1.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter deals with the conceptual framework. Systems of formal education, Importance of education, present scenario of education, Equitable education, Importance of equitable education, Implementation of equitable education, attitude of parents towards equitable education, attitude of teachers towards equitable education, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, operational definitions of key terms, chapter scheme and conclusion. 1.2 SYSTEMS OF FORMAL EDUCATION Education is a broad concept, referring to all the experiences in which students can learn something. (i) Instruction refers to the intentional facilitating of learning toward identified goals, delivered either by an instructor or other forms. (ii) Teaching refers to the actions of a real live instructor designed to impart learning to the student. (iii) Training refers to learning with a view toward preparing learners with specific knowledge, skills or abilities that can be applied immediately upon completion. 1.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION 1
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A Study of the Attitude of Teachers and Parents Towards Equitable Education at High School Level in Thanjavur District
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1.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the conceptual framework. Systems of formal
education, Importance of education, present scenario of education, Equitable
education, Importance of equitable education, Implementation of equitable education,
attitude of parents towards equitable education, attitude of teachers towards equitable
education, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, operational definitions of
key terms, chapter scheme and conclusion.
1.2 SYSTEMS OF FORMAL EDUCATION
Education is a broad concept, referring to all the experiences in which
students can learn something.
(i) Instruction refers to the intentional facilitating of learning toward
identified goals, delivered either by an instructor or other forms.
(ii) Teaching refers to the actions of a real live instructor designed to impart
learning to the student.
(iii) Training refers to learning with a view toward preparing learners with
specific knowledge, skills or abilities that can be applied immediately
upon completion.
1.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
Education is the process of instruction aimed at the all round development of
boys and girls. Education dispels ignorance. It is the only wealth that cannot be
robbed. Learning includes the moral values and the improvement of character and the
methods to increase the strength of mind. Our school is a good example of this. We
are the recipients of sacred and precious values imparted regularly by our teachers. A
good moral based education is also a must. As students we want education by which
character is formed, strength of mind and knowledge increases and makes us
independent. This is ours to keep forever. We receive this kind of teaching in our
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school and I have every confidence to say that along with prosperity we will also
have character due to the quality of education.
1.4 PRESENT SCENARIO OF EDUCATION
Education is the fundamental means of human development. By it the innate
powers of human beings are developed, their knowledge and skills are enhanced, and
their behaviour is changed, and they are made civilized and cultured citizens. And
this task begins right from the birth of man.
Education is a process of bring, about a desirable and expected change in the
behaviour of a child in terms of knowledge, values, skills, attitude and feelings, etc.
A creative teacher has his own perception of a method or a programme for imparting
knowledge, developing proper concepts, skills, values, and attitudes and developing
right type of feeling among children education has always been and still remains an
essential part of socio-economic milieu. It contributes directly and indirectly to the
growth of the economy, psychological charge and institutional reconstruction.
1.5 EQUITABLE EDUCATION
Equitable education provides equal standard of education for everyone. In our
country there are different kinds of educational systems like Matriculation, State
board, Anglo-Indian and Oriental schools. The heterogeneous group of students
learning in these heterogeneous kinds of schools gain heterogeneous knowledge,
experience and education. This makes lot of differences and inequality in educational
standard. So for this there lies the solution and it is equitable education.
Equitable education system is a Government of the Tamil Nadu, India
programme to integrate the various educational systems within the state. The new
system was introduced for classes I and VI in the 2010 academic year.
1.6 IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIFORM EDUCATION SYSTEM IN TAMIL NADU
The proposed uniform education system for a common syllabus in the state
would be implemented only after proper discussions with educationists and public.
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The government had taken a policy decision to introduce ‘Samacheer kalvi’ (uniform
education system) from classes one to six from academic year (2010 - 2011) after
integrating all boards (State, Matriculation, Oriental and Anglo-Indian) on a trial
basis. Discussions would be held with educationists and public before finalising
syllabus under the new system. No schemes would be a success unless it got public
support. The scheme, if found to be a success, would be extended gradually upto
SSLC level.
