1) The document summarizes the findings from a visit to villages in West Bengal to understand problems in primary education. It notes issues like poor infrastructure, low teacher attendance, and students failing basic math tests. 2) It then proposes a conceptual framework to address these issues with a holistic approach involving various stakeholders from government bodies to NGOs. Key aspects include institutional mobilization, innovative teaching techniques, and ensuring quality education reaches all. 3) Specific solutions discussed include grouping students by learning ability, integrating subjects into module-based learning, focusing on activity-based and applied learning beyond textbooks, and targeting support for disadvantaged groups and out-of-school children. NGO partnerships and monitoring are emphasized.

1. Team: Paanchvi Pass
IIT Kharagpur
September, 2013
Keshav Ratan
Arpan Ahuja
Vinayak Anand
Abhishek Garg
Anurag Ningwal
Stepping Stone
Enhancing the quality of primary education
पाांचवी पास

2. Stepping stone: Changing the landscape of primary education in India
To understand the problems ailing the education sector of the country, we decided to get a first hand experience by visiting
some villages in West Bengal. Our travels and research present the following snapshot of the state of primary education in India
2 small classrooms
Students sitting on
verandah
Damaged building Poor attendance Dearth of quality
 Over 99% of the 7.95 lakh teachers who appeared
for the latest central teacher eligibility test (CTET)
failed to clear the exam.
 40% of standard five students in rural India cannot
solve simple two-digit subtractions.
 A survey suggests that 95.2% of schools do not
meet the RTE infrastructure
 Teacher absence rate in India is about 25% in 2010
Alarming Facts
We realized that to cure the primary education of it’s quality ailments we need a holistic approach. In the following pages we have
proposed solution to the issues. The framework proposes changes in existing practices and introduces concepts which can
revolutionize the primary education in India. We need complete harmony in administration (body), education ideology (mind) and
quality of education for children (soul) as it was rightly said;
“ Nothing turn out right so long as there is no harmony between body, mind & soul” – Mahatma Gandhi
0
10
20
30
40
Illitrate Below Primary* Primary*
% illiteracy
Rural Urban Total
28%
72%
Girl dropout rate in India,
Source( SSA report)*On the basis of age group (Source: SSA report)
% dropout
% retention

3. Approach of our solution: a conceptual framework
Human, Technology, Infrastructure
o Involving Gram panchayat
in school management
o Making SMC more
powerful and responsible
o Integrating efforts form
top to ground level
o Teacher training
framework with support of
NGOs
o Innovative teaching
techniques
o Curriculum redesigning
o Awareness campaign by
integrating mid-day meal
scheme with MNREGA
o Effective integrated
measures for special
attention groups
Universalizing quality
education
Quality Net enrollment
Quality Enhancement
Expanding educational
reach
Institutional mobilization
Govt. Bodies Gram Panchayat SMC* Teachers NGOs
Institution
Political & Ideological framework
Economic structure
* School Management Committee
 M.V. Foundation, Andhra Pradesh
 Pratham Mumbai Education Initiative, Maharashtra
 Bodh Siksha Samiti, Rajeshthan
 Rishi Valley Rural education Centre, Andhra Pradesh
 Eklavya, Madhya Pradesh
 Centre for education management & development,
New Delhi
Major NGOs working in field of Education

4. Converting burden
into support
Come to school - repeat with teacher - see them solving a few problems - write homework - pack and carry your bag to home:
This is the state of classroom teaching in India, which leads to
Promotion of rote learning Disadvantage for children not able to learn at home Impediment for overall child development
Class
distribution
in three
groups
Group1
Students
requiring
partial
attention
Group2
Students
requiring
constant
teacher
attention
Group3
Students
requiring
very little
attention
Encourages
• Group activity
• Interaction and discussion based learning
• Bonding transcending social boundaries
Focus
• On each child according to his needs
• Attention on slow learners and learning disabilities
• On easy to implement methods of greater classroom learning
Reduces
• Burden on teacher
• Children left behind due to fast teaching speed
• Stress on children
Proposed Solution Benefits
Challenges and mitigation factors
Groups based on factors other than learning ability like caste etc.
• In teachers interest to distribute groups based on ability as
performance and hence teacher’s benefit suffers otherwise.
• Empowering SCM to prevent such activities.
No interaction between different groups
• Periodical reorganization of groups
• During activity based learning exercises which require groups, teacher
should constitute mixed groups.
Classroom Management

