A FIELD REPORT ON

A STUDY RELATING TO EDUCATION IN BAGDOGRA

TITLE

EDUCATIONAL SURVEY IN BAGDOGRA

AREA OF STUDY

LOWER AND UPPER BAGDOGRA GRAM PANCHAYAT ,DIST:DARJEELING

SUBJECT : LEGAL AID IN SURROUNDING VILLAGES

UNDER SUPERVISION OF

MRS.SUPARNA BANDYOPADHYAY

SUBMITTED BY:

SHILPI SINGHA

REGISTRATION NO.-0741905040002

EXAM ROLL NO.-190745010138

B.A.LL.B(HONS)7TH SEMESTER

DEPARTMENT OF LAW

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL

RAJA RAMMOHANPUR,DARJEELING

WESTBENGAL
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is indeed a great pleasure to convey my heartiest regards to those who extended their cooperative
hands in completing this work without which this work wouldnot have reached upto the mark.First of all I
take the pleasure to express my warm gratitude to my supervisor ,Mrs.Suparna Bandyopadhyay
Ma’am,Department of Law ,University Of North Bengal for providing me her valuable and important
time and tips in the right direction and also in going minutely through each and every word by making
necessary corrections ,alterations of this work .Without her unconditional and painstaking help I couldnot
have ventured to complete this work.

I convey my thankful regards with gratitude to the members of Gram Panchayat,of both Lower and
Upper Bagdogra Gram Panchayat ,who has given their valuable time,information and cooperation to
complete my work.

I am also grateful to my friends,parents,well-wisher for their sacrifice and constant support in completion
of this work.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC NAME PAGE NO.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………

POLITICAL MAP OF INDIA……………………………………………………..

POLITICAL MAP OF WESTBENGAL…………………………………………...

MAP OF LOWER BAGDOGRA…………………………………………………..

MAP OF UPPER BAGDOGRA…………………………………………………..

INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………..

1.1 EVOLUTION OF THE

PROBLEM………………………………………………….

1.2 STATEMENT OF
PROBLEM…………………………………………………………

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

…………………………………………………………….

1.4 HYPOTHESIS OF THE

PROBLEM……………………………………………….

1.5 OBJECTIVE OF THE

STUDY………………………………………………………..

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE

STUDY…………………………………………………

1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY…………………

1.8 LIMITATION OF
STUDY…………………………………………………………

1.9 RESEARCH METHODOLO……….

CHAPTER -1

CHAPTER -2

CHAPTER -3
CONCLUSION

QUESTIONNAIRE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

In India, education in the rural segments is not only important to eradicate poverty and illiteracy, but also
for a variety of other social, economic as well as cultural and political reasons. After the independence of
India in 1947, the policy makers realized that education is the most compelling means to initiate social
alterations and improve community development in India. The role of education, both urban and rural, is
huge in growth of the country’s economy. Although education in the urban areas have progressed rapidly
during the last few decades, there are still some villages where education is not given sufficient priority.
There are several reasons as to why rural education in India should be enforced efficiently, even in the
most remote regions. Here are the reasons: Political Reasons — Due to the existence of the Panchayati
Raj, various political parties and universal adult franchise in the political system of rural India, it is
important for rural people to have adequate education so that they can better understand the programs and
principles of the ruling bodies and elect worthy representatives. In the modern times, members of the
rural public also participate actively in the elections of panchayat and political parties. To work as a
competent member of any political association, it is necessary for any individual to possess certain
qualifications. Economic Causes — In contemporary India, villages play an important role as segments of
the national economy by producing agrarian, industrial and other goods, for national as well as
international markets. But ultimately, it is the international price movement of different goods which
regulates the required quantity of the commodities and their price. As such, it is quintessential to have an
accurate understanding of the intricate structure of global economy and for that the rural masses need to
be educated. Cultural Reasons — Today’s culture is advancing fast, with the introduction and availability
of different kinds of modern gadgets, both in the urban and rural sectors of India. To handle and utilize
the benefits of these advanced gadgets, education is a prerequisite. For example, a rural farmer who has
access to modern agricultural tools like fertilizers, tractors, threshers and harvesters must be educated
enough to understand the advantages of those tools. The progress of culture also necessitates liberty of
individuals and social co-ordination. Education can affect the intellectual life of people and help them to
contribute towards the advancement of the society. Social Reasons — The Indian Constitution provides
for several rights and principles of citizens, of which the right to education is a major aspect. To
understand the significance and functioning of these rights, modern education is a must. Rural education
is important not only for the enhancement of life quality of the rural community, but also for the overall
progress and development of the country. Considering the topic of education system in India, one cannot
just boast of the highly advanced educational institutions in the urban areas. The progress of education at
the grass roots level is also of primary concern and rural education in India constitutes about 90% of the
schools being located in rural areas. Statistical records from extensive surveys have shown that rural
education in India has developed to some extent, but there are still quite a number of serious hindrances to
the growth of education in the countryside. We cannot deny that education is the doorway to the wider
world, and leads to the road to improvement of the community and the nation as a whole. Therefore, the
foremost step to pave the way for the development of education system in India is to identify the
hindrances in the path. The challenges faced by the growth of education in rural India are as follows: The
income of the people in rural areas is often very meagre, which is even too less to maintain a family of
maybe four or five sometimes. As a matter of fact, children from these families will not be sent to school,
but will have to set out in search of work to assist the earning member and add an extra income to the
gross earnings of the

family. Lack of quality education is a major drawback of schools in the rural areas due to fewer
committed teachers, deficiency of proper text books, and insufficient learning material in the schools.
Even though a large number number of students have started attending schools in rural areas, over fifty
percent of students in fifth standard are unable to read even a text book that’s of second grade and cannot
solve simple mathematical problems. Due to the availability of fewer transport facilities in the rural areas,
most children have to walk miles to reach government funded schools and this demotivates them a lot to
attend school on a regular basis. Improper infrastructure at rural schools such as small classrooms,
inadequate teaching equipment, lack of playgrounds and unclean toilets, is a big reason to drive away
students. Efforts by NGOs (Non Government Organisations), however, have helped local governing
bodies to a great extent in building competently equipped and well-facilitated educational institutions in
the rural areas. The NGOs are also lending support to underprivileged children so that they can have
access to proper education, thus contributing to the progress of rural education in India.

1.1EVOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM

. Education in the Past:

Education in early, medieval, and the British periods has to be viewed in:

(a) The perspective of historical growth, and

(b) Its philosophic significance.

From the latter point of view, in the Vedic period, schools were boarding schools where a child was

handed over to the teacher at the age of about eight years, and he was imparted knowledge for developing

ideal behaviour and not for its utilitarian end. Knowledge, it was felt, was something that lent meaning,

glory, and lustier to life. The teacher took personal interest in the life of his students. Education was all

comprehensive.

For example, physical education was compulsory. Students were taught to build up a strong and healthy

body. Training was given in the art of war, including archery, riding, driving, and in other allied fields.

School education began with phonology, including study of grammar. After that, study of logic was taken

up which dealt with the laws of reasoning and art of thinking. Then came science of Arts and Crafts.

Lastly, came the discipline of life which was concerned with sexual purity and chastity in thought and

action, including simplicity in food and dress, emphasis on equality, fraternity and independence, and
respect for the teacher. Thus, language, logic, craft, discipline and building up character formed the basics

of education in early India.

In the Brahmanical period, the Vedic literature formed the chief subject of instruction. The main aim of

education was the learning of the Vedas. But the Sudras were excluded from the right to education.

Education was given on the basis of caste rather than ability and aptitude. Women also were debarred

from education.

In the Muslim period, the objectives of education changed. It was more to teach the three R’s and train in

religious norms. The higher education was imparted through schools of learning while the vocational and

professional training was given within the caste structure. Sanskrit and Arabic or Persian was the medi-

ums of instruction.

The teachers’ remuneration was paid by the rulers through grant of land, presents from pupils, allowances

paid by wealthy citizens, and payment in the form of food, clothes or other articles. The financial position

of the schools was not very strong. They did not have special buildings of their own. In many cases,

schools were held in local temples or mosques or teachers’ houses.

The schools were conducted almost exclusively by Maulvis (priests) for the Muslim students and by

Brahmins for the Hindu students. Vocational training was provided by father, brother, etc. to the child.

Thus, the caste system provided vocational training and transmitted skills from generation to generation

and also provided gainful employment.

There was no emphasis on physical education, developing thinking ability, or teaching some craft.

Chastity, equality, simplicity were not the ideals of student life. The specialisation of professional roles

had not reached a stage at which a separate class or caste could take up education work as a specialised

function. Education was more practical.

In the British period, education aimed at producing mainly clerks. Education was student-centred rather

than teacher-centred. Unlike today, education in this period never aimed at freedom of individual,

excellence of individual, equality amongst all people, individual and group self-reliance, and national

cohesion. Christian missionaries engaged in imparting education gave considerable importance to

conversion of religion.

Education in schools and colleges was not productive which could break down the social, regional and

linguistic barriers. It never aimed at making people masters of technology. It also did not focus on

fighting injustice, intolerance and superstition.

Education in the Present Period:

Education today is oriented to promoting values of an urban, competitive consumer society. Through the

existing education system, India has produced in the last five decades number of scientists, professionals

and technocrats who have excelled in their fields and made a mark at the national and international levels.

The top scientists, doctors, engineers, researchers, professors, etc., are not those who were educated

abroad but had got their entire education in India. If these experts and all those people who have reached

the highest level have come through our present educational system, how could we deny the positive

aspects of the education system as it is found today? Thus, while we cannot totally criticise our present

education, there are some issues which need our urgent attention, if we are really concerned with a better

future.

The question relates not to the past or to the present but rather to the future. How are we going to prepare

the experts in various fields to meet the challenges of the newest and latest technology of the twenty-first

century? It is not a question of the extent to which education provides or fails to provide employment to

people but it is a question of education providing modern technology for the benefit of the poor and

deprived people.
It is a question of the quality of education. Instead of merely viewing the growing population as a

liability, we should change the population into an asset and strength along with trying to control its

growth. This can be done only by education and human development.

Merely giving a degree and a certificate to a young person that he is qualified for appointment is not

enough. We have to make our younger generation think. The present education system does not

encourage a person to think. He is taught a set syllabus which he is expected to reproduce during the

examinations. This is deficient system.

The youngsters have to be provoked to ask more and more questions which will not only help them to

think but will also compel teachers to read and learn more. We have, thus, to change the examination

system. We have to compel students to take learning more seriously. We have to wean them away from

cutting classes, indulging in strikes, participating in students’ politics, seeking admission only for con-

testing elections and offering courses only as a part-time study course. We have to build their character.

Though it is true that the number of educational institutions and students at all levels has increased but it

cannot be contented that the quality of education, the interest of students, and dedication of teachers has

also increased simultaneously.

The number of pre-primary schools has gone up, during the period from 1961 to 1998, by about 21 times

(from 1,909 to 40,553), of primary schools has almost doubled (from 3.3 lakhs to 6.107 lakhs), of

middle/senior schools has increased by little more than three and a half times (from 49,663 to 1.85 lakh),

of higher secondary schools by about six times (from 17,257 to 107,100) and of universities (including

deemed universities) by about five times (from 45 to 228).

The number of teachers in primary schools has increased from 1961 to 1997 by about two and a half

times (from 7.4 lakh to 17.89 lakh), and in higher secondary schools by about five times (from 2.96 lakh

to 15.42 lakh).
Lastly, the number of students in primary schools during 1961 to 1997 has increased by about three times

(from 336.31 lakh to 1103.94 lakh), in higher secondary schools by about five times (from 34.63 lakh to

178.62 lakh) and in graduate and postgraduate classes by about twelve and a half times (from 4.28 lakh to

53.73 lakh). However, weaknesses and deficiencies in education have been pointed out by almost all

Commissions and Committees.

The three main deficiencies in the present education system may be described as follows:

(1) The present education does not generate or fortify the type of knowledge that is relevant to our

changed society.

(2) Technology associated with a particular body of knowledge is inappropriate to our stage of

development in terms of its employment potential or investment demands.