Successful implementation of educational reforms has always been a big
challenge. Management efficiency has often played a crucial role in determining the
success. In a highly centralized education system like in Tamil Nadu, there is an
assumption that any reform effort can be successfully carried out with the existence of
a well-developed and formalized organizational structure. But, for the effective
implementation of any reform initiatives, the structure alone is not sufficient. It may
also need the application of cultural elements at work. While the organizational
structure ensures the integration of reform effort via coordination and control of
activities, organizational culture directs employee behavior through a common vision,
shared values, norms, and goals that may encourage whole-hearted participation in
reform implementation. But the efficiency in the implementation of reform policies
may be hampered by the structural and cultural discordance of the system.
1.7 PROCESS OF EQUITABLE EDUCATION
It is the process by which we are able to challenge any set of accepted
principles be they in chemistry, politics or any other discipline and to independently
inquire and extend our individual, and therefore collective, understanding of the world
and society. It has the potential to equip the population with the ability to both
increase the material comforts which are available to its members and to ensure more
equitable distribution of these resources, whilst simultaneously providing individuals
with the knowledge and confidence to culturally and politically enrich their own lives
and those of their community. Education is about self-determination and liberation
allowing people control over their own lives. The analytical and liberating nature of
quality education is central to its value to society and underpins the rationale for
accessibility. It is impossible to divorce the availability of education from its content.
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In this vein an education system which does not fulfill the criteria of being both
accessible and liberating cannot be condoned. To provide one without the other
produces a result which is unacceptable and all too common the replication of existing
power structures. The natural result of critical evaluation should be a vision of an
improved society the creation of new ways and directions for society, not just
technical breakthrough for the economic advantage for the minority.
Curricula must encourage the development of people able and willing to
challenge the status quo and to develop a critical and questioning community this is
the essence of the democratic liberation of individuals and societies. The role of
curricula was succinctly expressed by Shaull (Friere, 1971) when he wrote that: There
is no such thing as a neutral educational process. Education either functions as an
instrument which is used to facilitate the integration of the younger generation into
the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes ‘the
practice of freedom’, the means by which men and women deal critically and
creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their
world. In order for curricula to facilitate the practice of freedom, it must incorporate
all of the critical and analytical aspects discussed above, in addition to becoming
increasing culturally inclusive and relevant. So long as curricula are reflective of the
dominant cultures and exclude the experiences of those groups of people who have
been under-represented in tertiary education, the system cannot help but serve as a
means of inculcation into the accepted norms of the ruling class. By incorporating
cultural diversity within the curriculum, a large step will be taken in systemically
addressing the needs of disadvantaged groups, in contrast to the current approach of
treating non-conformity as deviance which needs to be normalised.
Equitable access should be promoted in the quest for equitable outcomes, in
doing so the arguments become stronger and more coherent. Communal and
individual benefits of education having highlighted the manner in which accessible
education underpins the basic principles of democracy, there can be no doubt that
benefits associated with participation in education both material and intellectual do
accrue to the individual. It is for precisely this reason that it is imperative that all
people are able to participate equally and thereby access these benefits. If no benefits
were gained by the individual the need for equitable access would be greatly reduced
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as lack of participation would have no negative outcomes for any given individual,
only for the society as a whole.
1.8 EQUITABLE STANDARD EDUCATION
Equitable standard education is to be provided by a Common School or
Neighbourhood School system, which with uniform syllabi would help to
‘decommercialise’ educational institutions and put an end to many a private
management that does not feel sufficiently accountable to society in this crucial
sector. The spiraling cost of education starting at the nursery level is cementing caste-
class and rural-urban divisions. A common school system using the mother tongue as
a medium of instruction would make equal education accessible to all without
discrimination. A common school system also means a common examination pattern.
The report of the Committee advocates a reasonable teacher-student ratio of not more
than 1:30 and doing away with faulty textbooks and a system of rote learning. It
emphasizes the promotion of analytical and rational skills that would equip the
students to learn by themselves; a testing and evaluation pattern that involves the
application of concepts learnt rather than mere reproduction of facts. The school
syllabus should not overload students with information but instead kindle their
interest in the subject and teach them how to search for more information and
conceptualize it. Traditional knowledge should be incorporated and made part of
school education.
