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Unit 16: Programmes of UEE

play-way and activity-based learning in place of formal methods of teaching including introduction Notes
of the 3 Rs. Keeping in mind the role of ECCE as a support service in UEE, it is deliberately
directed to the most underprivileged groups, those who are still outside the mainstream of formal
education. The aim of ECCE is that every child should be assured access to the fulfilment of all basic
needs. It involves the total development of the child in every aspect including the physical, psychomotor,
cognitive, language, emotional, social and moral. The present ECCE programmes include:
• the integrated child development service (ICDS)
• the scheme of assistance to voluntary organisations for running early child education (ECE)
centres
• balwadis and day-care centres run by voluntary agencies with government assistance
16.3.6 Promotion of Access to Girls and Disadvantage Groups
As with all educational indicators, gender disparities are conspicuous in regard to enrolment and
retention. Over the past 25 years, enrolment of girls at the primary stage has grown from 5 million
to 47 million and at the upper primary stage, from 0.5 million to 16 million. But disparities persist.
Today girls account for only 46 per cent of the enrolment at the primary stage and 38 per cent at
the upper primary stage. The drop-out rates of girls at the primary and upper primary stages are
higher than those of boys.
Regional disparities are also conspicuous. The rural girls are doubly disadvantaged by non-
availability of educational facilities and by their domestic chores.

The very low female literacy (20 to 29 per cent) in some of the major north Indian states
causes grave concern.

16.3.7 Restructuring of Teacher Training
Teacher performance is the most crucial input in the field of education. In the ultimate analysis, the
national policies on education have to be interpreted and implemented by teachers as much through
their personal example as through teaching-learning processes. With a view to improving the quality
and competence of teachers, a centrally sponsored scheme of Restructuring and Reorganisation of
Teacher Education (RRTE) was launched in 1987.
Among the other main components of the RRTE, as far as elementary education is concerned, are:
1. setting up of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) in all districts to provide
good quality pre-service and in-service training to elementary school teachers and adult
education/nonformal education personnel and to provide resource support to these systems
2. organising Special Orientation Programmes for Primary Teachers (SOPT) with a view to
providing training to teachers in the use of OB materials and orienting them towards MLL
strategy with a focus on teaching of language, mathematics and environmental studies
(i) Availing of External Financial Support for Basic Education: As a matter of policy and
principle, India had not been seeking financial support from external agencies to implement
its programmes of basic education. This situation changed in 1991-92, when a conscious
and strategic decision was taken to avail of external assistance to achieve the goal of
Education for All (EFA).
(ii) Launching the National Elementary Education Mission (NEEM): With the objective of
mobilising all the resources – human, financial and institutional – necessary for achieving
the goal of UEE by the year 2000, a National Elementary Education Mission (NEEM) was
set up in August 1995 with the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) as its core.
This Mission will monitor and implement all the meticulously formulated strategies based
on microplanning, and will ensure that free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality
is provided to all children up to 14 years of age by the turn of the century.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 145