Elementary sector besieged with problems
Transfer of schools to local bodies emphasised
V.P. Prabhakar
THE elementary education sector is besieged with numerous problems such as inadequate school infrastructure, single-teacher schools, high teacher absenteeism (specially in rural areas), large-scale teacher vacancies, inadequate equipment etc.

CBSE to make studies stress-free
Bhubaneswar: The Central Board of Secondary Education has decided to impart specialised training to students to cope with stress and strain.

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Red Alert !!

Elementary sector besieged with problems
Transfer of schools to local bodies emphasised
V.P. Prabhakar

THE elementary education sector is besieged with numerous problems such as inadequate school infrastructure, single-teacher schools, high teacher absenteeism (specially in rural areas), large-scale teacher vacancies, inadequate equipment etc.

This has been admitted by the Union Government in the economic survey for 2002-2003. This brings into focus, the survey says, the role of decentralisation and people’s participation in the provision of basic services. Hence, it is essential that control over schools and teachers be transferred to local bodies, having a direct interest in teacher performance. This has also been highlighted as an area of emphasis in the Tenth Plan.

The Union Government has accorded high priority to the education sector in the Tenth Plan with an allocation of Rs 43,825 crore as against Rs 24908.38 crore made available in the Ninth Plan, representing an increase of 76 per cent. In the Tenth Plan Rs 28,750 crore has been allocated for elementary education.

The total Central Plan allocation for education has been enhanced from by 18.7 per cent from Rs 5920 crore in 2001-02 (budget estimates) to Rs 7025 crore in 2002-03 (budget estimates). However, in the revised budget for both years it came down to Rs 5570 crore and Rs 6242.35 crore, respectively.

Out of this, elementary education received the highest priority with the allocation increasing from Rs 3800 crore in 2001-02 to Rs 4302.30 crore in 2002-03 (BE) i.e 61 per cent of the total provision. However, those is quite a gap between the budget estimates of the year and the revised estimates. As against Rs 3800 crore in 2001-02 (BE) for elementary education, the revised estimates were Rs 3574.75 crore. Similarly, a sum of Rs 4302.30 crore was provided in 2002-03 (BE) and this figure came to Rs 3762.07 crore in the revised budget. For the next year (2003-04), a provision has been made for Rs 4667 crore for elementary education.

Rs 2125 crore were allocated for secondary and higher education in 2002-03 (BE) as against Rs 1920 crore in 2001-02 (BE). These figures were revised downward to Rs 1820 crore in 2001-02 and Rs 1942.35 crore in 2002-03.

This shows that the Central Government could not give the required money as projected in the budget estimates. For the year 2003-04, Rs 2125 crore has been provided in the budget.

To enlist the support of all concerned and to mobilise extra budgetary resources for the education sector, the survey says, Bharat Shiksha Kosh, a registered society, has been set up for receiving contributions, donations or endowments from individuals, central and state governments, NRIs and PIOs for various educational purposes. The survey, however, is silent on its success in the year 2002-03.

Over the decades, literacy rates have shown a substantial improvement. The total literacy rate which was only 18.33 per cent in 1951, rose to 52.21 per cent in 1991 and further increased to 65.4 per cent in 2001. According to the 2001 census, the literacy rate has gone up to 75.85 per cent for males and 54.16 per cent for females. During the last decade, female literacy rate has shown a much higher growth, increasing by 14.87 percentage points as against 11.72 for males, thus reducing the male-female differential in literacy rates from 24.84 in 1991 to 21.7 in 2001.

According to the Economic Survey, the number of primary schools decreased from 642,000 in 1999-2000 to 638, 738 in 2000-01. The ratio of upper primary schools to primary schools was 1:3.2 in 1999-2000 as against 1:3 in 2000-01.

The total enrolment at the primary and upper primary school levels in India witnessed a steady increase. There were 113.8 million students in primary schools in 2000-01 as against 42.8 million students in the upper primary schools during this year.

During 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 the growth rate of enrolment for girls at the elementary levels was higher as compared to that for boys. Participation of girls of all levels of school education has improved appreciably over the years.

Out of the estimated population of 193 million in the age group of 6-14 years in 2000-01, nearly 81 per cent attended school in 1999-2000. In 1999-2000, nearly 79 per cent in the age group attended school.

The student retention rate at the primary school stage was about 58 per cent (1991-96). Dropout rates at the primary and upper primary level have decreased over the years. At the primary level, the dropout rate increased from 40.3 per cent in 1999-2000 to 40.7 per cent in 2000-01.

At the upper primary level, the dropout rate decreased marginally from 54.5 per cent in 1999-2000 to 53.7 per cent in 2000-01. Though dropout rates at the elementary education stage has declined over the years, it is relatively high especially in the case of girl students for whom the rates stood at 41.9 per cent and 57.7 per cent at the primary and upper primary states, respectively, in 2000-01.

In absolute terms, the number of teachers registered at the elementary level was 3.2 million in 2000-01. The percentage share of female teachers to total teachers was 36.7 per cent in 2000-01. Despite the fact that the number of teachers ratio at the primary education level went down to 1:43 in 2000-01, although that at the upper primary level increased to 1:38 in 2000-01.

CBSE to make studies stress-free

Bhubaneswar: The Central Board of Secondary Education has decided to impart specialised training to students to cope with stress and strain.

The CBSE has decided to introduce life skill education in schools affiliated to it from the ensuing academic session to equip students against stress and strain and develop their personality, Chairman Ashok Ganguly said here.

"We want to tell the students that scoring good marks in examinations is not everything in life. It alone does not make one successful in life and despite bad performance in exams they can still make their life meaningful", he told mediapersons here.

The parents should also not panic if their children do not fare well in examinations, Mr Ganguly pointed out.

It had also been decided by the CBSE that students up to class II would not be required to carry their bags to school.

"The books would be kept in school and the child should come carrying a lunch box and, may be, the bat and ball. They would not be entrusted with home work and no test would be conducted to find their proficiency," Mr Ganguly said. PTI

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