QUALITY EDUCATION
Quality education
Grade-appropriate education for all boys and girls.
Poor quality education is leading to poor learning outcomes in India, ultimately pushing children out
of the education system and leaving them vulnerable to child labour, abuse and violence. Many classrooms continue to be characterized by teacher-centered rote learning, corporal punishment and discrimination.
Learning assessments show that many of those children who are in school are not learning the basics of literacy and numeracy or the additional knowledge and skills necessary for their all-round development as specified under the Right to Education Act.
Much remains to be done to ensure a child-friendly learning environment where all children benefit from gender-sensitive and inclusive classrooms, as well as the availability of improved water, sanitation and hygiene, and mid-day meal practices.
Every girl and boy in India has the fundamental right to quality education, an education one that helps them to acquire basic literacy and numeracy, enjoy learning without fear and feel valued and included irrespective of where they come from.
For the first time in 10 years, reading and arithmetic scores have improved in public funded schools at early grades (ASER 2016). In seven states (Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana and Uttarakhand) reading level has increased by 7 per cent at grade 3 level since 2014. This indicates that an increase in learning is possible but takes time.
Nevertheless, ASER 2018 showed that in grade 5 after more than four years of schooling, only half of all children could read a grade 2 level text fluently. The National Achievement Survey 2017 which was conducted for grades 3, 5 and 8 gave a similar picture with only 45.2 per cent of students achieving the targeted performance levels across all subjects and classes at the national level.
States such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh with large populations of children from scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and minority communities have the lowest scores. In the NAS 2017 girls scored slightly higher or at the same level as boys.
While governments both national and state have invested in large scale learning assessments, the challenge is in the use of assessment data for improving the delivery of education rather than letting it remain a simple data collection exercise.
Successful performance in school is supported by a wide range of abilities, attitudes and socio-emotional competencies, beyond traditional literacy and numeracy skills - life skills significantly contribute to learning and are an aspect of quality education.
While there is an understanding around the importance of life skills , there is a possible lack of alignment between traditional curricula and a life-skills learning agenda and a lack of understanding of how these can be developed across the education continuum. The NEP brings this focus stressing the importance of learning by doing.
Since March 2020, schools in India have been closed and learning has shifted to remote home-based learning for those who can access it. School closures will impact learning across the education system. Gains in enrolment, school completion, and learning must not get eroded due to the combination of schools being closed and socio-economic hardships related to Covid-19.
According to the World Bank, five months of school closures due to COVID-19 will result in an immediate loss of 0.6 years of schooling adjusted for quality, bringing the effective learning that a student can achieve down from 7.9 years to 7.3 years.
During this period of school closure, efforts have been made by governments to ensure continuity of learning for children while they have been home. Digital tools including internet based high tech tools like apps and online learning classes, social media platforms, television and radio were used extensively.
India is now looking at delivering education programmes differently and speedily to employ solutions that accelerate impact and achieve scale across interventions targeted at children and adolescents.
COVID-19 presents urgency as well as an incredible opportunity to act and transform the education system through technology using it as an important tool of capacity building, inclusiveness and quality learning, without replacing the essential role of teachers/facilitators. While technology is not a silver bullet to solve the problem of inequities in access and learning, it has huge potential for changing how teaching and learning is delivered in India, if employed in a systemic and inclusive way, empowering teachers, frontline workers, children and adolescents and increasing access to and quality of learning.
Currently around one-third of the 2.6 million secondary schools in India have ICT labs and a functional computer. Universal access to technology in homes is yet a dream in tribal belts, interior locations, rural areas, and amongst children with disabilities. Children with poor or no access to technology face most challenges in continuing to learn. There is disproportional access to the internet across states, further extending into the rural-urban schism, where 13 per cent people over five years of age in rural areas can use the internet against 37 per cent in urban areas.
Additionally, the digital dichotomy extends to the access to hardware and devices where the poorest students and marginalized communities, including girls, do not have access to smartphones, and even if they do, internet connectivity remains poor.
