MAJOR ISSUES IN EDUCATION-
dropout, stagnation,teacherabsenteeism
Introduction
'Education is not filling of a vessel , but the kindling of the flame.'
- Socrates
India has made great achievement in the economic sector
No doubt the impact of the growth is also seen in the education sector and a lot of reformations are also made in this sector . But it seems that this reforms are not enough to resolve the ever changing and ever existent education problems in India.The education problems in India are of sever concern , which can be ignored.Here I am focusing on the three major issues of Indian education.
ISSUES IN EDUCATION
1.DROPOUT
Dropout is someone who has left school or college before they have finished their studies.
Risk Factors
Poverty
Low education level of parents
Pattern of schooling.
Lack of preschooling experience.
Family background and domestic problems create an environment which negatively affects the value of education.
Students would dropout as a result of different factors such as poor comprehension , absenteeism, attitude and behaviour of the teacher and failure of repetition in the same class ......etc
Reason for dropout
Bad Influence:
Bad Influence on children is the most common reason for kids dropping out of school. Early or unlimited exposure to alcohol drugs internet and television can distract children from pursuing academic and initiate them into anti-social activities instead.
Academic difficulty
Inability to cope with the academic pressure is another reason for kids to drop out of school. Studies prove that kids who do not read proficiently by 4th grade are four times are likely to dropout school. Studies also reinstate the fact that students who fails in maths and English in the 8th grade are 75% more likely to dropout of High School.
Economic cause
It has been estimated that 65 % of the cause of dropout is due to economic reason. As the income of about 50% of our country is very love they have to depend on larming by their children. Poverty is directly responsible for wastage.
Social Causes
There are some backward classes like tribal people who does not take interest in , did not enjoy adequate social facilities because of their social setup.So, they are reluctant in keeping their child in school.
some of the parents are illiterate so they can't understand the importance of education. They are prejudist and steeped deep in ignorance. They don't realise that children's education are of vital importance.
some people are of orthodox and don't like girl's education. Such people withdraw their child's education from schools.
Girls help their mother at home therefore they are generally withdrawal from school process their mother in domestic affairs
Early marriage system is the another hurdle. Girls are married at their early age.Therefore , they can't continue their education.
Most of the scools are co-educational institutions .So the orthodox parents are don't like to send their daughters to the schools.
Educational causes
The the curriculum of education is not accordance with the real life of children.
Individual attention does not paid to the children.
The school environment does not meet the psychological needs children. so they are truent.
Teaching methods adopted in the school are due and boring.
Lack of interest of the teachers towards their job.
Fear of examination always remain in the mind of children. Because of their fear they develop repulsive attitude towards education.
The provisions for instructional materials are not adequate.
There is lack of healthy contact between parents and teachers. Most of the parent feels that education imparted for their children are useless. So they withdraw their students from the schools.
Deffective Administration
Illiteracy of the parents and gaurdians
Poor health
The health of a child greatly affects his learning ability and performance at school. Illness that occur during childhood and continue lifelong may curb a child's ability to complete school.
Disengagement
Many kids find Schols are boring .According to a study, almost 71 of students become disinterested in High School while they are in the 9th and 10th grades.
They prefer to go late to school skip classes and take long lunch breaks. The lack of interest often leads to dropping out of school.Some students find it difficult to connect with the teacher .The majority of students did not feel their teachers motivated them enough to work hard.
STAGNATION
According to Hartog committee, ' stagnation is the detention of a child in a lower class for a period of more than one year.'
Reasons for stagnation
Heavy and uninteresting curriculum
The children studying in the primary classes are mostly in the tender age group of 6 to 11 years and they have to study 5 subjects including arithmetic and science which are un interesting for the children of this tender age .So they find it difficult to complete this huge and unabsorbing curriculum within the prescribed period.They, therefore fall victim of stagnation
Absence of Definite admission rules
There are no definite rules regarding admission in primary classes .Any child of any age within the age group may seek admission in any class .The result is that there is no coordination and balance between one's age and mental development and consequently the child may have to repeat a year.