(3) Education has failed to provide value framework which may prepare committed politicians,

bureaucrats, technocrats, and professionals on whom our nation can depend for sophisticated system of

support services to be useful in taking the country to the highest level.

Education for the Future:

Our society is moving towards an unknown future. The crises that the contemporary society is

encountering are likely to increase in their frequency and intensity. With rising population and dwindling

resources, our country has to face new problems. To meet the challenges of this future, we will need

knowledge and skills that may contribute to problem-solving capacity not only in the fields of science and

technology but also in the fields of human relations and management. Unfortunately, the education

system today is decaying more and more instead of responding creatively to the challenges of

contemporary predicament. We need to reset our priorities.

First, we accept the philosophy of ‘education for self-reliance’. The emphasis must shift from higher

secondary and higher education to primary and adult education.

Second, the content of education at higher secondary and college/ university levels needs serious

consideration.

Third, the problem is of management of education.

At present, bureaucratic styles persist. Bureaucrats are not sensitive and responsive to the changes in the

environment of education. Low budgets, high indiscipline, administrative lapses and interference and

political pressures make decision-making in the field of education hazardous. As such, management of

education should be made free from bureaucrats’ and politicians’ interference.

Fourth, the problem is of accountability of teachers, particularly in higher education. Many cases are

reported where teachers fail to take classes for months and even years together. They rarely take interest

in regularly going to libraries and reading journals and latest books. We have to restore purpose to

education and determine suitable techniques of teaching. Then we have to regulate the factors that debase

and vulgarise it. Control on teachers is the most important requisite in the educational system.

Fifth, the problem is that we have to create greater seriousness regarding studies among students, for

whom acquiring knowledge is the most vital question. Education is believed to be mobility multiplier. It

works for the perpetuation of status and privileges. But should higher education be open to all students?

Many students seek admission to Law, Arts and Commerce courses only because they have to ‘kill time’

till they settle in life. Should they not be directed to technical and professional courses? Should education

be not brought round to sub serving their interest?

Sixth, the issue is that we have to give a push to vocational/professional education which has considerable

demand in the open market. We have to assume that every educated person cannot become a specialist or

an expert but has to equip himself with a skill which can help him earn his livelihood.

We have to think of the coming two or three decades and pay attention to the type of agriculture, type of

developing industry, trade and commerce and new fields of service and employment that the future
decades will throw up. This will help us in building education system which will give us better

cultivators, better skilled workers, better mechanics, or whatever.

Seventh, the issue is of linkages between various departments like Agriculture, Industry, Labour,

Electronics, Law, Science and so forth so that universities, IITs and colleges know the type of skilled

people required. What is needed is full education in each field which will prepare the individual to find

employment of his choice and enable the employer to get a candidate of his liking.

Eighth, the issue is of making all illiterate people literate. According to the available estimated figures for

the year 1998, assuming that the literacy rate in India has gone up from 52.21 per cent in 1991 to 60 per

cent in 1998, there are about 400 million people to be educated. This is a tremendous task. While it is a

well-known fact that all state governments have schemes of raising literacy level, it needs to be

emphatically stated that we require more than 25 years to achieve the set goal. Perhaps policies like

compelling students to teach the illiterate during two months’ vacation period will help in reducing the

target period.

Ninth, the point is of reducing the number of drop-outs at the primary level. The available figures show

that the percentage of drop-outs in 1996 at different stages of school education among boys and girls was

as high as 38 to 41 per cent.

In 1997-98, according to the Human Resource Development Ministry, 38.23 per cent of boys and 41.34

per cent of girls left the school system before reaching the class five stage. By the lime the survivors of

the primary stage reach class eight, more than half (54.14%) drop out. Of them 50.72 per cent are boys

and 58.61 per cent are girls. Less than a third clear secondary school (The Hindustan Times, May 2,

1999).

Measures can be adopted to contain this problem. It is not good enough to keep treading the same path. If

we know that we are not making progress, we must change our models and policies and programmes and

try new ones.

Tenth, the issue is of the present examination system. In a way, they are becoming more and more a farce.

In the present set-up, students consider it easier to read guides and cheap books and pass examinations.

They view attending classes a waste of time. Teachers take least pains in preparing lectures, in reading

books and journals, and equipping themselves with latest research results.

They have little time to read through all the pages in the examination answer-book. Their concern is to get

more and more examination scripts from different universities and earn more remuneration. Should we

continue to live with the system as it is today? It has to be made flexible and open which lays emphasis on

creative thinking.

These are questions which need to be linked with re-organising and restructuring of graduate and post-

graduate programmes, better performance of students, more accountability of teachers, and functional use

of summer vacations. We have to remove deficiencies and shortcomings in teaching and examination

system, if we logically want to plan education for the future.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:

“A good education is a foundation for a better future.” Our past has taught us that education is very
important. It is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world.

We all know the power of education. Unfortunately, we also know that education is not provided equally
across the nation.

Education in rural areas in India suffers the worst impact. This is due to several reasons.

Through this article, we endeavour to dissect the problems of education in rural areas and provide
possible workable solutions to overcome these problems.
Before we look into the problems, we first need to discuss the role and importance of education in rural
areas.

“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom” – Oprah Winfrey

The importance of education around the world cannot be undermined and educating rural India is as
important. Being allowed to learn provides students with the skill and knowledge to face the future.

There came a time when India had to think about rural India and educating the rural population because
rural India formed a large chunk of the population in India.

The Government, realising the need to educate the rural population has come up with various schemes
and policies to encourage the rural youth to attend school.

The Importance of Education in Rural Areas Are as Follows:

1. Bridges the Gap of Unemployment

Educating the youth bridges the gap between the employed and the unemployed.

2. Decreases Poverty

Education of the rural youth directly leads to employment. Employed youth earn a decent living thus
eliminating poverty.

3. Increases Productivity

Education and employment lead to the productivity of youth in the rural areas. Youth will now be
occupied in the labour sector and will therefore be productive.

4. Education Eliminates Vices

Good education of the youth in rural, as well as urban areas, decreases the possibility of picking up
immoral values and habits. Educations develop skills, knowledge, values and moral habits.

11 Major Problems Faced by Students in Rural Areas:-

1. Lack of Quality Teachers in Rural Areas

One of the major problems of education in rural areas is the lack of teachers. Moreover, even if there are
teachers, the lack of quality teachers poses a big problem.

As most schools in the rural areas are run by the Government, teachers are appointed by the Government.
These teachers are appointed only when necessary or needed and not permanently.

As a result, when teachers are not permanent, the chances of promotions or upgrades are slim. This is a
demotivating factor for many teachers in the rural sector.
Due to the lack of teachers in the rural areas, the Government in some states has exempted teachers from
clearing the Teachers Eligibility Test. This has further deteriorated the quality of teachers in the rural
sector.

Quoting Dr. A.P.J Abdul kalam “The purpose of education is to make good human beings with skill and
expertise. Enlightened human beings can be created by teachers.”

2. Poorly Remunerated

Teachers in the rural sector are paid poorly when compared to teachers in the urban area. These are all
demotivating factors when it comes to appointing quality teachers.

3. Non Attendance

Another rural education issue is the lack of attendance of teachers and students. This problem is a vicious
circle.

At times teachers do not attend the school because students are not present and at times it is the opposite.
Students do not attend school because of the teacher’s absence.

4. Government Duties

Some of the Government appointed teachers in rural areas are given duties other than teaching duties like
election duties. This leads to the absenteeism of the teacher in the schools.

5. Lack of Transport

One of the problems faced by students in rural areas is the lack of transport. Students are unable to
commute the long distances from their homes to the school premises.

The lack of proper roads and public transport deter students from attending school daily. The long
commuting hours by foot prove detrimental to students who want to attend school.

6. Poor Infrastructure

The construction of schools in rural areas are below satisfactory. The condition of many schools is in a
pathetic state with broken walls, poor lighting and poor sanitation.

In many rural schools, students sit on the floor or on broken furniture.

7. Government Apathy

Government apathy has led to the non-development of schools in the rural sector.

Since most of the schools in rural areas are run by the Government, apathy on behalf of the Government
is a major problem faced by these schools.

In many cases, the Government is not concerned about the development of schools in these rural areas.
8. Poor Learning Results

Due to the poor quality of teachers, students in the rural sector tend to suffer. This is one of the problems
of education in rural areas. It leads to the poor quality of learning amongst students.

According to the 13th Annual Status of Education Report 2018, which provides information on schooling
and learning for a sample of children across rural India, amongst all the children enrolled in Std VIII in
India, about 73% can read only a Std II level textbook.

9. Inaccessibility to Modern Learning Tools

Unlike urban areas, rural areas do not have access to modern tools of learning. For example, the latest tool
in education is the introduction of digital platforms.

Unfortunately, the rural areas do not have access to these modern tools of learning. The lack of access to
the internet, digital devices and uninterrupted power supply are some of the problems of rural areas.

10. Lack of Finances

The general population in the rural areas are hired labourers on farmland or other manual work. The
remuneration in these sectors is relatively low.

As the finances are low, the rural population finds it burdensome to spend on the education of their
children. As a result, a large portion of the youth in the rural sector stay away from school.

11. Communication Gap

The rural sector mostly communicates with each other in the local language. The medium of instruction in
most schools in the rural areas is the local language.

Whereas in the urban areas and corporate sectors, English is the most spoken language.

This lack of knowledge of the English language prevents a large section of the rural youth from procuring
jobs in cities.

Now that we know the problems of the schools in the rural areas, we must now find ways to overcome
these educational problems.

We must find solutions to bridge the gap between education in rural areas and education in urban areas.

The main question is how can we improve education in rural areas?

Governments are aware of the grim situation in education in rural areas and have been striving
continuously to fill the gaps. The Government has taken certain, measures to overcome the shortcomings
of education in rural areas.
Government Policies and Initiatives

1. Mid-Day Meal

To encourage students to attend school, the Government initiated the mid-day meal. It is a popular
scheme by the Government of India launched on August 15, 1995.

According to this scheme students were provided free and nutritious meals in school.

The Government initiated this scheme to encourage or attract children to attend school to receive a free
mid-day meal.

The state of Tamil Nadu was the first to implement the scheme. Consequently, through the order of the
Supreme Court of India, the scheme was made compulsory in all states.

The achievement of the Government in this regard was impressive. The scheme led to the rise in the
number of students attending schools.

2. Right to Education (RTE)

The gap in the education between rural youth and urban youth was quite stark. Realising one of the main
reasons the rural youth were not properly educated was because of the lack of funds or finances, the
Government initiated the Right to Education Act 2009.
According to this Act of Parliament, children between the age of 6 to 14 have the right to education. The
Act also requires all private schools to reserve 25% seats for children from the lower margins of society.

3. Padega India Toh Badega India

This is a Government of India initiative to encourage the education of all children. The slogan is very
popular with the Indian youth today.

4. NGOs
Many NGOs have taken a keen interest to teach the rural youth. One such popular initiative is the Teach
for India campaign. Teach for India is an initiative to eliminate educational inequality in India.

5. Philanthropists

One of the biggest ways of how we can improve education in rural areas is through the donations and
initiatives of large-hearted philanthropists in India and around the world.

Some of the initiatives by Philanthropists are:

Azim Premji Foundation

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

6. Grants and Scholarships

The Government of India and Private institutions and Individuals have initiated several scholarships and
grants to students from rural areas.
These scholarships encourage education amongst students from the rural areas and other weaker sections
of society.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1)What are your goals in the class?

2)What do you wish we practiced more in class?

3)How keen are you to participate in your class activities and discussions?

4)Do the lectures,tests,and assignments complement each other?

5)Do the examinations and projects help you to measure your knowledge of the course material?

1.4.HYPOTHESIS OF THE PROBLEM

There is no significant impact of lack of promotion to innovation as non development factor for rural
school in teacher’s view.There is no significant impact of lack of infrastructural facility as non
developmental factor for rural schools in teacher’s view.

1.5 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1.Finding of impact of lack of promotion to innovation as non developmental factor for rural schools .

2.Finding of impact of lack of infrastructural facility as non developmental factor for rural schools.

3.Finding of impact of lack of conveyance facility as non developmental factor for rural schools.

