Contemporary India and Education

Course 2: Contemporary India and Education

Course Objectives:

The student-teachers will be able to

1. Understand the constitutional provisions for education and realizing it

2. Examine the issues and concerns related to universalization of secondary education

3. Analyze the strategies used for realization UEE and the outcomes of their implementation.

4. Realize the need and importance of equity and equality in education and the constitutional provisions for it.

5. Identify the various causes for inequality in schooling

6. Realize the importance of Right to Education and the provisions made for realizing it.

7. Understand the importance of indicators, standards and strategies for enhancement of quality in secondary schools

8. Understand the need and importance of education for peace and the national and international efforts towards it.

Unit-1: Constitutional Provisions and Education

a) Constitutional provisions of education

b) Policies and programmes for realizing the constitutional obligations

c) Universalization of Elementary education- issues and concerns, Role of SSA

d) Right to Education Act 2009

Unit-2: Universalization of Secondary Education

a) Concept, aims and problems of Secondary Education

b) Secondary Education Commission-1952-53, Indian Education Commission-1964-66- their recommendations on secondary education

c) Universalization of Secondary Education (USE)- Role of RMSA

d) Salient features of NPE 1986 Revised Education Policy 1992 and National Knowledge Commission (NKC) with reference to school education

Unit-3: Equity & Equality in Education

a) Meaning of Equality of Educational Opportunities

b) Constitutional provisions for ensuring equity

c) Nature and forms of inequality including dominant and minor groups, gender

d) Inequality in schooling: public-private schools; Rural-urban-tribal schools, and schools for differentially-abled 

Unit-4: Quality in education

a) ‘Quality education’- meaning and implications

b) Indicators of quality: related to learning environment, Student Outcomes

c) Quality education- its accreditation

d) Enhancement of quality in secondary schools

Unit-5: Peace Education

a) Concept of Peace; Peace as a dynamic Social Reality

b) Relevance of Peace: national and international contexts

c) Role of education in promotion of peace: implications for pedagogy

d) Teacher role in promoting peace

Sessional Work

• Assignment (Any two of the following) (Concerned teacher can devise assignment as per requirement of the course)

1. Presentation on the reports and policies on USE

2. Analysis of school curriculum for integrating environmental concerns

3. Conduct surveys of various educational contexts (eg. Schools of different kinds) to identify various forms of inequality

4. Individual or group projects to visualize feasible school-based strategies for contributing to ‘peace’ and ‘environmental conservation’