. The goals set out by the
providing for a solution to the problem of project became distant dreams due to
25
Gist taken from The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 13, reprint, 1995, pp. 298-
300, 358-9, 462 and Volume 37, pp. 111-2, 301-302.
26
Immediately after the independence special committees formed dedicated to secondary
and university education like University Education Committee (1948-49), Secondary
Education Committee (1952-53). Only the Kothari Commission on Education (1964-66)
gave some space to elementary education.
27
National Policy on Education, 1968, pp. 1-8.
28
National Policy on Education, 1986, pp. 9-12.
29
National Policy on Education, 1986 (as modified in 1992), pp. 13-5.
22 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
continuous under-funding and deficient retrieve them from poverty; develop basic
interventions by the project abilities, skills and capabilities to live a
implementing agencies.30 meaningful life and economic and social
empowerment.
Bringing Child Labourers to Schools However, it seems that laws and
The point emphasised here is that courts have considered child labour only
education policy and child labour policy from the perspectives of hazardous
must operate in tandem and present employment in factories and industries
cogent connections while also looking at and not from the labour in private
wiping the notion of non-usefulness of spheres (like families) which has
education for certain group of children passively received legitimisation; the
(mostly the girls). Looking at law, the roles have been fixed and stereotyped.
Supreme Court directed the government The spread of education is facing an
to persuade the workmen to send their ominous roadblock. The Child Labour
children to nearby schools and it must (Protection and Regulation) Act, 1986
arrange for schools and strive to provide has more of a regulatory stance than
books and other facilities free of charge.31 prohibitive inasmuch as it prohibits child
The Court has directed the Government labour only in certain sectors elucidated
to convene meetings of different in Part A and B of the Schedule and
ministries and departments and take specifically keeps itself away from homes
requisite steps to bring the children and families33 thereby excluding from its
working in hazardous employments to purview huge number of children
the schools.32 It also considered that working with their families in
basic employment-oriented vocational agriculture, dairy and other family
education should be imparted to the concerns. Article 32 of the UN
children so as to empower them; to Convention on the Rights of the Child,
30
CAG terms Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan implementation ‘inept’, The HINDU Businessline, August
20, 2006 (e-paper link: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/08/20/stories/
2006082002220500.htm). For example: The revised target of SSA to enrol all children in
schools, education guarantee scheme, alternative schools, back to school camps by 2005
was not achieved, as there were still about 40 per cent children out of school in the 6-14
age group.
31
Labourers Working on Salal Hydro-Project Vs. State of J&K, AIR 1984 SC 177, ibid. at 183.
32
Bandhua Mukti Morcha Vs. Union of India, (1997) 10 SCC 549 (Mirzapur carpet industries),
M.C. Mehta Vs. State of Tamil Nadu, AIR 1997 SC 699 (Sivakasi crackers factory).
33
Section 3, Child Labour (Protection and Regulation) Act, 1986: Prohibition of
employment of children in certain occupations and processes: No child shall be employed
or permitted to work in any of the occupations set forth in Part A of the Schedule or in any
workshop wherein any of the processes set forth in Part B of the Schedule is carried on:
Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to any workshop wherein any process is
carried on by the occupier with the aid of his family or to any school established by, or
receiving assistance or recognition from, Government. (The Government itself has proceeded
on the assumption that child labour cannot be eliminated completely and that certain
forms of child labour are inevitable.)
Bringing Children Back to School 23
1989 though leans towards ‘hazardous long run) is paramount to create a home
employment’ perspective, yet it contains that is conducive for education.
right of the child to be protected from any
work that interferes with the child’s Appraisal
education and development. In this light The primordial concern is to bring child
the domestic/household chores labourers back to schools and this
performed by the girls that forces them requires the adoption of Article 32 of the
to remain out of schools is child labour Convention on the Rights of the Child in
and infringement of her right under its true spirit and the recognition of the
Article 32 of the Convention which fact that any non school-going child is
however, is seemed to have been an exploited child. A great departure
overlooked by the lawmakers and the from the existing policies is not
courts. UNICEF has called it as ‘unpaid suggested, rather it should be
and invisible’ child work.34 Thus, there appreciated that programmes like Sarva
is a case for expanding the application Shiksha Abhiyan and the schemes
of the term child-labour by assuming enabling it are powerful means to bring
that a person below fourteen years of age the dropouts back to the schools.3 5 What
away from school or basic primary is suggested is an attitudinal change in
education is a child labourer. setting priorities and appreciating that
The observations of UNESCO and the ultimate goal of education policies for
ASER (Pratham Publication) report that tackling dropouts and child labour laws
when the mothers are not educated it is is the same, i.e. holistic development of
likelier that the children (even more a child. In that regard, as discussed
likely in girls) would either remain out of before, education system must insist for
school or will dropout before completing productive pedagogy and relevant
the basic education. This must be kept curriculum.
in mind while formulating the girls’ For this it is essential to have
education schemes and female adult children and the community in
education for fighting exploitation caused confidence by spreading awareness about
due to the stereotyping of roles in the the meaning and ills of child labour
households on gender lines and sending and the benefits of education.
the message across that this stereotyping Simultaneously, steps for improving the
is nothing but child labour and an quality of education must always be
infringement of the child’s rights. considered. Inside the schools, the
Therefore, while educating girls, adult following should be observed: if they are
education of women in this light (even if equipped with basic facilities; the
it be seen as a temporary measure in the treatment meted out to the children;
34
Dak, T.M. (ed.), Child Labour in India, 2002, p. 13.
35
Enrolment, particularly amongst the girls has substantially increased after 2001; Gender
Parity Index has improved; Dropout has declined significantly from over 40% in 2001 to
about 29% in 2004 besides the growth noticed in recruitment of teachers and infrastructure.
Source: Selected Educational Statistics 2004-05 as on 30th September 2004, released
in 2007.
24 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
activities performed by them and their children’s trust and help them face their
learning thereof and accountability of the everyday problems before introducing
administration, thereby, focussing on them to formal education.39
both the pull and push factors36 affecting While NGOs have been reasonably
the access and retention of children in successful in bringing back dropouts
schools. Also it should be ensured that and ‘out of school children’ to the schools,
while the education is relevant to the the Government responded by spreading
needs and schools are equipped with awareness about the importance of
facilities for preventing the children schools and education through the
quitting education or parents schemes under the Sarva Shiksha
withdrawing their admissions due to Abhiyan. However, the State must realise
unhealthy school environment and that compulsory elementary education is
disinterest in studies. The success of MV primarily its responsibility and it must
Foundation (R.R. District, Andhra not detract from it by calling it an
Pradesh) in eradicating child labour and ‘unfinished agenda’ and ‘passing the
mainstreaming the ‘out of school’ buck’ to the NGOs (as Sainath calls it.40
children into the formal schools through The researcher would, however, resist
bridge courses, camps, helplines, etc. is from calling these NGOs as money
an example.37 Its ‘spiral’ (phenomenon making industries).
explained by Glover wherein an Moreover, the State has not quite
individual’s efforts, when replicated by appreciated the idea that the policies
others can effect a significant change to regarding eradication of child labour and
arrest an insurmountable problem)38 is bringing ‘out of school’ children to schools
reflected in the experience of Baljyothi must be complimentary to each other
which started 250 schools in the slum with case studies, research, statistics
areas of Hyderabad with the community and opinions echoing the same. It has
support. On similar lines, CINI ASHA with not enacted the Right to Education Bill
community-support and help from other tabled in Parliament in 2005, which is
NGOs and municipalities in Kolkata, vital for realising the Right to Education
works to educate children living on the under Article 21A. Considering this
streets, railway platforms, slums, indifference, the State has not given an
squatter settlements and the children of evidence of the political will for the
sex workers. Several activities were compulsory elementary education of all
undertaken specifically to win the children.
36
Ramchandran, Vimala (ed.), Getting Children Back to School, 2003, Sage Publications, New
Delhi, p. 8.
37
Mainstreaming Out of School Children: MV Foundation Experience, case study, (2000)
38
Glover, J., ‘It Makes No Difference whether or not I Do it’ in Singer P. (ed.), Applied Ethics,
1975, pp. 133-5 cited in 2nd year, 4th Semester, Law and Poverty reading material, compiled
by Prof. Amita Dhanda, pp. 53-4.
39
Case studies from Ramchandran, Vimala (ed.), Getting Children Back to School, 2003.
40
Sainath, P, Everybody Loves a Good Drought, 1996, pp. 424-34 cited in 2nd year, 4th Semester,
Law and Poverty reading material, compiled by Prof. Amita Dhanda, pp. 117-21.
Conflict Situations and Children’s Education in Manipur 25
Abstract
Manipur has been witnessing various forms of conflict for a long period of time
and children have been the most vulnerable section to such situations. From the
immediate to the long-term effects, children have been the victims of conflicts. The
paper tries to understand how situations of conflict in Manipur have seriously
impeded the development of children by denying them their basic right to education.
It also suggests the possible measures towards ensuring this basic right even in
times of conflict situations.
Education, as we all accept, plays a vital available free to all, and also to take
role in the overall development of a child. measures to encourage regular
It gives shape and structure to children’s attendance at schools and the reduction
lives and instills community values, of dropouts. It must be mentioned here
promotes justice and respect for human that the Constitution of India had also
rights and enhances peace, stability and placed the need for Universal Elementary
interdependence. Realising the Education in the Directive Principles of
importance of education in children’s State Policy under Article 45 of the
lives, the Convention of the Rights of the Constitution of India. It is, therefore,
Child adopted by the General Assembly stipulated as an important duty/
of the United Nations on November 20, obligation of the State to follow it in
1989, and ratified by India in 1992, inter implementing programmes and public
alias ask the States to recognise the right policies. The Constitution (Eighty-sixth
of the child to education. With a view to Amendment) Act 2002, has reinforced it
achieving this right progressively and on by making it as a Fundamental Right by
the basis of equal opportunity, the inserting Article 21 (A), stating that ‘the
Convention recommends to make State shall provide free and compulsory
primary education compulsory and education to all children of the age of 6
participation in protest movements, etc.), state and the non-state actors. Different
These derivatives of conflict linger on for forms of conflicts have been ravaging the
a long period impeding the prevalence of state for a long time. Besides the long
a conducive educational environment in drawn armed conflicts induced by
conflict situations. Education is insurgency, there are also conflicts
disrupted and not progressive. In spite borne out of the ethnic feuds among
of the positive values engrained in various communities in the state. As
education and schools as agents of stated above, these forms of conflicts
positive change and development, the severely impeded the normal growth of
inability to function properly rendered by the children with their education being
the conflicts neutralizes the positive the most serious casualty. The disruption
elements inherent in education or the of education in the violence-torn states
schools. of the North East in general and
Among the most serious Manipur has seriously affected the
repercussions of conflicts on children is development of children. Undeniably,
the deprivation of their basic education. education is the most powerful tool for
During conflict, fear and disruption make social change and development. When a
it difficult to create an atmosphere child’s education is affected, the whole
conducive to learning, and the morale of life of the child is affected, and the
both teachers and students is likely to recurring violences in the state have
be low. As conflict drags for months, brought education to a grinding halt.
economic and social conditions suffer The problem of insurgency in the
and educational opportunities become state has been the most serious threat
more limited. Sometimes even when to children. Growing up with violence all
educational opportunities exist in the around them, many children are often
disturbed areas; parents are just caught in a precarious dilemma.
reluctant to send their children to According to Allan Court, India’s
school. They are afraid that the children representative for UNICEF who recently
will not be safe while they are on their completed a study on the effect of
way to and from school. Overall, during insurgency on children:
conflict situations, not even schools are “They (children) are being forcibly
safe from attack and children lose the recruited, coerced and induced to become
opportunities to learn and are denied the insurgents. Manipulated by adults,
structure, stability and predictability children have been drawn into violence that
they need to develop their potential. they are too young to resist and with
Ultimately, it can lead to a situation in consequences they cannot imagine.”
which they lose their sense of trust and A very common disturbing
hope for the future. phenomenon in the State is that children
Manipur is not innocent as far as often get recruited into different warring
conflicts are concerned. In Manipur, groups against the State forces. Once
since the last five decades various forms they are into these forces, there is little
conflict has taken place ranging from chance for these children to continue
ethnic conflicts to conflict between the with their schooling. Instead, they
28 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
become engaged in the fights with the the community support systems that
state forces. In Manipur, the toll of armed provide protection and a secure
conflict on children has risen remarkably environment for development. Children’s
since early 90s. The Global Report on well-being is best ensured through family
Child Soldier-2001 Asia-Pacific and community-based solutions that
Conference reported that 28 children draw on local culture and an
were arrested or injured and 10 children understanding of child development.
killed in Manipur in just five months
between January and May 2000 (“Global Education: Ensuring Children of
Report on Child Soldier-2001” in Children their Right
of Wars Newsletter). Innocent children
also get caught in the crossfire between Ensuring children of their basic
the state forces and armed insurgents. education during conflict situation is
Besides, the State has also been easier said than done. The State as well
witness to inter and intra-ethnic conflicts as the civil societies has an important
among various communities in the State. role to play in ensuring the basic right
Children have to flee from their villages to children. Efforts should be made to
in times of an ethnic conflict among bring an end of the on-going imbroglio
different communities. For example, and pave way to an atmosphere
during the infamous Naga-Kuki clash in conducive to learning and education for
1992-95 and also in 1997-98 between children. This also calls for all parties to
the Thadou Kukis and Paite Zomis, there the conflict to strive towards peace and
was huge exodus of population from their harmony. Conflicts sometimes become
native villages. During these periods, unavoidable, but that should not hamper
there were cases of children dropping out the educational atmosphere of the
of their schools while fleeing to their children. Even during the times of
safety in other villages. As a result, many conflicts, efforts should be made to
students have had to be transferred to provide education because, education
safer school areas to prevent being has a crucial preventive and
assaulted by warring sections. Many rehabilitative part to play in fulfilling the
children have had to discontinue their needs and rights of children in conflict
studies completely. Children in refugee and post-conflict situations. The UN
camps are forced to abandon their Convention on the Rights of the Children
studies and work for their livelihood. The established that “children should enjoy
disruption of education is very common the right to education so that there can
when conflicts break out. be development of child’s personality,
Armed conflict affects all aspects of talents and mental and physical abilities
child development – physical, mental to their fullest potential, the development
and emotional. Such effects accumulate of respect for the child’s parents, his/
and interact with each other. In order to her cultural identity, language and
understand the impact of armed conflict values, national values of the country in
on children, we should look at the which the child lives, preparation of the
related effects on women, families and child for responsibilities life in a free
Conflict Situations and Children’s Education in Manipur 29
society and friendship among all people, It is true that sometimes children
national and religious groups”. might not listen to their parents but
Education can and should also be part listen what the teacher says, thinking
of all humanitarian responses – that educational guidance given by the
including those in a conflict situation. teacher is more appropriate than the
Early investments in education protects ones given by the parents. Here,
children from the most damaging aspects educational practices inspired by
of conflict and play a significant role in Vygotsky’s theory could be useful which
building peace, restoring countries to a includes reciprocal teaching – a method
positive development path and breaking of teaching in which a teacher and
the cycle of violence. students form a collaborative group and
In the light of the escalating trends co-operative learning in which peers
of violence everywhere, the National resolve differences of opinion and work
Curriculum Framework-2005 also toward common goals. Going to school
recommends a space for peace education can increase a child’s chances of
within the framework of national school surviving conflict. Schools can equip
curriculum document. The framework children with the knowledge and skills
also stresses on education as a they need to stay safe and healthy, and
‘significant dimension of the long-term to survive conflict and cope up with its
process of building up peace–tolerance, aftermath. Schools are vital in protecting
justice, intercultural understanding and children and supporting their emotional
civic responsibility’. However, it is critical and social development by giving them
of the education as is practiced today for comfort, security, and opportunity. The
it ‘promotes forms of violence, both real routine of school develops an
and symbolic’ and therefore, suggests the environment in which children are
need to reorient education. Peace ‘as a allowed to be children. Teacher can
value cuts across all curricular areas recognise signs of stress in children as
and coincides with and complements the well as impart information and promote
values emphasised therein’. tolerance and respect for human rights.