4.Finding of impact of lack of education of parents as non developmental factor for rural schools.

1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The preamble of the Constitution states that a democratic society based on ‘justice- social, economic and political;

liberty— of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; and equality— of status and opportunity has to be

formed.
The Constitution also aims at promoting among all the citizens, ‘Fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual

and unity of the Nation.

This means that the educational system should be structured in such a way that it helps to realize the objectives of

the founding fathers of Indian Constitution. India, being the land of villages, rural education should be so formulated

that it would adapt to the needs of creation of new and higher type of rural society as envisaged in the Constitution.

For broad-based sustainable economic development, elementary education (read, write and solve simple arithmetic

problems such as addition, and subtraction of numbers) is critical for any country. In India, the problem of

elementary education is so endemic according to the data given by the Census of India 2001, that only 60 percent of

rural people (71 percent males and 47 percent females) are literates.

To overcome this situation and to just provide the primary or elementary education, India requires seven million

teachers and that too, if one were to have a 1:50 teacher to student ratio. These teachers are mostly required in rural

areas, where there is a dearth of qualified teachers.

At the time of independence, India’s primary education was characterized by the historical inequities. Though

Article 45 of the Directive Principles of State Policy was committed to ensuring free and compulsory education for

all, this did not significantly translate into action. Unfortunately, school enrolments and children’s participation

remained dismally low for decades after independence.

However, the picture of elementary education in rural India began to change rapidly due to the new thrusts given by

the Government’s New National Policy of Education (1986) and the Programme of Action (1992), which aimed at

improving access to schools, reducing the number of dropouts and improving learning achievements for all children

between 6-14 years of age.

1.7. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Educational research refers to a systematic effort to gain a better understanding of the educational system
with its process, generally with a view to improving its effectiveness. It is an application of scientific
methods to the study of educational problems. The rationale of educational research is progress and good
life. According to J.W. Best, 'Educational Research is that activity which is directed towards development
of a science of behaviour in educational situations. The ultimate aim of such a science is to provide
knowledge that will permit the educator to achieve his goals by the most effective methods.' According to
Lazarsfeld and Sieber, 'By Educational research is meant here the whole of the efforts carried out by the
public or private bodies in order to improve educational methods and educational activity in general,
whether involving scientific research at a high level or more modest experiments concerning the school
system and educational methods.’ According to Monroe, 'The final purpose of educational research is to
ascertain principle and develop procedures in the field of education.' SCOPE The scope of a subject is
usually discussed under two heads: Branches, topics and the subject matter it deals with. Limits of its
procedures and applications The fields of educational research is classified here in terms of following
content areas: 1. Comparative Education 2. Curriculum construction and Textbooks 3. Economics of
Education 4. Educational Administration 5. Educational Measurement and Test development 6.
Educational Psychology 7. Educational Technology 8. Guidance and counselling 9. Philosophy of
Education 10. Sociology of Education 11. Teacher education and teaching behavior.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Complexity The researcher in the field of education deals with the complex nature of human behaviour.
To understand the complex nature of human behaviour, he has to deal with a number of variables, acting
independently and in interaction. Each individual is unique in the way he grows, in his mental, social and
emotional behaviour and in his total personality. The researcher in the field of education therefore has to
study the individual in groups, and the impact of the behaviour of group members on an individual. 2.
Difficulties in Observation Observation of human behaviour is more subjective than the observation of
physical or biological phenomenon. The subjectivity on the part of the observer has a direct impact on the
explanation and results on which he basis his conclusion. 3. Difficulties in Replication Educational
phenomena varies from situation to situation can hardly replicated for the purpose of observation with the
same degree of precision and objectivity. 4. Interaction of Observer and Subjects The researcher in the
field of education is also human being. His presence as an observer in a situation itself may change the
behaviour of his observing human subjects. 5. Difficulties in Control The inflexible control of
experimental situations is achievable in the laboratory of physical or biological sciences. It is less possible
in educational studies in which the researcher has to contract with the human subjects and many variables
at the same time. 6. Measurement Problems The tools used for measurement and data collection in the
educational studies are much less valid and reliable than the tool of the natural scientist

1.9RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Descriptive survey method was applied for present study .Around 22 houses were being visited in that
locality(11in upper Bagdogra and 11 in lower Bagdogra).And around 22 local respondents were
interviewed regarding the same.One individual from one house,17 persons were female and rest 5 persons
were male.Total population of upper Bagdogra Gram Panchayat is 21547.And total population of lower
Bagdogra Gram Panchayat is 22458.Every 4th house of both the GPs were surveyed thoroughly.The
school going students (of any age) were interviewed regarding problems of school and slow development
of education system in rural areas using self prepared questionnaire.Reasons for less development of rural
schools were categorized as lack of educated parents.
Chapter 1 Rural Education in India and its Problems

In India, the right to education is a fundamental right which states that every citizen of India between the
age of 6 to 14 years get free and compulsory education.

This provision ensures that every citizen of India should get education up to 14 years without any
discrimination. But the reality is far different from this.

The literacy rate in India is 77.7%. However, the literacy rate of Urban region in India is 87.7% whereas
in rural India it is only 73.5%. There are many reasons behind the difference between these two. Some of
the challenges or problems are given below.

Problems in education in rural India

Nearly 65.53% population of India reside in a rural area. There is a wide gap between urban and rural
education system. The literacy rate of the urban area and the rural area are also wide.

According to ASER report, the survey was conducted and cover almost all rural districts; it was
found that more than 50% of the children of age 3 to 16 years are not able to read and perform
arithmetic abilities in the age group of 5to 16 years. However, the problems related to education in
rural India are:

 Lack of availability of resources

 Lack of awareness of educational importance
 Less availability of schools
 Digital dividend
 Financial condition
Lack of availability of resources

There is a lack of availability of resources in the rural regions in India. There is also a lack of
infrastructure in the schools situated in rural areas—no availability of benches, playgrounds, laboratories,
washrooms or if present they are in the worst condition.

Sometimes the textbooks are not available in proper quantity, or if available they are not in good
condition. Also, the availability of stationery is also a challenge. Many rural Indians don’t have enough
money to bear stationary charges and other expenses.

Another challenge is there is no transportation availability as there is poor connectivity from one place to
another place.
Another challenge is less availability of teachers. In India, the school in rural areas have only one or two
teachers in the school.

Lack of awareness of the importance of education

Another reason for the low literacy rate in rural regions in India is the lack of awareness of the importance
of education. People in rural regions are mostly engaged in agricultural and allied sectors. Children from
the beginning are engaged in these sectors and not give much importance to their studies.

Religious beliefs and some societal norms also a hiccup in the path of providing education in rural India.
Many rural Indians believe that children, especially girls, should not study much and don’t have to cover
a long distance to go to school. Instead of getting the education, they should focus on some work which
helps them in earning.

Less availability of school

There is also less availability of schools in rural regions. Many students have to go from one village to
another village by covering miles of distance. Another challenge is the non-availability of transport. It
takes long hours to reach school and to come back home. This challenge also aids in increasing drop-out
student ratios in rural India.

Digital dividend

Another challenge in rural education in India is the digital dividend. In a globalized world, where
everyone is technology prone and using their application in daily life. It is necessary that everyone should
have knowledge about their use.

During the corona time, education is given in online mode, but due to poor connectivity, rural children
are not able to get an education. This also creates a barrier in the education of rural India. Some of them
also don’t have a smartphone due to which they can’t access education.

Ways to boost rural education in India

We need to overcome the abovesaid obstruction to boost education in India. In order to boost up this, we
need to adopt the following measures:

 Encourage free education

 Increase the number of schools
 By adopting modern teaching technologies
 By providing scholarships
 Proper infrastructure and availability of resources

Encourage free education

One of the most important ways to boost rural education is boosted up free education. as our constitution
provides the right to education to all citizens of India. The government should focus on how they can
increase the enrolment of children who reside in rural areas.

This can be done by establishing more schools, providing proper infrastructure and resources. The
government should also ensure that the number of children who are attending school must retain
education up to elementary level.

Another reason for encouraging free education is that people of rural India don’t have much income so
they can’t afford high school fees and eventually drop out the school.

Increase the number of schools

The government should set up more school in rural India to boost up education. Most of the children have
to leave their education due to the large distance between the home and the school.

This is the case, especially for girls. Most of the girls drop out of school due to non-availability of
transport. If the schools are set up at every village, it will aid in increasing the enrolment percentage and
decrease the drop -out rate of rural children.

By increasing the modern teaching technologies

Modern technologies are very important in imparting education. Today in a globalised world where
technology is rapidly emerging, it is necessary for every individual that they are updated with the current
technology.

Also, the focus of education should be on conceptual learning not on rote learning so that the students
must use the applications of these new technologies.

By providing proper infrastructure and resources

Another way to boost up the education in rural India is by providing proper infrastructure and resources.
The objective of education is the all-round development of the individual.

Availability of resources is also important for providing education. Resources include textbooks,
stationery, laboratories, playgrounds, and benches should be in good condition and available for all the
students. This will aid in achieving the objective of education and retaining the number of students in
education.

The government should make provisions and schemes to boost up education in India, especially focusing
on rural India
The literacy rate of India is 77.7%, but it is different in rural and urban India. There is a wide gap between
the literacy rate of urban and rural India. However, the reason behind the low literacy rate in rural India is
many.

The problems faced by rural India in achieving the education are less number of schools and resources,
less availability of teachers, religious and societal norms, the large distance between the school and home,
lack of awareness of education.

