Elementary Education
Content
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
“Instead of wasting the resources in educating all up to the elementary level, the country should aim at providing higher and technical education to those who have the right aptitude, as there would be no gains by educating millions of people only up to the elementary level.” Give arguments For and Against this view. One of the areas in which the performance of India has been below expectations is literacy. Even after more than five decades of economic planning in the post independence era, about 35 per cent of the total population in India is still illiterate. The performance in the field of female literacy, in particular, has been dismal, with over 45 per cent of them still being unable to read and write. But at the same time, India has the distinction of having the largest scientific manpower in the world. The country also has the largest number of graduates, as well as software professionals. It is mainly this section of the educated and technically and professionally qualified manpower which has contributed towards rapid economic growth of Indian economy in the recent years. With a view to improve its record in the field of literacy, the country launched an ambitious campaign called “Sarv Siksha Abhiyan”, which aims at providing at least elementary education (8th Standard) to all. Emphasis are also on checking the drop outs from the primary and elementary schools. But many feel that such a campaign is a national waste and the country should concentrate only on providing technical and professional education to those who have the required aptitude and the intellect. Arguments For the View (a) Majority of the children to be covered in the campaign for universalisation of elementary education would be those who would leave studies after 8th standard. Such limited education would neither be of any use to the individual nor to the country. (b) A person with 8th pass qualification has no technical or employable skills and would remain an unskilled worker. It would be appropriate to concentrate on improving the vocational as well as technical education so that the students have some employable skills. (c) India is a developing economy and the economic resources are limited. Available resources must be utilised optimally in such a manner as to have the maximum benefit for the economy. Hence, it would be better to improve the higher education, particularly the technical and professional education. (d) Higher education has been the strength of Indian economy in the recent past. Rather than wasting resources on elementary education, India must consolidate its gains in this regard, lest the other developing countries like China and South Korea overtake it. Arguments Against the View (a) Most of the developed countries in the world have literacy rate of over 90 per cent. Most of the developing countries also have better literacy rate than India. It is thus imperative that the literacy rate is pushed up to near 90 per cent level in India also. (b) India is the largest democracy in the world and the Indian Constitution has enshrined several novel features like the Fundamental Right, Fundamental Duties and the Directive Principles of the State Policy. These provisions would be fruitful only when the Indian citizens are able to understand them. This would come only with at least elementary
education. (c)?No society can be considered socially developed if 35 per cent of its population cannot read or write. For proper growth of Indian society, it is important that all its citizens have education at least up to the elementary level. (d) Elementary education lays the foundation for good higher, technical and professional education. Hence, without undermining the importance of higher education, good elementary education is a must.
“Instead of wasting the resources in educating all up to the elementary level, the country should aim at providing higher and technical education to those who have the right aptitude, as there would be no gains by educating millions of people only up to the elementary level.” Give arguments For and Against this view. One of the areas in which the performance of India has been below expectations is literacy. Even after more than five decades of economic planning in the post independence era, about 35 per cent of the total population in India is still illiterate. The performance in the field of female literacy, in particular, has been dismal, with over 45 per cent of them still being unable to read and write. But at the same time, India has the distinction of having the largest scientific manpower in the world. The country also has the largest number of graduates, as well as software professionals. It is mainly this section of the educated and technically and professionally qualified manpower which has contributed towards rapid economic growth of Indian economy in the recent years. With a view to improve its record in the field of literacy, the country launched an ambitious campaign called “Sarv Siksha Abhiyan”, which aims at providing at least elementary education (8th Standard) to all. Emphasis are also on checking the drop outs from the primary and elementary schools. But many feel that such a campaign is a national waste and the country should concentrate only on providing technical and professional education to those who have the required aptitude and the intellect. Arguments For the View (a) Majority of the children to be covered in the campaign for universalisation of elementary education would be those who would leave studies after 8th standard. Such limited education would neither be of any use to the individual nor to the country. (b) A person with 8th pass qualification has no technical or employable skills and would remain an unskilled worker. It would be appropriate to concentrate on improving the vocational as well as technical education so that the students have some employable skills. (c) India is a developing economy and the economic resources are limited. Available resources must be utilised optimally in such a manner as to have the maximum benefit for the economy. Hence, it would be better to improve the higher education, particularly the technical and professional education. (d) Higher education has been the strength of Indian economy in the recent past. Rather than wasting resources on elementary education, India must consolidate its gains in this regard, lest the other developing countries like China and South Korea overtake it. Arguments Against the View (a) Most of the developed countries in the world have literacy rate of over 90 per cent. Most of the developing countries also have better literacy rate than India. It is thus imperative that the literacy rate is pushed up to near 90 per cent level in India also. (b) India is the largest democracy in the world and the Indian Constitution has enshrined several novel features like the Fundamental Right, Fundamental Duties and the Directive Principles of the State Policy. These provisions would be fruitful only when the Indian citizens are able to understand them. This would come only with at least elementary
education. (c)?No society can be considered socially developed if 35 per cent of its population cannot read or write. For proper growth of Indian society, it is important that all its citizens have education at least up to the elementary level. (d) Elementary education lays the foundation for good higher, technical and professional education. Hence, without undermining the importance of higher education, good elementary education is a must.