It is a common knowledge that
education begins at home. One can learn Conclusion
and receive knowledge from parents,
family member and even from an For societies affected by conflict,
acquaintance. But in school, children get education is integral to building long-
a formal education. As stated above, term peace and prosperity. Simply going
school acts as one of society’s agents in to school each day can transform the
socialising the child and in transmitting lives of children living in conflict zones.
a common culture. Through socialisation Even in situation of armed conflict, it is
as an educative process, the child learns important to carry out on educating
to get along with others and to take the children and young people, irrespective
roles expected of him/her in view of his of the circumstances. Education
social position. School education brings promotes their psychosocial and physical
contact with great ideas. well-being. Every individual should come
30 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
REFERENCES
AHLUWALIA, B.K and SHASHI AHLUWALIA. 1987. Social Change in Manipur. Cultural
Publishing House.
BERK, E. LAURA. 2003. Child Development. Pearsons Education.
BOSE. 1994. An Introduction to the Ethnic Problem in Manipur. Solidarity Group in
Support of the Restoration of Civil and Democratic Rights in the North-East
and other Media, New Delhi.
CHENOY, KAMAL MITRA. 2005. ‘Nationalist ideology, Militarisation and Human Rights
in the North-East’, Eastern Quarterly. Vol.3, No.1. Manipur Research Forum,
Delhi,
GANGMUMEI, KABUI. 1991, History of Manipur, Pre-Colonial Period, Vol. I. National
Publishing House, Delhi.
GUPTA, M.C., K. CHOCKALINGAM and JAYTILAK GUHA ROY (eds.). 2001. Child Victims of Crime:
Problem and Perspectives, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi.
HAVIGHURST, ROBERT J. AND BERNICE L. NEUGARTEN. 1959. Society and Education. Allyn
and Bacon, Inc. Boston.
Hindustan Times. 2001. ‘Ceasefire Crises in Manipur: Manipur Burns’. 12 June.
IBUNGOHAL, L. 1987. Introduction to Manipur, 3rd ed. The Saraswati Printing Works,
Imphal.
KHANNA, S.K. 1998. Children and Human Rights. Commonwealth Publishers, New
Delhi.
KIPGEN, DONN MORGAN. 2005. The Bane of Bandhs & Blockades in Manipur, Manipur
Online, 30 September.
KRIESBERG, LOUIS. 1982. Social Conflict, Prentice –Hall, Inc. New Jersey.
KUMAR, RAMNARAYAN and SONIA MULLER-RAPPARD. 2006. Critical Reading in Human Rights
and Peace, Shipra Publication, Delhi.
MACHEL, GRACA. 1996. Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, UNICEF.
Conflict Situations and Children’s Education in Manipur 31
MADAN, RAM GURUMUKH. 1987. Indian Social Problems. Allied Publishers Private Ltd.
MIALARET, GASTON. 1979. The Child’s Right to Education, UNESCO.
PHANJANBAM, PRADIP. 2001. ‘Insurgency and its Impact on the Development of Manipur’,
in C. JOSHUA THOMAS et al. (eds.) Constraints in the Development of Manipur. Regency
Publications, New Delhi.
RAI, RAHUL. 2000. Human Rights: UN Initiatives, Authors Press.
SHARMA, S.P. 2006. Child Development. Vista Publication, India.
TAWIL SOBHI and HARLEY ALEXANDRA (Ed.). 2004. Education, Conflict and Social Cohesion
UNESCO. International Bureau of Education.
THANGJAM, HOMEN. 2005. ‘Armed-Conflict and Women’s Well-being in Manipur’, Eastern
Quarterly, Vol.3. No.3.
http://www.unicef.org/crc/
http://www.un.org/rights/impact.htm
32 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
Abstract
The rights of the child is one of the major area of concern and since the implementation
of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 international community has
committed itself to the protection of these rights. SIDA and Children’s Ombudsman,
Sweden are working in cooperation with each other to organise training programmes
for different regions of the world to expose functionaries of these countries about
the rights of children and their protection. This article is based on my experiences
of a recent visit to Sweden to attend one such training programme on Child’s
Rights.
This article is based on my experiences will make the promotion and protection
of a recent visit to Sweden to attend a of the rights of the child meaningless. The
training programme on Child’s Rights, programme was started with team
organised by the Children’s building activity focused on a session
Ombudsman, Stockholm in cooperation called knot tying and untying the knot.
with SIDA. The training programme This session reiterated the importance
centred around the four Pillars of the of cooperation and networking in the
Convention on the Rights of the Child task of promoting the rights and best
(1989), i.e. (a) the Right to Participation, interest of children. The session also
(b) the Right against Discrimination, included the paint/draw yourself
(c) the Best Interest of the Child, and, activity where the participants described
(d) the Right to Life and Development. themselves in a drawing. It is a common
However, it was strongly stressed that observation that all the applicants have
before any of these rights become their respective families in the core
operative, the right to life of the unborn centre of their life, and most of them have
child should be given priority. In that hobbies related to reading, travelling and
case all other rights will be swimming.The programme provided very
complementary, and the absence of one comprehensive learning experiences on
what are the rights of children in general, plan for each activity with a view to
and how it being is addressed and promote equality and combat
protected in Sweden in particular. harassment. In case of any harassment
Sweden is one of the largest countries in school, the child has a right to lodge a
of Europe, and only Russia, Ukraine, complaint which is thoroughly
France and Spain are larger than investigated upon and it becomes the
Sweden. However, the population of this responsibility of the school to prove that
large country is not very large, and is only no such harassment has taken place.
nine million people, with two million The Act applies to all stages of education
children sharing 25 per cent of the total including pre-school activities, school
population. Sweden ratified the UN age child care, pre-school classes,
Convention on the Rights of the Child compulsory and upper secondary school,
(CRC) following a decision of the special schools for students with learning
parliament in 1990 and implemented it disabilities, special needs schools, sami
throughout the country to fulfil various schools, and municipal adult schools.
obligations aimed at equal treatment for The Swedish Government prepared
all children and protection against a National Action Plan (2006-2009) to
discrimination. The purpose of the act is address issues related to human rights
to safeguard and promote equal value of in the country. The focus of the NAP is
each individual and everyone’s right to on protection against discrimination.
be treated as an individual on equal Other issues include the rights of the
terms. Sweden firmly believes that in a disabled people, the rights of the child,
democratic society there is no place of national minorities, the indigenous Sámi
discrimination and each individual – people, and men’s violence against
child or adult, has the right to be treated women including violence in the name
as an individual on equal terms. To of honour and human trafficking, the
translate this conviction into practice the right to work, housing, health and
Swedish Government enacted a bill education, rule of law issues and asylum
(Government Bill Security, respect and and migration. Besides a number of
responsibility–the prohibition of measures aimed at increasing knowledge
discrimination and other degrading and information on human rights, both,
treatment to children and school students within educational system and among
(Govt Bill 2005). The purpose of this bill the general public are announced.
is to safeguard and promote equal value Finally, the action plan addresses issues
of each individual and everyone’s right pertaining to the organisation of human
to be treated as an individual on equal rights efforts and methods and follow-up
terms. The Act prohibits discrimination and evaluation of action plan.
on grounds of sex, ethnic origin, religion Sweden has Ombudsman system to
or other beliefs, sexual orientation and protect the interest and rights of its
disability. It also covers other degrading citizens. There are a number of
treatments such as bullying and sexual Ombudsman in the country elected for
abuse, etc. It ensures that each pre- four year period to address the human
school and school has equal treatment rights issues of their target groups. These
34 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
Therefore, the objective of juvenile justice therefore, there are four categories of
is to help the child come out of situation homes in these institutions and juveniles
that forced him/her to commit the are kept in these homes according to the
offence with active cooperation of the severity of their crime with the provision
offender himself, instead of punishing to move from the most sever, with hardly
him/her. Consequently, in the Social any freedom, to the most lenient category
Service Act of Sweden there is no of home where they enjoy considerable
provision of any coercive measures. freedom to go to school and even visit
Schools generally try to solve their own their parents with or without guards.
problems of adolescent crimes and often There is provision of schooling facility in
have psychologists and social workers to these homes with one teacher for two
help children with various behavioural students to give them education,
problems. Most of the schools also have vocational training, Aggression
trained teachers to handle deviant Replacement Training (ART),
behaviours. The level of the cooperation Relationship Classes and Personal
between the social services and the counselling, etc. Solution Focused
school however varies from municipality Therapy (Non-directive Therapy) is used
to municipality. Sweden has relatively in these Care Homes in order to help
low crime rates though it is increasing these offenders to realise their problems
every year. The most common adolescent and seek their own solutions.
crimes are theft, burglaries, drug abuse, As the part of programme visits were
stealing of mobiles and other white-collar organised to different institutions. The
crimes. It was surprising to know that in first visit included an interaction with
a wealthy society like Sweden adolescents teachers and children of a local school.
are engaged in petty crimes like stealing The interaction with teachers and
of mobile which is the most common student representatives revealed the
juvenile behaviour in the society. flexible nature of Swedish school
Sweden established National Board curriculum and participation of students
of Institutional Care in 1994 that is in decision making process through
entrusted with the responsibility of student representatives. We were
juveniles who have been sentenced to informed of the class council for each
care either under Drug and Alcohol class and school council at the school
Abuse Act (LVM) or the Young Persons level in which representatives from each
Act (LVU) or by the District Courts class are members. They have council
according to the enforcement of networks for sixth grade classes
Institutional Care of Young Persons Act (12 years) which meet at different schools
(LSU). There are 35 Institutional Care in municipality, besides for children of
Homes in the country accommodating 13-18 years of age Youth net works are
760 youths. As indicated earlier, the there. These networks organise different
Swedish law believes in giving a second types of activities, and discussions, invite
opportunity to the young offenders to politicians for discussions on issues
improve their behaviour and be related to child welfare. In Sweden, all
integrated in the mainstream of civil life, the children receive free education, and
38 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
even free Mid-day meals where they where kept incommunicado, and in
themselves have the right to discuss the isolation from members of their family
preparation of their meals. The ethnic during the investigation of the case filed
origin of students is kept in mind while against them. Unlike in other states, in
preparing meals so as to include the food Sweden the offender is not informed of
requirements of all the children. Another his rights (Miranda warning) during
specific feature that was observed was arrest and investigation.
the nutritious value of the food provided The group also visited the Central
to the children. We shared lunch with Police Station where situation of children
children and since the school had some subjected to abuse and how they felt
Asian children also we were lucky to get about their offenders was presented.
delicious curry and rice along with the Sweden has Child helpline services
continental food. known, as BRIS to help the child in
During the visit to the Prosecution distress Bris is an NGO started in 1971
Office of Stockholm and the group had a to help children against abuse. The
discussion with a prosecutor assigned to organisation is supported by around
handle child cases. Surprisingly, the 10,000 member and 50 staff who help the
group was informed that Sweden has no child in distress. Children can contact
set procedure for trying child cases. them through toll free phones and its
There are even situations where children website- www.brie.se.
Structure of Barby
(Departments)
As is clear from the diagram given above there are four departments of Barby, the
institutional care home for adolescents, while the first two departments–Horden and
Tunet appear to be more strict as the inmates here are put under lock and key, considerable
freedom is available in Bagen and Garanten to the inmates. Persons convicted under LVU
and LSU are brought to Horden. After staying here for some period and based on the
behaviour they show during their stay they are moved to Tunet where there is provision
for their treatment, education with the assistance of personal tutors (there is one teacher
for two students), vocational training, aggression replacement training(twice in a week),
etc. Besides once in a week relationship classes are also held for these persons once in a
week along with personal counselling and awareness classes on current affairs, etc. Inmates
of Bagen are allowed to go to nearby school with the escort and get education. They are
also allowed to visit their homes escorted and sometimes unescorted, depending on their
own behaviour. The last phase of a person’s institutionalisation is in Garanten that has
considerable freedom and adequate training is provided to these persons as a part of their
inclusion back in the society when they are free. Though at each stage the level of freedom
to the inmate is increased based on improvement in their behaviour, if there is any
violence they are send back to Horden and locked again. The person has to perform his/
her journey from one home to other in order to go back to the society again. The maximum
sentence under LSU is four years whereas it may be more if the person is convicted
under LVU.
REFERENCES
HINDBERG, BARBRO. 2001. Ending Corporal Punishment. Ministry of Health and Social
Affairs, Sweden.
Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. 2004. Strategies to Implement the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child. Fact Sheet, Sweden.
NYBERG, LENA. 2006. Juvenile Justice. The Children’s Ombudsman, Sweden.
SYLWANDER, LOUISE. 2001. Children as Participants. Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,
Sweden.
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and its Implementation 41
Abstract
* Research Scholar, Centre for Advanced Study in Education, Faculty of Education and
Psychology, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara 390 002.
** Reader in Education, Centre for Advanced Study in Education, Faculty of Education and
Psychology, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara 390 002.
42 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
of easy access to primary education, this side is that even after fifty years if
is especially so with regard to girl child independence, the goal supported by the
and those belonging to socio- constitutional mandate continues to be
economically backward sections of the elusive despite all the efforts. The
population. The 86 th Constitutional proportion of the illiterates in absolute
Amendment has conferred the status of number continues to increase from 294
Fundamental Right to Education. With millions in 1950 to 850 millions in 2000
this provision also, no one really can be A.D. which means we still harbor the
held responsible for non-compliance but largest number of illiterates in the world.
a positive development seen today is the Education despite being promoted on a
number of schemes and programmes large scale by the government still
launched in pursuance of the emphasis struggles to survive. Increase in dropout
embodied in the NPE, its POA and the rate, decrease in enrolment rate. Lack
subsequent committees. These schemes of infrastructural facilities, indifferent
and programmes include the scheme of attitude of teachers towards students
Operation Blackboard (OB), Non-formal and vague understanding of the benefits
Education (NFE), Teacher Education of education among the parents are some
(TE), Mahila Samakhya (MS), state of the major ills plaguing educational
specific basic education programmes like scenario in our country (Joshi, 2004).
the Andhra Pradesh Primary Education It is disconcerting to note that in
Project, Bihar Education Project, Lok 2001 also the pool of illiterates continues
Jumbish in Rajasthan, Education for All to be formidable as before. There is a
Project in Uttar Pradesh, Shiksha Karmi common agreement among scholars that
project in Rajasthan, National the performance of Indian education in
Programme of Nutritional Support to case of all three dimensions of UEE, i.e.