The way to improve the present scenario of education in rural India is the construction of schools in every
village, providing proper and adequate infrastructure and other resources, using modern technologies in
education, creating awareness about the importance of education and rights.
CHAPTER 2 PRESENT SCENARIO OF RURAL EDUCATION IN INDIA:
Right to Education is the primary right of every citizen of India, whether a child resides in a high profile
society or in a far away not so developed secluded village. In India, condition of rural education is still
improving, the conditions of these rural schools is still very poor. There are very few schools in the rural
areas and children have to travel far away distances to avail these facilities and most schools in these
locations do not provide drinking water. The quality of education is also very poor. Schools in rural areas
are promoted to raise the level of education and literacy in rural India. The main aim of running these
types of schools in India is to increase the rates of literacy in rural areas. More than 40 per cent of India’s
population is illiterate and cannot read or write. And schools in rural areas are inadequate and often
equivalent to being non-existent. Thus, government’s initiative to set up schools in rural areas came into
picture. According to Just Indian Schools the conditions of rural education in India, is improving steadily
and the government is also providing full support and providing with many initiatives. The fee structure
in these schools is also very low so that every child can study and afford it. . There are many initiatives
taken by the government, but they are not implemented in the schools, so the present scenario remains the
same. Though there are very few schools in rural areas, children and their parents are showing interest
and availing school facilities in these remote locations. Children have to walk miles to reach their school.
Rural schools pay special attention to children in these locations so that each child gets an equal and
important opportunity. They promote reading and writing and enhanced basic education. These schools
also provide study material to every student apart from, meals during school hours, uniforms etc. Rural
village schools also have implemented library system, which provide books, newspapers and magazine to
children. They not only provide science kits and equipment for hands-on-learning, but also notebooks,
textbooks and pencils to poor children. Apart from that they also give scholarships to deserving students
regularly, who wish to study ahead. They create community awareness, about the need for education and
world literacy. Many indirect benefits of a basic rural education include poverty reduction, disease
control, enhanced employment opportunities and increasing rate of literacy. The curriculum includes
English, Mathematics, General Knowledge and Drawing. Apart from that they also provide Value
Education and Computer Education. With the help of rural education every family and child has excess to
basic primary education. Individual’s special talents are recognized. The teaching methodology ensures
that each and every student is exposed to educational experience in an active and dynamic learning
environment, so that they can achieve excellence. Teachers also encourage every student to express their
views, observations and experiences. The main objectives of rural school’s is to ensure that every child in
rural India receives quality education which prepares them to compete in the competitive global
environment. Rural education initiative has the following objective: – To provide free standard education
to rural children – Supporting children for higher education. – Guiding and Supporting Research scholars
in Educational Development. – Implementing new teaching methodologies and Assessment system. –
Promoting all schools to stress free environment. Urban education v/s rural education: – There are many
schools in cities and towns whereas; there are very few schools in villages and the rural areas. – There are
transportation facilities like bus pick and in urban schools where as children in rural areas have to walk
miles to reach their schools. – Basic amenities like no drinking water in provided in some of the schools
in villages. – Level of education in urban schools is far advanced as compared to the basic level taught in
rural schools. – Computer education is given high importance in urban areas where as very few schools in
villages give computer training. – Group classes are taken by using video conferencing and audio
conferencing in urban schools where as no such facilities are provided for students in rural schools. – The
teachers are given tools like laptops, printers to provide notes and other important notices to the children
in urban schools while there are no such facilities in the rural schools. – School infrastructure in case of
cities and urban areas is much more advanced as compared to that in schools in rural areas where some
times children are even made to sit on the floor due to non-availability of furniture. – School education in
urban areas is more advanced especially since there is a lot of computer aided teaching. – Apart from the
course curriculum rural schools are not able to involve children in other activities like sports, cocurricular
activities and competitions. Such events and activities tend help in the over all development of the
children. Problems faced in rural education in India: India is developing rapidly and many initiatives had
been J.G. SREEKANTHACHARI AND G. NAGARAJA 115-119 117 H I N D A R T S A C AD E M Y
Adv. Res. J. Soc. Sci., 4(1) June, 2013: taken for the development of rural India, still much more have to
be done. There are several problems being faced by the schools running in rural India. Some of these
problems are stated below: Lack of infrastructure: Many schools in villages lack proper infrastructure
facilities. There are no proper facilities for sitting as sometimes children are even made to sit on the floor
due to non-availability of furniture. The school building lacks doors and windows, and so the wind and
animals enter unimpeded. Low income: Teachers in the villages also get very less income in comparison
to the teachers that teach in urban schools. As teachers are not satisfied with their income, they generally
do not give proper attention to the students. Lack of transportation facilities: This is one of the biggest
problems being faced by the children going to village schools. As there are no proper transport facilities
available children don’t like to travel miles to come to school. Less in number: In comparison to the
number of schools present in urban area i.e., cities or towns, there are very few schools in villages or rural
areas. Lack of basic amenities: Even the basic amenities like drinking water, clean toilets etc are also not
available in many of the schools at villages. Lack of extra-curricular activities: Apart from the course
curriculum rural schools are not able to involve children in other activities like sports, cocurricular
activities and competitions. Such events and activities tend help in the over all development of the
children. – There is no excess to supplemental education. Deficiency of funds: One of the severe hurdles
in the education system in rural India is the unavailability of funds. Some schools do not have funds even
for purchasing benches, blackboards etc. Reasons for the failure of rural education : – The teachers do not
get any support from the parents in villages on the part of curriculum. Parents in villages want that their
children should be provided with education related to agriculture so that they can help them. This thinking
act as an obstacle in bringing the children to schools. – In several schools of villages, the premise of
school is also not sufficient to accompany all the students. – Lack of illiteracy on the part of the parents
also acts as an obstacle in attracting the students in rural areas. – As teachers in rural areas get very less
salary in comparison to the teachers teaching in schools located in towns or cities, they do not give their
100%. – Students in the rural areas are also not interested in education because it is not appealing as any
computers, laptops, internet facility made available for them. Suggestions for improving rural education
in India: Some of the suggestions that can be adopted for improving the education system in rural: – The
curriculum of rural education can be updated and should accompany education related to farming,
gardening etc. – To attract more number of students and creating enthusiasm in them for learning, visual
aids like projectors, television etc. can be used to show some educational movies. – To motivate the
teachers they should be made to feel proud that by teaching in the rural or remote area they are acting as a
helping hand in the development of economy. – Some special sessions or classes can be conducted for the
parents to make them realize the significance of education for their children. – To appreciate the efforts of
students, some type of scholarships either in the form of gifts or books can be given to them who perform
well in the class. Initiatives taken by the Government: For promoting the importance of education in
India, Ministry of Law and Justice had introduced ‘The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Act, 2009’. It is an Act introduced to provide free and compulsory education to all children
between the ages of six to fourteen years. Several central and state level initiatives have been in operation
fromthe early 1980s.The main objectives of all these initiatives include increasing girls enrolment,
improving educational outcomes, strengthening community involvement, improving teaching and
learning materials, and providing in-service teacher training in villages. Some of these initiatives are: Lok
Jumbish Project: The Lok Jumbish (LJ) project has 75 blocks covering approximately 12 million of
population. LJ works hand in hand with government agencies, teachers, NGOs, elected representatives
and the people in an interactive group effort to promote universalization of primary education. It works on
seven guiding principles. These are: – A process rather than a product approach. – Partnerships. –
Decentralized functioning. RURAL EDUCATION IN INDIA 115-119 118 H I N D A R T S A C AD E
M Y Adv. Res. J. Soc. Sci., 4 (1); June, 2013 : – Participatory learning. – Integration with the
mainstream education system. – Flexibility of management. – Creating multiple levels of leadership
committed to quality and mission mode. Shiksha Karmi Project: The Shiksha Karmi Project (SKP) is
being implemented since 1987, with assistance from the Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency (SIDA). It aims universalisation and qualitative improvement of primary education in the
backward and remote villages of Rajasthan, with special focus on girls. SKP has set up the Village
Education Committees (VECs) in 2000 villages to promote community involvement in primary education
and encourage village level planning. SKP also runs non-formal classes known as Prehar Pathshalas
schools of convenient timings. For girl’s education, Angan Pathshalas are being run in three blocks. The
programme at present covers over 150,000 students in 1,785 schools and 3,250 Prehar Pathshalas ,
involving over 4,271 Shiksha Karmis. Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA): The main goal of this program is that
all children of 6-11 years of age should complete primary education by the year 2007 and all children of
6-14 years of age should complete eight years of schooling by 2010. This plan covers the whole country
with special emphasis on girl education and education of Schedule Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST)
children and children with special needs. The SSA centers are mainly opened in those areas, which do not
have any school or where schools are very far off. Special girl oriented programs include: Girl education
at elementary level, National Program for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) , Kasturba
Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Mahila Samakhya Scheme District primary education program: This
programme was launched in 1994 with the objective of universalization of primary education. Its main
features are Universal Access, Universal Retention and Universal Achievement. It aims that the primary
education should be accessible to each and every child of school going age, once a child is enrolled in
school he/ she should be retained there. The final step is achievement of the goal of education. The main
components of this programme are: – Construction of classrooms and new schools – Opening of non-
formal schooling centers – Setting up early childhood education centers. – Appointment of teachers. –
Providing education to disabled children. The programme has been successful to the large extent as
1,60,000 schools and 84,000 alternative schools have been opened under this program. And work is going
on for the construction of new buildings of 52,758 schools. 4,20,203 disabled students have been
successfully enrolled into the schools. National programme of nutritional support to primary education
(school meal programme): This programme was launched on 15th August 1995 with a view to increase
enrolment, retention and attendance in primary schools by augmenting nutritional meal to children. Under
this scheme children attending the school are given free cooked meal of 100gms every day and positive
results have gained with this scheme. By 1997-98 this scheme has covered around 110million children of
primary school. It is implemented for the students of classes’ I-V. Operation blackboard: This scheme
was launched in 1987 with a motto of improving the school environment. For the sake of retaining and
enhancing the learning skills of children this has been started. This scheme has brought a remarkable
improvement in primary education. Nearly 5,23,000 primary schools have been covered in the beginning.
Conclusion: The development of any country depends fully on the education of its people. Basic
education is viewed worldwide as human right. For this reason ‘The Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act, 2009 came into picture. All educational innovations require strong
community support and participation. ‘People’s acceptance and participation’ can be used as an indicator
for measuring the progress of the various programmes. Therefore to spread awareness among the rural
people about the need and significance of education more efforts have to be taken by the government,
educated youth of urban towns and cities, teachers, young scholars etc.
CHAPTER 3

DETAILS OF THE AREA OF STUDY

Bagdogra has been rightly called the land of tea due to the huge number of tea garden. India where
mainly the export and import of goods take place.The total area of bagdogra is 10 square
kilometre(10km^2).The vast stretch of forest cover ,undulating green slopes and numerous tea
gardens,river beds and their surrounding natural beauty and the soothing climatic conditions arevsome of
the important features of Bagdogra which makes it very special .Bagdogra comes under the Darjeeling
district and consists of 2 Gram Panchayats.The one airport,Bagdogra Airport ,is located in Bagdogra
about 16km west of the city of Siliguri in the Darjeeling district in northern West Bengal ,India.It is
operated as a civil civil enclave at Air Force Station Bagdogra.It is the gateway airport to the hill station
towns of Darjeeling,Kurseong,Mirik,and the state of Sikkim,and sees thousands of tourists annually.

In Bagdogra there are two governmental bodies ,the Upper Bagdogra Gram Panchayat and the Lower
Bagdogra Gram Panchayat.

