Primary education aims to provide children with basic literacy, numeracy, and foundations in other subjects. It is typically compulsory and provided in schools with a single teacher per class. Quality assurance mechanisms are used to evaluate teaching and learning quality to ensure high standards and continuous improvement. Issues with primary education in India include low enrollment rates, many children performing below grade level, and overall low quality that limits development of basic skills. New strategies to address this include decentralized planning, non-formal school options, minimum learning levels, improved facilities, and teacher training reforms.

2. Do you have a desire to make a positive impact on a
child’s life opportunities?
Do you have the ability to motivate and engage
children?
Are you committed to continuous self-
improvement?
Do you want to acquire a deep understanding of
how children learn and of the primary curriculum

3. FAST FACTS
— 58% of children do not complete primary education in India.
— According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)
2012, 10 crore children in India are two or more years below
their grade level.
— As of 2012, only 30% of standard three students could read a
standard 1 text a drop from 50% in 2009.
— The ASER report also estimates that only 50% of rural children
enrolled in standard five can fluently read a standard two text
book.
— 40% of standard five students in rural India cannot solve
simple two-digit subtractions.iv

5. Primary education is the first stage of
compulsory education. It is preceded by pre-school or nursery education and is followed by secondary
education. In North America, this stage of education is usually known as elementary education and is
generally followed by middle school.
In most countries, it is compulsory for children to receive primary education although it is permissible
for parents to provide it. The major goals of primary education are achieving basic
literacy and numeracy amongst all pupils, as well as establishing foundations in science, mathematics,
geography, history and other social sciences. The relative priority of various areas, and the methods
used to teach them, are an area of considerable political debate.
Typically, primary education is provided in
schools, where the child will stay in steadily advancing classes until they complete it and move on to
high school/secondary school. Children are usually placed in classes with one teacher who will be
primarily responsible for their education and welfare for that year. This teacher may be assisted to
varying degrees by specialist teachers in certain subject areas, often music or physical education. The
continuity with a single teacher and the opportunity to build up a close relationship with the class is a
notable feature of the primary education system.

6. Quality assurance is a mechanism used to evaluate the efficiency and appropriateness of
teaching and learning in primary schools so as to ensure the delivery of high quality
education. It is also a holistic method of identifying and resolving problem within the
educational system in order to ensure continuous quality improvement. It can also be
described as means of disseminating information regarding the quality of primary
education.
According to Birdsall, Levine and Ibrahim
enrolment of children in school, the challenges of access/quality and quality of teaching and
facilities must be resolved if schools are to offer quality education. According to Bateman,
quality assurance includes defined standards of achievement, documented procedures for
all identified processes, established ways of responding to issues and clear accountability
for outcomes. The importance of consistence and continuous quality assurance in primary
education are many. Some of these benefits associated with consistent quality assurance and
continuous Quality improvement measure in education include:
• the establishment of establish high standards academic excellence which will go long way
to enhance the schools reputation and image,
• improved communication across the school system,
• Improvement of outcome so that the policies and procedures are constantly revisited
through analysis and the delivery of teaching and learning,
• identification of systems strengths and weakness
• determination of the program effectiveness and tracking of its integrity and;
• increase in capacity to secure funding and refinement service delivery.

7. New Innovations and
Alternative Strategies
Some of the major initiatives
and strategies are:

8. 1. Disaggregated target setting and decentralised microplanning, which will
provide the framework of universal access and community participation.
2. Strengthening alternative channels of schooling such as the non-formal
education (NFE) system for those who cannot avail of conventional full-time
schooling.
3. Introduction of minimum levels of learning (MLLs) at primary and upper
primary stages to improve learner’s achievement.
4. Improvement of school facilities by revamping the scheme of Operation
Blackboard (OB) and connecting it to the MLL strategy.
5. Establishing linkages between programmes of early childhood care and
education (ECCE), primary education, literacy and UEE.
6. Addressing the more difficult aspects of access, particularly to girls,
disadvantaged groups and out-of-school children.
7. Restructuring of teacher training in view of the changed strategies and
programmes.
8. Availing of external financial support for basic education.

9. Primary education: Low coverage, poor
quality
The really critical aspect of the Indian public
education system is its low quality. Even in
educationally advanced States, an unacceptably low
proportion of children who complete all grades of
primary school have functional literacy. Moreover,
the quality of `literates' of the school system is very
low. The actual quantity of schooling that children
experience and the quality of teaching they receive
are extremely insufficient to any mastery of basic
literacy and numeric skills. This seems to be true of
both the educationally more advanced States as well
as the educationally backward ones.

10. e-learning is using the Internet to
teach and learn, it includes
communication, student
submission of work, teacher to
student and student to student
communication, content delivery
and enrichment, using the
Internet as a research tool, and
using the Internet as a publishing
tool. E-Learning is a tool, like
writing and speaking, that is used
to teach and learn. The Internet
provides a huge array of evolving
tools that can enhance the
teaching process, selecting and
using these tools is E-learning.

11. 1. Eliminating time barriers in education for learners as well as teachers.
2. Eliminating geographical barriers as learners can log on from any place .
3. Asynchronous interaction is made possible leading to thoughtful and creative
interaction .
4. Enhanced group collaboration made possible via ICT .
5. New educational approaches can be used.
6. It can provide speedy dissemination of education to target disadvantaged
groups .
7. It offers the combination of education while balancing family and work life .
8. It enhances the international dimension of educational services .
9. It allows for just in time and just enough education for employees in
organizations.
10. It can also be used for activities like health campaigns and literacy
campaigns .