5. Course Curriculum & Content
Current curriculum pattern is estranged from practical learning. The methodology has a net result of children
acting only as receptors and losing their creativity. Only effort from their side is of memorization and hence
both children & parents fail to figure out the utility of education.
• Integrating I-V grade curriculum into module wise package combining all subjects
• Instead of textbook learning, focus on activity based learning (ABL) and Innovative teaching techniques.
• Health, sanitation, livelihood & moral education should be made an integral part of the course curriculum
• Transition from government prescribed Minimum levels of learning (MLL) based only on scholastic
achievement to both cognitive and non-cognitive attainment.
Content
driven
Objective
driven
Process
driven
Teaching
philosophy followed
over years
Issue:
Proposed Solution:
Implementation Benefits Challenges & Mitigations
oCollaboration with NGOs for
teacher training, development
and distribution of teaching
aids like charts, cards, 3D-
models etc.
oGuidelines for Curriculum at
state level & finalization at
district level
oInstallation of computers and
distribution of digital learning
material by Government
oBetter understanding and
retention of lessons
oLearn while playing with
models makes school an
attractive place
oImprovement in living standard
due to increased awareness
about health and sanitation.
oHolistic assessment approach
ensures quality learning and
personality development
oEnsuring timely availability,
distribution and maintenance
of learning material
oSchool Management
Committee should be made
responsible
oTraining teachers with
traditional mindset
oEmploying young & motivated
teachers. Further discussed in
Teacher Training

6. Disadvantaged groups like Girl child, socially backward, religious minority and disabled children have high risk of dropping out or not enrolling. Narrow worldview
or oppression or just the physical difficulty like in case of disabled children cause high percentage of these groups to fall in “out of school children” category.
Encouragement of the girl child to
attend school through modification of
curriculum, infrastructure, teacher
training, pedagogy, classroom activities
to take cognizance of the needs and
requirements of girl child.
Provision of special facilities like
transportation and wheelchairs to
disabled children and their parents to
encourage and incentivize them to
attend schools
Bringing socially backward and minority
classes within the fold of primary
education through community
involvement and inclusion of relevant
activities and topics in curriculum
o Use of SMC and village level records to reach out and convince parents by pointing out benefits of
education and its impact on betterment of day to day life as well as positive consequences for future
o Use of NGOs and programs like Mahila Samakhya – increase status of women in villages and for women
empowerment. Change in mindset will automatically lead to increase in attendance of girl child.
o By building separate toilets for boys and girls in schools to convince parents to send their daughters school
o Vocational courses like stitching for girl child to encourage parents to send girl child to school
Implementation and Impact
o Providing parents of disabled children with cycles and provision of wheelchairs and tricycles or prosthetic
body parts to children as an incentive for parents to send children to school.
o Solve the problem of transportation as parents can transport children or children can travel themselves
o Change the mindset of parents so that they don’t see their child as a burden by providing the parents with
cycles
o Forming a committee consisting of religious leaders, community elders for each broad disadvantaged group
to encourage parents to send children to school
o Marketing campaign featuring film and sports stars of all communities on the lines of polio campaign
encouraging parents from backward communities to send their children to school
o Removing barriers like bias in classrooms by teacher training and regular inspections of schools along with
special measures for different religious communities like dedicated prayer spaces for Muslim children,
discussion and celebration of different communities and religions etc.
Challenges and
mitigation factors
•Religious and cultural limitations to education of girl child
•Performance of household chores by child disrupted due
to education
•Prevalence of Madrasa and religious education
•Help of community leaders and women leaders to spread awareness for
education of girl child
•Use of SMC to convey the utility of education to child’s future and present
•Bringing religious learning institutes within the ambit of SSA and RTE
Special Attention Groups