Bagdogra is a settlement in the Naxalbari CD block in the Siliguri subdivision of the Darjeeling district, in the
Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the Greater Siliguri Metropolitan Area. The Bagdogra is well connected
by air to six major cities of India – Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai through
the Bagdogra Airport. The Bagdogra railway station is also well connected.[3]
Education in Rural Areas
Dr. Radhika Kapur
Abstract
The system of education in rural areas has
been undergoing many changes and
transformations. In the present existence,
there have been developments and
progressions
taking place in the system of education in
rural areas. But still much improvements
need to be
made and it is not at par with the urban
system of education. With developments
taking place
in the system of education in rural areas, the
rural communities are able to recognize the
significance of education and sustain their
livelihoods better. There have been develop
of
opportunities for adults as well to enhance
their educational skills and abilities. The
main
areas that have been taken into account in
this research paper are, objectives of rural
education, scenario of rural India’s
education sector, differentiation between
urban and the
rural system of education, measures to make
improvements in rural education,
fundamental
principles of the high quality rural education
program, and measures formulated by the
government.
Keywords: Education, Fundamentals,
Improvements, Rural Areas, Teaching-
learning
Processes
The role of education in assisting social and
economic progress is well accepted.
Access to education is critical to access
emerging opportunities that supplement
economic
growth. Taking into consideration this
accepted fact, there has been the main thrust
on
education, since the country achieved its
independence. But as far as guaranteeing
quality
education in rural India is concerned, it has
been one of the major challenges for the
government. India viewed education as the
best way of promoting social change. Soon
after
gaining independence in 1947, making
education available to all has become a
priority for the
government. The education sector has
received considerable attention in the budget
for 2011-
2012, which has broadcasted a significant
increase of 24 percent in the total allocation
for the
education sector. The operational reforms
have been reviewed to implement the right
of
children to free and compulsory education,
which has come into effect from 1 April
2010
(Rural Education, 2011).
There are few factors that are influencing
the progress of the educational system in
rural areas. These are, increase in the
demand for the first rate pre-primary
education for the
children and families in rural areas. They are
aware of the situation in the developing part
of
the country and this is the main reason that
they have recognized the significance of
education and express willingness in
educating their children. There is a need for
the system
of education in rural areas to match with the
system of education in urban areas. There
have
been establishment of schools and training
centres in rural areas, which have led to
improvements in the living standards of the
individuals. These standards have enabled
the
rural communities to be at par with the
urban communities. Allocations to achieve
the
objectives of the Right to Education, which
has been aligned with the Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan,
increased from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 21,000
crore. It targeted at strengthening elementary
education. The centre is now focusing on
vocationalisation of secondary education,
which
will enable students to pursue job-oriented
courses at the plus two level (Rural
Education,
2011).
Objectives of Rural Education
The objectives of rural education have been
stated as follows: (Sreekanthachari, &
Nagaraja, 2013).
1. To Provide Free Standard Education to
the Children belong to rural communities.
2. The children should be supported for
higher education.
3. Guiding and supporting research scholars
in educational development.
4. Implementation of new teaching
methodologies and the system of
assessment.
5. Promoting a stress free and an amiable
atmosphere in all schools.
Scenario of Rural India’s Education
Sector
In the present existence, the main aspects
that highlight the scenario of India’s
education sector have been specified in the
following points: 96.5% of children within
the
age group of six to 14 age group in rural
India are enrolled in schools; 71.1% of these
children are enrolled in government schools,
24.3% are enrolled in private schools; girls
within the age group of 11 to 14, who are
still out of school have dropped from 6.8%
in 2009
to 5.9% in 2010; in the states of Rajasthan, it
is 12.1% and Uttar Pradesh, it is 9.7%. The
enrolment in private schools in rural India
increased from 21.8% in 2009 to 24.3% in
2010.
There was an increase in the percentage of
five year olds enrolled in schools from
54.6% in
2009 to 62.8% in 2010. The largest increase
was visible in Karnataka, where the
proportion
of five year olds enrolled in school increased
from 17.1% in 2009 to 67.6% in 2010 (Rural
Education, 2011).
The changes in the reading levels of students
were not much recognized. Only 53.4%
children in class V can read a class II level
text. This suggests that even after five years
in
school, close to half of the students are not
even at the level, expected of them after two
years
in school. On average, there has been a
decrease in their numerical abilities. The
proportion
of class I students, who could recognize
numbers from one to nine, decreased from
69.3% in
2009 to 65.8% in 2010. Similarly, the
proportion of students in class III, who could
solve two
digit subtraction problems decreased from
39% to 36.5% in the same period. Students
in class
V, who could perform simple division
problems also dropped from 38% in 2009 to
35.9% in
2010. Improvements are required to be made
in infrastructure and also there is a need to
establish more classrooms (Rural Education,
2011).
Differentiation between Urban and the
Rural System of Education
The differences in the urban and rural
system of education have been stated with
regards to the following aspects:
(Sreekanthachari, & Nagaraja, 2013).
Number of Schools – In urban areas, there
are large number of schools, colleges,
universities and other training centres. On
the other hand, in rural areas, there are lesser
number of schools. Higher educational
institutions are not available in rural areas
and
individuals, belonging to rural communities
are required to migrate to urban areas in
order to
pursue higher education. In the present
existence, there have been establishment of
training
centres in rural areas, which aim to enhance
the skills and knowledge of the individuals,
in
terms of various subjects, such as,
technology, agriculture, farming practices,
handicrafts,
child development, health care and so forth.
Transportation Facilities – In urban areas,
adequate transportation facilities are
available to the students. The schools make
provision of bus services to the students and
they
are picked up and dropped after the school
hours at the bus stops, located closer to their
homes. With the provision of the
transportation facilities, they find it easier to
commute to
schools. In rural areas, the students are
required to either walk to schools or make
use of their
own personal transportation. In most cases,
where schools are located at a distance,
where it
is not possible to walk, then bicycles are
made use of.
Provision of Civic Amenities and Facilities
– In urban schools, there are provision of
civic amenities and facilities, which are
important in facilitating education. These are
availability of restrooms, clean drinking
water, classrooms, infrastructure, furniture,
machinery, equipment, and technology.
These aspects have rendered a significant
contribution in making provision of
education. On the other hand, in rural
schools, these
facilities and civic amenities are not
available. This is imposing unfavourable
effects upon the
acquisition of education. There have been
formulation of laws and policies by the
Government and measures are being
implemented to make provision of
restrooms, mid-day
meals, technology, infrastructure,
machinery, equipment and proper
classrooms in the schools
in rural areas.
Level of Education – The level of education
in urban schools is at an advanced stage.
Apart from academic concepts, there are
number of tasks and activities that students
get
engaged in. These include, extra-curricular
and creative activities such as, sports,
physical
activities, dance, music, singing, artworks,
handicrafts and so forth. In addition, there
are
organization of picnics, competitions and
events, which provide opportunities to the
students
to enhance their knowledge and depict their
skills. On the other hand, in rural schools,
the
level of education is basic and the provision
of extra-curricular activities is not in a much
developed state.
Computer Education – In the present
existence, technology has gained
prominence.
The use of computers has facilitated the
acquisition of education to a major extent. In
urban
areas, schools are providing computer
education to the students and also making
use of
technology in the implementation of tasks
and functions. Students make use of the
internet to
a major extent to acquire knowledge in
terms of various areas and also when they
are
required to prepare their assignments and
projects. In rural schools, there are few
schools that
provide computer education to the students.
Whereas in most cases, schools do not
provide
computer education.
Organization of Group Classes – In urban
schools, there are organization of group
classes. Through these classes, students
interact with each other, share ideas and
perspectives
and are able to enhance their knowledge. In
other words, group discussions are
encouraged.
In some cases, they even work on projects
and assignments jointly. Group classes
enables the
students to provide solutions to problems
and difficulties. On the other hand, in
schools in
rural areas, there are not any organization of
group classes. The students do interact and
discuss their matters and concerns with the
teachers and fellow students to provide
solutions
to their problems, but group classes do not
take place.
Organization of Picnics – In urban schools,
picnics are organized with the main
purpose of stimulating the mind-sets of the
students and motivating them towards
learning.
There are number of places, which are taken
into consideration when picnics are
organized,
these include, religious places, historical
places, museums, parks, and so forth.
Students
normally enjoy and take pleasure in picnics.
On the other hand, in rural schools, there are
not
any organization of picnics. The students are
mostly provided knowledge within the
classroom environment. In other words,
classroom teaching is encouraged. In some
cases,
students are motivated towards studies,
whereas in others, they lose interest and
even drop
out of schools.
Use of Technology – In urban schools,
teachers make use of technology such as,
lap-
tops, computers and printers with the main
purpose of providing notes and other
learning
materials to the students. The use of
technology has not only facilitated learning
among
students, but teachers have also been able to
make the teaching processes manageable
through the utilization of technology. One of
the major benefits of technology is, it
provides
extensive knowledge and information in
terms of various areas. Whereas, in rural
schools, the
teachers do not make use of technology and
explain the lesson plans to the students by
reading from the textbooks.
Infrastructure – The provision of
infrastructure in urban schools is in a well-
developed state as compared to schools in
rural areas. Within the classrooms, there are
proper
seating arrangements, desks, technology and
other heating and cooling equipment, which
is
utilised in accordance to the weather
conditions. Whereas, in schools in rural
areas, the
students are made to sit on the floor and
there are not provision of proper
infrastructure or
furniture or equipment. To facilitate the
acquisition of education, it is necessary to
make
provision of proper infrastructure in schools.
Lack of infrastructure may impede the
learning
abilities of the students.
Teachers – The teachers recruited in urban
schools are well-qualified and experienced.
They are recruited by the school authorities,
taking into consideration certain aspects.
They
are well aware of the performance of their
job duties and render an effectual
contribution in
leading to growth and development of the
students. On the other hand, in schools in
rural
areas, the teachers usually lack the skills and
abilities, they are unaware in terms of the
performance of their job duties and do not
have much concern regarding effective
growth and
development of the students. On the whole,
teachers in rural schools are not much
satisfied
with their jobs.
Measures to make Improvements in
Rural Education
The measures to bring about improvements
in rural education have been stated as
follows:
Availability of Infrastructure and Facilities –
To promote education among the
students in rural schools in a well-organized
manner, there is a need to make provision of
adequate infrastructure and facilities. These
mainly include, furniture, proper seating
arrangements, black-boards, chalks, heating
and cooling equipment, clean drinking
water,
restrooms, and the overall construction of
classrooms and school buildings should
have
enough room to accommodate the students.
When all these facilities would be
adequately
available, then the students would be able to
concentrate well upon their studies. The
overall
classroom and school environmental
conditions would get improved due to
availability of
infrastructure and facilities.
Provision of Transportation Facilities – In
rural areas, schools are mostly located at a
distance and students are required to walk
miles. Walking mostly is tedious for the
students,
hence, due to this, they lack interest in
studies and do not take pleasure in coming
to school.
Therefore, when schools make provision of
transportation facilities to the students, then
they
would be able to manage their coming and
returning from schools. It is essential to
bring
about improvements in roads in rural areas
and transportation facilities to the students,
so that
they are able to manage their transferring to
schools and back home in an appropriate
manner.
ICT-based Education for Students –
Information and Communication
Technology
based education for students within rural
areas would assist in the acquisition of
education to
a major extent. The students are provided
with computer skills, such as word, Power
Points,
Excel, Access, C++, and other software
packages. In the initial stage, students find it
hard and
feel apprehensive, but within the course of
time, they are able to develop efficiency.
Generation of efficiency in ICT-based
education requires practice. It has also
become one of
the sources for playing games for the
students (Roy, 2012). Therefore, ICT-based
education
has become indispensable for not only
improving their skills and abilities, but also
in making
provision of recreational activities. In
nursery schools, students are shown movies
and plays
on computers.
Recruitment of Teachers – The recruitment
of teachers in rural schools should be
done, taking into consideration certain
factors, these include, educational
qualifications,
experience, skills, attitudes and overall
personality traits. Teachers are the ones,
who render
an indispensable contribution in leading to
effective growth and development of the
students.
They make use of effective teaching and
learning methods, so that they are able to
impart the
necessary knowledge to the students and
generate awareness among them. The other
areas
that not only facilitate recruitment but also
retention of teachers are, the school and the
classroom environment should be created in
such a manner that teachers should feel
satisfied
with their jobs; they need to form effectual
terms and relationships with their colleagues
and
other members of the educational
institutions; they need to possess proper
knowledge and
skills in terms of their job duties and need to
feel satisfied with the pay and incentives.
Dealing with Students – It is essential for the
teachers to communicate with the
students in a polite and courteous manner.
They should acquire proper understanding
of their
needs and requirements and implement the
teaching-learning processes and the
instructional
strategies accordingly. Research has
indicated that when students do not acquire
efficient
understanding of the concepts, when they do
not complete their home-work or class
assignments, do not perform well in exams
or play mischief in class, then the teachers
punish
them severely. As a result, the students
develop apprehensiveness and may even
drop out of
school. Therefore, the teachers need to be