Unsuitable atmosphere and conditions
Mostly two different types of atmosphere are faced by the student when he gets admission in the class . The first is that of his family or locality and the second is that of the school which comprises of children of various families and different social strata. It is generally not possible for all the children to strike a balance between the two.
Physical weaknesses of studens
A healthy body pocess a healthy mind .Our children do not get a balanced diet as a result that the physical development gets retarded the mind and the memory, therefore do not develop to the desired effect.
Class and caste distinction prevailed in India former in Urban areas and later in rural areas.
Especially in the case of girls, the custom of early marriage stands as a bar.
There is an opposition to send grown up girls to school especially to the mixed schools without women teachers.
Co education of boys and girls in some places in looked with suspicion. And there is no separate provision of education for girls, deprivation of girls from schools leads to stag ation and dropout
Defective Educational system
Due to shortage of teachers,a teacher has generally to take many classes and teach various subjects under these circumstances it is simply a sorry to expect that the students will be able to complete their courses in time to lack of trainee teachers birth of educational material and suitable school buildings are some of the other causes responsible for stagnation in primary classes
Defectivey pattern of examination
Through the present examination system efforts are made to assess the knowledge gained by the student in a year within a few hours through some questions. Not the least importantce is attached to the work a student dose throughout the year
If due to any reason the student, despite knowing the subject matter , fail to answer in a particular fashion his entire years is lost and he once again has to repeat the class .Thus the prevailing system of examination, besides being full of defects, also helps to increase stagnation.
TEACHER ABSENTEEISM
A teacher is absent if he or she is not in attendance on a day in the regular School year when the teacher would otherwise be expected to the teaching students in an assigned class.This includes both days taken for sick leave and days taken for person leave Personal leave includes voluntary absence for reasons other than sick leave. Teacher absenteeism does not include administratively approved leave for professional development, field trips, or other off - camp activities..
Major reasons for teacher absenteesim
Inadequacy of teachers' coupled with high rate of teacher absenteeism renders the learning conditions in school from bad to worse.
Teachers remain absent /are not able to attend school for a number of reasons
Teachers are deployed for sometime not professional duties such as ;
Participation in elections to local bodies
State legislature and Parliament difference population census
Disaster relief duties
Polio drop campaigns
Preparing voters list
Animal and birds service
Below poverty line survey
Ration card verification
Generating awareness among people about leprosy
Preparing project activities to be conducted by different panchayats
Literacy campaigns.
Further teachers have to go to their Education Department for getting their leave sanctioned, GPF Advance seeking release of theit dues, annual increment , transfer ,to participate in meeting and departmental functions etc
The situation in education department is generally so bad and the teachers feel that unless they go personality, their case would not move .
Teachers are also required to undergo mandatory 20 days in service education and training every year
It has been observed that teachers and students are also required to receive high officials and VIPs.
Teachers are also required to participate in various awareness programmes.
All of the above mentioned reasons coupled with teacher's illness and their discharge responsibilities and social obligations etc increase teacher absence rates.
Further absents are higher during rainy season, extreme weather conditions, festivals,towards the end of the calendar year , harvesting period,festivals etc.
Remedies for reducing dropout and stagnation
(a)Increasing holding and attracting power of the school;
Attractive teaching i.e. adoption of improved method of teaching and techniques;
Attractive school building with well equipped furnitures;
Improvement of school campus i.e. neat, tidy and beautiful;
Provision of medical facility;
Parental indifference to education;
Use of audio-visual aids;
Reorganization of the curriculum;
Appointment of efficient and trained teachers;
Appointment of women teachers;
(b) Effective multiple class teaching.
(c) Seeking co-operation of the public, parents and guardians by organizing P.T.A.
(d) Fixed age limit for admission in the school;
(e) Regularity of admission in the school;
(f) Regularity in attendance;
(g) Introduction of an year of pre-school education;
(h) Adjustment of school schedule; Adjustment of school hours will be in such a way that on the one hand the children will be able to attend the school and on the other hand they will be able to help their parents in the farms or at homes.
