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| GROWTH AND EVOLUTION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN J&K – SOME REFLECTIONS | | | *Dr. Renu Nanda | 9/7/2009 11:11:40 PM |
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Article 45 of the Indian Constitution provides for free and compulsory primary education within the age group 6-14. Accordingly the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir under article 20 provides for “within the period of 10 years from the commencement of this constitution (20-10-1956) compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14.”
The first step towards universalization of primary education was taken up as early as 1930’s Introduction compulsory primary education within the municipal and notified areas of Srinagar and Sopore in the Kashmir region and in Jammu, Mirpur and Udhampur at Jammu region. The Inspectors and Attendance officer were appointed to help in the organization of the elementary school. The scheme resulted in the fresh enrolment of 813 students in Srinagar alone. After that compulsory education could not be extended due to various education Act became more or less inflective.
After independence though there was a constitutional provision for free and compulsory Primary Education, the plan could not be materialized and on 18th of April, the J&K School education Act (1984) was passed to achieve the goal of UEE and to provide for better organization and development of school education in the state.
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Senior Associate Professor, P.G. Department of Education, University of Jammu, Jammu.
The J&K school education Act 1984 provides that “The Government shall provided for free and compulsory primary education for children upto the level of class VIII through out the state within a period of 10 years from the commencement of this Act and for this purpose it shall take appropriate steps to provide the necessary facilities. ”The Act also provides for the establishment of Block Education committees and their function would be to prepare a list of children in the education block and to revise the list from time to time, to take measure to ensure the attendance of children in schools to educate the children’s parents in order to ensure the attendance of their children in school to carryout other important function. Under the new Act, there is an obligation on the part of guardians to send their children to schools. The act also provides that “The Parents of every child would be personally responsible for getting him/her enrolled in a school, whether government or private and also ensure that such child completes the full course for his/her non-attendance”.
By passing the legislation J&K government has initiated many steps for UEE but there are certain lapses in the Act. The Act does not clarify whether the existing Block Education officers would function as heads of Block Education Committees or the later would be constituted separately. In the context of UEE, Government of India has launched the scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which is a holistic programme for achieving the goal of UEE with a stipulated time framework.
“Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan” launched in November 2000 in India has made a significant progress with the mission of 100% literacy, SSA scheme was implemented in various states and union territories and further expanded to cover urban, slums, hilly, tribal and desert area. The Sarvas Shiksha Abhiyan strategy basically comprises of community mobilization for and ownership of – primary education as the bulk of the primary education system in the country is in the government/semi government sector which had suffered from deprivation and degradation due to inadequate allocation of resources over several decades. Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the effort is to provide access to “out of school” children and to ensure their regular participation tin the completion of primary level of education with satisfactory levels of learning, so as to achieve the object of Universal Elementary education’.
The centrally sponsored scheme of “Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan” was introduced in the years 200 after being recognized as one among the six educationally backward states including Bihar, MP, Orissa, Rajasthan and UP. However it was initiated in Jammu & Kashmir in the year 2003 with the release of funds from the central Govt. Under SSA, all the education zones were divided into cluster comprising 15-20 schools. To further operationalise these clusters, clusters Resources persons are appointed and they are given training to equip them with all the necessary skills and competence in implementing SSA. To bring modernity in govt. schools each teacher is given Rs. 500 for preparing teaching learning Material (TLM) or teaching-aids to make teaching more effective and joyful experience. Monthly meetings are regularly organized at cluster level inviting all teachers teaching primary classes to evaluate the outputs. Medical camps are also conducted and disabled children are assisted in every possible way. Bridge courses have been designed for drop-out children and Education Guarantee Scheme centre are opened in areas where no schools exists within 1Km.
Upto April 2005, 3.67 lakh school children were registered, which includes 1.62 lakh in the age group of 6-11 years and rest in the age group of 11-14 years. About 67,000 children were enrolled in Education Guarantee Centre 49,000 in newly opened primary schools and 30,000 in the existing primary schools 4,030 primary schools have been opened during the last 3 years and 8,060 teachers are recruited. In addition, 1966 primary schools were up grade and 3 teachers have been provided for each up graded school.
During 2002-2004, 6385 posts of teachers have cleared for 770 new primary schools, 790 upgraded schools and 992 already upgraded schools 2,500 more primary schools are proposed to be opened in the state under SSA in the next year. To opertionalise SSA at grass root level, about 26,000 teachers have been appointed under Rehbar-e-taleem, and also 9000 news school have been opened, 10,000 primary schools upgraded and 9,000 teachers, masters, lecture, Zeos, principles, CEOs and other staff have been promoted.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was launched to provide a convergent frame work for implementing elementary education schemes with the objectives of achieving educational attainment, general awareness and professional competence.