kind and courteous towards the students and
help
them in the achievement of their academic
goals.
Teaching-Learning Processes – The
principals, and the teachers need to work in
collaboration and integration with each other
and make sure that the teaching-learning
processes should be well-organized and
adequately implemented. The teaching and
the
learning processes that are mostly used in
rural schools are, the teachers provide
explanations
of the lesson plans through textbooks. They
read the lesson plans and provide
explanations to
the students, either verbally or in writing on
the black-board. The students are required to
bring notebooks and pencils and they take
down notes, while the teacher is teaching. It
is vital
on the part of the students to understand the
concepts, so they are able to score good
grades in
tests and exams.
Promoting Team-work – Working in teams
or groups have proven to be beneficial to
the students at all levels of education. This is
particularly useful, when students are
working
on difficult assignments or are
understanding complicated concepts, such as
ICT or
mathematics. In rural schools, the teachers
need to give assignments and projects to the
students, so that they are able to work in
teams. Team-work enables one to form
friendly and
effective communication terms. The
students are able to bring about solutions to
their
academic problems and difficulties, they
understand each other’s viewpoints and
perspectives
and are able to improve their academic
performance.
Promoting Extra-curricular Activities –
Extra-curricular activities are important in
schools. They stimulate the students and
arouse interest and enthusiasm among them
towards
learning. In some cases, when students do
not perform well academically, they excel
their
skills and abilities in extra-curricular
activities. For instance, there are individuals,
who depict
interest in various sports activities, such as,
tennis, badminton, wrestling, boxing,
swimming
etc. Other individuals enhance their skills
and abilities in dancing, singing and playing
of
musical instruments. Other extra-curricular
activities include, artworks and handicrafts.
Within rural communities, individuals in
some cases, produce handicrafts and
artworks in
order to meet their livelihoods requirements.
It is essential to promote these activities in
schools in order to enrich the education
system.
Social and Economic Change – The use of
ICT should be implemented in such a
manner that it should promote social and
economic change. The social and economic
change
should be brought about within the rural
society as well as the rural system of
education. The
ICT focuses upon the use of computer
technology. The major changes that can
influence the
overall system of education is, students
should be taught how to make use of
technology
within the learning methods. They should be
taught how to prepare assignments and
projects
using technology, instead to making use of
notebooks, paper and pens. The ICT-based
e-
learning system contributes a vital role in
improving the online education in bringing
about
social and economic change within the rural
society (Roy, 2012).
Teaching-Learning Materials – Having
good-quality teaching-learning materials is
one of the aspects that is of utmost
importance in facilitating education. These
need to be in
accordance to the requirements of the
students. In some cases, the students,
enrolled in class
V are unable to read class II textbooks,
which means the teaching-learning materials
as well
as the processes have not been developed in
an efficient manner. Therefore, teachers
need to
provide practice exercises and worksheets to
the students, so that they are able to acquire
appropriate understanding. In addition to
textbooks, the teachers need to make use of
hand-
outs, worksheets, notes and other materials,
and also they should conduct a test at the
end of
each lesson plan.
Fundamental Principles of the High
Quality Rural Education
Program
The fundamental principles of the high
quality rural education program have been
stated as follows:
Equal Opportunities to All – All the students
within rural communities should be
considered capable of acquiring education.
Within schools, equal opportunities should
be
available to all and there should not be any
discrimination on the basis of caste, creed,
race,
religion, gender, ethnicity, occupation or
socio-economic background. Within
schools, when
there are organization of events or
competitions or other activities, then
everyone should be
given chances and opportunities to enhance
their skills and abilities and work towards
the
achievement of academic goals. Apart from
the availability of equal opportunities, it is
necessary to provide students with sufficient
educational resources (Malhoit, 2005).
Grievance Redresser Procedures – In
schools, students experience number of
problems and challenges. It is necessary to
formulate the grievance redresser
procedures, so
that they are able to adequately address their
problems and seek solutions. The principals
and
the teachers are the ones, who listen to
grievances of students. The various
problems may
arise regarding academics, teaching-learning
methods, school and classroom
environmental
conditions, fellow students, or experiencing
of harsh treatment on the part of the teachers
and
so forth. In rural schools, girls are the ones,
who have experienced severe problems,
even
sexual harassment in schools. Therefore, it is
essential to implement these procedures, so
that
students may feel at ease in attending
schools and facilitating the acquisition of
education.
Educational Adequacy – The system of
education is required to be put into practice
in
schools on the basis of certain goals and
objectives. The teachers have the main
objective of
performing their job duties well and leading
to effective growth and development of the
students. On the other hand, students have
the main objective of enhancing their
educational
skills and abilities. Therefore, educational
adequacy should not be defined on the basis
of
minimum education, but it should be
focused upon the students in meeting their
goals and
objectives in a suitable manner. The teachers
and the students, both are required to work
in
integration with the purpose of promoting
educational adequacy.
Morality and Ethics – Within schools, the
aspects that are of utmost significance are
implementation of morality and ethics. The
members of the school, principals, teachers,
staff
members and students are required to be
polite, honest and truthful, particularly,
when they
are working with each other. When the
individuals acquire efficient knowledge of
morality
and ethics, then they are able to not only
achieve the goals and objectives of the
schools, but
also would be able to develop into virtuous
and principled human beings. It is the job of
the
teachers to ensure that students learn these
traits, besides academic concepts, so that
when
they graduate from school, they should be
able to turn into responsible members and
promote
the well-being of their families and the
community.
Development of Leadership Skills – The
principals and the teachers are required to
develop leadership skills within them. The
leaders have number of job duties to
perform.
They need to be aware of various factors
that are required to enhance the well-being
of other
members, particularly the students. The
leadership skills possessed by the principals
are
focused upon making effectual decisions,
which would be beneficial to all, guide and
direct
others appropriately, carry out the
administrative functions in an effective
manner and depict
generosity and sincerity in their attitude. On
the other hand, the leadership skills
primarily
possessed by the teachers focus upon
guiding the students, leading them in the
right direction,
ensuring that they learn academic concepts
and perform well in tests or competitions
that are
organized.
Implementation of Managerial Functions –
Within the schools, the managerial
functions of planning, organizing, directing,
staffing, controlling and leading should take
place in an appropriate manner. The
principals and the teachers are required to
work in co-
ordination and integration with each other.
The major focus of the managerial functions
is
upon the achievement of goals and
objectives. In order to implement these
functions in a
well-organized manner, it is vital to ensure
that the individuals possess the required
educational qualifications, skills and
abilities. The individuals, who are the
directors and
managers within schools should obtain ideas
and suggestions from others, particularly
when
important decisions are to be made.
Implementing Sound Decision-making – In
schools, decisions are regarded as an
integral part of administration of schools.
There are two types of decisions, major
decisions
and minor decisions. Major decisions are
regarded as the decisions that are made for
long
term time period. When these decisions are
made, then the directors or the principals are
required to obtain ideas and suggestions
from others. Normally meetings are
organized to
discuss major decision matters. On the other
hand, minor decisions are usually made by
the
school heads and they may or may not
consult others. They need to implement
sound
decisions, which may be beneficial to all the
members of the school, particularly the
students.
Provision of Support Services – The
students need to be provided with suitable
support services. These are the services,
which not only facilitate the acquisition of
education,
but also enable them to feel comfortable
within the school environmental conditions.
The
primary objective of every student is to
ensure that they are able to acquire proper
education
and improve their scores. Therefore, one of
the most important support services is
making
provision of extra classes to the students.
Other support services include, availability
of
technology, innovative methods, strategies,
approaches and other methods, which would
enrich the skills and abilities of the students.
Financial Resources – The schools are
required to plan their finances in accordance
to
the needs and requirements. When the
schools have financial resources, then they
plan
bringing about innovative techniques and
methods. On the other hand, when the
budget is
limited, then they have to ensure which
areas require improvements and then
finances are
spend accordingly. Within schools, bringing
about improvements in infrastructure, civic
amenities, facilities, libraries, computer
centres, classroom environment, school
environment,
bringing in new equipment, machines,
technology, books, articles, documents and
other
materials, all require financial resources.
The schools make provision of financial
assistance
and scholarships to the students on the basis
of their merit and the availability of
financial
resources.
School Governance - The governance of the
school has to be carried out in an
efficacious manner. The principals,
administrative staff members and teachers
are required to
work in co-ordination and integration with
each other. It is vital to formulate norms,
measures, and policies and individuals
should follow them adequately. In school
governance,
educational planning is also considered as an
important aspect, the individuals need to
seek a
more general understanding of educational
planning and ensure how it can be
productive
towards the overall national development
(Griffiths, 1968). Within schools, the main
policies
are, availability of equal opportunities to all,
anti-discrimination policies, providing
effective
resolution to occurrence of conflicts and
disputes, treating everyone with respect and
courtesy, policies against sexual harassment
and criminal and violent acts and leading to
effective progress of the students. Apart
from understanding the policies, the
members are
required to implement them in an
appropriate manner.
Measures Formulated by the
Government
The measures formulated by the
Government have been stated as follows:
(Sreekanthachari, & Nagaraja, 2013).
Lok Jumbish Project
The Lok Jumbish (LJ) project has 75 blocks
covering approximately 12 million of the
population. The functioning of this project is
carried out simultaneously with government
agencies, teachers, NGOs, elected
representatives and the individuals in an
interactive group.
There have been implementation of efforts
with the main purpose of promoting the
universalization of primary education. It
works on seven guiding principles. These
are: a
process rather than a product approach,
partnerships, decentralized functioning,
participatory
learning, integration with the mainstream
education system, flexibility of
management, and
creating multiple levels of leadership,
committed to the quality and mission mode.
Shiksha Karmi Project
The Shiksha Karmi Project (SKP) is being
implemented since 1987, with assistance
from the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
The main
objective of this project is universalisation
and qualitative improvement of primary
education
in the backward and remote villages of
Rajasthan, with special focus on girls. SKP
has set up
the Village Education Committees (VECs)
in 2000 villages to promote community
involvement in primary education and
encourage village level planning. SKP also
runs non-
formal classes, known as Prehar Pathshalas
schools, having suitable timings. To
promote
education among the girls, Angan Pathshalas
are being operated in three blocks. The
program
at present covers over 150,000 students in
1,785 schools and 3,250 Prehar Pathshalas,
involving over 4,271 Shiksha Karmis.
Operation Blackboard
This scheme was initiated in 1987, with the
main objective of bringing about
improvements within the school
environmental conditions. For the purpose
of retaining the
students and improving their skills, this
scheme was initiated. A remarkable progress
has been
observed in primary education through this
scheme. Approximately 5,23,000 schools
have
been covered since the beginning.
Conclusion
The system of education in rural areas is in a
developing state. In rural areas, the
problems that are found in the system of
education are regarding number of schools,
transportation facilities, provision of civic
amenities and facilities, level of education,
computer education, organization of group
classes, organization of picnics, use of
technology,
infrastructure, and teachers. The measures
that are needed to get implemented to make
improvements include, availability of
infrastructure and facilities, provision of
transportation
facilities, ICT-based education for students,
recruitment of teachers, dealing with
students,
teaching-learning processes, promoting
team-work, promoting extra-curricular
activities,
social and economic change and teaching-
learning materials. The fundamental
principles of
the high quality rural education program are,
equal opportunities to all, grievance
redresser
procedures, educational adequacy, morality
and ethics, development of leadership skills,
implementation of managerial functions,
implementing sound decision making,
provision of
support services, financial resources and
school governance.
There have been initiation of programs by
the government that aim at bringing about
improvements in the system of education in
rural areas. These are, LJ, SKP and
operation
blackboard. There are differences within the
system of education in urban and rural areas.
In
urban areas, in schools, there is provision of
all facilities and amenities that would
contribute
in the enhancement of the system of
education. In rural schools, the important
aspects that
need to be taken into consideration in order
to enrich the system of education are,
development of teaching-learning methods
and instructional strategies, initiation of
infrastructure, technology, equipment,
libraries and other materials that would be
supportive
to learning, the school authorities should
possess adequate knowledge regarding the
implementation of managerial functions and
there should be provision of equal
opportunities
to all the students, irrespective of categories
and backgrounds. Within rural communities,
the
system of education should be improved in
such a manner that students should feel
motivate
Education in Rural Areas
Dr. Radhika Kapur
Abstract
The system of education in rural areas has
been undergoing many changes and
transformations. In the present existence,
there have been developments and
progressions
taking place in the system of education in
rural areas. But still much improvements
need to be
made and it is not at par with the urban
system of education. With developments
taking place
in the system of education in rural areas, the
rural communities are able to recognize the
significance of education and sustain their
livelihoods better. There have been develop
of
opportunities for adults as well to enhance
their educational skills and abilities. The
main
areas that have been taken into account in
this research paper are, objectives of rural
education, scenario of rural India’s
education sector, differentiation between
urban and the