(i) Introduction of the system of ungraded unit;
Abolition of the examination at the end of Class I. Teaching the first two classes as one teaching unit, within which each child can progress according to his own rate.
(j) Introduction of the improved technique of evaluation; Maintenance of systematic records, where the examination results of the pupils in different subjects, besides their performance in co-curricular activities, personal qualities, health information, attendance etc. will find place. These records will be taken into consideration at the time of class promotion. These records will help the teachers to judge the different aspects of the pupil’s personality.
(k) Teachers;
The lion’s share in reducing educational wastage goes to the teachers. If they are able to make continuous efforts to solve these problems which contribute to educational wastage, if they are able to improve their instructional programme, holding and attracting power of the school, evaluation system of the school, then and then only the extent of wastage can be reduced to a minimum after some years, if not completely eradicated.
Kothari Commission suggested the following programmes for reduction of wastage and stagnation;
(a) The provision of a school within easy distance from the home of every child;
(b) The enrolment of every child of the prescribed age into Class I of a school through propaganda, persuasion and even penal action if necessary;
(c) The retention of every enrolled child in school till he reaches the prescribed age or completes the prescribed course;
(d) Implementation of a programme of qualitative improvement of education because universal enrolment or retention depends very largely on the attracting power of the schools.
Remedies for refusing teacher absenteeism
a) Recruit individuals more likely to remain in teaching
Recruit individuals with higher initial commitment to teaching
Recruit more women teachers
Recruit individuals with stronger ties to their community.
(b) Strengthen teacher training.
Provide adequate pre-service teacher training and in-service training .
(с) Improve the financial rewards for those wh o enter teaching.
Increased government salary for teachers
Increase professional integration and involvement
(c) Implementation of teacher support groups
Involve teachers more effectively in curriculum and instructional materials development.
Provide professional seminars and conferences
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that a lot of improvements are needed, after seeing all these challenges. Our education system has to achieve the planned goals.
dropout, stagnation,teacherabsenteeism
Introduction
'Education is not filling of a vessel , but the kindling of the flame.'
- Socrates
India has made great achievement in the economic sector
No doubt the impact of the growth is also seen in the education sector and a lot of reformations are also made in this sector . But it seems that this reforms are not enough to resolve the ever changing and ever existent education problems in India.The education problems in India are of sever concern , which can be ignored.Here I am focusing on the three major issues of Indian education.
ISSUES IN EDUCATION
1.DROPOUT
Dropout is someone who has left school or college before they have finished their studies.
Risk Factors
Poverty
Low education level of parents
Pattern of schooling.
Lack of preschooling experience.
Family background and domestic problems create an environment which negatively affects the value of education.
Students would dropout as a result of different factors such as poor comprehension , absenteeism, attitude and behaviour of the teacher and failure of repetition in the same class ......etc
Reason for dropout
Bad Influence:
Bad Influence on children is the most common reason for kids dropping out of school. Early or unlimited exposure to alcohol drugs internet and television can distract children from pursuing academic and initiate them into anti-social activities instead.
Academic difficulty
Inability to cope with the academic pressure is another reason for kids to drop out of school. Studies prove that kids who do not read proficiently by 4th grade are four times are likely to dropout school. Studies also reinstate the fact that students who fails in maths and English in the 8th grade are 75% more likely to dropout of High School.
Economic cause
It has been estimated that 65 % of the cause of dropout is due to economic reason. As the income of about 50% of our country is very love they have to depend on larming by their children. Poverty is directly responsible for wastage.
Social Causes
There are some backward classes like tribal people who does not take interest in , did not enjoy adequate social facilities because of their social setup.So, they are reluctant in keeping their child in school.
some of the parents are illiterate so they can't understand the importance of education. They are prejudist and steeped deep in ignorance. They don't realise that children's education are of vital importance.
some people are of orthodox and don't like girl's education. Such people withdraw their child's education from schools.
