Page 156 - DEDU501_DEVELOPMENT_OF_EDUCATION_SYSTEM_ENGLISH

Development of Education System

Notes Strategies Planned by the Government Towards UEE and Checking Dropouts, Stagnation and
Wastage
Following are the salient features of the strategies:
1. Laying emphasis on retention rather than on merely enrolment.
2. Strengthening the alternatives of schooling, particularly, the Non-Formal Education System
for working children, girls and children from other disadvantaged or marginalized sections
of the society.
3. Shifting focus from educationally backward states to educationally backward districts.
4. Preparing and implementing district specific and population-specific plans.
5. Providing more facilities to girls.

16.7 Strategies for Universalisation of Elementary Education: Tenth
Five Year Plan (2002-2007)

The strategies and interventions during the Tenth Plan will mainly be guided by three major
considerations: (a) magnitude of the task; (b) present challenges; and (c) the existing administrative
and policy framework and the one that will be in the place during the Plan period.
Present Challenges: Achieving the goal of UEE poses three main challenges: (i) access to basis
education for the unreached segments and social groups; (ii) qualitative improvement in content
and processes so as to raise learning achievements; and (iii) tackling high drop-out and low retention
rates in primary and upper primary schools.

16.7.1 Universal Access
• All children in the 6-14 gae group should have access to primary schools, upper primary
schools or their alternatives within a walking distance of one km. and three km. respectively.
• All children in the 3-6 age group must have universal access to early childhood care and
education centres.
• Need-based expansion of upper primary education facilities, particularly for the
disadvantaged sections. There should be one upper primary school for every two primary
schools.
• All schools should have buildings, toilets, drinking water, electricity playground, blackboards
and other basic facilities. There must be provision of one classroom for every teacher at the
elementary stage.
16.7.2 Universal Enrolment
• Enrolment of all children in schools or alternative arrangements by 2003.
• All children to complete five years of primary schooling by 2007.
16.7.3 Universal Retention
• Universal retention in the primary stage by 2007.
• Drop-out rate to be reduced to less than 10 per cent for grades VI-VIII by 2007.
16.7.4 Universal Achievement
• Improve the quality of education in all respects (content and process) to ensure reasonable
learning outcomes at the elementary level, especially in literacy, numerics and in life skills.
16.7.5 Strategies for Quality Improvement
A qualitative improvement in the content and processes of basic education, in order to make them
more responsive to the learning needs of individuals and the development needs of different
socio-economic sectors, continues to be a major challenge. The challenge for providing quality
education at the elementary level involves: (i) improvements in the preparation, motivation and

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