7. Out of School Children
India has one of the largest population of “out of school children” in the world. These children are either dropouts or have never enrolled due to factors like
poverty, lack of access, parental neglect, societal factors etc. It is imperative for the future of the country to bring these children in the fold of primary
education.
Preference for mid day meal
scheme job to parents of our
of school children to
incentivize the parents to sent
their children to school
School on wheels for
remote areas
Tracking and
enrolling migrant
children in
residential or non-
residential bridge
courses
Institutionalizing the work
done by NGOs in bridging
courses and integrating
NGOs to become a partner Flexible school timings in
sowing and harvesting
seasons
Inclusion of topics like farm
techniques and animal husbandry
to convince the parents about
utility of education for day to day
activities of the child
Stronger enforcement
of child labor
prevention laws to
discourage parents
withdrawing their
wards from school.
Tasking SMC to locate and
encourage out of school
children within their area to
come to school
Track
Convince
Incentivize
Make aware
Challenges
oTracking out of school children especially in case of
migration
oTime flexibility might not suit teachers and other staff
oReaching guardian less and homeless children
Mitigation Factors
oUse of social mapping and NGOs along with SMC to
create record of all migrant children population within a
village
oProviding residential facilities to teachers for seasons
during which flexible timing approach applied.
oProviding homeless children with residential bridging
courses and residential schools which have to be
established in each block
26%
32.50%14.50%
27%
Financial problem
Working
School environment
Other
Children out of school due to ..

8. Solving The Teacher Equation
The problems which plague the teaching profession in primary schools are one of the most intractable and complex issues that confront the education sector.
Most prominent of them are teacher shortages, large scale absenteeism, lack of proper training and no incentive for good performance among others.
• Large scale modern teacher training
• Innovative ways to hiring new
teachers
• Empowering local community to
tackle absenteeism
• Promoting a sense of pride in
Teaching profession through ad
campaigns
•Lack of motivation
•Unavailability of manpower.
•Lack of oversight
•Opposition over
performance pay by unions
•Incentives and pride in
teaching by ad campaigns
•Setting up teacher
education institutes.
•Empowering SMC for
oversight
Shortage
Absenteeism
Incentive
Training
“TEACH INDIA”
Campaign
State and
District
committees
for training
Block
Institution for
Teacher
Education
Cluster
Resource
Center
Structural Hierarchy of Training
Good
Performance
: Better Pay
o Empowering SMC
o Performance based pay to
incentivize teachers
o Building infrastructure
like separate bathrooms
for teachers.
o Residential quarters for
teachers in remote areas
o Hiring local teachers to
solve problem of
commuting
o Training experienced teachers to
become teacher trainers.
o Activity based training of teachers to
encourage them to adopt activity
based learning techniques
o Learning from teacher’s experience and
integrating teacher suggestions into
training
o Training teachers to remove inherent
bias regarding caste, sex etc.
o Structured use of NGOs in this area
o Training of new teachers at two levels-
training by experienced teachers of
same school along with regular teacher
training
o Performance based pay – bonus for genuine improvement in children’s learning
o Performance assessment – Child’s scholastic achievements, teacher’s integration of training in
teaching activity and recommendations of SMC
o Surprise tests, all-round development of child, low teacher absenteeism attested by SMC, integration
of new techniques in teaching –comprehensive framework to determine bonus for teacher
o Overall bonus less than 5% of salary but still shows huge improvement
o Hiring of local unqualified teachers and educating them through correspondence courses.
o Provision of government scholarships for students willing to become teachers after graduation
o Higher pay grade for teaching in rural and remote areas
o Hiring of unemployed educated females as teachers solving problem of requirement of female
teachers in primary schools as well as utilization of willfully unemployed female workforce
Teacher
training