Girls help their mother at home therefore they are generally withdrawal from school process their mother in domestic affairs
Early marriage system is the another hurdle. Girls are married at their early age.Therefore , they can't continue their education.
Most of the scools are co-educational institutions .So the orthodox parents are don't like to send their daughters to the schools.
Educational causes
The the curriculum of education is not accordance with the real life of children.
Individual attention does not paid to the children.
The school environment does not meet the psychological needs children. so they are truent.
Teaching methods adopted in the school are due and boring.
Lack of interest of the teachers towards their job.
Fear of examination always remain in the mind of children. Because of their fear they develop repulsive attitude towards education.
The provisions for instructional materials are not adequate.
There is lack of healthy contact between parents and teachers. Most of the parent feels that education imparted for their children are useless. So they withdraw their students from the schools.
Deffective Administration
Illiteracy of the parents and gaurdians
Poor health
The health of a child greatly affects his learning ability and performance at school. Illness that occur during childhood and continue lifelong may curb a child's ability to complete school.
Disengagement
Many kids find Schols are boring .According to a study, almost 71 of students become disinterested in High School while they are in the 9th and 10th grades.
They prefer to go late to school skip classes and take long lunch breaks. The lack of interest often leads to dropping out of school.Some students find it difficult to connect with the teacher .The majority of students did not feel their teachers motivated them enough to work hard.
STAGNATION
According to Hartog committee, ' stagnation is the detention of a child in a lower class for a period of more than one year.'
Reasons for stagnation
Heavy and uninteresting curriculum
The children studying in the primary classes are mostly in the tender age group of 6 to 11 years and they have to study 5 subjects including arithmetic and science which are un interesting for the children of this tender age .So they find it difficult to complete this huge and unabsorbing curriculum within the prescribed period.They, therefore fall victim of stagnation
Absence of Definite admission rules
There are no definite rules regarding admission in primary classes .Any child of any age within the age group may seek admission in any class .The result is that there is no coordination and balance between one's age and mental development and consequently the child may have to repeat a year.
Unsuitable atmosphere and conditions
Mostly two different types of atmosphere are faced by the student when he gets admission in the class . The first is that of his family or locality and the second is that of the school which comprises of children of various families and different social strata. It is generally not possible for all the children to strike a balance between the two.
Physical weaknesses of studens
A healthy body pocess a healthy mind .Our children do not get a balanced diet as a result that the physical development gets retarded the mind and the memory, therefore do not develop to the desired effect.
Class and caste distinction prevailed in India former in Urban areas and later in rural areas.
Especially in the case of girls, the custom of early marriage stands as a bar.
There is an opposition to send grown up girls to school especially to the mixed schools without women teachers.
Co education of boys and girls in some places in looked with suspicion. And there is no separate provision of education for girls, deprivation of girls from schools leads to stag ation and dropout
Defective Educational system
Due to shortage of teachers,a teacher has generally to take many classes and teach various subjects under these circumstances it is simply a sorry to expect that the students will be able to complete their courses in time to lack of trainee teachers birth of educational material and suitable school buildings are some of the other causes responsible for stagnation in primary classes
Defectivey pattern of examination
Through the present examination system efforts are made to assess the knowledge gained by the student in a year within a few hours through some questions. Not the least importantce is attached to the work a student dose throughout the year
If due to any reason the student, despite knowing the subject matter , fail to answer in a particular fashion his entire years is lost and he once again has to repeat the class .Thus the prevailing system of examination, besides being full of defects, also helps to increase stagnation.
TEACHER ABSENTEEISM
A teacher is absent if he or she is not in attendance on a day in the regular School year when the teacher would otherwise be expected to the teaching students in an assigned class.This includes both days taken for sick leave and days taken for person leave Personal leave includes voluntary absence for reasons other than sick leave. Teacher absenteeism does not include administratively approved leave for professional development, field trips, or other off - camp activities..
Major reasons for teacher absenteesim
Inadequacy of teachers' coupled with high rate of teacher absenteeism renders the learning conditions in school from bad to worse.