Evaluation should be comprehensive and not just of academic achievements,
and that too only marks based. Evaluation should include an assessment of student
abilities and performance in academics, the arts, sports and games, values, reading
habits, character, conduct and other extra-curricular activities. Schools should not
only lay emphasis on academic subjects but also on moral education. Here the
Committee suggests that it may be better to have a progress book with entries made
from time to time and also periodically sent to the parents so that they may be made
aware of their child’s progress. Regular consultation with parents about their wards’
progress and achievements and educational goals is a must. A sheet of paper
containing marks obtained in public exams is not enough to understand a student’s
development and potential. If the marks obtained in only one exam are going to
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decide the person’s admission into an institute of higher learning then all stress is on
preparing for this exam neglecting other exams and activities. The chance or
temptation to indulge in malpractices is also high. Marks obtained in a one-time exam
also are no accurate reflection of the student’s actual knowledge and achievement
level and potential. Treating exams and marks as more important than life itself has
meant the death of many a student.
In order to purge the school system of its current deficiencies and make it a
joyful process it is absolutely necessary to have an appropriately trained teaching
faculty with a free hand in designing syllabi and teaching methodology. This means a
common school system does not obviate the need for school and teacher autonomy
just as in the higher level educational institutions. In fact, it is necessary for
unleashing their initiative and to help them to keep pace with knowledge
development, which gets stifled with overt bureaucratism. The government also needs
to take over the responsibility for pre-school education. This is to avoid wrong
teaching practices in this crucial stage by untrained personnel who do not understand
the learning psychology of children.
Finally, children belonging to linguistic minorities should be allowed to gain
instruction in their respective mother tongue, while all students in standards 5 or 8
ought to have a specific level of knowledge in Tamil and English so that these
languages can be used for communication. No student should be dropped and he/she
should be allowed to grow in the chosen field of interest and in accordance with their
individual capability. A simple pass or fail should certainly not be a deciding factor in
a person’s life.
While the government has accepted the notion of one board for school
education other major recommendations of the Muthukumaran Committee on
education reforms are being sidelined by the State government. In fact, some
government run schools are changing the medium of instruction to English and not all
schools teach Tamil, though this is compulsory as per current State education law.
Moreover, schools with an eye on the results in board exams and aiming at future
lucrative career possibilities for their students are introducing modern European
languages like French (German is waiting to be introduced on a larger scale on the
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school level) that are supposedly high scoring subjects in comparison to Tamil, which
is seen to be difficult even by those whose mother tongue it is. There is almost
everywhere an exodus from government run schools to aided or private schools
because of the perceived better quality and the lure of an English medium education,
which is regarded by parents to be necessary in today’s world.
It is to remain viable and not lose out in this competition for students that
government run schools are increasingly offering English medium instruction also,
although the English medium sections are permitted only on a self-financing basis.
The non-acceptance of important recommendations by the Muthukumaran committee
is thus in line with the general pro-globalisation trend in the Tamil Nadu economy as
a whole.
1.9 THE MUTHUKUMARAN COMMITTEE REPORT
Tamil Nadu is regarded to be one of India’s star performers in the sector of
elementary education. The results of the 2001 census show that Tamil Nadu has
attained third position behind Kerala and Maharashtra both in terms of overall and
female literacy. It recorded close to 100 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at
primary and upper primary levels based on 2007 estimates. A major legislative effort
for the universalisation of education in line with the constitutional mandate has been
the introduction of the Tamil Nadu Compulsory Education Act, 1994. Under this Act
it is the duty of the government to provide the necessary infrastructure (schools and
teachers) for ensuring universalisation of elementary education. Parents are also liable
to be fined if they do not send their wards to school, though this rule is not very
strictly enforced as most of the children not going to school come from poor
backgrounds.
1.10 TAMILNADU BOARD OF EDUCATION
Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education, established in 1910, is under the
purview of the Department of Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, India. Up to
and ending at the secondary (class 10) level, the following streams of education are
offered: the SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) stream, the Anglo-Indian
stream, the Oriental School Leaving Certificate (OSLC) stream and the Matriculation
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stream. And for higher secondary (classes 11 and 12) there is single unified stream
leading to the award of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC). The Tamil Nadu
State Board of School Examination evaluates students' progress by conducting two
board examinations-one at the end of class 10 and the other at the end of class 12. The
scores from the class 12 board examinations are used by universities to determine
eligibility and as a cut-off for admissions into their programmes.