Primary Education well known as Mid- universal enrolment, universal
Day Meal Scheme, District Primary retention, poorer in case of retention and
Education Programme and Sarva Shiksha poorest in case of achievement levels.
Abhiyan. There are problems relating to dropout
rate, low levels of achievement and low
Status of Elementary Education
participation of girls, tribal and other
Consequent to several efforts, India has disadvantaged groups. Compiled with it
made enormous progress in terms of are various systemic issues like poorly
increase in institutions, teachers and functioning schools, high teacher
students in elementary education. absenteeism, large number of teacher
Access to school is no longer a major vacancies, poor quality of education and
problem. At the primary stage, 94 per nearly one-lakh habitations in the
cent of the country’s need population country without schooling facility. In
has schooling facilities within one short the country is yet to achieve the
kilometer and at the upper primary stage, elusive target of UEE, which means 100
it is 84%. Thus, the country has made per cent enrolment, and retention of
impressive achievement in the children with quality education. To
elementary education sector. But the flip achieve this goal, community
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and its Implementation 43
Mahuva 5
1 Bhavnagar Palitana 4 13
Vallabhipur 4
Gandevi 4
2 Navsari Jalalpor 4 12
Vansda 4
Halol 6
3 Panchmahals Lunawada 5 17
Santrampur 6
Bhiloda 4
4 Sabarkantha Khedbrahma 6 14
Prantij 4
Total 56
Distribustion of Schools
Sabarkantha
Name of District
Panchmahals
Navsari
Bhavnagar
0 5 10 15 20
Number of Schools
teacher training, the grants, the means to explain in a formal way drawing
community participation and the implications and removing the
teaching learning activities. ambiguous words or statements
3. A focus group interview schedule was (c) structuring: it means to organise the
also decided to probe into the data therein giving it a form based on
complexities in the entire process of the objectives of the study.
community participation. Key
questions were prepared focusing on Major findings
those areas and in those schools ● With regard to the constitution of
where there was a scope of further different communities, it was found
probing. that all the sample schools
Data Collection constituted all the communities.
● In 76.86% schools, the committees
The research associate along with the were constituted as per norms in the
field investigators made field visits to the SSA framework.
sample districts to collect data. During ● In 19.64% school members were co-
the field visits, data from the official opted in different committees.
records were taken through the ● In 83.28 schools, the members had
information schedule and through received community leadership
questionnaire different members of the training.
committees or the key persons like ● In 66.5% schools all the members
principal, sarpanch, talati, coordinator or were literate.
CRC, parents, coordinator of MDM and ● In 19.58% schools, no official records
other members of the different were found.
committees were interviewed. ● In 42% school, the members met only
to discuss the condition of different
Data Analysis festivals like Pravesh Utsav, 26 th
The data were analysed both January, 15th August and if orders
qualitatively and quantitatively based on were received from GCPE, Gandhinagar.
the type of data. The factual information ● In 38% schools, the members met
collected through objective one and two only to discuss the utilisation of
were analysed quantitatively by using grants.
frequency and percentage analysis. ● In 20% schools, the members met
Information obtained through with a constructive agenda of
observation schedule, face-to-face increasing enrolment, improving
interviews, informal interactions and retention rates and increasing the
focus group interview was qualitatively achievement levels.
analysed through qualitative content ● With regard to the grants, except the
analysis technique which includes TLM grant; the members of the
(a) Summarising: it means to reduce the different committees and the non-
data, thus drawing out only the most members shared a similar view that
relevant information. (b) Explication: it the grants have helped improve the
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and its Implementation 49
SSA. Both these programmes had a focus With regard to the constitution of the
of concern to accelerate the national different committees like VEC, MTA, PTA
resolve to achieve UEE in a time bound and VCWC, all of these were constituted.
manner through decentralised planning Of these the constitution of VEC was as
and community ownership. The per the norms of SSA while the
education policy makers as well as constitution of MTA and PTA in
bureaucrats all over the world have come maximum cases was by the choice of the
to realise the indispensable role of principal and not on democratic grounds.
community in the successful Of the fifty six sample schools, only in
implementation of any extension and seven of them the principal reported that
development proggramme as a they had called a meeting of all the
participant in decision making, parents and elected members on the
implementation and utilising the benefit working committee of MTA and PTA. In
of the programme. Since then concerted case of VCWC the resolutions for the
efforts have been made to maximise election of members were not found on
community participation in different the record books but the headmaster in
sectors. In the elementary education many cases reported that VCWC was
sector, the twin programmes through constituted with the consent of the
constitution of different communities for members on VCWC working committee
the school management at different levels were elected from VEC. In few cases the
ensured participation of community members on VCWC working committee
members. were elected from VEC or PTA itself. Here,
The present study in this context is it may be noted that the discussion is on
an effort to study the constitution and the basis of results drawn from the
the functioning of different committees records and interaction with headmaster
formed at village level and to study the and other members of the committee.
perception of the members involved with The framework of SSA envisaged
regard to SSA and its implementation. maximum participation of the community
Education policy makers are looking members and therefore specified in its
forward towards such studies to improve norms the democratic election of the
the efficiency of the forthcoming members on the working committee of
interventions and lead to realistic and MTA and PTA. But the field visits, records
sustainable policies. Thus, the present and interactions made it evident that the
research is an attempt to know the way constitution of MTA and PTA was by
the people involve at grass root level choice, which in the words of the head
perceive such a robust programme. master was based on the individual
Moreover, is there any difference in the parent’s enthusiasm, willingness and
perception of the members and the non- literacy status. Of the fifty-six sample
members of different committees? schools, in eleven (19.64%) school
Answering this question would entail members were co-opted on different
studying the constitution and committees. This may be due to the fact
functioning of the committees and that from the list of the members who
perception of the community members. could be co-opted on VEC, PTA and MTA
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and its Implementation 51
do not exist for example, a principal of half the memebrs and in three (5.4%)
higher secondary school, a retired schools one third of the members were
teacher, parents of handicapped literate of which most of them were only
children, angan wadi workers or parents at the stage of learning their signature,
belonging to SC/ST category. while thumb impressions still decorated
The constitution of these committees the official records of the schools. This is
at village level is with the sole aim of he researcher feels will answer how and
achieving the targets of UEE through why a programme which seems to be very
different interventions. Trainings are appropriate at planning stage fails at
imparted to these members to make them implementation.
aware of their responsibilities. The Probinging into the matter entails a
results of the study however reveal that discussion on the functioning of these
only in twenty-six (46.4%) schools, all the committees. To encompass the
members had received community functioning of the different committees,
leadership training while in nineteen the discussionis divided into following
schools either half or one third three stages:
memebers have received training and in (1) meetings (2) community
five schools none of the members were mobilisation (3) development of school.
trained while six schools had no With regard to the meetings, it is
information. The community leaderhsip important to discuss that how many
training is imparted only once in a year. times in a year the members met, how
The researcher feels that at places where many memebrs met, what was the
half or one third members are trained, purpose of the meetings, when were
the constitution of the committees must these meetings arranged was a follow up
have changed after the training was of the meetings ensured and the reasons
imparted or it may be due to the quality behind the existing status. The findings
of the trainings that the trainnes failed of the study exposed the following facts
to recognise that they were being that while forty five (80%) schools fulfilled
trained. This interpretation was drawn the minimum requirement of three
from the interaction of the cordinators meetings a year, only in sixteen (28.6%)
of CRC and BRC with the different schools all the members attended the
members of the committees. In an meetings, in other sixteen (28.6%)
interaction with the research team, the schools half of the members attended the
members refused to have received meetings and in thirtten (23.2%) school
training while the cordinators of CRC and meetings were conducted without
BRC made attempts to pursade them that fulfilling the requirement of quorum. It
the day had assembled at the bahawan is also worth noting that in twenty four
was a training session. The lack of (42.9%) schools, all the three meetings
understanding at the trainings also were arranged between May to August
throws light on the literacy status of the and one in December mainly for
members because still only thirty six conduction of Pravesh Utsav and
(64.3%) schools, all the members were celebration of Independence Day and
literate while in twelve (21.31%) schools, Republic Day. In eleven (19.6%) schools,
52 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
no data was available and in twenty one meetings, the women again shy away and
(37.5%) schools there was distribution of due to socio-cultural bindings do not
meetings through out the year. The open up or gather the courage to voice
finding also disclosed one very important their beliefs. Thus, the joint meetings
aspect that in twenty four (42%) schools, seem to have brutally killed the very
the memebers met only to discuss the purpose of MTAs and PTAs. Not only had
celebration of different festivals while in that but the academic issues had also
twenty one (38%) schools the members taken a back seat. The results show that
met with a constructive agenda of (87.5%) forty nine out of fifty six schools
increasing enrolment, improving took follow up of the resolutions made in
retention rates and increasing the VEC meetings. The significance of
achievement levels. One most significant this finding cannot be denied but it
observation was that there were joint needs to be considered in the light of the
meetings of all the committees, viz VEC, agenda made and that the results fo
PTA, MTA and VCWC in all sample follow up were solely based on the
schools except for the one meeting which responses of the committee members.
was held to announce the elected Community mobilisation is also one
members of MTA, PTA and VCWC. On the of the important functions of the different
basis of the field experiences and the committees. But it was sad to see that
interactions with the different members community mobilisations was
and non-members of the committees, it understood only in terms of gathering
can be said that as far as the meetings funds from the community in cash or in
are concerned, everything seems to be kind or seeking help for the celebration
going finely on records but the of different festivals and for physical
distribution of meetings only between development of school. A glance at the
May to August and the discussion being statistics reveals that in thirty two
limited to celebration of festivals and (57.1%) schools the community raised
utlisation of grants exposes the funds for construction of balmitra varg
lackadaisical attitude of the (a child friendly classroom); in twenty five
functionaries, who are making just piece (44.6%) schools the contribution was in
meal services to the programme and the kind. At other places modest support in
nation as a whole. The joint meetings of cash/kind was received. Different kind
the different committees though they of support was received at different
have their own benefits have miserably schools based on the socio-economic
failed to fulfilll the main purpose of the status of the people. Some of these
constitution of MTAs and PTAs. The included buying slates and pens,
parents especially mothers who preparing play ground for children,
otherwise remain confined to the four procuring benches or infrastructure
walls of the house or their veils should items such as furniture, fans, etc. play
get an opportunity to share their views equipments, rendering services like
in public, to come forward and fight for carpentry, masonry, cooking, helping in
their wards education, to promote the celebration of Independence Day,
education of their daughters. In the joint Republic Day and Pravesh Utsav.
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and its Implementation 53
One can say that the ideology and enrolment. In Gujarat itself 2.84 lakh
trend of community involvement in children are still out of school. The
children’s education has certainly begun findings show that in forty five (80.4%)
but has been limited to donations only. schools, regular efforts were made to
This be speaks the lack of understanding increase enrolment, in forty four (78.6%)
of the functionaries, be it the head schools, the community members help
master or the cordinators of BRC and in conducting surveys, in forty three
CRC regarding community mobilisation. (71.4%) schools the members contacted
Educating the functionaries regarding the parents in case of irregularity of their
the involvement of community members wards and encouraged them for girls’
not only for donations or celebration of education. even the Chief Minister and
festivals but also for promotion of the Education Minister of the state are
different school activities is required. The figured begging from people the
success of SSA depends on quality education of their wards especially the
of community based planning, girl child. The failure at the enrolment
implementation and monitoring process. level itself speaks of the quality of
The lack of involvement of the community education, which fails to attract the
members at all these exposes their lack children, sustain them and provide them
of awareness and sensitisation minimum vocational inputs required to
regarding their roles and powers earn a day’s living. Gandhi’s basic
education becomes inevitable here
bestowed on them. The field experience
because a hungry man cannot be fed
of the researcher are a witness to the
with countries, economic is spiritual for
misconception of the community
him. So to sustain the interest of the
members who still believe that power lies
learners and to make them self reliant,
with somebody else and they are just a
modification in our educational system
party to all the happenings at school but
is inevitable. In thirty seven (66.1%)
do not have any voice in it. Thus schools, the members of different
community based planning and committees sought help from the
implementation does not seem to be community members to develop the
working and community based infrastructure of the school. In forty three
monitoring ensuring transparency (76.8%) schools, the library facility was
remains a distant dream. Although in available and in every twenty four
thirty-nine (69.6%) schools, the (42.9%) schools, the books were issued
community members reported that they to the different community members, in
ensured the regularity of the teachers eleven (16.1%) schools only children
but there is still no check on the quality were the beneficiaries. Here, it is
of classroom interactions and the noteworthy that only four schools had a
learning as such. The community does record of the books in the library and had
not seem to focus much on retention and maintained an issue register. While at
quality education. The central and state some of the schools, the books were piled
governments have laid excessive and tied with a string and kept in
emphasis on enrolment and still we are cupboards. This throws light on the
not able to achieve 100 per cent maintenance of the school facilities.
54 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
The members of the community did picture of that school with single
not differ largely on the dimension of classroom, fifty students and two teachers.
communituy involvement and SSA For the non-members of the
grant. With regard to the availability of committee, the structures of SSA were
the grants and its utilisation, more than meaningless since many of them were
fifty per cent of the schools receive the not aware of the different committees
entire grant timely and utilised it. These formed, their role and contribution
grants undoubtedly helped the growth of towards the school activities and the
infrastructural facilities of the schools incentive schemes. They complain that
and the coomunity involvement gave they were hardly invited for school
voice to the aspirations of the otherwised matters except on Prawesh Utsav and
mute villagers. This response was found Independence Day and Republic day. The
to be common among most of the sample only change they could make out with
schools except a few were in complain the coming of this new structure was the
regarding inappropriate utilisation of over engagement of the headmaster and
grants and differential treatment to the teachers in paper work and meetings.
mebers of different categories were made. The researcher feels that the lack of
The researcher also observed that many planning and organisation of the office
schools had to no planning regading the task and the training probably let to
uses of grants. Since the govermnement such an inference. Probing further,
sanctions grant for development, demands discussions on the teacher
repairing and sanitation, they were training. With regard to teacher training,
simply utilising the amount. In response neither the teaching fraternity nor the
to the management structure of SSA, the community members were satisfied the
head master and few other community way the teacher trainings were organised
memebers expressed great satisfaction and the quality they delivered. Quality
in the decentralised structure which improvement of classroom transactions
helped the distribution of responsibilities and development of competence and
and further develop the feeling of efficiency of teachers is one of the
ownership through more and more significant strategies of SSA. A huge
involvement of people. While at other fund flows into for quality educations
places, the coordinators of BRC and CRC with phenomenal importance to
expressed their dissatisfaction. They improving quality of teachers through
said that, SSA has created a parallel teacher trainings. The researcher visited
structire at different levels and accorded four training sessions at four different
it with the financial powers while on the blocks and observed that not one of them
other hand there was an already existing provided the required teaching skills, the
structure. For the want of proper desirable attitude and mindset among
coordination between these two the teachers. The sessions included a
structures, the progress of the schools welcome speech, a political speech, some
suffers. In one of the schools, the information, tea and breakfast sessions,
construction task was hampered due to gossips and a very little sharing of
micro level politics. The following is a knowledge by few sincere teachers.