After independence, the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir state (now called Chief Minister) Shri Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah appointed a committee of eleven members under the chairmanship of Mr. A.A Kazmi, the then Director of education. The function of the constituted committee started on 18th August, 1950 with the address of the Prime Minister and the committee submitted its report on the 4thDecember, 1950. The Major recommendations were :-
o The committee approved that the Kindergarten system should be given the importance.
o The committee pointed out that the state had already started 40 kindergarten schools, 20 in each region of Jammu and Kashmir. The committee was of the opinion that the state should organize such schools on the already adopted lines in large numbers as far as possible keeping in view the special requirement of the locality. The duration of the kindergarten should be of two years with co-educational classes.
o The committee recommended for the appointment of the female teachers at this stage.
o The committee was of the opinion that the present primary school are not uniformly good. In many cases it is share wastage of human material, money and time. A concerted drive to make the primary stage effective would involve re-orientation of teachers.
o The committee was of the opinion that there should be seven years duration for the primary stage. The age at which the primary stage should start, can be 5 plus in the urban area and 6 plus in the rural area. The course would take the child to the age of 12 plus.
o The committee recommended that craft and hand work should be made an integral part of the primary stage curriculum. The crafts should be selected by individual schools taking into consideration the education needs and value of the craft concerned.
o Making education free at all stages.
Indian Education Commission
During the decade 1960-70 the Indian Education Commission (At the national level) gave its report in 1964. The commission gave recommendations for the whole of the country including Jammu and Kashmir State. The main recommendation regarding primary and middle school stage were :-
i. One to three years of pre-school education.
ii. Seven to eight years of elementary stage including a lower primary stage of 4-5 years and a higher primary stage of 3 or 2 years.
Bhagwan Sahay Committee Report (1973)
After the Kothari Commission submitted its report in 1966 and recommended structural changes in education, a need was felt to bring about those changes in the Jammu and Kashmir state also, as the education system of the state was almost the same as in the rest of the country. Keeping in this view, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir state appointed the Education Committee in 1973 under the Chairmanship of Sh Bhagwan Sahay to study Primary and Middle School stage of education in Jammu & Kashmir.
Round table conference on Education (1975)
A working group of college and school teachers met under the chairmanship of Jenab Sheikh Mohammad Abdhullah in May, 1975 to make suggestion for reforms in respect of universalisation of education in the age group of 6-14, non formal education vocationalisation of education etc.
Education Conference on 10 +2 pattern (1976)
The National Policy on Education recommended the 10+2+3 pattern of education for whole of the country. The state of Jammu and Kashmir organized a state level conference in collaboration with NCERT and Regional College of Education, under the Chairmanship of Sheikh Mohammad Abdhullah for working out details for introducing 10+2 pattern of education in the state.
Jha Committee (1978)
In the year 1978, Jha committee gave its report on primary education with following strong recommendations :-
i. In the coming year efforts be made to conduct tehsilwise surveys and a study group of experts may be constituted to study in details the various problems of backward regions with peculiar geographic and economic nature.
ii. The strategy of enrolling additional children in class I at the beginning of each school year may be expanded.
iii. Multiple entry system may be adopted.
iv. Efforts will have to be made to enroll girls and children of weaker and backward sections of society.
v. Involvement of community mobilization of the primary school teachers, strengthening of supervisory machinery, involving the developmental departments and commitment of political leadership is essential.
The glorious history of J&K tells us about Kashyapa who had drained a lake to produce this heaven on earth. In the 14th century Raja Jamboolochan founded Jammu. During one of his hunting campaigns he reached the Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. He was so impressed and decided to set up a town after his name, Jumboo and now became Jammu. In 1832, Jammu was merged with Kashmir by Gulab Singh.
India joined a select Global Club with the passage of Right To free and Compulsory Education Bill - a scheme of providing education to every child in 6-14 age group. The legislation passed recently by Rajya Sabha is expected to be enacted very soon after being accented by the President Mrs. Pratibha Patil. The bill aims to do away with the practice of schools taking capitation fees before admission and subjecting the children and parents to any screening procedure. The Right the Education would empower the seven year old 86th constitutional amendment that made free and compulsory education a fundamental right. The Right the Education Bill sets down the guidelines for the state and the center to execute and enforce this right. Earlier, education was part of the directive principles of state policy.
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