The main area of UNICEF engagement and support is elementary education especially early grades and the transition to secondary education. As schools remain closed and children learn remotely, UNICEF will engage with the state government for expanding access to remote learning options.
UNICEF will support the expanded use of technology and the use of online systems to improve governance in education, enhance capacity of teachers, teacher support systems, other education functionaries and participation of children for enhanced learning and skills development. But at the same time recognizing that quality learning requires quality teachers and teaching.
Implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 being a priority UNICEF will provide technical support at national and state level in the key areas related to curriculum revision, learning assessment and reporting, foundational learning, life skills and career guidance
Link : https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/quality-education
The Question :
1. decide a group of 2 or 3 participants whose members choose the article from the same topic
2. each participant observe their article related to the topic they select
3. discuss and learn what its topic and articles presented
4. type the keywords that the articles discussed.
The Answer :
The article highlights and discusses the detrimental impact of poor-quality education on learning outcomes in India, leading to the increased risk of children dropping out and facing vulnerabilities such as child labor, abuse, and violence. It underscores the persisting issues in classrooms, including rote learning, corporal punishment, and discrimination. Learning assessments reveal deficiencies in literacy and numeracy skills, emphasizing the need for a child-friendly environment, gender-sensitive classrooms, and improved facilities. The article also discusses the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures, and the potential of technology to transform education while recognizing the disparities in access to digital tools.
In analyzing the presented information, key themes emerge, such as the urgent need for quality education, the impact of socio-economic factors on learning, and the potential role of technology in addressing educational challenges. The National Education Policy 2020 is highlighted as a crucial initiative, emphasizing a focus on life skills and practical learning. The article emphasizes the role of UNICEF in supporting elementary education, remote learning, and the importance of maintaining quality teaching amidst technological advancements. Overall, the discussion revolves around the multifaceted challenges faced by the education system in India and the opportunities presented for transformative change.
Key Words:
1. Quality Education
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Child Vulnerability
4. COVID-19 Impact
5. Gender-sensitive Classrooms
6. National Education Policy 2020
7. Technology in Education
8. UNICEF Engagement
9. Socio-economic Hardships
10. Inclusive Learning
This activity need collaboration with peers/ partners in group. You have the chance to read, ask and vice verse to friend on different topics.
From the article you have selected on SDG's topics, do the tasks below.
1. Compose 5 questions related to the article and possible answer.
2. Read out to your parner and ask the 5 questions to her/him
3. Have the questions answered.
The Question
1. What are some of the challenges discussed in the article regarding the state of education in India?
2. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the education system, and what potential consequences are mentioned?
3. According to the article, what improvements have been observed in reading and arithmetic scores, and in which states?
4. How is technology viewed in addressing the challenges in the education system, and what challenges are associated with its implementation?
5. What is the main focus of UNICEF's engagement in education, especially during school closures, and what strategies does it plan to employ?
The Answer :
1. The challenges include rote learning, corporal punishment, and discrimination in classrooms.
2. The pandemic led to school closures and a shift to remote learning, with potential consequences such as a loss of effective learning.
3. Reading levels have increased by 7% at grade 3 in states like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, and Uttarakhand.
4. Technology is seen as an opportunity for transformative change, but challenges include unequal access, especially in rural areas.
5. UNICEF focuses on elementary education, and during closures, it aims to expand access to remote learning options.
My friends Answer :
1. Another challenge highlighted is the deficiency in literacy and numeracy skills among school children.
2. Gains in enrollment and school completion may be eroded due to the combination of school closures and socio-economic hardships related to COVID-19.
3. This improvement indicates that learning is possible but takes time.
4. The article suggests that technology, if employed in a systemic and inclusive way, can empower teachers and increase access to quality learning.
5. Additionally, UNICEF plans to support the use of technology and online systems to enhance governance and the capacity of teachers for improved learning and skills development.
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