56 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
community are sensitised and food needs are not met. The study has
trained for the jobs assigned to them. also alluded that irregularity in the
The community needs to move from attendance of children has mainly
involvement to empowerment which is due to the fields while the girls stayed
possible only when the community is back at home to look after their
aware about its power. In the lack of younger siblings so that their family
above prerequisites, the changes could mange to meet their ends. On
that are brought as part of the basis of the research’s field
decentralised management merely observations and the prevailing
remain on paper. poverty in rural India, it is very much
recommended that children should
● It is essential that the decentralised be provided some vocational
structure should characterise education/local craft based
freedom of operation in the village education which may not be
level. Emphasis should be on the burdensome, may identify with the
quality education that is provided to local culture and tradition and at the
the children in the school rather than same time may help them earn their
the elaborate paper work that the daily wages.
functionaries are expected to
maintain to substantiate the work ● There is typically a lack of significant
that they have done. This system of technical and management skills of
appraisal takes away a substantial local planning. Such training
amount of precious time and energy programme should focus in part on
that school teachers can use for management information system and
improvement of their teaching quantitative skills. The planning and
learning process. Too much of management skills that are needed
reliance on paperwork has made the combined with the quantitative (facts
whole act ritualistic and and figures) and interpersonal skills
burdensome. In order to mobilise the form the basis of training. Thus, there
community support for education; is a serious need to envisage a
there is a need to appreciate the local situation where local communities
culture and local context. This should be called upon to be wholly
entails a blend of the local flavour self-reliant. State level agencies
into the educational programme to particularly in educational
create a greater sense of belonging- development. It is difficult to envisage
ness among the community members a situation where local communities
for the educational programmed. should be called upon to be wholly
self-reliant. State level agencies will
● The study has revealed that most of have an important role to play and
the children live below the poverty will have to work in collaboration
line and education becomes with the parallel structure created at
meaningless for them if their basic different levels.
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and its Implementation 59
REFERENCES
GUPTA, R.K. and D. GUPTA. 1992. “Study of the Extent of Utilisation of the Equipment
and Educational Materials Supplied to Primary Schools in Three States, viz
Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu, under Centrally Sponsored OBB Scheme”,
in Fifth Survey of Educational Research, Vol. 1 (1998-2002). NCERT, New Delhi.
JOSHI, J.B. 2000. “A Study of Primary Teachers’ Opinions towards In-servcie Training
in Banaskantha District”, in SRIVASTAVA, A.B.L. and N. BALA (eds.) DPEP Impact on
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School Effectiveness, Department of Education, The Maharaja Sayajirao University
of Baroda, Vadodara.
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(11).
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in Community Based Learning and Servcie Activities”, Dissertation Abstract
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New Delhi.
MISHRA N. 2000. “Evaluation of Teachers’ Training Imparted and Classroom
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N. BALA (eds.) DPEP Impact on Primary Education. Ed-CIL.
MITCHELL, B. 1987. “Percpetion of Board of Education Members, Community Leaders
and Other Citizens Relative to School Board and Functions, School Reform
Proposals and Current Issues in Education”, Dissertation Abstract Inrternational,
49 (1).
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of Rural Development, 52 (11).
MOHAMMAD, A. 1985. “An Assessment of the Perceptions of Education Officers, Head
Masters and Parents on the Impact of the Implementation of Universal Primary
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International, 47 (5).
Perception of Community Members Regarding SSA and its Implementation 61
Abstract
Students are ultimate stakeholders and direct consumers of the education system
who feel and judge the quality of education. Their perception and feelings for
quality education may go a long way in improving the system. National Policy on
Education (1986), Programme of Action (1992), National Curriculum Framework
(2005), etc. have called for substantial improvement in the quality of school
education. But, how students perceive the concept of quality education and what
expectations they have in this regard is an important issue. The paper conceptualises
students’ perception about their school environment and facilities of education
with their likings and reasons for weakness in different school subjects at higher
secondary level. The paper also suggests changes in classroom practices and
shift in position of the teacher from transmitter of information to facilitator for
construction of knowledge in the minds of students.
* Reader, Regional Institute of Education (NCERT), Shyamla Hills, Bhopal 462 013.
64 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
format. Discussions were also made with and recommendations from students,
the students to seek their opinion and teachers as well as the investigator’s
suggestions about their school. viewpoints.
(d) Analysis of Data: The filled formats Findings of the Study
were analysed to enumerate view-point’s
frequency and data on various points of I - School System
the students. Percentages were calculated (A) Name of the School in Society
to compare different dimensions of
students’ perceptions. Their view-points Now-a-days, school buses, vans, auto
were categorised in nine groups: services, etc. are available for children
and distance is no obstacle in urban
1. Name of the school in society; areas, parents admit their wards in the
2. Discipline and co-operation among well known schools of the town and
students; Kendriya Vidyalayas are one of them.
3. Academic climate in the school; After admission in the school and
4. School teachers and the principal; reaching to the level of higher secondary
5. School Library; their perception about the name of the
6. Guidance for career development in school is assessed on the two dimensions
school; (Table 1):
7. All-round development of students; More than half of the students of KVs
8. Social justice for students; and feel satisfied with the school results and
9. Studies and care of students at home. its educational standard. When students
Views of the students were also realize some specialties of their school,
analyzed on frequency and percentages they feel satisfied and recommend others
on liking, disliking, reasons for friends to take admission in their school.
weakness, etc. on various school Students’ perception on these two
subjects. Results of the analysis were aspects was found to be as under (Table
interpreted giving reasons, suggestions 2 and 3):
TABLE 1
Name of the School in Society
TABLE 2
Specialties in the School
TABLE 3
Recommendation to others in the School
So, about fifty per cent of the (i) Discipline among students:
students were impressed with the school
So, there are fair chances that the
standards and results in public
students get punishment on committing
examination. They feel there are
mistakes but all teachers do not have
specialties in their school and
command over the students and they are
recommend it to others, to take
not so disciplined to complete homework
admission.
in the school but they are cooperative.
(B) Discipline and Co-operation
among Students (ii) Co-operation among students:
Discipline among students is necessary
(C) Academic Climate in the School
for a quality school and the students
should also help each other in need. Academic climate refers to academic
Students’ perception on these two environment, i.e. focus on quality
parameters was found to be as under education and making effective learning
(Table 4 and 5): environment in the school campus, and
TABLE 4
Discipline in Students
TABLE 5
Cooperation among Students
promotion of students initiative and parents. Later, their opinion and views
learning in the school. Students’ develop and the blind faith in teachers
perception on these parameters was vanishes. Reaching to the higher
found to be as under, (Table 6 and 7): secondary level, they have great
expectations from their teachers. They
(i) Academic Environment: So, about half
need active, friendly, cooperative,
of the students are satisfied with the
helping, experienced and caring
academic environment, focus on quality
teachers. Student-teacher relation is
education in Vidyalayas and their school
assessed on three major heads, as under,
life. Some brilliant students may
(Table 8):
lack satisfaction with the school
environment. Their initiatives, good work (a) Rapport with the Students: More than
and leadership qualities are well half of the students were found to be
nurtured in the school satisfied with the rapport and behaviour
of their teachers.
(ii) Promotion of students’ learning:
(b) Classroom Teaching: Effective
(D) School Teachers and the Principal
classroom teaching is a prime
(i) Teachers: Teachers are the active force responsibility of the teachers at all levels
to bring the desirable change in the of education. Students’ perception on
students. In early age of schooling, classroom teaching was assessed on the
children follow the words of the teachers following dimensions and their responses
in toto and not even consider their are as under:
TABLE 6
Academic Environment in the School
TABLE 7
Learning in the School
TABLE 8
Teachers’ Rapport in School
(a) Sincerity for teaching work: Every have learned is a matter of thinking. It
teacher has to be sincere for teaching is assessed on two parameters, as under,
work. It is assessed on the following (Table 10):
points, (Table 9): More than half of the students were
About three-fourth of the students in found to be satisfied with the teaching
the sample felt that their teachers are in the school. But it was felt by the
sincere for teaching work and they never students that the teachers complete
try to avoid classes. courses in hurry without caring for the
(b) Performance in teaching: Every teacher understanding of the students.
teaches with full devotion in the (c) Deriving personal benefits from the
classroom but how much the students teaching profession: Now-a-days, the
TABLE 9
Sincerity in the Teachers
TABLE 10
Teaching in the School
TABLE 11
Tuition by the Teachers
students at higher secondary level prefer Vidyalayas felt that their principal is
to go to coaching classes than to enthusiastic and caring. He meets the
classrooms. Sometimes, the teachers students to enquire about their studies
also try to attract them for their coaching and other related matters. So they love
classes but normally, the coaching the school.
classes are not run by the school
(E) School Library
teachers. Students’ perception on this
parameter is as under, (Table 11): In the information age and the changing
More than half of the students in the world the libraries play a significant role
sample expressed the view that teachers in the education system. The student
do not run their own coaching classes. and teachers should realize this and
Some students had no idea as they might utilize libraries. Students’ perception on
have not felt the need of coaching. these two aspects was found to be as
under, (Table 13):
(ii) Principal: An enthusiastic and
In all higher secondary schools there
dynamic Principal provides academic
are libraries, students have time to visit
leadership in the school. He is
libraries in school hours but students do
responsible for creating and maintaining
not realize the importance of libraries and
academic climate in the institution and
self-study for their studies.
as a result the students love the school.
The effectiveness of the principals is (F) Guidance for Career Development in
assessed on two parameters, as under, School
(Table 12): Secondary and Higher Secondary stages
Most of the students of the of education are crucial in career
TABLE 12
Principal of the School
TABLE 13
Use of School Library
development of a person. There must be given equal opportunities and care in the
counsellors in the school and if not, their school. This dimension of social justice
role should be played by the regular was assessed on the following
teachers and the principal. Students’ parameters, (Table 15):
perception on their career development It is perceived by the students that
in their school was assessed on the weak students suffer as teachers pay
following parameters, (Table 14): attention only to the good students in
So, teachers encourage students for schools. Increasing number of students
excellence and guide sincerely in in schools also hampers chances for
selecting career but special classes for equal opportunities to all students.
preparation of professional courses are
(H) All round development of students in
not organised. Students perceived these
the school
facts as they have denied that there is
nobody to care for the students’ career. Schools are the places for all-round
development of students at all levels of
(G) Social Justice for students in School
education. Students’ perception on this
All students, irrespective of their caste, dimension was assessed on the following
colour, sex, language, etc. should be parameters, (Table 16):
TABLE 14
Teachers’ attitude in the School
TABLE 15
Social Justice in the School
TABLE 16
Personality Development in the School
TABLE 17
Parents’ Care
TABLE 18
Perception about School Subjects in Science Group
TABLE 19
Perception about School Subjects in Commerce Group
teachers for taking less interest in habits of studies and shallow knowledge
teaching and sometimes doing other in the subject are also a few reasons for
work in classrooms in place of teaching. weakness in the subject.
(d) Accountancy: There are lot of journal (k) Hindi: The students who opted for
entries and calculations in numerical Hindi expressed the view that heavy
questions, which are time consuming syllabus and problems of sentence
and they always had a fear in mind for formation were reasons for weakness in
correct completion of the numerical the subject.
questions in time and completion of total When they take accountancy and
paper at the end. mathematics, two subjects with
(e) Mathematics: The students felt their numerical questions then they feel more
weakness in mathematics from the difficulties. They expressed their
beginning, lack of interest, less time weaknesses in different subjects due to
devotion and irregular practices further irregular schedule of studies with less
adding to their woes towards the subject. concentration and confidence. Some
They felt more difficulties and confusions teachers do not understand students’
in trigonometry. They also blame problems and engage themselves in other
teachers for not solving numerical duties of the school, like in-charge
questions on black board. examinations, etc. and find very little
(f) Biology: Long version of topics and lot time for teaching the students. About
of materials for learning and teaching eighty per cent students expressed that
were a few reasons, which were the teachers help them is solving their
responsible for weakness in biology. problems. They felt that teachers who
(g) Computer Education: The students felt have less command over their subject
computer education a new area of studies are not serious about the students’
and the teachers are not able to explain achievements. They are not fluent in
the content of the subject properly. English also, and are seldom available
for solving doubt. They also felt that their
(h) Informatics Practices: Very few students
shy nature and non-availability of free
opt for information practices and they
periods for consultation are also reasons
found the contents of the subject are un-
for less interaction with teachers.
interesting, which was the main reason
Sometimes, the school assembly is
for weakness in the subject.
prolonged, which affects the teaching in
(i) Economics: Understanding of graphs the first period.
and diagrams was found to be difficult
for students. They also lack in explanation Expectations and Suggestions
of graphs on economic theory. The students’ expectations and
(j) English: The group of students felt more suggestions may go a long way in
syllabuses in English and due to their improvement of the quality of
grammar weaknesses from beginning the education in schools. Their gradation of
subject seems difficult. Their lack of Kendriya Vidyalayas is as under,
interest, irregular and inconsistent (Table 20):
Quality Education: Perception of Students 77
REFERENCES
ALMAS ALI. 2007. ‘Behtar Sansadhan Ban Sakti Hai Jansankhya’, with reference to
world population day; Danik Bhaskar, Bhopal, 11 July.
NCERT. 2000. National Curriculum Framework for School Education. National Council
of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi.
NCERT. 2005. National Curriculum Framework. National Council of Educational
Research and Training, New Delhi.
NCERT. 2005. ‘Development of Quality In School Education’, Report of PAC
Programme No. 16.05/ 2004-05.
NCERT.2006. Tools for Monitoring; Monitoring Formats for Quality Dimensions under
SSA. National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi.
CHOPRA, R.K. 2003. Primary School Teachers in Haryana: Explorations in their Working
Conditions. Indian Educational Review, Vol. 39, No.1, January 2003.
GROVE R. and NANAVATI. 2008. ‘Sex Education’; Times of India – Bombay issue,
April 28.
KALAM, A.P.J. ABDUL. 2006. Mission for MANUU, News Magazine, issue no. 10, January,
2006, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad,
MUKHARJEE, SHIKHA. 2007. ‘Behtar Shiksha Badi Chunauti’; Danik Bhaskar, March 16.
VAID, D.K. 2007. A Study of Linkages of School Curriculum in the area of Commerce
with Business and Industry. DESSH (NCERT), New Delhi.
A Comprehensive Analysis of Various Teaching Strategies... 83
Abstract
Teaching strategy helps the teacher to establish interaction between him and his
students and the curriculum or subject matter. The selection of effective strategies
of teaching in different streams of education at higher level is a challenge of modern
time. We are experiencing massive changes in the form of globalisation, liberalisation
and privatization. In this situation our learners have face a great challenge for
their future. Therefore, a teacher has a great responsibility to change the situation.
