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Impact
of Various Schemes related to Elementary Education : |
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Analysis of Responses : Madhya Pradesh In Madhya Pradesh - 50 teachers; 100 parents; 50 panchayat raj representatives and 30 educated villagers were surveyed. The main findings are as follows - Teacher -
Parents -
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Panchayat Raj Representatives -
Educated Villagers -
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Educated Villagers/Social worker/NGO workers -
Having analysed the perception of respondents, it is clear that the girls literacy rate in Madhya Pradesh is low as compared to Maharashtra due to several reasons. To quote few of them - Madhya Pradesh has 37.82% SC and ST population where as Maharashtra has only 12.00% population of SC and ST. In Madhya Pradesh, the urban population is 23.21% where as in Maharashtra, urban population is 38.73%. Maharashtra has a long history of Panchayat Raj System and therefore community participation in education is witnessed since long whereas in Madhya Pradesh, the community participation in education is ensured only after 73rd Amendment Act. Maharashtra has achieved facility of primary schooling within 1.5 km. radius with 200 population during 7th plan. The interpretation highlights that the level of information towards government schemes for elementary education in Madhya Pradesh is very limited. Therefore there is an urgent need to provide all information regarding schemes to villagers and panchayat raj representatives so that maximum benefit may reach to needy persons. Community participation is ensured after introduction of new panchayat raj but the exposure of rural society is less towards education. There should be effective information dissemination among VEC members and Panchayat Raj Representatives so that they understand their role and perform with fullest capacity. Many of the schemes are not properly implemented like - Mid day meal scheme in Madhya Pradesh. From September 1997 the distribution of prepared food was stopped for non-tribal regions and now 3 kg food is distributed for every child every month hence the basic purpose of the scheme is diluted. The problems associated with elementary education in rural areas are well known. Lack of interest of parents in educating children, village economy related factors like help of children during harvesting and looking after younger brothers/sisters by the school-going age child while parents are away on fields/work etc. are some of the reasons at home responsible for the problems related to enrolment etc. But there are some factors that emnate from school environment itself. Lack of basic requirements like adequate or proper sitting accommodation, absence of water hut in the school, missing urinals and toilets are some of such physical handicaps in the schools. Lack-lustre and uninspiring teaching methods of teachers, dearth of modern teaching aids and attention-engaging toys and programmes also add to the seriousness of the problem. Though under the Panchayat education system devices have been introduced to get over such problems, yet much remains to be done in this respect. The problem has to be tackled at various level: at the level of school administration, at societal level and the level of Village Education Committee under the Panchayat System. Some steps have already been taken to increase intake of students and to check the problem of drop outs: arrangement of mid-day meals for school children, provision for scholarships, free books, book banks and free giving of school dresses to the needy students are some of such attractions for the children. However, something more than these attempts are still needed to improve admission and retention rate of students. The Panchayat Raj Act entrusts responsibility to Village Education Committee (VEC) to encourage parents to send all young boys and girls to join school and complete education at least upto fifth standard. However, much remains to be desired so far as the performance of VEC is concerned in this entrusted area. In is expected of the VEC members and the school teachers, that they go to the parents and urge/goad and inspire them to send their children for joining the school; the message has to go to rural society the not a single boy/girls should remain uneducated. With some honourable exceptions, few VECs have undertaken such an exercise. Secondly, as a part of teacher accountability, school teachers have to go to the homes of villagers from time to time to instruct them about the advantages of education, motivate them to send their children to school and discuss with them practical ways and means to solve the problems of drop outs. Then, teachers have to make their teaching modes/methods more attractive for children, add extra-curricular activities for them and undertake innovative activities for example, paintings on school environment, which can naturally attract and there by develop interest of the student in the school. School management , i.e. the VEC members, the Head Master with his team of teachers and some senior social leaders of the village can get together from time to time, think about methods of improving attendance, minimizing drop out etc., for example, by organizing school functions, inviting villagers to schools on such occasions or by organizing awareness generating rallies of villagers, students etc. where appropriate slogans/placards are raised/displayed to motivate them for universal primary education of village children. |
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