This document discusses enhancing the quality of primary education in India. It notes that while primary education enrollment rates have increased, reaching universal primary education by 2015 will require faster progress. Quality of education is also a major concern. Successful qualitative reforms require giving prime attention to teaching quality, strong government leadership, societal involvement, and consistent policy over time. The document outlines factors that impact education quality both inside and outside the classroom, such as pedagogical practices, curriculum, resources, governance, and equity.

1. Stepping
stones: Enhancing the Quality
of primary Education
TEAM DETAILS:
Ayushi Shrivastava(Team Co-ordinator)
Nitin Tripathi
Akshat Dixit
Eyshika Agarwal
Ayush Verma

2. ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN INDIA
• Education is important not only for
development of one's personality,
but also for the sustained growth of
nation.It is the foundation on which
the development of every citizen and
the nation as a whole hinges.
• The quality of elementary education
in India has also been a major cause
of worry for government.
• The world is not on track to achieve
the six Education For All (EFA) goals.
• Achieving this and the other goals
will require both policy change and
more resources from the national
community.
2
Successful qualitative reforms require:
• Prime attention to quality of teaching profession
• Strong leading role by government
• A societal project for improving education
• Policy continuity over time
Education quantity and quality
are complements, not substitutes

3. Progress towards EFA
NET ENROLMENT RATIOS IN
PRIMARY EDUCATION
81.7% in 1990,
84% in 2001
Pace of change too slow to reach UPE by 2015
Net enrolment ratio:
85% in 2005, 87% in 2015
103.5 million out-of-
school children in 2001
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Central Asia N. America W.
Europe
Latin America
Caribbean
Centr./ East.
Europe
Arab States East Asia
Pacific
South/ West
Asia
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Out-of-school children by region (in millions), 2001

4. Girls’ enrolment lags
behind boys’ in 40% of
countries at primary level
Disparities more
extreme at secondary
and tertiary levels
57% of out of school children are girls
Gender Parity Index (F/M), 2001
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
South/West
Asia
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Arab States Centr/ East.
Europe
Latin
America/
Caribbean
Central Asia East Asia/
Pacific
N. America/
West. Europe
GPI
primary secondary
Gender
parity
Progress towards Gender Parity

5. 64% of adult illiterates are women
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
World
South/West Asia
Arab States
Sub-Saharan Africa
East Asia/Pacific
Centr/East. Europe
Latin America/ Caribbean
N. America/West. Europe
Central Asia
Gender
parity
GPI (F/M) in adult literacy, 2000-2004
800 million adults without literacy, 70% live in nine countries
Literacy and adult learning

6. • 41 countries have achieved or nearly achieved the four goals
• 51 countries have EDI values between 0.80 and 0.94. Almost half the countries
in this category, most of them in Latin America, lag on the education quality goal
• 35 countries are very far from achieving the goals, with EDI values below 0.80.
22 are in Sub-Saharan Africa, plus Bangladesh, India and Pakistan
The EFA Development Index measures progress towards UPE, gender parity, literacy
and quality
Overall progress
Education Quality
Goal
“Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that
recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in
literacy, numeracy and essential life skills”
Dakar Framework for Action, 2000

7. • Cognitive development: reading, writing, numeracy
• Creative and emotional development and the promotion of attitudes and values
necessary for effective life in the community
• better health, lower fertility, lower exposure to HIV/AIDS
• higher personal income
• stronger national growth
A good quality education encompasses:
A good quality education carries personal and social benefits:
The Quality Challenge
Learning from the evidence
Studies show that more resources for:
• Low pupil-teacher ratios
• more and better textbooks
• time spent learning in school or at home
• teacher qualifications and experience
matter for quality
A wide range of evidence indicates that additional resources improve
education quality, particularly where they are scare

8. Start with learners and take all actors into account
Towards better quality: a holistic approach

9. 9
• Discovery-based pedagogies pioneered in many
programmes are difficult to implement on national scale in
resource-constrained contexts
• Structured teaching is a pragmatic option in low-income
settings. Teacher presents material in small steps, checks
student understanding and encourages interaction
• Regular assessment and feedback improves learning
Rigid chalk and talk pedagogy is widespread
In the classroom:
pedagogical renewal

10. • Curriculum: relevant, balanced with carefully defined aims
• Instructional time: few countries reach recommended 850-1,000 hours/year
• Learning materials: strong impact on learning but small percentage of education spending goes to
textbooks
• Language: Successful models start in mother tongue and make gradual transition to second or foreign
language
• School environment: safety, health, sanitation for girls and boys, access for disabled
Other essentials that make the difference
• Governance: school leadership, room for consultation between teachers, governments and
other stakeholders on curriculum, employment and working conditions
• Participatory learning networks and professional advisory bodies to encourage sharing of best
practice
• Combating corrupt practices: fraud in public tendering for school buildings and textbooks,
nepotism and bribes in teacher appointment and examinations
• Equity: reducing regional and social inequalities advances education for all
Beyond the classroom:
policies conducive to better quality