First of all he/she should adopt permissive style of strategies such as heuristics,
project strategy, review, group discussion, paper presentation, independent study,
computer assisted instruction, etc. for making our teaching effective, so that students
can move back towards their classrooms. In order to make his/her teaching
effective, they can use various strategies and innovations to modify their teaching.
Some of them are related with ICT and some are without ICT. Strategies such as
workshop, conference, seminar, panel discussion, symposium, informal group plan,
various co-operative learning techniques such as Jigsaw, think-pair-share, three-
step interview, round table, group investigation, student teams achievement division,
round robin brain storming, three-minute review, etc. can be used successfully
without ICT in order to change teaching-learning process. On the other hand, due
to vital role of ICT in present scenario of globalisation and liberalisation, the teacher
can take the help of ICT for teaching. The new communication and information
technologies have profoundly affected our social structure. There is a growing
interdependence between technology, information and society. The use of
communication technologies in education at higher level has been identified. The
computing and telecommunication technologies are enabling the teacher to develop
multimedia in which text, voice, pictures, simulation, etc. can be integrated and
delivered through computers as an interactive learning package.
To compete and survive in the competitive world of higher education it is
essential for teachers to create, adopt and utilize new technologies for higher
education. With the use of above strategies either with ICT or without ICT a
teacher can innovate his teaching method according to need of society. And with
this, higher education of India will cross the country’s border and will change the
world into a ‘global village’.
of modern technologies for making their education level are directed group plan,
work effective. It appears interesting and self-directed group plan, symposium,
different from traditional pattern of seminar, panel discussion, conference,
education. Distance education courses workshop, blended learning, various co-
of IGNOU and other open universities are operative learning techniques such as
based on modern technologies and Jigsaw, think-pais-share, three step
students can learn with his speed and interview, round table, group
available times. Besides it he can do his investigations, student teams-
jobs simultaneously. It appears to him achievement divisions, round robin brain
that he is utilizing his time and learn storming, three minute review can be
something different. But in to traditional used to improve the position of higher
educational institution they enter only education without ICT. A vast majority
for getting a degree because they know of our students view learning
very well that this degree is helpful in organisation as a competitive enterprise
obtaining a job. But they become failed where one tries to do better than other.
in their work due to lack of knowledge of A negative interdependence in cutthroat
practical utility of it. In our practical competition is running the environment
examinations, marks depend on of the learning organisations as well as
approach of candidates to examiner the entire society.
irrespective of the fact that he has This is resulting into social
complete knowledge of subject or not. imbalance, increase in use of short cuts
Therefore, our students cannot take the and malpractices, feeling of jealous and
benefit of education of conventional type. hatred and non-cooperative behaviour.
It shows that we have to need a change Therefore, for generating a healthy,
in various teaching strategies and apply cooperative and value-based
innovations to brought effectiveness in environment in the higher learning
our teaching. organisations, these strategies play as
an effective measure of learning.
Strategies and Innovations without ICT
Present century is the age of ICT.
Teacher has a responsibility to change Teaching-learning process can be made
the level of higher education. We can more effective by the use of ICT. Due to
make a change in our teaching by rapid shift of educational technologies
adopting permissive style of strategies and political force we have to change our
such as heuristics, project strategy, educational system in the period of
review, group discussion, paper globalisation. ICT is an important tool to
presentation, independent study, etc. for transfer the present isolated, teacher-
making our teaching effective and centred, book-centred learning
interesting, so that students can move environment into a rich student- centred
back towards their classrooms. Besides environment. The aim of ICT is to transfer
it, teacher should tell them about the old traditional paradigm of teaching-
professional utility of it and its learning to new paradigm. ICT has the
importance for their future. Some capacity to accelerate major changes
socialised strategies of teaching at higher both in pre-service teacher training as
86 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
strategies either with ICT or without ICT. a teacher can innovate his teaching
All these strategies, if employed method according to need of society and
systematically and vigilantly are helpful students. And with this, higher education
in achieving higher objectives and of India will cross the country’s border
developing various abilities and skills in and will change the world into a ‘global
them. With the use of above technologies village’.
88 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
Abstract
Is teaching of Accounting confined only to reading the financial data and its
presentation in a required structured format? Many people in today’s society
think of an accountant as simply a glorified book keeper and a steward who
manages the financial affairs of other persons. But, the role of an accountant has
now shifted from that of a mere recorder of transactions to that of the member
providing relevant information to the decision-making team. Accountants today
are working in existing new growth areas such as forensic accounting, budget
accounting, environmental accounting, e-commerce and the various agencies within
the public sector. The advent of information technology have resulted in the
development of necessary skills for today’s accountant which include the ability to
develop persuasion and communication skills; analytical skills; willingness to
embrace change and assume risk and develop competence in computer technology.
But a question that raises its head from time to time is ‘Are we really preparing
our students to face the challenges in business operations for the 21st century’?
The accounting students are widely criticised for their inflexibility in problem-
solving and insufficient communication skills. There are several pedagogies
recommended by commerce educators to improve the effectiveness in delivering
the accounting curriculum. This paper attempts to contextualise the teaching
methodologies in order to make transaction of accounting curriculum purposeful,
meaningful and interesting at the school level.
Asking Questions
Helps to Develop Self-confidence,
Initiative, Motivation, Self-awareness and
the ability to recognise Opportunities
▲ ▲
▲
▲
Making Plans
Cash Book
Receipts Payments
Date Details Bank Date Details Bank
(Rs.) (Rs.)
2007 2007
Aug. 01 Balance b/d 1,946 Aug. 02 XYZ Insurance 75
Aug. 01 Kapoor & Co. 249 Aug. 02 Nanda & Co. 206
Aug. 05 V.S. Rao 188 Aug. 04 Daily Ltd. 315
Aug. 08 S.K. Alok 150 Aug. 07 Garage Charges 211
Aug. 10 E. Norries Ltd. 440 Aug. 09 M.D. Finance 120
Aug. 18 Samaira Ltd. 65 Aug. 13 Hill Bros. 22
Aug. 27 Harsh Vardan 520 Aug. 20 Akshey Ltd. 137
Aug. 30 IBP Partners 82 Aug. 27 Kalakriti Ltd. 270
Aug. 31 Balance c/d 2,284
3,640 3,640
Balance b/d 2,284
Bank Statement
SRE
12, Phagun Marg
Account No.: 10135678654
Date August, 2007
2007
REFERENCES
DELEO, W.I. and C.A. LETOURNEAU. 1994. “Use of a Problem-solving Model in Teaching
Specific Accounting Concept”, Journal of Education for Business, May/June 94,
69;5, pp 263.
FELDMANN, D.A. and K.J. DOW. 1997. “Current Approaches to Teaching Intermediate
Accounting”, Issues in Accounting Education, 12(1), 61-75.
IMEL, P.W. 2000. “Assessing the Preparedness Level of Incoming Principles of
Accounting Students Inquiry”, The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges, 5
(2), 16-21.
KNECHEL, W.R. 1992. “Using the Case Method in Accounting Instruction”, Issues to
Accounting Education, Vol. 7, No. 2; Fall 1992.
LOVELL, A. 1992. “Accounting Education: A Developmental Debate”, Management
Accounting, 70 (3): 20.
National Focus Group Paper on Teaching of Social Sciences. National Curriculum
Framework. 2005. NCERT. Also refer Accountancy Textbooks for Classes XI and
XII, published by NCERT.
SMITH, D. “Accounting: I wish someone had told me”. Business Education Forum, 34
(1), 24.
TUHKANEN, J. 1976. “Bookkeeping and Accounting: The ‘Why’ Approach in Teaching
Accounting”, Business Education, 31 (3), 15-16.
98 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
Abstract
understanding of the past and to see its the move from traditional “through the
relation to their own lives, they have to ages” syllabi has left children without a
move back and forth along a base time well-developed chronology or mental map
line. In no other way can they build a of the past. So for overall grasp of the
sense of perspective or formulate for framework of the past a sense of time is
themselves significant time concepts. required. Tim Lomas says, “Without a
History therefore bears the greatest grasp of the concept of time, there can
responsibility for developing time sense. be no real understanding of change,
This is also a controversial area of development, continuity, progression,
history teaching in schools. Several and regression…. if development/change
researchers and academicians have are to be properly understood, there must
pointed out that understanding time be some idea of the order in which things
concepts is very difficult for younger happened,” Sydney Wood has also
children (especially under the age of 11), suggested that, “the ability to sequence
and that it is important for teachers not is a fundamental feature of historical
to underestimate these difficulties or understanding. The past is chaos to
assume the understanding of basic time children, until sequenced.” Stow (1999)
concepts. Bradley (1947), Jahoda (1963), and Hoodles (1996) also suggested that
Blackie (1967), Wood (1995) have teaching with the use of historical images
stressed that the past before the living and timelines can develop children’s
memory is a nebulous idea for younger sense of time and ability to sequence
children. Pistor and Jahoda felt that periods. Hodkinson (2001) makes the
additional emphasis to teach time interesting analogy between dates and
concepts to younger children might not historical knowledge and coat pegs being
be a productive idea. While others have historical time.He states: “Without the
raised questions like: is there any pegs the coats become a confusing mass
purpose or gain in understanding from and extracting any one coat for
the sequence involved, is there any examination, becomes difficult if not
connection between the events being impossible”. Therefore chronology
sequenced; does it matter if children provides a mental framework or map,
know whether the battle of Plassey or the which gives significance and coherence
revolt of 1857 occurred first? These ideas to the study of history.
undoubtedly influenced teaching-
learning approaches in history. History The Concept of Time in History
methodologists such as West (1986) and
Blyth(1989) advocated for a number of The essence of the concept of time in
years the avoidance of dates and thereby history is the sense of location, distance
emphasise statements such as ‘today’ and duration. Location means pointing
‘long ago’ and ‘a very long time ago’,But out a person or an event in time. This
in recent times these phrases have been kind of location or in other words giving
criticised as possibly causing temporal dates to persons and events in time is
confusion. Antony Beevor (1998), author useful because we cannot measure the
of the best seller Stalin grad, asserts that distance between two things unless we
100 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
first spot them. But this location becomes Development of Time Sense
significant only when we relate persons
Development of time sense depends
and events to other persons and events.
largely on the development of the
Isolated and unrelated dates mean
vocabulary of chronology if children are
nothing to the students. Distance is the
to fully appreciate historical people,
length of time between the present and
periods and events. The vocabulary of
the past. Sequencing provides
chronology incorporates:
meaningful connections for students in
terms of their sense of the past, in ● Descriptive vocabulary, e.g. before,
addition to locating persons or events in after, a long time ago, a very long
the right order. They are required to time ago, ancient, old, new, decade,
understand the distance between them, century, millennium, modern.
and to have some contextual ● Technical vocabulary, e.g. AD, BC,
understanding of the events or persons the use of nineteenth century for
being sequenced.Ghate emphasised 1857.
that, “the history teacher must realise ● Conceptual vocabulary e.g. change,
that history has got to be measured in continuity, sequence, duration,
terms of life and activity and not in terms period, chronology.
of abstract numbers called years.”
Researches have suggested that However, teachers should also
duration is both more difficult and more ensure that while employing phrases like
important for students to grasp. To long time ago and the past, students
realise fully the significance of the understand what period of time is being
history of our past and to derive benefit referred to. Otherwise, childrens
from it we need to know accurately what understanding of the phrase ‘a long time
was the duration of historical movements, ago’ can easily range from one month ago
processes, epochs, dynasties, etc. to 10 billion years.
The development of time sense in We will have to keep in mind that
student occurs neither quickly nor isolated dates are of no significance to
easily. Children gradually develop a time students. Geoffrey Partington (1980)
sense through clearly targeted teaching warns against teaching time concepts
and learning strategies. Thornton and and dates in isolation, without the
Vukelich (1988) pointed out that time accompanying development of context of
concepts need to be explicitly addressed the events, which are dated. In
with children, and taught in a systematic Partington’s words: “Unless children
way that children abilities in the area of have…some knowledge ‘from the inside
time are crucially dependent upon of a person’ or group, unless there is
instruction. Teaching has a significant some genuine three dimensionality of
influence on the development of time understanding there is no point in
sense. Teaching style matters! But of representing ill defined figures, half-
course, sets us a challenge: what should understood events or pictures which do
be the mode of teaching to develop time not tie up with children’s grasp of
sense and how should it be taught? character and plot. If children cannot
Developing Time – Sense in History 101
envisage an Iceni…in any way ‘from the Children have a greater chance of
inside’ there could be no purpose in their developing an enduring map of the past
being able to place them in correct order if it builds on a deeper sense of period.
in a time chart, let alone to space them How a sense of period develops is depicted
accurately”. Dates related to a person or in Fig. 1.
an event justifies in our scheme of time The spider diagram suggests the
and history, only when that person or different elements of knowledge that
event is related with other persons and make up a ‘sense of period’. It is quite
events. Another problem related to dates likely that children’s sense of period is
is the large numbers. Several dates are shaped with visual images of individuals,
being given. We should consider dates clothing, homes or events-as a form of
like milestones. The stones mark the introductory mental package. Once such
miles and give us an accurate idea of package is mentally established, other
distance between different places mainly details can now be added. Sense of period
because they are not too near one needs to be taught explicitly through
another. But imagine if these stones are specific activities and by using explicit
placed at each yard it would create a language about ‘sense of period’.
problem. Dates are required, but only a In order to make time relations
few, to serve as milestones and not as intelligible in history, we represent them
yardstones. A few selected related dates as space relations so that they can be
carefully chosen will definitely help to seen, comprehend and compared.
build up the time sense. Timelines, time graphs and other
What ideas did people have then? What would you have seen?
For example, how much say did people For example, what did they wear?
have in government? How did they travel/communicate?
What religion did they follow and how What kind of houses and buildings?
tolerant were they? What kinds of work did they do?
Were all people equal? What did they How did they use their leisure time?
know about …Science, Geography, etc. How did they punish crimes?
Sense
of a
Sense period
Fig. : 1
102 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
suitable spatial representations of time contain pictures rather than only words
are employed for these purposes. These and dates. The help of such time lines
important devices can help in the can symbolically represent the events
teaching of time sense and chronology: and personalities. The pictorial time lines
are useful to the students of lower
Time Line classes. The comparative time line is
Time line presents important dates in a useful for higher classes. In this time line
chronological way. Time in a time line is the events of different countries are
presented either by a horizontal line or placed side by side in order to enable the
by a vertical line. However, horizontal pupils to compare the same historical
timeline is preferred to the vertical one events, which occurred in different
because these appear to cause less countries at different times. For example
confusion.For example in Fig.2 a very in Fig.3 the timeline focuses on the
simple horizontal timeline has been emergence of humans and the start of
given using BC and AD-Here we have paintings. Here four geographical areas
taken the year of the birth of Jesus have been taken up to show different
Christ as zero.The left side of the line developments occurring in different
represents the years before Christ was areas at different or similar times.
born and are denoted by BC e.g., 100 Through this timeline students will be
years before Christ is written as 100 able to find out comparisons and
BC.In the same way the years that come similarities between various historical
after the birth of Christ are denoted by experiences.
