Constitutional Provisions in Elementary Education

Constitutional Provisions in Elementary
Education
Article 45 – “The state shall endeavour to provide within a period of 10 years from the
commencement of the Constitution free and compulsory primary education for all children
until they complete the age of 14 years”
Article 46 – “The state shall promote with special care the educational and economic
interests of the weaker sections of the people, and in particular, of the SCs and STs”
Education
Article 29(2) – “No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution
maintained by the state or receiving aid out of State fund on grounds of religion, race, caste,
language or any of them "
Article 30(1) enjoins that "all minorities, whether based on religion or language shall have
the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice,"
Education
Article 30(2) - “The State shall not, in granting aid to
educational institutions, discriminate against any
educational institution on the ground that it is under
the management of a minority whether based on
religion or language."
Article 350-(A) - “It shall be the endeavor of every
state and of every local authority within the State to
provide adequate facilities for instructions in the
mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to
children belonging to linguistic minority group."
Education
The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution of 1976 has
put education in the Concurrent List and empowered
the Indian Parliament with the authority to legislate on
education concurrently with the States.
The 73rd and 74th Amendment to the Constitution
provided for decentralization of school education and
entrusts primary education to Panchayati Raj
Institutions and Urban Area committees so that the
participatory and interactive management for primary
education could be evolved.
Education
The Central Government on 28th July 1997 introduced 83rd constitutional amendment in
Rajya Sabha proposing to make elementary education as the fundamental right of the child.
The Constitution of India was amended in 2002 to make Elementary Education a

justiciable Fundamental Right.
www.schoolofeducators.com
National Policy on Education, 1968
“Strenuous efforts should be made for early fulfillment of the Directive Principle under
Article 45.
Reiterated the resolve that "by 1995, all children will be provided free and compulsory
education up to 14 years of age."
Education
The Central Government on 28th July 1997 introduced 83rd constitutional amendment in
Rajya Sabha proposing to make elementary education as the fundamental right of the child.

Approaches and Strategies
Ist Plan (1951-56)
To provide educational facilities to at least 60% of all children

of the school-going age within the age-group of 6-14.
IInd Plan (1956-61)
The emphasis was on linking education with economic

development. It also advocated for expansion of basic and
elementary education.
IIIrd Plan (1961–66)

The main emphasis was on the provision of facilities for universal
elementary education for all children in the age-group 6-11 on basic line.
There was also a special concentration on the education of girls and to
reduce the existing disparities in the level of development in education boys
and girls.

Annual Plans (1966–69)- No change in the approach
IVth Plan (1969–74)

Educational Programme in the IVth plan were related to social and
economic objectives of the country.
It was a prospective plan based on Manpower needs, social demand and
the availability of financial, material and human resources.
Vth Plan (1974-79)

* Very high priority was given to elementary education and
adequate provision was made for additional enrolment.

* Provisions for curricular orientation, work experience and
strengthen of educational institution for teachers.

Annual Plan (1979-80)
VIth Plan (1980-85)

• Highest priority to programme of UEE to continue as a part of
minimum needs programme.
• To achieve UPE in the next 5 years

* The approach to UEE was to cover
i) intensified uses of existing facilities, including the adjustment of
schooling hours which would not be more than 3 hours a day
according to local conditions,
ii) provision of new facilities which would be economically viable and
educationally relevant, and
iii) promotion of non-formal system of learning.
Approaches *and
were
Strategies
Schemes which were taken up,

 i) Accepting the principle of
average attendance to overcome
wastage and stagnation,
 ii) Ensuring that a school is
available to a child within 1.5
Kms in a town and within 6 Kms
in a village,
 iii) Laying emphasis upon
compulsory enrolment,
 iv) Bringing about the expansion
of part-time informal education,
and
 v) Eradication of regional
imbalances.
VIIth Plan (1985-90)

 Highest priority to realising UEE for children in the age-group of 6-
14 years by 1990.
 Emphasis shifted from mere enrolment to retention and attainment of

basic elements of learning.
These objectives were to be achieved through formal and non-formal

methods focusing sharply on the needs of girls and the children
belonging to economically and socially weaker sections.
Annual Plans (1990-92)
VIIIth Plan (1992-97)
Highest priority to universalisation of free and compulsory
education upto the age of 14.
Reduction of disparities in access among states and within

states, between boys and girls and among different segments of
the population and
Improving the retention and achievement of children of the

relevant age-group.
To provide alternative channels for education to children of
deprived sections and working children.
Reduction of drop-outs particularly among girls and children
belonging to SCs, STs and other economically and socially
disadvantaged communities.
Programmes/Schemes
 A national programme of mid-day meals was started in August, 1995
to promote access, retention and nutritional care of primary schools.
 Improvement in the quality of schooling and achievement levels of
children enrolled in schools was attempted through the introduction of
minimum levels of learning (MLL) and enhancement of infrastructure
facilities.

