Democratizing Education: Lessons from India's Early 21st Century Reforms
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity & Governance (Right to Education Act, Constitutional Provisions), Social Justice & Governance (Key schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Samacheer Kalvi).
Mains:
GS Paper 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education, Human Resources; Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.
GS Paper 1: Salient features of Indian Society; Social empowerment.
Key Highlights from the News
Background: The article discusses major reforms in India's school education sector during the first decade of this century.
Key National Initiatives:
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): A central government scheme aimed at universal elementary education.
Right to Education (RTE Act): An act passed by Parliament.
Tamil Nadu Initiatives:
Samacheer Kalvi: An effort to implement a uniform curriculum across various school boards in the state.
Montessori-inspired methods: New teaching methods implemented in primary classes.
Main Arguments:
The main goal is to democratise education.
The need to expose educational inequalities (based on class, caste, gender, and region).
Declining learning levels are not just a result of a student's "ability," but also a consequence of lack of resources, teaching methods, and home environment. This refutes the simplistic argument of meritocracy.
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