AD.The actual meaning of the term is In progressive time line, the
Anno Domini or the year of the Lord, e.g., sequence of happenings start from the
AD 2008 Means 2008 years after the past to the present, as the events
birth of Christ. So if somebody is born in happened in time. This time line
1967, she was born one thousand nine maintains the actual sequence of
hundred and sixty seven years after the happenings and is therefore more
birth of Christ. frequently used in teaching history. One
Different types of time lines like the tries to comprehend the time sense only
pictorial time line, the comparative time by reference to his/herself or to the
line, the progressive time line, and the present. Therefore, regressive time line
regressive time line, etc. can be used. is very useful for children as it starts
Time lines are more likely to be from the present to the past. Thus, the
successful in reinforcing chronological child can visualise how far that event in
knowledge and understanding if they time is from the present time.
Developing Time – Sense in History 103
Fig.: 3
(Source: NCERT Class XI History Textbook), March 2006.
REFERENCES
GHOSH, K.D. 1951. Creative Teaching of History, Oxford University Press, London.
HODKINSON, ALAN. 2001. “Enhancing Temporal Cognition, Practical Activities for the
Primary Classroom”.
HOODLESS, P. 1996. ‘Time and timelines in the primary school,’ International Journal
of Historical Learning, Teaching and Research, Historical Association, London.
JAHODA, G. 1963. Children’s concept of time and history, Educational Review, 16,
No.1.
LOMAS , T. 1993. Teaching and Assessing Historical Understanding, Historical
Association.
PARTINGTON, G. 1980. The Idea of a Historical Education.
SYDNEY, WOOD. 1995. ‘Developing an Understanding of Time-sequencing Issues’,
Teaching History, 79.
BEEVOR, ANTONY. 1998. Stalingrad, Viking Press, London.
106 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
Abstract
* Assistant Professor of Education, Addis Ababa University, Teacher Education and Curriculum
Department, Ethiopia, P.O. Box 33993.
Analysis of Evaluation System in different Departments ..... 107
was carried out by reviewing documents is completed in January 2006. This is the
and from the information collected from latest data on evaluation scores
teachers through questionnaires. available in the University. Given the
In the third step, an analysis of the time constraint, only two departments
curriculum materials and their linkage were selected for collection of data.
with the evaluation systems was These two departments are selected
analysed from information collected from on the basis of the largest number of
the teachers through questionnaires. teachers participated in the training
In the fourth step, a comparison of programme. The departments which
the students’ scores of the same cohort sent 3 teachers to the training
of students who were subjected to programme are 1. Biology; 2. Chemistry;
summative evaluation in 2004 and 3. Sport; 4 English; and 5. Mathematics.
continuous evaluation in 2005 was made Among these departments, Mathematics
in order to see the effects of the from Science education and Geography
evaluation system towards the students’ education are selected. In total, the
performance. scores of 104 students from the II and III
Finally, the study summarizes the semesters are collected for analysis.
major findings of the study and also Review of Related Literature
discusses recommendations that may
help solve the major problems and Continuous and Summative
indicates the lessons learned from the Evaluation – A comparison
research. In one sense evaluation is about
Sample of the Study understanding and reflecting on a
particular set of activities. Oliver argues
The higher diploma programme was that there is no single definition of
introduced in 2005. Forty teachers from evaluation. (Oliver, 2003), however he
different departments of College of states that evaluation is a process of
Education were selected for this training making judgements about the worth
programme. They are the first group of (costs and values) of something.
teachers selected to implement Furthermore, he argues that evaluation
continuous evaluation in the University. can also be used in the context of
The study administered questionnaires descriptive studies, intervention studies
to all these 40 teachers. The (e.g. continuous evaluation), empirical
questionnaire sought their views and research, monitoring and quality
opinions on continuous evaluation and assurance processes.
its implementations in the departments Phillips (2000) on the other hand
they represent. argues that as human beings we
Furthermore, the study collected naturally ask questions about how useful
scores obtained by the students who and how valuable our activities are. We
were subjected to summative evaluation can think of evaluation as a process of
in 2004 and to continuous evaluation considerably sharpening this natural
during the first semester of 2005 which activity of checking on our ongoing work.
Analysis of Evaluation System in different Departments ..... 109
1. Quick diagnostic that helps students 1. Identify the problem of the students at
reflect on the class and gives the teacher the end of the semester programme.
immediate feedback.
2. Students working collaboratively in 2. The students are doing individually
groups on questions or projects in and during teaching-learning process.
out of class.
3. Process evaluation where feed back is 3. More general evaluation of the extent to
provided and shaping the programme in which the better product have been
an explicit goal. obtained the complete lesson.
4. Conducted during the development or 4. Conducted after the learning or
improvement of a programme or product. instruction has taken place.
5. Conducted with a small group of people 5. Conducted with a large group of people
to examine different aspects of to examine different aspects of
instructional materials. instructional materials.
6. Adjusting the whole learning pattern into 6. Stresses more on the wider capability
manageable units. expressed by the concept construct and
interpret.
7. Continuous evaluation quizzes are 7. Summative tests are achievement tests
achievement tests over a particular topic over a number of units of learning.
of learning.
8. A judgement of the strengths and 8. Mostly concerned for grading purpose and
weaknesses of teaching-learning process. qualification.
Source: w.w.w// jan.ucc.nau.edu
Analysis of Evaluation System in different Departments ..... 111
TABLE 1
Characteristics of Teacher Respondents by Sex, Qualification,
Teaching Experience, Teaching Load and Place of Work
Respondents (%)
Sex
Male 100
Qualifications
M.A. 97.5
Ph.D 2.5
Teaching Experience (%)
Years Outside College Inside College of
of Education (%) Education (%)
1-5 22.5 15
6 -10 32.4 40
11-15 27.5 32.5
16-20 2.5 5
21-25 12.5 2.5
26-30 2.5 5
Teaching Load in Hours
1-9 22.5
10-12 50
13-15 12.5
15-20 15
Place of Work
Main Campus 62.5
Science Campus 37.5
teachers were from Science education. class size, teaching load, curriculum,
Thus, as presented in the table 1, even teacher’training and students’
though the majority of the respondents performance were computed and the
on their current positions limited on their results are presented below.
long years of total services together with As could be observed from table 2
their limited services as current level of perception to use continuous
positions. One could say that they were evaluation seems to have been fully met.
the right persons to share their views in On further enquiry the majority of the
support of this study. respondents (90.5%) reported that the
level of perception of continuous
Results and Discussions evaluation is very high that they favoured
The percentage for teacher perception, continuous evaluation as an appropriate
Analysis of Evaluation System in different Departments ..... 113
TABLE 2
Teachers Perception on the Appropriateness of the Evaluation System (in percentage)
number of students they teach. It’s not the teachers preferred to use continuous
a secret that the fewer students you have evaluation to summative evaluation. But
in a classroom, the more individual this choice doesn’t mean that they
attention a teacher can give to his practice it systematically.
students. Too many students in a College of education should adopt
crowded room cause problems. Since and practice continuous evaluation
class size is a major constraint to system that link their educational
introduce continuous evaluation. It is contributions closely with improved
important that the Addis Ababa centre of excellence to produce quality
University explore possibilities of revising teachers and to use for Ethiopia in
norms regarding class size and strictly general as well. For it is in the capital
adhere the norm. Reducing class size and other regional schools that the job
request more teachers to be employed is most difficult, the schools then are
which, is very difficult to the financial most in need of transformed schools, and
health of the University. This situation it is in these neighborhood schools that
lies in finding a right balance between the evaluator can choose to undertake
adjusting the class size and appointment his exceptional role of being a vehicle for
of new teachers. change and transformation. Proponents
TABLE 5 of educational reform advocate change,
Perception of Teachers about Autonomy improvement and restructuring of
in Choosing the Appropriate Evaluation schools, could be the environments that
System (in percentages) create wonderful opportunities for
evaluators to maintain a critical stance
Item Very High Low
toward theory, research practice and
Choosing the 95 5 social policy.
appropriate Nonetheless, there are evidences
evaluation system where teacher’ likes and dislikes,
The item in table 5 is devised to draw together with their experience, have a
information regarding the teachers’ bearing on the method of evaluation they
autonomy whether they have right in use. This is partly related to their
choosing their own evaluation system or philosophy, style and value system but
not. Thus as can be seen in the above also to their past experiences and their
table, the majority of the respondents confidence in using new and often less
(95%) of them have autonomy to choose controllable methods (Knott and
their own evaluation system whereas 5% Mutunga, 1995).
of them have low understanding. Every One can apparently understand that
teacher has a unique set of personal teachers tend to select the evaluation
practice, background, mode of training, method that have proved most successful
teaching skills and personality traits that in the past and that makes them feel
make him or her more comfortable and most comfortable. This means people
effective with certain evaluation system naturally resist to change or new
than others. That is why the majority of innovation as it upsets them and makes
116 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
TABLE 6
Perception of Teachers related to Curriculum Materials (in percentages)
them feel not confident. Inline with this activities. While the majority of the
view, Hutchinson and Torres (1994) respondents 90% were saying there is no
argued that, the fundamental problem adequate exercise and activities in the
of change is that it disturbs the teaching material.
framework of meanings by which we 82.5% of the respondents under item
make sense of the world. It challenges, 4 emphasise the use of summative
and thereby potentially threatens the evaluation method while 17.5% were of
values, attitudes, and beliefs that enable the opinion that it doesn’t help much.
us to make experience meaningful and Thus, in reference to the above results
predictable. we must improve what is needed for
The items under Table 6 were devised example, the syllabus of a teaching
in order to get the respondents’ views material is a plan for the course. The plan
about the curriculum material impact on typically includes the goals and or the
the continuous or summative evaluation rational for the teaching material, topics
system. Out of the respondents, 97% covered, resources used, assignments
strongly feel that there is a problem of given, and evaluation strategies
inadequacy in the training material recommended. In general it represents
while 3% of them were arguing that there the ends and means of the course. Thus,
is no problem of inadequacy. With regard unless otherwise this has to be
to item 2, 10% of the respondents controlled, improved and geared in line
support that it encourages to use with the standard the quality of
continuous evaluation, but the majority education will deteriorate. And the
of the respondents (90%) says that the teaching forces who were executing the
training material doesn’t encourage or teaching material in the classroom will
prepare them to use continuous lose hope.
evaluation method. For item 3, 10% of Furthermore, due emphasis is also
the respondents said the training given to whether the curricular materials
material has adequate exercises and developed for the college of education
Analysis of Evaluation System in different Departments ..... 117
TABLE 9
Comparison of the Scores of Mathematics Students
Related to Summative and Continuous Evaluation
improvement in their semester grade the use of new technology should make
average. However, 73.58% students a useful contribution in order to cope up
didn’t improve in their result. When we with the order of the day.
see the results of Mathematics of the Out of 51 students, 45.09% of them
same cohort of students who were showed an improvement in their
subjected to continuous evaluation performance. And 54.81% of them didn’t
method in the year 2006 I semester improve their results. While those who
18.86% students were improved in their were taught by continuous evaluation
semester result while 81.13% students method in 2006, semester I 60.78% of
didn’t show any improvement at all. From them showed an improvement in their
this, we can simply infer that the semester grade average but 39.22% of
teachers were not in a position to use them didn’t improve their performance.
continuous evaluation properly either in Geography students who were taught in
summative or in continuous evaluation. continuous evaluation improved than
Student results are deteriorating; it the Mathematics students who were
doesn’t show any pace of development. subjected to continuous evaluation.
This is because, some of the teachers Unless they use continuous evaluation
were not using continuous evaluation method properly the results will remain
regularly or properly as per their even worse than this, there must be a
training. Then there is no surprise for conviction and a dedication from both
the students varied result. the teachers and the students side other
Yet, there is no theoretical formula wise it is difficult to bring the expected
that has factually stood the test of result.
time.Hence, it is all the more urgent and In the light of this, one can therefore
essential to consider how students draw certain implications as regards
should be best prepared and take on continuous evaluation practice of
multiple and new roles in their respective teachers of the above type. The above
society. Thus, teachers have to be trained responses imply that such teachers have
to the appropriate evaluation and been healthy reliance on the teacher’s role as
fully familiar with the notion of learning source of knowledge and as an all
in successive stages–training in which knowing person who should play decisive
TABLE 10
Comparison of the Scores of Geography Students related to Summative and
Continuous Evaluation
Progressive Traditional
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MARKEL S.M. 1989. The Ancient History of Formative Evaluation in Performance and
Instruction. August.
NATHENSON, M.B. and E.S. HENDERSON. 1980. Using Student Feedback to Improve Learning
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OLIVER, M. and G. CONOLE. 2000. Assessing and Enhancing Quality Using Toolkits,
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PHILLIPS, R. (ed.). 2000. Handbook of Learning-centred Evaluation of Computer Affiliated
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RUGG, H. and A. SHUMAKE. 1969. The Child-centred School. Arno Press and The New
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SCRIVEN. 1991. in jan.ucc.nau.edu.
SHINN, M.R. and S. BAMONTO. 1998. “Advanced Applications of Curriculum Based
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Applications of Curriculum-based Measurement . The Guilford Press, New York.
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SCIVEN (eds.) Perspectives of Curriculum Evaluation. Rand Mc Nally, Chicago.
TESSMER, M. and J. WEDMAN. 1992. “The Practices of Instructional Design: A Survey of
What Designers Do, Don’t Do and Why They Don’t Do It?” Paper presented at
the Annual Convention of the American Educational Research Association, San
Francisco.
TESSMER, M. 1993. Planning and Conducting Formative Evaluations, Kogan Page, London.
TOM HUTCHINSON and EUNICE TORRES. 1994. ELT Journal 1994, 48(4), 315-328. Oxford
University Press.
TYLER, R.W. 1942. General Statement on Evaluation, in Journal of Educational
Research.
VEEN WIM. 1995. “Telematic Experiences in European Classrooms: Overview and
Evaluation”, A paper presented to the open classroom.
WELCH A. SANDRA. 1995. “What Stimulated the Rapid Growth of Distance Learning in
the USA”. A paper presented to the Open Classroom Conference, Oslo (September,
95) International Council for Distance Education.
WESTON MC ALPINE and BORDONORO. 1995. in jan.ucc.nau.edu.
WILLIAMS, J. 1983. Formative Evaluation in Instructional Design: Theory versus Practice,
Doctoral Dissertation at Northern Illinois University De Kalb Illinois.
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ZEMEKE. 1985. The Systems Approach, A Nice Theory but in Training Oct., pp.103-08.
