A Weak Link in Elementary Education Chain

Context: Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are intensively engaged in the task of improving elementary education in the country. 

NGOs in Education Sector

• India has 31 lakh NGOs, more than double the number of schools.
• More than 12 lakh NGO workers are engaged in education 

• More than three lakh NGO staff is working for the improvement of quality and reach in elementary education. 

• Significance

• NGOs workers have a significant part in the Continuous Professional Development of Teachers (CPDT). For example, in annual in-service training and pedagogy improvement workshops.

• NGOs and large foundation volunteers work as catalysts and influence the functioning of the system.

 Appropriateness of curriculum and pedagogy

• Common notions of what good quality school is: based on a high score in the board examinations.
• Uselessness of High Score

• If the curriculum is irrelevant to the life of people.
• If high scoring is achieved by subjecting children to severe punishment and stress

• Defining quality of education is currently based on

• The National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF)
• The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE)
• The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education 2009 (NCFTE) 
• The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).

Understanding these documents by worker engaged in education improvement

• A major part of theoretical knowledge in these documents is drawn from the philosophy of education, political theories, sociology of education, the psychology of learning and development, and a contextual understanding of the current needs of our society.

• Regarding Pedagogy

• RTE, in Section 29(e), recommends: “learning through activities, discovery, and exploration in a child-friendly and child-centered manner”.
• NCF recommends constructivist pedagogy.

• Regarding Curriculum

• NEP 2020: highlights certain aims of education: namely, to make all children “good, successful, innovative, adaptable, and productive human beings in today’s rapidly changing world”.
• NCFTE: Teachers need to promote values of peace, a democratic way of life, equality, justice, liberty, fraternity, secularism and zeal for social reconstruction.

• Prerequisites for Improving Quality of education

• Strong programme for capacity building of NGO workers.
• Offering any short term and/or distance learning courses by universities and teacher education colleges.

Conclusion: Understanding an adequate part of all this and their implications for curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher development, therefore, becomes imperative to be effective in quality improvement or to contribute to a good education.