Teachers remain absent /are not able to attend school for a number of reasons
Teachers are deployed for sometime not professional duties such as ;
Participation in elections to local bodies
State legislature and Parliament difference population census
Disaster relief duties
Polio drop campaigns
Preparing voters list
Animal and birds service
Below poverty line survey
Ration card verification
Generating awareness among people about leprosy
Preparing project activities to be conducted by different panchayats
Literacy campaigns.
Further teachers have to go to their Education Department for getting their leave sanctioned, GPF Advance seeking release of theit dues, annual increment , transfer ,to participate in meeting and departmental functions etc
The situation in education department is generally so bad and the teachers feel that unless they go personality, their case would not move .
Teachers are also required to undergo mandatory 20 days in service education and training every year
It has been observed that teachers and students are also required to receive high officials and VIPs.
Teachers are also required to participate in various awareness programmes.
All of the above mentioned reasons coupled with teacher's illness and their discharge responsibilities and social obligations etc increase teacher absence rates.
Further absents are higher during rainy season, extreme weather conditions, festivals,towards the end of the calendar year , harvesting period,festivals etc.
Remedies for reducing dropout and stagnation
(a)Increasing holding and attracting power of the school;
Attractive teaching i.e. adoption of improved method of teaching and techniques;
Attractive school building with well equipped furnitures;
Improvement of school campus i.e. neat, tidy and beautiful;
Provision of medical facility;
Parental indifference to education;
Use of audio-visual aids;
Reorganization of the curriculum;
Appointment of efficient and trained teachers;
Appointment of women teachers;
(b) Effective multiple class teaching.
(c) Seeking co-operation of the public, parents and guardians by organizing P.T.A.
(d) Fixed age limit for admission in the school;
(e) Regularity of admission in the school;
(f) Regularity in attendance;
(g) Introduction of an year of pre-school education;
(h) Adjustment of school schedule; Adjustment of school hours will be in such a way that on the one hand the children will be able to attend the school and on the other hand they will be able to help their parents in the farms or at homes.
(i) Introduction of the system of ungraded unit;
Abolition of the examination at the end of Class I. Teaching the first two classes as one teaching unit, within which each child can progress according to his own rate.
(j) Introduction of the improved technique of evaluation; Maintenance of systematic records, where the examination results of the pupils in different subjects, besides their performance in co-curricular activities, personal qualities, health information, attendance etc. will find place. These records will be taken into consideration at the time of class promotion. These records will help the teachers to judge the different aspects of the pupil’s personality.
(k) Teachers;
The lion’s share in reducing educational wastage goes to the teachers. If they are able to make continuous efforts to solve these problems which contribute to educational wastage, if they are able to improve their instructional programme, holding and attracting power of the school, evaluation system of the school, then and then only the extent of wastage can be reduced to a minimum after some years, if not completely eradicated.
Kothari Commission suggested the following programmes for reduction of wastage and stagnation;
(a) The provision of a school within easy distance from the home of every child;
(b) The enrolment of every child of the prescribed age into Class I of a school through propaganda, persuasion and even penal action if necessary;
(c) The retention of every enrolled child in school till he reaches the prescribed age or completes the prescribed course;
(d) Implementation of a programme of qualitative improvement of education because universal enrolment or retention depends very largely on the attracting power of the schools.
Remedies for refusing teacher absenteeism
a) Recruit individuals more likely to remain in teaching
Recruit individuals with higher initial commitment to teaching
Recruit more women teachers
Recruit individuals with stronger ties to their community.
(b) Strengthen teacher training.
Provide adequate pre-service teacher training and in-service training .
(с) Improve the financial rewards for those wh o enter teaching.
Increased government salary for teachers
Increase professional integration and involvement
(c) Implementation of teacher support groups
Involve teachers more effectively in curriculum and instructional materials development.
Provide professional seminars and conferences
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that a lot of improvements are needed, after seeing all these challenges. Our education system has to achieve the planned goals.
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