Student Teachers Perceptions on Enhanced Duration... 127
Abstract
India has one of the largest teacher education systems with about five million
teachers and more than three thousand and two hundred elementary and three
thousand and five hundred secondary teacher education institutions. The duration
of secondary teacher education programmes is generally of one-year. Over the
years stakeholders in education have strongly voiced the need for enhancing the
duration of teacher education programmes for improving its quality both in theoretical
inputs and in internship. An innovative two-year secondary teacher education
programme was launched in five institutions in 1999. The study presents an
analysis of the feedback received from student teachers on this programme. It
presents their perceptions of student teachers’ role and responsibility, interests,
needs and difficulties faced by them while undergoing this course. It also gives
self-assessment on their professional preparedness. The study further reveals their
views on enhanced duration of secondary teacher education programme, the need
for enriching school level subject content and strengthening practice teaching.
fundamentalism and terrorism can also seventies and eighties. The significance
no more be kept out of the curricular of of the same has been highlighted by the
teacher education. All this in addition to supreme court of India in its judgment
regular pedagogic inputs definitely of June 15, 1993.
requires fresh thinking and a “The teacher training institutions
comprehensive curriculum that can not are meant to teach children of
be transacted in the one year duration impressionable age. We cannot let loose
being presented by the institution to on the innocent and unwary children,
student teacher to get a degree in teachers who have not received proper
teacher education. and adequate training. True they will
The breaking of isolation from the be required to pass the examination but
community is necessary to enable that may not be enough. Training for a
teachers and teacher educators to certain minimum period in a properly
reconstruct pedagogical and educational organised and equipped training
principles and practices in the light of institute is essential before a candidate
experiences gained from mutually becomes qualified to receive teachers
beneficial community interactions. The training certificate. The Supreme Court
teacher as a professional and an in the above case quoted observations
intellectual cannot remain indifferent to from earlier judgement: “It is therefore,
the events that are taking place in needless to state that teachers should
society. The academic and social issues be subjected to rigorous training with
are interrelated and inter-dependent. In rigid scrutiny of efficiency. It has greater
contemporary context, the role of the relevance to the needs of the day. The
teacher is not only confined to classroom ill-trained or substandard teachers
teaching alone. The teachers are would be detrimental to our educational
expected to play an active role in the system, if not to punishment to our
developmental activities responding to children. The government and the
progress of the community. In a diverse university must, therefore, take care to
Indian context such interactions must see that inadequacy in the training of
be extended over a reasonable period of teachers is not compounded by any
time, which is not practically possible in extraneous consideration” (1998 (4)
a programme limited to one year only. SC 431).
Teacher preparation the world over Teachers are central to the question
is considered a professional endeavour. of education’s quality and relevance.
In most of the countries, after the How they are educated and prepared for
necessary initial schooling, young their work is a critical indicator of what
persons are generally prepared as kind of educational quality and
teachers over a period of three to four relevance is being sought (UNESCO
years. In India, the duration of secondary 1998).
teacher preparation is one year. The There has been a long felt need to
concern for quality in teacher education increase the duration of one-year B.Ed
was voiced consistently by educationists, programme to two years specially in
teachers and teacher educators in the terms of lengthening the internship
132 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
period beyond the 4-6 weeks available at student teachers, which adopted this
present. Various Commissions and course needed to be studied. The author
Committees and a large number of undertook this research study after the
teacher educators also expressed the two batches had completed the course
need to increase the duration of the to get the feedback from student
B.Ed. programme. Nemser (1983), teachers as to their perceptions on this
argued that expecting student teachers innovative programme.
to become expert classroom performers
is unrealistic, given the short time of Methodology
teacher education programme. The Every student teacher of this programme
Central Advisory Board of Education of was approached from the four Regional
India, as early as in the year 1938 Institutes of Education, which accept
recommended B.Ed programme of at student teachers from the specified
least 18 months duration. The Secondary regions. Thus, the student teachers were
Education Commission (1952-1953) also drawn from the entire country
recommended duration of two academic comprising of a nationally representative
years, though it was realised that it may sample. Experts in content, pedagogy,
not be feasible in the immediate future ICT, and social and economic concerns
and would require some time before it were invited to deliberate upon the
could be implemented. Over the years, possible aspects that could be put before
priority being on preparing more the student teachers in the form of a
teachers, these recommendations questionnaire. Accordingly questions,
generally remained unattended. especially the components of ICT, action
However, the deficiencies were being research, new transactional strategies,
regularly highlighted in professional internship in teaching, school
discourse. Priority on expansion often management, and community based field
relegated focus on quality to the work; evaluation techniques and
background. duration of the course were incorporated
The National Commission on in a questionnaire consisting of 48 items,
Teachers, which felt that one-year B.Ed both of open-ended and closed-ended. A
course must be made effective by few of the items required Yes or No
lengthening its duration, reiterated the responses, while others were in the form
recommendation of enhanced duration of rating scales. A few checklist type items
in 1983. In 1998, the statutory National were also included.
Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
prepared a Curriculum Framework for Data
Quality Teacher Education and once
again recommended extended duration. The data consisted of 328 subjects (140
It ensured implementation of two-year science student teachers out of which 60
B.Ed. programme, in five institutions in were male and 80 female; 188 arts
1999. This is the first case of its type student teachers out of which 93 were
when two years duration was accepted male and 95 female) drawn from four
on a pilot basis. The perceptions of Regional Institutes of Education and
Student Teachers Perceptions on Enhanced Duration... 133
TABLE 1
Population Distribution according to Institution, Gender and Teaching Subject areas
RIE, Bhubaneswar 11 19 30 10 12 22 52
RIE, Ajmer 17 17 34 22 17 39 73
RIE, Mysore 12 23 35 17 19 36 71
RIE, Bhopal 11 19 30 19 21 40 70
Gujarat Vidyapeeth 9 2 11 25 26 51 62
Total 60 80 140 93 95 188 328
% 43 57 100 52 48 100 -
134 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
teaching strategies has been regard is: how to support and legitimate
convincingly critiqued on theoretical difference through a range of resourcing
and practical grounds (Hiebert, 2007). arrangements, pedagogies and
Transactional strategies constitute the curriculum initiatives to expand options
backbone of teacher education. If for all students. Majority of the student
developed comprehensively, these could teachers do not have much experience
prepare student teachers to internalise with disabled children (Hamre and Oyler,
fully their role as transmitters and 2004). Findings of research studies
facilitators of learning. To achieve this, indicate (Avramidis et.al. 2000), that
the student teacher needs to learn and majority of the student teachers wanted
practice how to ascertain the learning more knowledge of different disabling
needs of the children as well as the conditions and different strategies for
remedial inputs necessary to augment meeting their needs during the teacher
their learning. 55 per cent student education programme. They also wanted
teachers were well-equipped to use more experience and training with
transactional strategies learnt during the differently abled children specially
course ‘to some extent’ and 43 per cent training on managing the behaviour of
student teachers felt they would be able students with emotional and behavioural
to use transactional strategies learnt difficulties. A study of disabled children
during the course ‘to a large extent’ and in normal schools (Pathak, 1984), found
only 2 per cent students felt they would that some of the problems that disabled
be able to use the transactional children faced in normal schools were
strategies ‘very little’ learnt during the fear of the school, difficulty with
course. classroom learning, dissatisfaction with
teachers, ridicule by other children and
Identification of differently-abled inability to participate in co-curricular
Students in the School activities. Thus, it is strongly emphasised
Over the years there has been a growing that prospective teachers need to have
emphasis on the education of differently- early and continuous exposure with
abled students and accommodating disabled students preferably through
these students in the general classroom field experiences.
as far as possible. This demands a In this study 51 per cent students
pedagogically correct response from had not been able to identify physically
teacher education programmes and the or mentally challenged students during
teachers. Lipsky and Gartner (1994) their practice teaching in the school. 49
describe this situation as ‘where the per cent student teachers had identified
regular classroom teacher is responsible physically or mentally challenged
for the educational programme of students in the school and had adopted
disabled children alongside their non- the following strategies:
disabled peers and where all of this ● After school hour’s remedial
education takes place in the regular teaching, was imparted personally
classroom. The challenge now in this by student teachers. In order to
Student Teachers Perceptions on Enhanced Duration... 137
committed teacher can help in the profession because their parents could
growth of all-round development of the not financially support them for other
child. Teacher education institutions professions of their choice, which were
have a great challenge and responsibility more expensive. Durchame (1993) found
to produce committed and truly humane that routinised work, lack of upward
teachers. mobility and reward, are some of the
Sixty three per cent of the student factors that prompt teachers to leave.
teachers in the study felt that two-year Similarly in the Indian context also it is
B.Ed. programme had strengthened their interesting to note that when student
profession. Fifty three per cent students teachers were asked about their career
felt that two year B.Ed. programme had ambition, majority of them had ambitions
also made them committed towards the other than being a teacher.
learner and forty five per cent student The career ambitions expressed by
teachers felt that two-year B.Ed. student teachers who wanted to remain
programme had made them committed in teaching were: to be a principal of
to the society. higher secondary school, a school
inspector, a teacher educator while few
Career Ambitions in the Teaching
others wanted to become a college
Profession
teacher. A good number of students
It is well-known that the teaching desired to be social workers, contribute
profession does not necessarily attract to women education, adult education and
the best talented. Entrants to this women empowerment. Some wanted to
profession wait for an opportunity to get become reputed writers.
into a better occupation and treat
teaching as a stepping-stone. Some of the Creative Abilities
major reasons for not being attracted to One of the major objectives of extending
this profession are low status and low the course duration was to provide
salaries. In a study conducted by Zhinx extended opportunity to the student
Su (2000) it revealed that majority of the teachers to enhance their creative
student teachers did not enter the abilities. The creative abilities
profession by choice and were not happy encouraged during the training were the
and willing to become teachers. Some of following:
the reasons given by the students for
joining this profession were: pressure ● Preparation of charts, models and
from parents, especially as this opportunity to exhibit self made
profession is most suitable for girls. teaching aids to improve classroom
Others were in the teacher education teaching during Internship.
institution because their grades were not ● Freedom to teach subjects specially
high for entry into other fields of study. physics and mathematics using
Even those who had good grades but one’s own creative ideas.
could not enter other professions had to ● Teaching numerous concepts in
come into teacher education. A few mathematics through interesting
students said that they were in this games.
Student Teachers Perceptions on Enhanced Duration... 139
● Encouragements for playing games whereas 6 per cent thought that it would
that have educational implications. be of little use.
● Reciting self-composed poetry in
school competitions. Duration
Several of these activities may have 78 per cent of the student teachers felt
been replaced by IT. However in the that the duration of two-year B.Ed
majority of Indian schools these are still programme was appropriate and
relevant. 74 per cent of the student desirable. The remaining 22 per cent felt
teachers felt that they could use their that duration of two-year B.Ed
creative abilities during training, whereas programme could be shortened.
26 per cent did not get such opportunity Following are some of the alternatives
to make use of their creative abilities. suggested about the duration of two-year
B.Ed. programmes.
Action Research A few student teachers felt that the
duration of two-year B.Ed programme
Action research has been successfully
could be shortened to one and half years
used for improvements in many schools
including two months of Internship in
in many countries (Reason and
teaching and it should be held in three
Bradbury 2001); it is a way of questioning
sessions, each of 6 months. Students
your own practices and changing these
wanted that some areas like work
as a result of the studies (Noftke and
experience and working with community
Stevenson, 1995). Action research makes
be implemented properly. They desired
teachers’ work more professional (Ponte
that the subject content component
2004). They use research methods to
should be further enriched. Others felt
reflect on their own practices and they
that in a two-year programme, the theory
use their insight and understanding
component can be completed in one-year
gained to systematically improve their
and six months should be devoted
practice. Majority of the students had
towards internship in teaching and the
used action research approach of some
remaining six months be assigned to
kind in actual classroom situation. Some
advance level content. Some student
students could not undertake action
teachers felt that much of the course of
research projects as other assignments
first year is similar to second year, so
were given to them and thus there was
repetition needs to be avoided.
lack of time. Some students felt the
environment was not conducive. Others Internship
felt the lack of experience and confidence
to undertake action research. A few Practice teaching is the most important
students felt that the content was not and crucial component of every teacher
suitable for action research. 52 per cent education programme and yet remains
felt that action research would be helpful the weakest link. Practice teaching is a
to a large extent in becoming a collective responsibility of the teacher
competent teacher, 41 per cent felt that education institution and the school in
it would be helpful to some extent, which it is conducted. Special emphasis
140 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
give feed back after the class and not in ● Compulsory internal tests need to
between the period. Supervisors should be conducted.
see how the student teachers organise ● Co-scholastic activities should be
other activities in the school apart from increased.
classroom teaching. Subject teachers ● Mother tongue should be used as
should also supervise the class. There medium of instruction. Proficiency
should be discussion among the in English be provided separately.
supervisors and student teachers ● Continuous evaluation, like other
relating to the difficulties of student professional courses, should be
teachers and their possible remedies. conducted.
Both the subject teacher and the ● More emphasis on information
education supervisor should sit together technology and computer-aided
in the class to supervise the lesson. Fear teaching should be given.
of examination should be removed so ● Instructional materials of good
that the student teacher can teach quality should be made available.
without any stress or strain. These should be updated regularly.
● Integration of pedagogy and content
Improvement of Practical Work
should be visible in classes
Practical work in different subjects conducted by teacher educators.
should be arranged daily its record ● Obsolete course content be reduced
should be maintained. Different and repetition of content units be
instructional strategies be used in deleted.
practical work. There should be more ● Student teachers should be made
practical classes in the first year. School familiar with the interview
should have lab-equipment which can techniques and prepare them for
be used to demonstrate experiments and future situations.
teaching of science be made more ● Scholarship should be given to the
effective. Teaching material should be trainees as the course is of longer
developed for practical class and the duration.
students should use them in their ● Community education, work
classes. The concerned subject teachers education and computer education
should organise practical classes and should be given more scope and
examination (test) for practical work weightage.
should be conducted by the concerned ● More field experiences would
teacher. Time for Internship and practical strengthen learning.
experiences should be increased.