Operation Black Board (1987), National Programme of Nutritional
Support (1995), District Primary Education Programme (1994), Bihar
Education Project (1991), UP Basic Education Project, Mahila
Samakhya, Lok Jumbish, Shiksha Karmi
IXth Plan (1997-2002)

“We are committed to a total eradication of illiteracy. We will formulate
and implement plans to gradually increase the governmental and non-
governmental spending on education upto 6% of the GDP; this is to
provide education for all. We will implement the constitutional provision
of making primary education free and compulsory upto 5 th standard.
Our aim is to move towards equal access to and opportunity of
educational standards upto the school-learning stage. We shall strive to
improve the quality of education at all levels – from primary level to our
universities.”
Strategy
i) the national goal of providing primary education as a universal basic service,
ii) the Supreme Court judgement declaring education to be a fundamental right
for children upto 14 years of age,
iii) the need to operationalise programmes through Panchayat Raj institutions
(PRIS) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs),
iv) the legal embargo on child-labour,
v) the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, and
heightened awareness of human rights violations in respect of women,
children and persons from disadvantaged sections of society.
Issues in Ninth Plan

 I) backlog of un-enrolled children (142 millions out of which 69 million were girls)
 ii) dropout rate & wide inter-state disparities (38.95 at primary)
 iii) 16.6 per cent habitations were not served by primary schools within a distance of one
km.
 iv) lack of physical infrastructures like toilet facilities for girls, drinking water facilities
in schools, teaching-learning equipment etc.,
 v) evaluation studies on childrens’ achievement show low levels in language and
mathematics.
 vi) There are also regional disparities
vii) Equity concerns like low enrolment of girls, educational requirements of special
need groups like SCs/STs, OBCs, minorities, disabled & working children, children from
disadvantaged locations like deserts, hilly, coastal and deep forest areas and children
from migratory families etc.
Elementary Education in the
Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07)
 Approaches
Approaches to achieve the goal of universal elementary education in the years
to come have to measure the magnitude and complexity of the task, which has so far
remained incomplete. Efforts to pursue this goal are guided by three broad concerns:
Elementary Education in the

The national resolve to provide free and compulsory education of
satisfactory quality to all children up to the age of 14 years;
The political commitment to make the right to elementary education a
Fundamental Right and enforcing it through necessary statutory
measures; and
 Enactment of 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment which has set

the stage for greater decentralisation and s significantly enhanced role
for local bodies, community organisations as well as voluntary
agencies in the efforts towards UEE.
Targets in Elementary Education in the
•Universal Access
•(a) All children (age groups 6-11 and 11-14) should have access to primary
schools, upper primary schools or their alternatives within the walking distance
of one kilometer and three kilometers respectively.
•(b) Universal access to early childhood care and education centers for all
children of 3-6 years of age;
•(c) Need based expansion of upper primary education facilities, particularly
for disadvantaged section. There should be one upper primary school for every
two primary schools;
•(d) All schools should have buildings, toilets, drinking water, electrification,
playground, black boards and other basic facilities; and
•(e) Provision of one classroom for every teacher at elementary stage.
Universal Enrolment
(a) Enrolment of all children in schools or other alternatives by 2003; and

(b) All children complete five years of primary schooling by 2007; and
(c) All children complete eight years of schooling by 2010
Universal Retention
(a) Universal retention in primary cycle by 2007 and in upper primary level by
2010; and
(b) Dropout rate to be reduced to less than 10 percent for grades VI-VII by 2007
Universal Achievement
• Improve all aspects of quality of education (content and process) to ensure
reasonable learning outcomes at elementary level, especially in literacy,
numeracy and in life skills.
Equity
Bridge all gender and social gaps in enrolment,

