Challenges in achieving

Universalisation of Education
Presented by,
Shalu Sundra,
Helciya Jebi,
Abacini J B,
Jenifa J R
Abila,
Department of English.
Introduction:
Universalization of elementary education denotes universalization
of provision, enrolment, retention, participation, and achievement.
The Right to Education Act, 2009 is regarded as the most
important develpoment.
Elementary education is a fundamental right of everychild, and it is
mandatory for children aged between 6-14 years. This helps to
ensure that the literacy rate does not go down.
Universalization of Elementary Education bascially evolves three
important things,
1. Universalisation of Provision
2. Universalisation of Enrollment
3. Universalisation of Retention
 Universalisation of Provision means that school
facilities should be provided to all the children
between the age of 6 to 14
Universalisation of Enrollment means that all the
children between the age of 6 to 14 must be enrolled.
Universalisation of Retention reveals a child who joins
primary school, he or she should remain there till he
or she completes all their primary education.
Challenges in achieving Universalization of
Education:
 Progress of the education system
 Literacy level in India 18.33%
in 1951, 74.4% in
2011.
 Number of Schools 0.23 million 1950-51,
1.28 million 2005-
2006.
 Gross Enrolment Ratio 32.1% 1950-51,
96.62% 2005-06.
 2007-08, Gross Enrolment Ratio in 6-14 age level. 114-61 at
primary level, 77.50 at
elemenary level.
 Pupil Teacher Ratio 46:1 at
primary level 35:1 at elementary level
10.22 lakh teachers were
recruited by December 2009.
The objectives of Sarva Shiksha Abiyan regarding all children complete
five years of primary schooling by 2007 and eight years of elementary
schooling by 2010 have not seen come into reality.
Drop out level in 2008-09
Primary level 24.93% Elementary level
42.25%
Shortage of trained teachers teachers will be one of the
major challenges in implementing the Act. There are over
12.6 lakh vacancies of teachers across the country.
53% schools followed prescribed norms regarding the
pupil teacher Ratio i.e. 1:30 under the Act in the year 2010.
Separate arrangement of toilets for the boys and girls is
an important component for motivating the children in
the school.But still in India 46% schools do not have such
facilities and as a result some parents are not willing to
sent their children to school.
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
conducted a base line survey all over the country and published its
report entitled ‘Learning Achievement of Class V Students: A
Baseline Study’ in 2006. This study tried to measure learning
achievement of the class 5 students across the country. Three
subjects like Enivronmental science (EVS), Mathematics and
language were chosen for the baseline study. In all India average,
the mean percentage of the achievement of Class V Students in the
three subjects i.e. EVS, mathematics and Language was 50.30, 46.51
and 58.57 respectively.
Many other challenges also create hurdle in making the
universalisation of elementary education.
 Parents in the low income group have the willingness to send
their children to work for adding to the family income rather
than to school. Early marriages, migration of people,
preferential attitude to the boys than the girls, taking care of
the siblings at home, lack of infrastructure in schools, single
teacher school and finances are some other responsible factors
for hindering the universalization of elementary education in
India.
Weak administrative policy is also responsible for wastage at
the elementary level. In school the prescribed rules are not
always stricty followed. Teachers remain absent from duty
without prior information.
Training is considered one of the most important in
terventions for smooth running of the education system and
it can help realize the universalization of elementary
education.
Even the recruitment procedure is also not
uniform across the country. Thus it is a right time for the
government to take the action for removing these barriers in
order to achieve the democratization of education. The
government is responsible for providing education to every
child up to the eight standard, free of cost, irrespective of
class and gender. It has paved the way for building a strong,
literate and empowered youth of this country.
Important problems of Universalization of
Education:
1. Faulty Policy of Government:
 The main cause for this is that the policy of Government was based on idealism.
 India is a Vast Country with a very large population. Money was too much in
shortage for implementation of so expensive a scheme of conversion of a large
number of Elementary schools.
2. Political Difficulties:
 Government of India has not been able to devote their full attention towards
education.
 Main reason is that since the attainment of Independence. Government had to
face the problems of food, of inimical neighbours, the problem of kashmir, the
problem of linguistic states etc…
 Those problems still exist and these problems have all along forced to allocate so
much money that Government has not been able to devote their due attention
for elementary education.
3 Faulty Administration of Education:
 In most of the states the responsibility of universal primary education is on the
authorities of Blocks, Municipalities and Educational Districts.
 The progress of expansion of primary education gets slow because of the indifference
and incapability of these institutions.
4 Dearth of money:
 Inadequacy of money is a serious problem that confronts primary schools.
 Income of the local institutions responsible for primary education is so much limited
that they are totally incapable of meeting the expenditure of compulsory education.
5 Dearth of Trained Teachers:
 There is shortage of trained teachers to make Elementory Education Universal and
Compulsory.
 Young teacher do not wish to work in rural areas.
 Salary of Primary teachers is hopelessly low.
6 Establishment and school Buildings:
 There are lakhs of villages and habitations without schools.
 4 lakhs schoolless villages in India which are to be given schools’
 It is not that easy to provide necessary funds for setting up Sucha large number of
schools with buildings and other equipment.
7 Unsuitable Curriculum:
 The Curriculum for primary schools is narrow and unsuitable to the local needs.
 Education of Craft should be given in the primary schools in accordance with the local
needs and requirements.
8 Wastage and Stagnation:
 Lack of educational atmosphere
 Undesirable environment
 Lack of devoted teachers
 Poor economic condition of parents
 Absence of proper equipment.
Solutions for the Problems in
universalisation of education
1. Solution of the Financial problem
2. Change in the Administrative System
3. Frimness in the Educational Policy
4. Provision of Teachers
5. Shift System
6. Special type of schools
7. Reforms in curriculum
8. Increase in the number of schools
9. Five year plans and people’s cooperation
10. Increase in teaching load
Conclusion:
If we annalyse the above mentioned
reasons, it will be clear that it is not practically
possible to achieve the goal of providing universal
education through formal education system of
education system of education alone.
Hence nonformal system of education
should be given due importance and implemented
throughout the country.
Reference
 Gnanam, & Shanmugaboopathi (2016). Contemporary
India and Education (1st Edition). Samritha
Publications. Pg: 47-50.
 www.slideshare.net/thna 1581981/ challenges-in-
achieving-universalisation-of-education.
 www.preservearticles,com/ education/ problems-of-
universalization-of-education-and-their-remedies/473
9.