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Quality
education still remains a major concern:
Hamid Ansari
Thursday November 11, 2010 05:16:45 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi:
Even as the government prepares for the implementation of the
Right to Education Act, Vice President M. Hamid Ansari Thursday
said the quality of education still remains a major concern.
Addressing a function to mark the National Education Day here,
Ansari said issues like teacher absenteeism, single teacher
schools and multi-grade teaching need to be resolved.
"This dismal picture of elementary education's quality and
outcomes contrasts sharply with the achievement of near universal
access, and the landmark legislation of the Right of Children to
Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009," Ansari said.
Quoting from the Annual Status of Education Report 2009, he said
that while 96 percent of children in the 6-14 age group in rural
India are enrolled in schools, average absenteeism is around 25
percent.
"We need to address equity concerns of the disadvantaged,
vulnerable social groups and urban-deprived groups with regard to
access and retention. All quality issues impacting on the learning
outcomes of children must be addressed as a priority," he said,
adding that the key Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has had limited impact
on a majority of marginalised sections.
"The impact of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in areas listed in
Schedule V and VI of the constitution, among SCs (Schedule Castes)
and STs (Schedule Tribes), Muslim concentration areas and slums
has not been very significant," Ansari said.
Launched in 2001-02, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been the main
vehicle for providing elementary education to all children in the
6-14 age group. The vice president highlighted that while it
addresses the educational needs of over 19 crore children,
problems remain.
"While the issue of access has been largely addressed, the huge
dropout rate at the elementary level of over 43 percent is a cause
of concern. It is more disconcerting that there are huge social
gaps in dropout rates.
"The dropout rate at elementary level for SCs is over 52 percent
and that for STs is over 63 percent. In large states like Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan, over 50 percent of SC children do
not even go beyond the primary level of education," he said.
"We must remember that ensuring access to education without a
commensurate focus on quality and outcomes will result in the
‘right to education' remaining merely a ‘right to schooling'," he
added.
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