retention and learning achievement in primary cycle by
2007. In upper primary it should be reduced to less
than 5% by 2007
Special interventions and strategies to include girls,
SC/ST children, working children, children with special
needs, urban deprived children, children from minority
groups, children below poverty line, migrating children
and children in hardest to reach groups.
Strategies in the Tenth Plan
 Convergence
 Institutional Reforms
 Community Empowerment
 Institutional Capacity Building
 Community Based Monitoring
 Habitation as a Unit of Planning
 Focus on Education of Girls and Special Groups
 Focus on Quality and Relevance
 Sustainable Financing
 Support to NGOs
 Public and Private Partnership
Strategies in the Tenth Plan
 Education of Girls and Adolescents Girls
 SCs and STs
 Working Children
 Children from Minority Groups
 Education of UDCs
 Children below Poverty Line
 Education of Hard to Reach Groups
 Education of Children with Special Needs
 Need Based Expansion of Upper Primary Education
 ECCE
Some Achievments in the Tenth Plan
 Enrolment:
Primary: Huge increase in Jharkhand. Increases above national average in Jammu &
Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
●Upper Primary: Huge increase in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and
Arunachal Pradesh.
Enrolment:
GER in primary has increased from 96.3% in 2001-02 to
107.8% in 2004-05 & to 109.4% in 2005-06.
 GER in upper primary has increased from 60.2% in 2001-
02 to 69.9% in 2004-05 & to 71.4% in 2005-06.
Out of school children has decreased from 32 million in
2001-02 to 7.1 million in 2005-06.
 Number of districts having out of school children of more
than 50, 000 each has reduced from 48 to 29.
Enrolment:
 Dropout rate at primary has decreased
from 39.03% in 2001-02 to 29% in 2004-05
 Dropout rate at the elementary level has
remained very high at 50.8%.
 Reduction in gender gap and social
category gap.
Issues in Elementary Education in the 11 th
Plan
 The Constitution of India was amended in 2002
to make Elementary Education a justiciable
Fundamental Right.
 7.1 million children being out of school and over
50% dropping out at elementary level are matters
of serious concern.
 SSA to be reoriented to meet the challenges of
equity, retention and high quality education.
Plan
 States to be pursued to enact their own
legislation or amend the existing ones to ensure
UEE.
 SSA would be restructured into a National
Mission for Quality Elementary Education to
ensure minimum norms and standards for a school
(both government and private) that is accessible to
all children. It would address access, quality and
equity holistically though Systems Approach.