H.S.S. Lawrence is regarded in Tamil Nadu to be the Architect of Higher
Secondary Education in Tamil Nadu. As Special Officer for restructuring Educational
Pattern in Tamil Nadu and as Director of School Education, Dr. Lawrence planned
and implemented the All India 10+2+3 pattern of education in 1978.
1.11 TAMIL NADU STATES IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
But it has come to light that local bodies like corporations and municipalities
are not fully utilizing money collected as education tax as a percentage of property tax
under the Tamil Nadu Elementary Education Act and this is affecting the quality and
quantity of formal education provision at the grassroots level. While the general
literacy rate in Tamil Nadu as per 2001 data is 73.5%, wide disparities exist across
districts, gender, and area of residence as well as social grouping. The literacy rate of
the SC and ST populations are consistently lower in all the districts. The retention rate
within and after the primary school level is also not very impressive and there is a
high percentage of repeaters. This is particularly so in the case of the STs and SCs.
1.12 TAMIL NADU STATE LEVEL BOARD OF EDUCATION
It is to overcome this discrepancy between education offered in different kinds
of schools, between rural and urban schools and to overcome other numerous ills that
have crept into the education system—such as arbitrary collection of fees, induction
of daily waged, inadequately qualified para teachers, rote learning, examination stress,
problems related to the medium of instruction and so on—that the State government
constituted the Muthukumaran Committee, which submitted its report in 2007. This
committee had the mandate to work out a framework of a uniform pattern of
education in Tamil Nadu and to make recommendations for improving its quality. The
report of the Committee recommends only one autonomous board, The Tamil Nadu
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State Secondary School Education Board, instead of the existing four State level
boards—Matriculation, Anglo-Indian, Oriental and State Board. Schools coming
under this integrated Board would follow a common syllabus ensuring an equitable
school education in the State not conferring any undue advantages with regard to
admission into higher educational institutions for students completing their school
education from one particular Board.
1.13 SEMINAR ABOUT EQUITABLE EDUCATION AT DALIT RESOURCE
CENTRE
Giving equality of educational opportunities, equality in the sense giving
quality education to the required people. Equality and quality education is defined
here as not only the curriculum but also the infrastructure facilities number of
teachers, their talents, text book, examination pattern and school administration.
These are the part and parcel of school education. Having all these fulfillments with a
big plan of action is called “Equity in education” well trained teachers, curriculum ,
Infrastructure facilities and teacher – student ratio are the contributing factors. In any
one of the above factors is equal it cannot be called as “Equity in education” once
matriculation schools were under the control of universities. Rules pertaining to the
matriculation schools were under the control of universities. Rules pertaining to the
matriculation education is rigid than the rules framed for the state one percent of the
children under went education in matriculation and Anglo – Indian education. In
1976 universities gave up the idea of giving education to school children. After the
year 1978 it was announced to stop conducting matriculation examination and it was
decided to conduct or merge with the state or central board of examination. It was a
great mistake to establish a separate board of examination and rules pertaining to it by
the school itself removing the rules and regulations established by the universities by
the government.
According to the Tamil nadu Educational Regulation a good infrastructure
facilities equal to the norms of matriculation standard and to earmarked salary
applicable to government school teachers. The above regulation acts were framed by
the universities. Hence, there was a need to frame New Education Regulation Act.
The University rules do not define the term “Enough”. This change has resulted in
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establishment of schools without any facilities. In addition to that the government
accorded permission / Recognition for the establishment of many number of
matriculation school without any rigidity. By this act the government reduced the
responsibility of giving education which resulted in equity in educational standard.
Once there were 34 schools established and not there are 4000 schools not
adhering to the norms by the government such a situation is prevailing in our country.
This has resulted in commercialization of education a sad event still happening. After
a prolonged efforts and constant a committed consists of nine members was
established under the chairmanship of Dr. S. Muthukumaran. Among them four are
directors of school education Department. These people have hope and faith in the
New scheme. On the contrary they stand against Nursury, Matriculation, Anglo –
Indian, oriental and state board. They were instructed to submit a report after going
through the already existing afore social various educational programmes. On the
basis of the same the government did not give any definition of “Equity in
Education”. Before the commencement of the working committee no representation
was made on behalf of the government either by the Minister concerned or secretary
to the department of education about the New Educational Policy on 15.07.2010 a
seminar was held about the Equity in Education on behalf of the Dalit Resource centre
at “Parattai Arangam” in which about 65 delegates attended, Mr. Inbakumar writer
spoke on that occasion.