9. Taking education to the family
oEmploying mothers of
children studying in
school as cooks under
MNREGA for mid-day
meals
oAppointment for a
period of 2 years after
which a new group
should be selected
oAppointments are
made by SMC,
considering proper
demographic
representation
oThe mother should be
educated about the
benefits of education
oIn case of an illiterate
woman she can be
given basic education
oA block level
committee should be
formed to oversee the
implementation of the
scheme with support
of NGOs
oThe mother would
campaign about the
benefits of quality
education, and carry
the ideas of Right to
Education
oExpected to
strengthen the
enrollment drive &
regular attendance of
children
While understanding the problems of primary education we found that lack of awareness and motivation is a key issue. Almost all
solutions rest on the premises of awareness. The best way of spreading awareness and implementing the real target can be
through mother of the child studying at primary level. We propose linking cooks in mid-day meal scheme to creating awareness.
Benefits
• Improvement in quality and nutritional value of cooked food
• Word of mouth is very strong in village and thus awareness would
increase quickly
Challenges
• Ensuring that mothers carry out campaign
• Proper demographic distribution of cooks for effective coverage
Mitigation
• Incentivize campaign by extra payment if the enrollment and
attendance increases
• The appointment should be coordinated by block office and school
management committee

10. Functionality of our model
District
Headquarter
Block Office
School
management
committee
Non-
Government
Organization
o Distribution and
accounting of
funds for primary
education.
o Co-ordinating
with Block offices
for regular
inspections of
schools
o Mapping all
demographic
constituents of
the block to
assess the need
of new schools &
identify special
attention areas
o Identification of
NGOs active in
the region in
education field
o Responsible for
operating a
center for quality
enhancement#
oConstitutes of
Principal, Block level
officer, member of
Panchayat, teachers,
parents*, educated
village elders,
Members of NGO (if
available)
oResponsible for
functionality of
school:
 Mid-day meal
 Teacher
absenteeism
 Study materials &
special needs of
children
oIncorporating effective
and innovative
methodologies of
teacher training by
NGOs
o Preparation of digital
study material that is
suitable for the region
oYoung bodies of NGOs
can act as community
mobilizers or leaders for
creating awareness
oProcurement &
distribution of study
materials & support
systems for disabled
wherever possible
*75% members of the SMC from the parents/ guardians. From them 50% will be women. Weaker sections will be represented in the SMC in proportion to their population in the
village. Rest one fourth (25%) will be as; (1/3rd local authorities; 1/3rd school teachers; 1/3rd academicians/ students} as per RTE.
# Teacher training, preparation of teaching aids, inspection and record maintenance
Community
Parents
Teachers
Student
NGOs
SMC
Government
Administration
A complex net of stakeholder helping each other

11. Financial Outlay
•The provision of having Mothers as cooks will be covered under the financial ambit of
MNREGA
•This will channelize the funds of MNREGA for overall betterment of society
Mid-day meal
•The plan of supplying cycles, wheelchairs, prosthetic body parts to family of differently
abled children will be financially covered under MP Local Area Development Scheme
and existing financial support for these children under RTE and SSA
•Hiring of teachers for teaching craft works to girl child can be funded by Ministry of
Women & Child development
Special attention
groups
•Funds given to NGOs and SMC for development has to be covered by Ministry of Human
Resource & DevelopmentNGOs & SMC
•Our ideas for teacher training require re-channelization of funds currently employed for
teacher development and remuneration in a better and more effective way
•Additional funds required can be sourced by International donor organizations & NGOs
Teacher Training
& hiring
Massive requirement of funds is envisaged for implementation of provisions of RTE. Our model will require limited reorganization of funds
allocated to effectuate RTE. In some provisions are beyond the scope of RTE then the funds can be procured as follows.

12. Reference
 Culture and Classroom Reform in India by Prema Clarke
 The role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Primary Education: A study of Six NGOs in
India by Shanti Jagannathan
 The World Bank
 Report of the committee on Implementation of the right of the committee on
Implementation of The Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education Act,2009 and the
resultant revamp of Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan. Ministry of Human resource and Development
 'NALI-KALI' : Innovations in Primary Education in Karnataka
 Girls’ education: towards a better future for all Department of International Development
 Out of School Children : A collection of case study of good practices adopted by States for
different categories of out-of school under AIE component of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
 Educational inequality in rural and urban India by Tushar Agarwal
 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)