rural system of education, measures to make
improvements in rural education,
fundamental
principles of the high quality rural education
program, and measures formulated by the
government.
Keywords: Education, Fundamentals,
Improvements, Rural Areas, Teaching-
learning
Processes
The role of education in assisting social and
economic progress is well accepted.
Access to education is critical to access
emerging opportunities that supplement
economic
growth. Taking into consideration this
accepted fact, there has been the main thrust
on
education, since the country achieved its
independence. But as far as guaranteeing
quality
education in rural India is concerned, it has
been one of the major challenges for the
government. India viewed education as the
best way of promoting social change. Soon
after
gaining independence in 1947, making
education available to all has become a
priority for the
government. The education sector has
received considerable attention in the budget
for 2011-
2012, which has broadcasted a significant
increase of 24 percent in the total allocation
for the
education sector. The operational reforms
have been reviewed to implement the right
of
children to free and compulsory education,
which has come into effect from 1 April
2010
(Rural Education, 2011).
There are few factors that are influencing
the progress of the educational system in
rural areas. These are, increase in the
demand for the first rate pre-primary
education for the
children and families in rural areas. They are
aware of the situation in the developing part
of
the country and this is the main reason that
they have recognized the significance of
education and express willingness in
educating their children. There is a need for
the system
of education in rural areas to match with the
system of education in urban areas. There
have
been establishment of schools and training
centres in rural areas, which have led to
improvements in the living standards of the
individuals. These standards have enabled
the
rural communities to be at par with the
urban communities. Allocations to achieve
the
objectives of the Right to Education, which
has been aligned with the Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan,
increased from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 21,000
crore. It targeted at strengthening elementary
education. The centre is now focusing on
vocationalisation of secondary education,
which
will enable students to pursue job-oriented
courses at the plus two level (Rural
Education,
2011).
Objectives of Rural Education
The objectives of rural education have been
stated as follows: (Sreekanthachari, &
Nagaraja, 2013).
1. To Provide Free Standard Education to
the Children belong to rural communities.
2. The children should be supported for
higher education.
3. Guiding and supporting research scholars
in educational development.
4. Implementation of new teaching
methodologies and the system of
assessment.
5. Promoting a stress free and an amiable
atmosphere in all schools.
Scenario of Rural India’s Education
Sector
In the present existence, the main aspects
that highlight the scenario of India’s
education sector have been specified in the
following points: 96.5% of children within
the
age group of six to 14 age group in rural
India are enrolled in schools; 71.1% of these
children are enrolled in government schools,
24.3% are enrolled in private schools; girls
within the age group of 11 to 14, who are
still out of school have dropped from 6.8%
in 2009
to 5.9% in 2010; in the states of Rajasthan, it
is 12.1% and Uttar Pradesh, it is 9.7%. The
enrolment in private schools in rural India
increased from 21.8% in 2009 to 24.3% in
2010.
There was an increase in the percentage of
five year olds enrolled in schools from
54.6% in
2009 to 62.8% in 2010. The largest increase
was visible in Karnataka, where the
proportion
of five year olds enrolled in school increased
from 17.1% in 2009 to 67.6% in 2010 (Rural
Education, 2011).
The changes in the reading levels of students
were not much recognized. Only 53.4%
children in class V can read a class II level
text. This suggests that even after five years
in
school, close to half of the students are not
even at the level, expected of them after two
years
in school. On average, there has been a
decrease in their numerical abilities. The
proportion
of class I students, who could recognize
numbers from one to nine, decreased from
69.3% in
2009 to 65.8% in 2010. Similarly, the
proportion of students in class III, who could
solve two
digit subtraction problems decreased from
39% to 36.5% in the same period. Students
in class
V, who could perform simple division
problems also dropped from 38% in 2009 to
35.9% in
2010. Improvements are required to be made
in infrastructure and also there is a need to
establish more classrooms (Rural Education,
2011).
Differentiation between Urban and the
Rural System of Education
The differences in the urban and rural
system of education have been stated with
regards to the following aspects:
(Sreekanthachari, & Nagaraja, 2013).
Number of Schools – In urban areas, there
are large number of schools, colleges,
universities and other training centres. On
the other hand, in rural areas, there are lesser
number of schools. Higher educational
institutions are not available in rural areas
and
individuals, belonging to rural communities
are required to migrate to urban areas in
order to
pursue higher education. In the present
existence, there have been establishment of
training
centres in rural areas, which aim to enhance
the skills and knowledge of the individuals,
in
terms of various subjects, such as,
technology, agriculture, farming practices,
handicrafts,
child development, health care and so forth.
Transportation Facilities – In urban areas,
adequate transportation facilities are
available to the students. The schools make
provision of bus services to the students and
they
are picked up and dropped after the school
hours at the bus stops, located closer to their
homes. With the provision of the
transportation facilities, they find it easier to
commute to
schools. In rural areas, the students are
required to either walk to schools or make
use of their
own personal transportation. In most cases,
where schools are located at a distance,
where it
is not possible to walk, then bicycles are
made use of.
Provision of Civic Amenities and Facilities
– In urban schools, there are provision of
civic amenities and facilities, which are
important in facilitating education. These are
availability of restrooms, clean drinking
water, classrooms, infrastructure, furniture,
machinery, equipment, and technology.
These aspects have rendered a significant
contribution in making provision of
education. On the other hand, in rural
schools, these
facilities and civic amenities are not
available. This is imposing unfavourable
effects upon the
acquisition of education. There have been
formulation of laws and policies by the
Government and measures are being
implemented to make provision of
restrooms, mid-day
meals, technology, infrastructure,
machinery, equipment and proper
classrooms in the schools
in rural areas.
Level of Education – The level of education
in urban schools is at an advanced stage.
Apart from academic concepts, there are
number of tasks and activities that students
get
engaged in. These include, extra-curricular
and creative activities such as, sports,
physical
activities, dance, music, singing, artworks,
handicrafts and so forth. In addition, there
are
organization of picnics, competitions and
events, which provide opportunities to the
students
to enhance their knowledge and depict their
skills. On the other hand, in rural schools,
the
level of education is basic and the provision
of extra-curricular activities is not in a much
developed state.
Computer Education – In the present
existence, technology has gained
prominence.
The use of computers has facilitated the
acquisition of education to a major extent. In
urban
areas, schools are providing computer
education to the students and also making
use of
technology in the implementation of tasks
and functions. Students make use of the
internet to
a major extent to acquire knowledge in
terms of various areas and also when they
are
required to prepare their assignments and
projects. In rural schools, there are few
schools that
provide computer education to the students.
Whereas in most cases, schools do not
provide
computer education.
Organization of Group Classes – In urban
schools, there are organization of group
classes. Through these classes, students
interact with each other, share ideas and
perspectives
and are able to enhance their knowledge. In
other words, group discussions are
encouraged.
In some cases, they even work on projects
and assignments jointly. Group classes
enables the
students to provide solutions to problems
and difficulties. On the other hand, in
schools in
rural areas, there are not any organization of
group classes. The students do interact and
discuss their matters and concerns with the
teachers and fellow students to provide
solutions
to their problems, but group classes do not
take place.
Organization of Picnics – In urban schools,
picnics are organized with the main
purpose of stimulating the mind-sets of the
students and motivating them towards
learning.
There are number of places, which are taken
into consideration when picnics are
organized,
these include, religious places, historical
places, museums, parks, and so forth.
Students
normally enjoy and take pleasure in picnics.
On the other hand, in rural schools, there are
not
any organization of picnics. The students are
mostly provided knowledge within the
classroom environment. In other words,
classroom teaching is encouraged. In some
cases,
students are motivated towards studies,
whereas in others, they lose interest and
even drop
out of schools.
Use of Technology – In urban schools,
teachers make use of technology such as,
lap-
tops, computers and printers with the main
purpose of providing notes and other
learning
materials to the students. The use of
technology has not only facilitated learning
among
students, but teachers have also been able to
make the teaching processes manageable
through the utilization of technology. One of
the major benefits of technology is, it
provides
extensive knowledge and information in
terms of various areas. Whereas, in rural
schools, the
teachers do not make use of technology and
explain the lesson plans to the students by
reading from the textbooks.
Infrastructure – The provision of
infrastructure in urban schools is in a well-
developed state as compared to schools in
rural areas. Within the classrooms, there are
proper
seating arrangements, desks, technology and
other heating and cooling equipment, which
is
utilised in accordance to the weather
conditions. Whereas, in schools in rural
areas, the
students are made to sit on the floor and
there are not provision of proper
infrastructure or
furniture or equipment. To facilitate the
acquisition of education, it is necessary to
make
provision of proper infrastructure in schools.
Lack of infrastructure may impede the
learning
abilities of the students.
Teachers – The teachers recruited in urban
schools are well-qualified and experienced.
They are recruited by the school authorities,
taking into consideration certain aspects.
They
are well aware of the performance of their
job duties and render an effectual
contribution in
leading to growth and development of the
students. On the other hand, in schools in
rural
areas, the teachers usually lack the skills and
abilities, they are unaware in terms of the
performance of their job duties and do not
have much concern regarding effective
growth and
development of the students. On the whole,
teachers in rural schools are not much
satisfied
with their jobs.
Measures to make Improvements in
Rural Education
The measures to bring about improvements
in rural education have been stated as
follows:
Availability of Infrastructure and Facilities –
To promote education among the
students in rural schools in a well-organized
manner, there is a need to make provision of
adequate infrastructure and facilities. These
mainly include, furniture, proper seating
arrangements, black-boards, chalks, heating
and cooling equipment, clean drinking
water,
restrooms, and the overall construction of
classrooms and school buildings should
have
enough room to accommodate the students.
When all these facilities would be
adequately
available, then the students would be able to
concentrate well upon their studies. The
overall
classroom and school environmental
conditions would get improved due to
availability of
infrastructure and facilities.
Provision of Transportation Facilities – In
rural areas, schools are mostly located at a
distance and students are required to walk
miles. Walking mostly is tedious for the
students,
hence, due to this, they lack interest in
studies and do not take pleasure in coming
to school.
Therefore, when schools make provision of
transportation facilities to the students, then
they
would be able to manage their coming and
returning from schools. It is essential to
bring
about improvements in roads in rural areas
and transportation facilities to the students,
so that
they are able to manage their transferring to
schools and back home in an appropriate
manner.
ICT-based Education for Students –
Information and Communication
Technology
based education for students within rural
areas would assist in the acquisition of
education to
a major extent. The students are provided
with computer skills, such as word, Power
Points,
Excel, Access, C++, and other software
packages. In the initial stage, students find it
hard and
feel apprehensive, but within the course of
time, they are able to develop efficiency.
Generation of efficiency in ICT-based
education requires practice. It has also
become one of
the sources for playing games for the
students (Roy, 2012). Therefore, ICT-based
education
has become indispensable for not only
improving their skills and abilities, but also
in making
provision of recreational activities. In
nursery schools, students are shown movies
and plays
on computers.
Recruitment of Teachers – The recruitment
of teachers in rural schools should be
done, taking into consideration certain
factors, these include, educational
qualifications,
experience, skills, attitudes and overall
personality traits. Teachers are the ones,
who render
an indispensable contribution in leading to
effective growth and development of the
students.
They make use of effective teaching and
learning methods, so that they are able to
impart the
necessary knowledge to the students and
generate awareness among them. The other
areas
that not only facilitate recruitment but also
retention of teachers are, the school and the
classroom environment should be created in
such a manner that teachers should feel
satisfied
with their jobs; they need to form effectual
terms and relationships with their colleagues
and
other members of the educational
institutions; they need to possess proper
knowledge and
skills in terms of their job duties and need to
feel satisfied with the pay and incentives.
Dealing with Students – It is essential for the
teachers to communicate with the
students in a polite and courteous manner.
They should acquire proper understanding
of their
needs and requirements and implement the
teaching-learning processes and the
instructional
strategies accordingly. Research has
indicated that when students do not acquire
efficient
understanding of the concepts, when they do
not complete their home-work or class
assignments, do not perform well in exams
or play mischief in class, then the teachers
punish
them severely. As a result, the students
develop apprehensiveness and may even
drop out of
school. Therefore, the teachers need to be
kind and courteous towards the students and
help
them in the achievement of their academic
goals.
Teaching-Learning Processes – The
principals, and the teachers need to work in
collaboration and integration with each other
and make sure that the teaching-learning
processes should be well-organized and
adequately implemented. The teaching and
the
learning processes that are mostly used in
rural schools are, the teachers provide
explanations
of the lesson plans through textbooks. They
read the lesson plans and provide
explanations to
the students, either verbally or in writing on
the black-board. The students are required to
bring notebooks and pencils and they take
down notes, while the teacher is teaching. It
is vital
on the part of the students to understand the
concepts, so they are able to score good
grades in
tests and exams.
Promoting Team-work – Working in teams
or groups have proven to be beneficial to
the students at all levels of education. This is
particularly useful, when students are
working
on difficult assignments or are
understanding complicated concepts, such as
ICT or
mathematics. In rural schools, the teachers
need to give assignments and projects to the
students, so that they are able to work in
teams. Team-work enables one to form
friendly and