1.14 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Various educational systems are seen in our country. They are State Board,
Matriculation, Anglo-Indian and Oriental schools. Many qualitative differences are
seen in these schools. So Equitable Education is important in this time. Equitable
Education is all the students are getting the same quality of education. So the
investigator has intended to undertake the present study “ A study of the Attitude of
Teachers and Parents towards Equitable Education at High School Level in Thanjavur
District.
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1.15 NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In our country there are different kinds of educational systems like
Matriculation, State board, Anglo-Indian and Oriental schools. The heterogeneous
group of students learning in these heterogeneous kinds of schools gain heterogeneous
knowledge, experience and education. This makes lot of differences and inequality in
educational standard. So for this there lies the solution and it is equitable education.
There is big difference between educational standard of students in rural and
urban. So this makes different’s in opportunity of getting jobs and competitive
exams. The students whose studied in rural schools feel difficult in passing out
competitive exams like CAT (Common Attitude Test), IIT (Indian Institute of
Technology) and AIEEE (All India Engineering Entrance Exam) etc. This make us to
realise the importance of equitable education.
Equitable education removes all the differences in educational standard of all
kinds of students studying in various kinds of schools. And in future days when
equitable education is implemented all students will be found with same educational
standard. And this makes them to safe all kinds of competitive exams and the
competition lying in this past moving world.
Teachers and parents play a vital role in the growth of students both mentally
and physically. Therefore, this makes the researcher to undertake a study of the
attitude of teachers and parents towards equitable education.
1.16 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the objectives of the present study.
(i) To construct a tool to assess the attitude of teachers towards Equitable
Education with respect to gender, educational qualification, experience of
teacher, locality of the school and types of school etc.
(ii) To construct a tool to assess the attitude of parents towards Equitable
Education with respect to gender, educational qualification, occupation,
locality and ward studying school of parents etc.
(iii) To give recommendations based on the finding.
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1.17 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
1.17.1. Attitude
A persisting feeling or emotion of a person that influences choice of action
and response to stimulus.
Defined as a disposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively
towards a certain thing (idea, object. Person, situation). They encompass, or are
closely related to, our opinions and beliefs and are based upon our experiences.
Training that produces tangible results starts by changing behavior which ultimately
changes attitudes. Training often uses the term attitude to identify the psychological
term affective domain.
Definitions of attitude
The University of Minnesota has put together a list regarding the definition of
attitude in psychological literature.
1. An attitude is a mental or neural state of readiness, organized through
experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence on the individual’s
response to all objects and situations to which it is related (Allport, 1935).
2. An attitude denotes the general set of the organism as a whole toward an
object or a situation which calls for adjustment (Lundberg, 1929).
3. Attitudes represent a more or less permanently enduring state of readiness of
mental organization which predisposes an individual to react in a characteristic
way (Cantril, 1934).
4. An attitude is a tendency to act toward or against something in the
environment, which becomes thereby a positive or negative value (Bogardus,
1931).
5. An attitude is a predisposition to experience, to be motivated by, and to act
toward, a class of objects in a predictable manner (Smith, Bruner & White,
1956).
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6. Attitudes are likes and dislikes (Bem, 1970).
7. Attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a
particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor (Eagly & Chaiken,
1993).
1.17.2. Equitable education
Equitable education provides equal standard of education for everyone. In
our country there are different kinds of educational systems like Matriculation, State
board, Anglo-Indian and Oriental schools. The heterogeneous group of students
learning in these heterogeneous kinds of schools gain heterogeneous knowledge,
experience and education. This makes lot of differences and inequality in educational
standard. So for this there lies the solution and it is equitable education.
Equitable education system is a Government of the Tamil Nadu, India
programme to integrate the various educational systems within the state. The new
system was introduced for classes I and VI in the 2010 academic year.
1.17.3. Parents
Parents are complete responsible for the development of their children.
Children’s Education starts at home. Parents are sending their children to school for
getting positive thinking, good activities and abilities.
