This document discusses the poor quality of education in India's elementary schools and identifies potential solutions. It outlines several issues with the current system such as lack of infrastructure, low enrollment and retention rates, and poor quality of input and outcomes. Teacher-related problems like absenteeism and lack of pedagogical skills are also discussed. The document then analyzes current policies and programs in India as well as examples from the US and Rajasthan to identify effective practices. It concludes by recommending policy solutions like ensuring well-trained teachers, focusing on learning outcomes, improving funding, using technology, and developing public-private partnerships to enhance school quality in India.

1. Poor Quality of Education
in India's Elementary Schools
- What’s the solution to this problem?
Presented By:
Ajay Kumar Shukla
Devi Dayal Singh
K. K. Pathak
Ranga Rao V.
Renu Pant
Sreedhar B.
Subodh Yadav

2. Introduction
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• Achieving universal education in a vast, diverse and dynamic
nation like India requires due consideration to a plethora of
complex factors.
• Challenges in implementation of the RTE Act and lack of focus
towards quality of education has resulted in the country lagging
behind on imparting quality education for all sections of its
population.
• Some of the challenges faced by the nation and potential
solutions required to be implemented are highlighted in this
presentation.

3. • Accessibility
• Infrastructure
• Enrolment, Drop Out and Retention
• Quality (Input & Outcome)
• Technology
• Financial Issue i.e. Scholarship and Budgetary
Assistance
• Follow Up and Monitoring Mechanism
• Motivational System
• Categorical Biases i.e. gender, caste, community
• Social Pressure and Awareness
Issues
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4. • Transfer/posting and personnel related issues
• Availability of Non Teaching Staff and using of
teachers in Non Teaching Activity
• Absenteeism
• Pedagogical Skills & Professional Capacity
Building
• Penal deterrence and Motivational reluctance
• Monitoring and Evaluation issues
• Financial Issues
Teachers Related Issues
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5. • More than 90% students got access (Closer to
Universal Education)
• Public-Private School Ratio 7:5 (29% Students get
private education)
• Drop Out (29% before Vth Std, 43% before VIIIth Std.)
• Only 53% Schools have Functional Girls Toilet
• Literacy Rate (in %)
• Year Total Male Female
• 2001 64.8 75.3 53.7
• 2011 74.0 82.1 65.5
• Budget Provisions
• Year Expenditure (% of GDP)
• 2000-01 4.28%
• 2009-10 3.85%
Current Scenario (1/2)
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6. (During the period 2000-01 to 2013-14)
• Total Number of schools imparting elementary education
increased by 71.4 %
• Primary Schools (Class I-V) increased by 34.5%
• Upper Primary Schools (Class VI-VIII) increased by 185.9%
• Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in elementary education
increased from 81.6% to 97.0%.
• Overall increase in enrolment in primary education was 18.6
million
• Boys 4.6 million and Girls 14.0 million (increased 5.3%).
Current Scenario (1/3)
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Source: Statistics of School Education, 2007-08, MHRD, G0I; Educational Statistics at a Glance, 2011, MHRD, GoI;
Statistics of School Education, 2010-11; U-DISE, NUEPA

7. Current Status of India’s Elementary Schools (1/4)
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5.3% increase in girls’ enrolment as %age of total enrolment in elementary education
(Between FY01 & FY14)
Source: Statistics of School Education, 2007-08, MHRD, G0I; Educational Statistics at a Glance, 2011, MHRD, GoI;
Statistics of School Education, 2010-11; U-DISE, NUEPA

8. Current Status of India’s Elementary Schools (1/5)
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Number of teachers engaged in teaching in schools imparting elementary education
was 5.22 mn in FY07 which increased to 7.72 mn in FY14
Source: Statistics of School Education, 2007-08, MHRD, G0I; Educational Statistics at a Glance, 2011, MHRD, GoI;
Statistics of School Education, 2010-11; U-DISE, NUEPA

9. ~ 41% in Government Schools
~ 47% in Private Schools
Reading levels remain low and unchanged
Current Status of Learning Outcomes at Elementary Level (1/6)
9Source: Annual Status of Education Report 2014
~ 32% in Government Schools
~ 40% in Private Schools
Proportion of “Class III” students who
can read “Class I” text books
Proportion of “Class V” students who can
read “Class II” text books
~50% of all students
in “Class V”
are not able to read
fluently
a “Class II” textbook
~60% of all Students
in “Class III”
are not able to read
fluently
a “Class I” textbook
~75% of all Students
in “Class III”
are not able to read
fluently
a “Class II” textbook