effective communication terms. The
students are able to bring about solutions to
their
academic problems and difficulties, they
understand each other’s viewpoints and
perspectives
and are able to improve their academic
performance.
Promoting Extra-curricular Activities –
Extra-curricular activities are important in
schools. They stimulate the students and
arouse interest and enthusiasm among them
towards
learning. In some cases, when students do
not perform well academically, they excel
their
skills and abilities in extra-curricular
activities. For instance, there are individuals,
who depict
interest in various sports activities, such as,
tennis, badminton, wrestling, boxing,
swimming
etc. Other individuals enhance their skills
and abilities in dancing, singing and playing
of
musical instruments. Other extra-curricular
activities include, artworks and handicrafts.
Within rural communities, individuals in
some cases, produce handicrafts and
artworks in
order to meet their livelihoods requirements.
It is essential to promote these activities in
schools in order to enrich the education
system.
Social and Economic Change – The use of
ICT should be implemented in such a
manner that it should promote social and
economic change. The social and economic
change
should be brought about within the rural
society as well as the rural system of
education. The
ICT focuses upon the use of computer
technology. The major changes that can
influence the
overall system of education is, students
should be taught how to make use of
technology
within the learning methods. They should be
taught how to prepare assignments and
projects
using technology, instead to making use of
notebooks, paper and pens. The ICT-based
e-
learning system contributes a vital role in
improving the online education in bringing
about
social and economic change within the rural
society (Roy, 2012).
Teaching-Learning Materials – Having
good-quality teaching-learning materials is
one of the aspects that is of utmost
importance in facilitating education. These
need to be in
accordance to the requirements of the
students. In some cases, the students,
enrolled in class
V are unable to read class II textbooks,
which means the teaching-learning materials
as well
as the processes have not been developed in
an efficient manner. Therefore, teachers
need to
provide practice exercises and worksheets to
the students, so that they are able to acquire
appropriate understanding. In addition to
textbooks, the teachers need to make use of
hand-
outs, worksheets, notes and other materials,
and also they should conduct a test at the
end of
each lesson plan.
Fundamental Principles of the High
Quality Rural Education
Program
The fundamental principles of the high
quality rural education program have been
stated as follows:
Equal Opportunities to All – All the students
within rural communities should be
considered capable of acquiring education.
Within schools, equal opportunities should
be
available to all and there should not be any
discrimination on the basis of caste, creed,
race,
religion, gender, ethnicity, occupation or
socio-economic background. Within
schools, when
there are organization of events or
competitions or other activities, then
everyone should be
given chances and opportunities to enhance
their skills and abilities and work towards
the
achievement of academic goals. Apart from
the availability of equal opportunities, it is
necessary to provide students with sufficient
educational resources (Malhoit, 2005).
Grievance Redresser Procedures – In
schools, students experience number of
problems and challenges. It is necessary to
formulate the grievance redresser
procedures, so
that they are able to adequately address their
problems and seek solutions. The principals
and
the teachers are the ones, who listen to
grievances of students. The various
problems may
arise regarding academics, teaching-learning
methods, school and classroom
environmental
conditions, fellow students, or experiencing
of harsh treatment on the part of the teachers
and
so forth. In rural schools, girls are the ones,
who have experienced severe problems,
even
sexual harassment in schools. Therefore, it is
essential to implement these procedures, so
that
students may feel at ease in attending
schools and facilitating the acquisition of
education.
Educational Adequacy – The system of
education is required to be put into practice
in
schools on the basis of certain goals and
objectives. The teachers have the main
objective of
performing their job duties well and leading
to effective growth and development of the
students. On the other hand, students have
the main objective of enhancing their
educational
skills and abilities. Therefore, educational
adequacy should not be defined on the basis
of
minimum education, but it should be
focused upon the students in meeting their
goals and
objectives in a suitable manner. The teachers
and the students, both are required to work
in
integration with the purpose of promoting
educational adequacy.
Morality and Ethics – Within schools, the
aspects that are of utmost significance are
implementation of morality and ethics. The
members of the school, principals, teachers,
staff
members and students are required to be
polite, honest and truthful, particularly,
when they
are working with each other. When the
individuals acquire efficient knowledge of
morality
and ethics, then they are able to not only
achieve the goals and objectives of the
schools, but
also would be able to develop into virtuous
and principled human beings. It is the job of
the
teachers to ensure that students learn these
traits, besides academic concepts, so that
when
they graduate from school, they should be
able to turn into responsible members and
promote
the well-being of their families and the
community.
Development of Leadership Skills – The
principals and the teachers are required to
develop leadership skills within them. The
leaders have number of job duties to
perform.
They need to be aware of various factors
that are required to enhance the well-being
of other
members, particularly the students. The
leadership skills possessed by the principals
are
focused upon making effectual decisions,
which would be beneficial to all, guide and
direct
others appropriately, carry out the
administrative functions in an effective
manner and depict
generosity and sincerity in their attitude. On
the other hand, the leadership skills
primarily
possessed by the teachers focus upon
guiding the students, leading them in the
right direction,
ensuring that they learn academic concepts
and perform well in tests or competitions
that are
organized.
Implementation of Managerial Functions –
Within the schools, the managerial
functions of planning, organizing, directing,
staffing, controlling and leading should take
place in an appropriate manner. The
principals and the teachers are required to
work in co-
ordination and integration with each other.
The major focus of the managerial functions
is
upon the achievement of goals and
objectives. In order to implement these
functions in a
well-organized manner, it is vital to ensure
that the individuals possess the required
educational qualifications, skills and
abilities. The individuals, who are the
directors and
managers within schools should obtain ideas
and suggestions from others, particularly
when
important decisions are to be made.
Implementing Sound Decision-making – In
schools, decisions are regarded as an
integral part of administration of schools.
There are two types of decisions, major
decisions
and minor decisions. Major decisions are
regarded as the decisions that are made for
long
term time period. When these decisions are
made, then the directors or the principals are
required to obtain ideas and suggestions
from others. Normally meetings are
organized to
discuss major decision matters. On the other
hand, minor decisions are usually made by
the
school heads and they may or may not
consult others. They need to implement
sound
decisions, which may be beneficial to all the
members of the school, particularly the
students.
Provision of Support Services – The
students need to be provided with suitable
support services. These are the services,
which not only facilitate the acquisition of
education,
but also enable them to feel comfortable
within the school environmental conditions.
The
primary objective of every student is to
ensure that they are able to acquire proper
education
and improve their scores. Therefore, one of
the most important support services is
making
provision of extra classes to the students.
Other support services include, availability
of
technology, innovative methods, strategies,
approaches and other methods, which would
enrich the skills and abilities of the students.
Financial Resources – The schools are
required to plan their finances in accordance
to
the needs and requirements. When the
schools have financial resources, then they
plan
bringing about innovative techniques and
methods. On the other hand, when the
budget is
limited, then they have to ensure which
areas require improvements and then
finances are
spend accordingly. Within schools, bringing
about improvements in infrastructure, civic
amenities, facilities, libraries, computer
centres, classroom environment, school
environment,
bringing in new equipment, machines,
technology, books, articles, documents and
other
materials, all require financial resources.
The schools make provision of financial
assistance
and scholarships to the students on the basis
of their merit and the availability of
financial
resources.
School Governance - The governance of the
school has to be carried out in an
efficacious manner. The principals,
administrative staff members and teachers
are required to
work in co-ordination and integration with
each other. It is vital to formulate norms,
measures, and policies and individuals
should follow them adequately. In school
governance,
educational planning is also considered as an
important aspect, the individuals need to
seek a
more general understanding of educational
planning and ensure how it can be
productive
towards the overall national development
(Griffiths, 1968). Within schools, the main
policies
are, availability of equal opportunities to all,
anti-discrimination policies, providing
effective
resolution to occurrence of conflicts and
disputes, treating everyone with respect and
courtesy, policies against sexual harassment
and criminal and violent acts and leading to
effective progress of the students. Apart
from understanding the policies, the
members are
required to implement them in an
appropriate manner.
Measures Formulated by the
Government
The measures formulated by the
Government have been stated as follows:
(Sreekanthachari, & Nagaraja, 2013).
Lok Jumbish Project
The Lok Jumbish (LJ) project has 75 blocks
covering approximately 12 million of the
population. The functioning of this project is
carried out simultaneously with government
agencies, teachers, NGOs, elected
representatives and the individuals in an
interactive group.
There have been implementation of efforts
with the main purpose of promoting the
universalization of primary education. It
works on seven guiding principles. These
are: a
process rather than a product approach,
partnerships, decentralized functioning,
participatory
learning, integration with the mainstream
education system, flexibility of
management, and
creating multiple levels of leadership,
committed to the quality and mission mode.
Shiksha Karmi Project
The Shiksha Karmi Project (SKP) is being
implemented since 1987, with assistance
from the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
The main
objective of this project is universalisation
and qualitative improvement of primary
education
in the backward and remote villages of
Rajasthan, with special focus on girls. SKP
has set up
the Village Education Committees (VECs)
in 2000 villages to promote community
involvement in primary education and
encourage village level planning. SKP also
runs non-
formal classes, known as Prehar Pathshalas
schools, having suitable timings. To
promote
education among the girls, Angan Pathshalas
are being operated in three blocks. The
program
at present covers over 150,000 students in
1,785 schools and 3,250 Prehar Pathshalas,
involving over 4,271 Shiksha Karmis.
Operation Blackboard
This scheme was initiated in 1987, with the
main objective of bringing about
improvements within the school
environmental conditions. For the purpose
of retaining the
students and improving their skills, this
scheme was initiated. A remarkable progress
has been
observed in primary education through this
scheme. Approximately 5,23,000 schools
have
been covered since the beginning.
Conclusion
The system of education in rural areas is in a
developing state. In rural areas, the
problems that are found in the system of
education are regarding number of schools,
transportation facilities, provision of civic
amenities and facilities, level of education,
computer education, organization of group
classes, organization of picnics, use of
technology,
infrastructure, and teachers. The measures
that are needed to get implemented to make
improvements include, availability of
infrastructure and facilities, provision of
transportation
facilities, ICT-based education for students,
recruitment of teachers, dealing with
students,
teaching-learning processes, promoting
team-work, promoting extra-curricular
activities,
social and economic change and teaching-
learning materials. The fundamental
principles of
the high quality rural education program are,
equal opportunities to all, grievance
redresser
procedures, educational adequacy, morality
and ethics, development of leadership skills,
implementation of managerial functions,
implementing sound decision making,
provision of
support services, financial resources and
school governance.
There have been initiation of programs by
the government that aim at bringing about
improvements in the system of education in
rural areas. These are, LJ, SKP and
operation
blackboard. There are differences within the
system of education in urban and rural areas.
In
urban areas, in schools, there is provision of
all facilities and amenities that would
contribute
in the enhancement of the system of
education. In rural schools, the important
aspects that
need to be taken into consideration in order
to enrich the system of education are,
development of teaching-learning methods
and instructional strategies, initiation of
infrastructure, technology, equipment,
libraries and other materials that would be
supportive
to learning, the school authorities should
possess adequate knowledge regarding the
implementation of managerial functions and
there should be provision of equal
opportunities
to all the students, irrespective of categories
and backgrounds. Within rural communities,
the
system of education should be improved in
such a manner that students should feel
motivate
Implications
The challenges examined above, even though they cannot be generalized to all parts of Bagdogra, have a
great effect on the education of students with disabilities in rural schools in Siliguri. The implications of
these challenges can be disadvantageous to the students with disabilities in rural schools. When students
feel they are not fully being educated, there is a sense of discomfort and disconnection from the school.
These may sometimes affect their educational achievement, there is absenteeism and in to a greater extent
some might abandon school. As mentioned earlier, students with disabilities have a greater role to play in
the development of their rural communities in their own unique way. One way for them to do so, is by
getting a quality education. In order to foster the development of these communities, their educational
needs must be taken into consideration.

Conclusion
The purpose of this paper was to examine the challenges of educating students with disabilities in rural schools in
Bagdogra. A number of these challenges have been examined and issues of finance, transportation, long distance
travel, recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and support staffs and the unavailability of special needs
services are all seen as obstacles for school boards and teachers in providing quality education for students with
disabilities in rural schools in the region of Bagdogra. Even though the challenges cannot be generalized to all parts
of Bagdogra, it has its own policy regarding education and all rural communities are not the same, I believe the
various schools boards, government and teachers in rural schools in Siliguri all have their own unique challenges
they face in educating their children with disabilities and are doing their best in to overcome these challenges.
As educators strive to educated students with disabilities in rural schools, it is recommended that more research is
carried out to ensure that the unique needs of students with disabilities in rural schools and other needs of rural
schools in Bagdogra are identified and addressed.
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