Parent attitudes are their children to learn all qualitative education in
educational institutions. Educational qualities are different in various schools,
according to their parents. Most of the parents thinking that in equitable education,
children must get the same qualities of all.
1.17.4. Teachers
Teachers are the second parents of students. So teachers are the hopers of
students. Teachers are responsible for the development of good education, disciplines
and various skills of students. Various differences are seeing among the students in
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our country. So Equitable Education is clear all lot of differences between the
students.
1.18 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
(i) This study is restricted to the attitude of parents & teachers in
Thanjavur district.
(ii) This study is restricted only to 100 teachers and 100 parents at High
School level.
1.19 CHAPTER SCHEME
Chapter-I deals with the conceptual framework of the problem.
Chapter-II gives a survey of related literature.
Chapter-III Methods and procedure followed in the study.
Chapter-IV Analysis and interpretation of the data are explained.
Chapter-V gives a summary of findings, conclusions and
recommendations of the study.
1.20 CONCLUSION
This study deals with an attitude of teachers and parents towards Equitable
Education at high school level. This study requires a good theoretical background of
the chosen variables and is attempted in the next chapter.
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2.1 INTRODUCTION
The review of pertinent literature enables the researcher to define the limit of
his/her field. It helps the researcher to delimit and define his problem.
When the related literature is reviewed the perspectives of the present research
problem could be better understood, The investigator has to choose the proper
technique and appropriate procedures for the present study.
In searching related literature, the important points to be noted by the
researchers are, reports of study closely related the problem that have been
investigated, variables that were defined, design of the study including procedures
employed and data gathering instruments used, extraneous variables that could have
affected the findings, recommendation for further-research. The available literature
and studies related to the present problem is given in this chapter.
2.2 STUDIES IN ABROAD
Joanna Harma (2011) India has seen an explosion in low-fee private (LFP)
schooling aimed at the poorer strata of society, and this once-urban phenomenon has
spread in the last decade to rural areas, with implications for equity due to the level of
direct costs involved. To explores whether or not LFP schooling in rural India is pro-
poor and equitable, and finds that these schools are unaffordable to the bottom two
wealth quintiles of families. This conclusion has implications for policy formation
and shows that increased reliance on a market in education will not help to achieve
equitable access to primary schooling for all.
Keith M. Lewin (2011) In the last decade the national Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
Programme has focused on universaling access to elementary education (Grades I-
VIII). Most recently the Right to Education Act provides the legislative framework to
guarantee schooling to all children between 6 and 14 years of age. It remains the case
however that less than half of all children attend and complete secondary school
especially in the Northern states. Under the 11 th National Plan Rastriya Madhyamic
Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) has been launched to increase the numbers entering
secondary school. This paper explores some of the key issues in planning and
managing the growth in participation that is envisaged so that 75% or more enjoy the
benefits of transition to Grades IX and X.
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The issues include the constraints on expansion that arise from the restricted
output of elementary school graduates, the continued exclusion of the poorest and
those from disadvantaged groups from progression to Grade VIII, the costs to
households and government of universal secondary schooling as currently structured,
the limits to growth of private provision, the massive infrastructure needs, and the
problems associated with increasing teacher supply and deployment. Policy dialogue
around secondary school expansion is a central concern if India is to close the gap
between itself and china and other rapidly developing countries in educating most of
its population beyond the elementary level.
Baldwin. G and James. R (2010) International patterns in access to higher education
and the complex issues surrounding equity and social imbalances in access to higher
education. To identifies contemporary research questions, including the reasons for
the apparent failure of mass higher education systems and equity programs to create
significant inroads into the social stratification of higher education, the limitations of
national data collection and databases, and the challenges for reconceptualizing equity
in a massified, globalized, higher education environment.
Hughes. P and Walker. A (2010) The key priority for developing countries has been,
and continues to be, the achievement of primary education for all (EFA) consistent
with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
priority of EFA by 2015. This has brought secondary education also into prominence.
EFA is now often accepted by UNESCO as the completion of basic education, the
necessary platform for all, embracing much of secondary education.
This new attention has caused all countries, developed and developing, to pay
critical attention to secondary education, now requiring broader goals than preparation
for higher education such as individual earnings, economic growth, improved health,
equity and civic engagement. Major issues now need to be resolved in secondary
education.
