Need of Sustainable Development in Primary Education with Sustainable Efforts

Introduction -

Primary education is the basic fundamental right of every child. Since Independence, India has achieved major achievements in the field of primary education.

Kerala is the first Indian state who achieve 100% primary education. But after 75 years of independence, the nation faced many challenges in the field of primary education, like dropout children, poor infrastructure in primary schools especially in remote areas, lack of updated learning system, untrained teachers, unawareness about the importance of primary education, low quality of primary education etc.

Therefore, there is a need for sustainable development in the field of primary education with the sustainable efforts of government, Educational experts, Academicians, NGO’s, Social Workers, Teachers, Volunteers, etc.

The main objectives of primary education are to train for becoming a better person, to eliminate the fears from students minds and to give them freedom for making lots of mistakes.

Educational Experts and Academicians should focus on some facts related to primary education. These facts are as follows –

1. About 80% of students are learning in government-supported or fully governed primary schools. Therefore, the government is the major provider of primary education in India.
2. Through the Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 government is providing education to children ages 6 to 14 years of age. This act has been made for free education.
3. The result of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 is showing a high gross enrolment ratio, near about 98%.
4. The Right to Education Act, 2009 gives a guarantee of quality education to a large section of 6-14-year-old students. Due to the RTE Act-2009 schools are now accessible to a large portion of students.

In India, the primary education field has faced some challenges

1. Despite the high enrollment rate for primary education among rural children of age 10, half could not read at a basic level.
2. Near about 25% of teachers are absent from their duty due to some reasons like personal leave, medical treatment, training, administrative work etc.
3. The District Information System for Education ( DISE) data showed that only 60% of schools have access to electricity. Bihar is the worst state for providing electricity to schools. Students face the major issue of shortage of electricity, and it gets more challenging in the summer season.
4. The Right to Education Act 2009 has avoided and excluded the opportunities of 0–6 year-old children. There should be some policy related to their pre-primary education.
5. In RTE Act -2009 does not have any provisions related to student dropouts and countless out of school children.
6. NSSO survey states that 80% of rural students and 40% of metropolitan students are going to primary level classes to get free education. At the upper primary level, education is free for 75% of rural and 45% of metropolitan students.

Objectives of Primary Education –

Through school, every child starts to connect with educational institutions. In the journey of education, every child connects with the school structure emotionally.

In school atmosphere children can experience sympathy, Kinship, Support, help which enable them in their adulthood.

The government of India launched two schemes like the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) for the development of little schools in remote and unavailable areas.

Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) -

It is a school given in areas without a conventional school and in this school has 15-20 children in the age of 6-14 years.

Under the scheme of universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) the government extended the non-formal school education system.

These non-formal schools changed schooling hours which do not exceed more than three hours every day.

In 2015, the Government of India launched the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.

In this scheme, objectives are to improve health care facilities, supplementary nutritional support, to improve children’s communication and cognitive skills as a preparation for entry into primary schools.

In the Indian education system, the importance of pre-primary schooling has been recognized by educational experts.

The National Education Policy -1986 and its plan of action have given major importance to preschool education.

Through primary education, children get opportunities for social and emotional development. During school education, a gathering of children enables for gaining proficiency, participation in playing games, the significance of sharing, addressing debates, adhering to directions, and voicing their sentiments.

The basic educational abilities like reading, writing, observation, talking are directly connected with basic primary education.

Between the ages of 3 to 5 years, these abilities developed, so that primary education is the root of a child’s basic educational development.

The Government should take the following efforts for sustainable improvements of quality education –

Subject wise learning –

According to Right to Free And Compulsory Education (RTE) – 2009, there is inclusion for class wise, subject wise outcomes.

In education policy, the government should appoint teachers for languages, mathematics, environmental studies, Science and Social Science up to the elementary stage.

Minimum Qualification of Teachers –

As per the RTE act, all untrained teachers servicing in govt. schools, non-govt schools, government-aided schools, private schools should acquire minimum qualifications by genuine academic authorities and should be authorized by the central government.

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has been directed to conduct teacher training through Open Distance Learning Mode.

Inclusive Education –

Government should maintain an inclusive policy in the primary education system. There are some schemes for the integration of school education.

Central government-sponsored schemes like Samagra Shiksha, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE).

The objectives of these schemes are to enhance equal access, to promote equality through the inclusion of disadvantaged groups (e.g., SC, ST, OBC, Divyang, Minority) and weaker sections of society.

The aim of education policy should be inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of society.

E-learning material for teachers and students

To provide supplementary learning material for students and to upgrade the skills of teachers, the central government should develop a dedicated Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform.

The high-quality e-learning material both for students and teachers are uploaded by the ministry and states/UTs on this portal. This is a free service by the government for the development of the education system.

Conclusion –

According to, Brigham Young “Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the worlds work and the power to appreciate life.”

All over the world, the primary education system plays a vital role in children’s educational development. Primary Education is a sociological, biological, emotional model of student intellectual development.

Good primary education develops students’ intellectual skills, physical skills, learning skills, language skills and emotional skills.

Nelson Mandela states that “ Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Therefore, the way of changing the world is going through the way of good primary education. And it’s our responsibility to support good primary education infrastructure development.