More emphasis be given to
Suggestions of Student Teachers for Enrichment in School Level Subject
overall Improvement of two-year Content
B.Ed Programme
Discussion
● Admission to the course should be
made on the basis of an entrance The study reveals that majority of
test including an aptitude test. student teachers were in favour of
144 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
extended duration of B.Ed programme. knowledge about the subject matter and
They felt that the two-year programme really feeling comfortable with it is very
had made them more committed towards important’.
the profession, the learner and the The student teachers felt that more
society. Some student teachers were of guidance be provided in the community
the view that first year B.Ed course is work and more emphasis be given to
similar in several areas to that of second information and communication
year. Hence the syllabi of the existing two- technology. Student teachers need to be
year B.Ed programme needs to be revised encouraged to explore using computers
and the similarities or repetition of topics for a variety of tasks. A survey conducted
be deleted. in United States of more than four
Students start their training with hundred teacher education institutions
different perceptions and ideas about to determine the status of technology
teaching. In a study on student teachers training revealed that teacher education
early conceptions of classroom practice institutions generally did not adequately
(Calderhead and Robson, 1991) it is prepare students to make effective use
interesting to find that some students of technology. (Basinger, 1999; Wood,
repeatedly claim that to learn to teach 2000). In India also, the effective use of
one needs experience in the actual ICT is also limited because of
classrooms. Another student teacher infrastructural deficiencies and resource
said that from her experiences in helping constraints.
her mother in a primary school, she It is generally observed that
already feels confident in her ability to practising schools do not involve student
teach, what she only wanted from teachers in all the activities during
teacher education institution was internship and some are not allowed to
familiarity with the latest concepts and use latest equipment and technology
curriculum materials. even if it is available. Teacher education
Majority of the students gave more institutions need to be careful to place
importance to the need for enrichment student teachers in such schools that
of school level subject contents. Teacher have good infrastructure facilities.
education institutions need to Student teachers expressed the need
strengthen this aspect. Researches have for strengthening the organisation of
found that teachers are usually weak in practical work. In their responses it was
the subject they teach like mathematics evident that Physical Education and
or English, as they themselves have not other practical activities should be
studied these subjects beyond school. arranged daily and their hours be
Roberts (2005) remarks ‘ When I think increased. They further felt that different
about the teachers that I have known instructional methods be used. The
who are really good at what they do, it students also desired that duration of
seems to me that they, first of all, have a practical in the first year be increased
tremendous understanding of the and duration for internship and
content of what it is they are teaching work experience be also increased. More
and they never lose that expertise. So than 50 per cent of the student
Student Teachers Perceptions on Enhanced Duration... 145
teachers could not identify differently were satisfied with the duration of the
abled students in the school. There is a two-year B.Ed programme, they wanted
need to focus on the transactional certain modifications in the existing
strategies especially when dealing in an programme. This innovation needs to be
inclusive classroom. studied and strengthened both in
Majority of student teachers felt that pedagogy and content. Its replication
action research would be helpful to a would certainly be adding value to quality
large extent for becoming competent improvement in the larger education
teachers. Those student teachers who system. The demographic advantage that
had not used action research approach India has opens up new avenues globally
in actual classroom teaching were due to its young population. Quality of
to lack of time and the absence of education comes in focus and hence, the
favourable environment. While student quality of teacher education deserves
teachers, undergoing this programme, priority.
REFERENCES
AVRAMIDIS, E.et.al. 2000. ‘Student teachers attitudes towards the inclusion of children
with special educational needs in the ordinary school’. Teaching and Teacher
Education. Vol.16.
BASINGER, J. 1999. ‘Colleges fail to show teachers how to use technology’. The Chronicle
of Higher Education.45 (27).
BERMUDEZ, A., PADRON, Y., 1987. Integrating parental education into teacher training
programmes. A workable model for minority parents. Journal for Educational
Equity and Leadership. 7.
BHATIA, RANJANA. 1987. Evaluation of new B.Ed. curriculum in the colleges of education
affiliated to the University Bombay. Ph.D. Education. Bombay University.
CALDERHEAD, J., and ROBSON MAURICE. 1991. ‘Images of teaching: student teachers early
conceptions of classroom practice’. Teaching and Teacher Education. Vol. 7 No.1.
DEO, D.S. 1985. To study the practical programme other than practice teaching in
teacher education institutions. Ph.D. Education. Delhi University.Delhi.
DESLANDES, S.M. et al. 1977. ‘School achievement at the secondary level: Influence of
parenting style and parent involvement in schooling’. Journal of Education. 32(3)
pp.191-208.
DURCHAME, E.R. 1993. The lives of teacher educators. Teacher College Press. New York.
FELDMAN SANDRA. 2005. What it means to be a skilful teacher. www.edutopia.org.
FULLAN.M. CONNELLY.F.M. and WATSON, N. 1989. Teacher education in Ontario: Current
practice and options for the future. Toronto. Ministry of Colleges and Universities/
Ministry of Education.
Government of India. 1952-53. Report of the Education Commission Ministry of
Education. New Delhi.
Government of India. 1983. Report of the National Commission on Teachers. Ministry
of Education. New Delhi.
Greenwood and Hickman. 1991. ‘Research and practice in parent involvement:
146 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
Book Reviews
Meeting Special Needs in School undertaken to train the teachers but the
A Manual short teacher training courses have
AUTHOR: ANITA JULKA proven to be inadequate for building both
PUBLISHER: NCERT, New Delhi knowledge and skills for handling
Year: 2007 children with special needs in schools.
Pages: 166, Price: Rs.45/- Meeting Special Needs in School : A
Manual of Children in School authored
The Minister for Human Resource by Anita Julka and published by NCERT,
Development (MHRD) made a policy New Delhi is a brilliant attempt of
statement in the Rajya Sabha on 21st reconceptualising the field of special
March, 2005 committing the needs education from the perspective of
Government to providing education inclusive education. In the first chapter
through mainstream schools to children on Introduction, Julka has given an
with disabilities in accordance with the overview of the manual by highlighting
provisions of the Persons with Disabilities its objectives, scope and its utility for
Act, 1995. In pursuance of this various stakeholders. Rather than
Statement, MHRD has initiated steps to limiting it to a particular target group
strengthen the process of inclusion of Julka makes it clear that this manual
children with disabilities in education. A would be useful for all those who are
detailed Action Plan for inclusion of making efforts to facilitate the process of
children and youth with disabilities has inclusion. Be it parents of children with
also been formulated for translation of disability, teachers, teacher educators or
this statement into specific points of even an educational administrators, all
activity in each of the identified sectors would benefit by realising the range of
of pre-school, elementary, secondary and special needs that can exist in a class-
higher education. room and the diverse strategies required
Realising that the goal of education to meet these needs at various levels of
for all would remain elusive till children education.
with disabilities are able to access Persons who are involved in making
education in an appropriate efforts to promote inclusion of children
environment, the Sarva Shiksha with special needs in education must
Abhiyan, a major Government of India also be aware of the conceptual
effort to universalise elementary framework and supportive initiatives of
education by community-ownership of the governmental and non-governmental
the school system has adopted a policy agencies both at the national and the
of zero rejects. Therefore, more and more international level. There is a good
children with disabilities are being coverage of this in the second chapter of
enrolled in regular schools with resource the manual and Julka has not only given
support. Various efforts have been these initiatives but also differentiated
Book Reviews 149
between various terms like special, vs. rights issue. Many times, it has been
integrated and inclusive education that felt by the persons with disabilities that
cause a lot of mystification at the even the basic right to education is denied
grassroots. She has done it in simple to them by not getting admission in the
language that would be understood by educational institutions of their choice
all. This is a good approach to combine on the pretence of the institution not
the concept of inclusive education and having appropriate supports for meeting
description of the policy and legislative their needs.
frameworks formulated to support this The manual propagates the
and that also in the beginning part of improvement of learning environment in
the manual. This has helped in both elementary and secondary
generating a belief that moving classrooms. The strategies given to meet
towards inclusion of children with the special needs in the school would be
special needs in education is a reality, of great help firstly in assisting the
accepted by all and also promoted educators to reorganise the ecology of the
through various schemes and classrooms as an environment that is
programmes. It leaves little doubt in the sensitive to the learner’s needs, feelings
mind of the reader that inclusive and ideas. Secondly, it can help in
education is a distant dream and will providing a classroom learning
take time to be realised. environment in which children with
Julka then moves towards the special needs also feel confident and are
classroom situation when she analyses able to express their opinions freely. The
the range of special needs that are to be claim of an inclusive classroom being a
met at various levels of school education.
good learning environment for all
Her conceptualisation of the range of
children have been supported by many
special needs in the third chapter goes
studies and Julka reiterated it by
well with the philosophy of inclusive
highlighting the benefits of inclusive
education. She highlights the
education.
importance of recognising the
uniqueness of each child and stresses The manual also gives a brief write
that the special needs of children can up on teaching competencies to be
be met in regular education by practices developed and teaching strategies to be
that are child-centred and not adopted in an inclusive classroom. It is
curriculum-centred. It is important at a well-known fact that movement
this level to talk about the prevailing towards inclusive education would not
discourses that conceptualise disability be successful without apposite teacher
either as an individual pathology or a training. Julka has touched this topic
social pathology. Going with the spirit of briefly, just enough to create awareness
inclusive education she discourages amongst the educators. I wish she would
attempts to view disability from a medical have detailed it more but then also it
perspective. I think this is an important would not have been possible to describe
contribution here as it can form the all strategies as a part of this manual.
basis of generating a debate on charity Possibly, a separate manual needs to be
150 Journal of Indian Education November 2008
developed for building the capacity of Education and Social Change in South
teachers in meeting the special needs of Asia
children. EDITED: Krishna Kumar and Joachim
In the end, Julka has stressed the Oesterheld
issues of double disadvantage faced by PUBLISHER: Orient Longman Limited
girls with disabilities, difficulties New Delhi, 2007
emerging in large classrooms and need
The book Education and Social Change in
of parental support for inclusion. She has
South Asia is a path breaking attempt to
supported her claim of inclusion being
understand the nature of education in
successful by giving illustrative success
the countries of the region of South Asia
stories. One interesting highlight of this
for bringing out indigenous and
chapter is the table giving examples of
traditional facets of education that has
the myths regarding persons with
not been discussed and elaborated as has
disabilities that are prevalent in our
been done in an international platform.
society. These myths are harboured
The book is the product of a project
in the minds of many and generally
conducted at the Centre for Modern
remain there for ever. People are
Oriental Studies (CMO) in Berlin – A
hesitant in talking about these for fear
Research Institute dedicated to historical,
of being ridiculed because of lack of
social and cultural research covering a
knowledge.
period from the eighteenth century
Conclusively, I can say this is a very onwards of the Middle East, South Asia
good attempt on the part of the author to and the whole of Africa.
present a manual that makes not only The whole book is divided into four
simple reading material for all because parts. Part I deals with education under
of its simple language but also gives colonial rule, part II covers education and
some hard hitting facts that make you cultural change, part III is related with
reflect on what all can be done to create education and nation building and part
a learning environment that encourages IV states about education and
all students to participate. I would also development. Each part contains four
suggest that many more such manuals chapters. The very first part starts with
that detail out the various aspects of the chapter entitled “Secular
inclusive education and help the Enlightenment and Christian
practioners in realising the goal of Conversion: Missionaries and Education
inclusive education are the need of the in Colonial India”. The article by Sanjay
day in our country that is still struggling Seth shows that from the mid-nineteenth
in this area. century onwards, secular education was
thought to be instrumental in
PROF. S.R. MITTAL undermining Hinduism. When
Department of Teacher Training and expectations for a transition to
Non Formal Education Christianity with the help of Western
Jamia Milia Islamia education were not fulfilled, despite the
New Delhi 110 025 drifting away from Hinduism, the British
Book Reviews 151
educated unemployed masses. The ‘The question of the place and the role of
quality of employment, regional Sanskrit in Indian education have always
disaggregation of unemployment data been charged with political and
where the unemployment rate remains ideological interests.’ Anne has dealt with
higher in the high literacy states has the Sanskrit issue and the role of Urdu,
been discussed. Tamil Nadu which bringing out the dilemma that the
remains to be such a state has been educational policy makers faced while
taken for analysing the disparity that has dealing with the issue of introducing
been put forth and attempts have been these two languages in the folds of the
made to find justifiable reasons for such educational curricula. Suggestive reforms
disparity and misbalance. A comparative on the Educational Policy that is being
assessment of education during the practiced by the national educational
colonial era and the principle that was institutes have also been given by the
followed and the changing discourses of author where the trend of policies that is
education after independence have been coming in has been reflected.
made. The role of career oriented The next paper as chapter 13, part
education and vocational education IV, showers light on Sri Lanka, which
along with research and traditional remain to be a strife ridden society where
educational practises has been Sinhali and Tamil spoken populaces are
discussed at length in her paper entitled fighting with each other for their socio-
“The Interface between Employment and political and economic space in the
Education in India: the ...discourse” island nation. The pre-colonial
Language has always been a educational pattern and the changes
significant factor in moulding the that were brought in the colonial period
educational policy of India. Anne have been elaborately discussed by ST
Vaughier Chatterjee, in her paper, has Hettige. The high literacy rates and the
presented a distinct presentation of the change of the official language from
element of language in India, its Tamil to Sinhali in 1956 and its
influential role and diversity that has effect has been analysed in detail. The
provided a unique identity to the nation ethno-linguistic segmentation and its
and its impact on the educational system impact on the educational system and
that was present during the pre-colonial the recent changes that has been
and colonial period and the brought in and suggestive measures as
transformation that was brought in remedies for the conflict have been
during the post-independence period. provided in the paper.
The paper entitled “Policies of Language India remains to be the largest
in Education: Policies and Reforms in country in the region and having the
India” has gone into the roots of the highest illiterate population various
Language policy that had been adapted programmes have been initiated by the
by the Government of India to divide Government to eradicate such a fallacy
regions on linguistic basis and bringing of a growing and developing society that
the Three Language Formula in the Government is pursuing. The Total
educational institutions in the country. Literacy Campaign has been such a
Book Reviews 155
programme that has been initiated to shows the positive and negative
address the problem that the country dimensions of decentralisation of school
faces. But even after six decades of management and its effects on the
stressing on literacy programmes, the quality of teaching in educational
country suffers from the same even at a institutions. Making an assessment of
mass level. Sadhna Saxena in her paper such decentralising process that has
“Education of the Masses of India” has been initiated in Madhya Pradesh the
critically pointed out the major loopholes study has made an attempt to examine
in such programmes that remain as major the recent educational reforms that has
hindrances in achieving the goal that has been brought in the state. The
been set before the Government, at the decreasing role of the public sector and
national as well as at the state levels. the impact of the increasing dominance
The next paper in this series, “The of the private sector were examined by
Privatisation of Secondary Schooling in taking assistance of Eklavya, an NGO
Bijnor: A Crumbling Welfare State?” that has been closely working in the
critically discusses the effect of region. Management of public schools by
privatisation of secondary schooling, parents and Panchayat institutions, its
especially its effect in the Bijnor district, benefits and its disadvantages has been
Uttar Pradesh. The paper authored by searched and suggestive measures have
Roger Jeffrey, Patricia Jeffrey and Craig been provided to improve the present
Jeffrey, is a landmark research work that structure of decentralisation that has
brings out the fallacies associated with been installed in the academic structure
the policy planners and the apathy that in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
is associated with educational policies of The collection of papers contributing
the Government. They have mentioned to the growing body of interdisciplinary
that even after constant suggestions literature on education in South Asia in
made by eminent academicians against the form of this volume is really beneficial
such privatisation, the government has for all the educationists, teachers, policy
been apathetic in implementing changes makers, educational planners and
as suggested by academics like K.N. researchers who are engaged in
Panikkar. Giving a brief introduction of curriculum development, teacher
the district, the paper has defined training and educational researches.
privatisation and its effect on education, The volume as a whole provides a
especially in Uttar Pradesh. The comparative view of education and its
character of secondary schools in Bijnor social context in the countries of South
has been analysed and the effect of Asia. Experiences from different South
privatisation on such schooling system Asian countries compiled in this volume
by using data sampling has been demonstrate that emerging perspectives
assessed. The impact on the curricula, on education always play an important
student teacher relationship, and the in social transformation and vice versa.
pay roll of teachers, the fee structure and PRATIMA KUMARI and RAKESH MEENA
the like has been examined. Lecturers
“Decentralisation of School DESSH, NCERT
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