Tia L. Zuze and Murray Leibbrandt (2010) To understand both direct and indirect
resource effects in the context of a mass education system in Uganda. We find that
under certain conditions, policies that promote physical resource availability can lead
to substantial equity gains. A school’s social composition appears to improve
educational quality but it is also related to wider gaps between rich and poor students.
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We also show that heavier teaching workloads have the most damaging effect on low-
income students who have fewer private resources to devote to academic pursuits.
The policy implication is that equalizing access to formal primary education does not
guarantee equitable outcomes.
Tuovinen. J. E. (2010) The educational system of Finland provides a practical
example of equity and excellence in education. It rests on an equitable legislative
base leading to an even-handed nationwide educational provision. The basic features
and development of the education system from the preschools and basic education to
upper secondary schools, polytechnics, higher education, and adult education. The
education system reflects the high value placed on education throughout the country,
for both its intrinsic and instrumental value to the community and the individuals,
demonstrated, in particular, by the teacher’s profession having an exceptionally high
community status.
Boaz Shulruf and John Hattie (2009) Equity in higher education is one of the major
challenges higher education institutions and policy makers face today. The need to
enhance equity in higher education raises difficult ethical dilemma such as: how
equitable are affirmative admission policies if they are ethnicity or race based? The
literature, however, is inconclusive and highlighting the need to re-assess the current
paradigms. This study tests a new model entitled “ Dual Admission Model” which
aims to enhance equity and equality in higher education while addressing many of the
ethical dilemmas associated with affirmative action admission policies. Data of three
consecutive national cohorts of New Zealand secondary school graduates were used
to establish and test the effectiveness of a range of admission models. These datasets
include achievements from secondary school assessments and data from the first year
at the university.
The predictability of the first year university GPA was calculated for different
alternative admission models based on the NCEA features. The effect of these
admission models on different groups of students was measured across three student
leaving cohorts. It was found that the best models give greater weight to the quality
of the assessments (i.e. higher grades) and less weight to quantity (i.e. credit
accumulation) and particular combinations of subject choices. It was also found that
by combining the new model with the current admission model (Dual Admission
Model) provides a merit-based admissions system, which would potentially increase
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the number of under-represented students (e.g. lower socio-economic communities)
while maintaining their success in the university academic programmes. These
finding were consistent across all cohorts. It is suggested that this Dual Admission
Model (DAM) will increase participation and success in degree programmes for
students from traditionally underrepresented groups without having to apply any
affirmative action admission policy. Implications for policy makers are discussed.
Nik Mohd Harris Nik-Hussin (2009) To assess the usefulness of intraoperative
photographs taken during paediatric upper airway endoscopy used as an educational
tool for parents and to define their attitudes towards seeing these photographs.
Questionnaire based survey of 50 parents at a tertiary referral centre for paediatric
otolaryngology in North West England. The response rate was 82%.
All parents wanted to see the intraoperative images and reported improved
understanding of their child's condition. No parents reported lasting anxiety. 79.2%
of parents seeing photographs for the first time found the images to be informative;
82.4% of parents reported reassurance from being able to see progress in treatment;
17.6% found it easier to accept further intervention from seeing the photographs.
Intraoperative photographs are useful as an educational tool for parents; they provide
reassurance and help parents accept clinical management.
Feyza Tantekin Erden (2008) To investigate if a semester-long course on gender
equity in education has an impact on the attitudes of preservice teachers toward
gender roles. To this end, a pretest-posttest analysis is carried out in a state university
in Ankara, Turkey, employing a sample of 133 preservice teachers; 33 of whom had
taken the course and 100 of whom had not. The results reveal that the course has a
substantial impact on the attitudes of the preservice teachers. Indeed, the attitudes of
the teacher candidates taking the course change considerably at the end of the
semester, developing more favorable attitudes toward gender issues.
California. U (2007) To study about the attitudes of the parents of 64 academic
achievers (31 males, 33 females) and 51 underachievers (36 males, 15 females) were
compared on an Independence Training Inventory. 2 questions were asked: what were
the goals of your independence training procedures, and at what age did you expect
your child to have achieved mastery of these goals.? Outcomes were not clear-cut, but
4 hypotheses relative to these groups appear reasonable: the demands made
by parents of achievers were more specific, parents of achievers wanted their children