10. Current Status of Learning Outcomes at Elementary Level (1/7)
10Source: Annual Status of Education Report 2014
Math continues to be a serious and major source of concern
~ 27% in Government Schools
~ 40% in Private Schools
~ 19% in Government Schools
~ 45% in Private Schools
Proportion of “Class III” students who
can do basic subtraction
Proportion of “Class V” students who can
do division problems of lower classes
~74% of all Students
in “Class III”
are not able do two
digit subtractions
~74% of all Students
in “Class V”
are not able to do
division

11. Current Policy and Regime
year Policy
1950 Constitution made free and compulsory elementary
education as directive principle
1986 National Policy of Education (NPE)
1993 Shri UnniKrishnan Judgement
1995 Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM)
1998 Education Ministers Resolve
1999 National Committee’s Report on UEE in the mission
mode
2001 Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
2009 Right to Education Act
India’s Education Landscape : Key Policies/Interventions

12. India’s Education Landscape : Current Policy and Program Regime
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• The RTE Act has been instrumental in catalyzing the progress by setting
out key implementation targets in terms of:
Increasing
enrollments
Reducing
the number
of Out of
School
Children
Increasing
teachers with
professional
qualifications
Improving school
facilities
like drinking water,
library, toilets,
computers,
classrooms, and
playgrounds, etc
Ensuring
limited
drop-outs
• However, the current focus and emphasis is majorly targeted towards
enrollment numbers and improving infrastructure standards of schools.
Key Concern : Loss of focus on providing quality education
The ability to reach under privileged segments of the society with quality education that will
impart equal education opportunities for all sections of the society is yet to be achieved.

13. Global Practices (1/4)
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : Developed Nation
• In USA, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 1965, envisions equal
opportunities for quality education to children and provides for grants to states for
improving the quality of K-12 education. The ESEA was re-authorized several times after its
enactment, the most recent being the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, 2002.
• Key features of NCLB, which distinguishes it from India’s RTE Act:
o Stress on Learning Outcomes in Mathematics and Reading:
NCLB mandates states to test students annually for Mathematics and Reading in
Classes 3 to 8 and once in Class 10 to 12, and for Science: the students will be
tested once in Standard 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 10 to 12.
o Mandate on Information Dissemination and Awareness:
It is mandatory for states, individual schools and school districts to publish the test
results publicly in the aggregate as well as for specific students’ subgroups. NCLB
empowers parents by making it compulsory for states and local school districts to
disseminate information to parents on how their student and the schools is
performing in the form of annual school report cards. Parents are also given the right
under NCLB to be informed about the qualification of their child’s teacher.

14. Global Practices (2/4)
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : Developed Nation
o Strict guidelines and action plans with timelines for schools to
meet targets:
NCLB has strict guidelines for schools for meeting the target of
adequate yearly progress (AYP) chosen by the state with options
such as school improvement / school transfer, corrective action,
restructuring defined.
o Rewards and recognition for high performing schools and
teachers:
NCLB requires states to award schools that meet or exceed the
achievement goals. States may also use funds to reward teachers in
such schools. Schools that have made the greatest achievement
gains are designated as ‘distinguished schools’ by states.

15. National Practices (3/4)
Rajasthan : Example from States
Rajasthan was never considered to be
educationally forward state, but due to following
initiatives the picture has changed:
• Consolidation of 17000 elementary schools with
Secondary schools.
• Planned to create Secondary School in every
Panchayat
• Proper and transparent transfer system.
• Pre paid transport vouchers to the students.
• Creation of Online repository of teaching
materials.

16. • No thrust on Quality & Upgradation
• Competition after Post Liberalization
• Failed to meet the demands of the parents
• Poor Human Resource Management
• Choice of Teaching- A Last Option
• Low Technological Initiatives
• No Detention Policy
• Budget Allocations
Reasons for Failure
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17. • Pedagogical and Evaluation Related
• Management and Administrative
• Legal Augmentation
• Health and Nutrition
• Technological Advancement
• Financial Support
• Public Private Partnership/CSR
• Informal Schools
• Different State level Initiatives
Types of Initiatives

18. • Ensuring sufficient number of Trained Teachers on
continuous basis
• Focus on learning outcomes
• Setting up of a National/State Education Standard for
Schools
• Quality Utilization of Teachers
• Infrastructure strengthening utilizing Private fund
• Improved funding for school infrastructure
Policy Suggestions
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19. • Use of Technology
• Consolidation of Elementary Schools
• Proper Human Resource Policy
• Transport/Education Voucher Scheme
• Focus on English Medium
• Online and live teaching learning Material (Knowledge
Repository)
• Developing common/shared vision
Policy Suggestions
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