Plan
 The backlog for additional classrooms would be
about 6.87 lakh.
 Opening of about 20,000 new primary schools
and up gradation of about 70,000 primary schools
are required.
 Giving good quality education of common
standards, pedagogy and syllabi to ensure
minimum learning levels.
11th Plan
 Universal enrolment of 6-14 age group children including
hard to reach segment.
 Substantial improvement in quality and standards with
the ultimate objective to achieve standards of KVs under
CBSE pattern.
 All genders, social and regional gaps in enrolments to be
eliminated by 2011-12.
One year ECCE for all children in the age group of 4-6
years.
Dropouts at primary level to be eliminated and dropout
rate at Elementary level to be reduced from over 50% to
20% by 2011-12.
11th Plan
 Universalize MDMS at Elementary level by
2008-09.
Universal coverage of ICT at Upper Primary
schools by 2011-12.
 Lay emphasis on full retention in schools with
‘nil’ dropout rate at primary level.
 Bring significant improvement in learning
conditions with emphasis on learning basic skills,
verbal and quantitative.
11th Plan
 All States/UTs to adopt NCERT Quality
Monitoring Tools.
Strengthen BRCs/CRCs: setting up one
CRC for every 10 schools and 5 resource
teachers per block.
Special Quality Intervention for
Disadvantaged Groups in the 11th Plan
 The XI plan would lay special focus on disadvantaged
groups and educationally backward areas.
 This focus would include not only higher resource
allocation but also capacity building for preparation and
implementation of strategies based on identified needs, more
intensive monitoring and supervision and tracking of
progress.
Give top priority in ECCE to habitations of marginalized sections.
Set up additional 500 KGBVs in Blocks with higher concentration
of SC, ST, OBC and Minority population.
Special attention to Districts with high SCs, STs and
Minority population, Innovative funds for special Focus
Districts to be doubled.
Focus on improving the learning levels of SC, ST,
minority chi9ldren through remedial coaching in schools
and also in habitations through educated youth of NYKS,
NSS, SHGs and local NGOs.
Special schools for slum children in 35 cities with million
plus population.
Special intervention for migrating children, Urban
deprived and working children.
Creation of capacity within the school for dealing with students lagging in studies.
Setting up 1000 hostels in EBBs with resident to PG Teacher as warden to provide supplementary academic
support.
Sensitize teachers for special care of weaker sections & children with special needs.
Intensive social mobilization in dalit, tribal and minority habitations through community support.
Provide housing for teachers in tribal and remote habitations.
Pre-School Education: in the 11th Plan
SSA would have a component of one-year Early
Childhood Care Education (ECCE), which can be
universalized to cover 2.4 crore children in a phased
manner.
A large number of primary schools in States like U.P.
and Rajasthan already have ECCE. Primary schools
within the habitations, ICDS-Anganwadi would be
supported.
KGBV and DPEP in the 11th Plan
These scheme would be subsumed within SSA in the
11th plan. Expansion of 500 KGBVs in District/Blocks
with high concentration of SCs, Sts, OBCs and
Minorities would be taken up.
DPEP would come to an end in November 2008 and
would be subsumed under SSA as per the existing
procedure. The external commitments would however
be met.
Teacher Education: Thrust areas in the
11th Plan
Establishing organic linkages between CRCs-BRCs-
DIETs-SCERTs-NCERT and Universities.
Teacher absenteeism: Accountability to be tackled through
PRT’s.
Need to work towards enhancing quality of an integrated
system of teacher education.
Linking teacher education with institutions of research
and higher education.
Countinued professional development of teachers and
teacher educators.
11th Plan
Linkages with reputed teacher education institutions
for possible drawing up of quality faculty resources on
contractual basis. PPP models for rejuvenating poor
quality DIETs and also setting up of new
DIETs/DRCs.
At least one training for all teachers once in every two
years.
Capacity building of para teachers.
11th Plan
The teacher Education Scheme would be implemented in
partnership with states. The entire recurring expenditure,
including salaries and contingencies during the 11th plan period
would be met by GOI to the tune of 100% in 2007-08 and
thereafter reduced by 10% progressively each year to 90% in
2008-09, 80% in 2009-10, 70% in 2010-11 and 60% in 2011-12
so that gradually the States can take up their committed
liabilities and old establishment expenditure.
The GOI would bear 100% of new establishment and
programme components expenditure.
Madarsas/Maktabs in the 11th Plan
Additional maddarsas/maktabs would be supported
for modernization under AIE component and it
should be possible to cover all the 12,000 odd
Madarasas during the plan period.
Mahila Samakhya: in the 11th Plan
The MS programme would be continued as per the
existing pattern and expanded in a phased manner to
cover all the EBBs and also in arban/suburban slums,
as it contributes to educational empowerment of poor
women.
Mid Day Meal Scheme in the 11th Plan
The scheme would be extended to upper primary
schools (Govt., Local Body and Govt. Aided Schools,
and EGS/AIE Centres) in 3479 EBBs from 1 st June,
2007 to cover additional 30 million children and to all
upper primary schools from April, 2008 to cover
about 18 crore children by 2008-09. The nutritional
value of meals for upper primary children would be
fixed at 700 caloreis derived from 150 gms of cereals
and 20 gms of protein.
MDM: Action Points in the 11th Plan
MDM to be managed by the local community and
PRIs/NGOs. And not contracts driven civie quality
and safety to be prime considerations.
Sensitize teachers and others involved in nutrition,
hygiene, cleanliness and safety norms to rectify
observed deficiencies.
Involve nutrition experts in planning low cost
nutrition menu and for periodic testing of samples of
prepared food.
Promote locally grown nutritionally rich food items
through kitchen gardens in school etc.
MDM: Action Points in the 11th Plan
Revive School Health Programme: disseminate and replicate
best practices adopted by States.
Provide drinking facilities in all schools on urgent basis.
Status regarding supplies, funds, norms, weekly menu and
coverage displayed in schools to ensure transparency.
Central assistance to cooking cost based on actual number of
beneficiary children and not on enrollment.
Promote social audit.
Online Monitoring.

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Constitutional Provisions in Elementary Education

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Constitutional Provisions in Elementary

The Constitution of India was amended in 2002 to make Elementary Education a

The Constitution of India was amended in 2002 to make Elementary Education a

Ist Plan (1951-56)

To provide educational facilities to at least 60% of all children

IInd Plan (1956-61)

The emphasis was on linking education with economic

IIIrd Plan (1961–66)

IVth Plan (1969–74)

Vth Plan (1974-79)

VIth Plan (1980-85)

VIIth Plan (1985-90)

 Emphasis shifted from mere enrolment to retention and attainment of

These objectives were to be achieved through formal and non-formal

Reduction of disparities in access among states and within

Improving the retention and achievement of children of the

IXth Plan (1997-2002)

Issues in Ninth Plan

 Enactment of 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment which has set

(a) Enrolment of all children in schools or other alternatives by 2003; and

Bridge all gender and social gaps in enrolment,

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