BWI: Aide et Action Conducted a Survey Across Six States of India to Analyze Teachers’ notions on Quality Education

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Aide et Action
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 05:42 PM IST (12:12 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Social issues; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Education & training
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Aide et Action Conducted a Survey Across Six States of India to Analyze Teachers' notions on Quality Education
19 percent Teachers in India Advocate for Close Monitoring and Support by SSA on World Teachers Day

New Delhi, Delhi, India, Tuesday, October 06, 2009 -- (Business Wire India) -- Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) has committed over Rs.13000 crore to ensure not only all children are in schools but improve their writing, reading and numeric skills. Teachers, who play an important role, often receive flak for poor quality of education despite being used for various purposes by the government machinery, lack of training and poor infrastructure facilities.

India's National Curriculum Framework for teacher education (2009 Draft Version) stresses the importance of the teacher in very clear terms. It states that 'the importance of competent teachers to the nation's school system can in no way be overemphasized. It is well known that the quality and extent of learner achievement are determined primarily by teacher competence, sensitivity and teacher motivation'. While there is a policy commitment to groom, motivate and support teachers as part of the larger mandate of providing quality education to all, difficulties lie with effective implementation.

Teachers Survey Report

As part of influencing state policy towards improving quality of education, Aide et Action, an international NGO, had organized a survey covering more than 1000 primary & upper primary government school teachers from 16 districts across 6 states of India to understand, analyse and disseminate teachers' notions of quality education and the challenges that they face.

This survey was conducted in the districts of Vijayanagar, East Godavari, Medak, & Nalgonda districts in Andhra Pradesh, Madhubani & Champaran in Bihar, Ahmednagar & Nasik in Maharshtra, Seoni & Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, Erode, Nilgiris, Dindigul & Krishnagiri in Tamilnadu and Tonk & Karauli in Rajasthan. According to Dr.Sridevi Srinivasan of Aide et Action, the purpose of this survey is to highlight the understanding of teachers on quality education; their perspectives on the largest programme in India for achieving Education For All- the SSA and their reflections on how to enhance the quality of education under the current circumstances.

Key outcomes of the survey

-- Most of the teachers (33%) feel that Quality Education refers to an education 'which instills basic knowledge in students and ensures that children are able to read, write, learn and speak well.'

-- 15% of teachers feel that Quality Education 'is one which satiates child's curiosity and inquisitiveness'

-- 7% of teachers opined that the quality of teachers (which is not satisfactory) is a challenge to achievement of EFA goals

-- 23% of teachers believe that developing relationship with parents and organizing frequent meetings to discuss the performance of children is an answer to achieving EFA

-- Lack of Motivation-only 0.2% of 431 teachers have confidently stated that, " nothing can affect my performance as a teacher and am sure about making the classroom an effective and joyful learning ambience for all the children, whatever may be the constraints in the system, students or curriculum "

Speaking to the teachers and other dignitaries, Dr.Bhalchandra Mungekar former member of Planning Commission of India, said the time has come to address loopholes in the management of school education. All other fundamental rights stands nullified if state fails to provide good quality primary education. Teachers are involved in all sorts of works except teaching and he suggested translating study into various languages to promote wider debate across the country on this issue will be a useful follow up step. Mr. Vijjaykumar former State Project Director, Tamil Nadu SSA said, "on one hand we are concerned about brain drain of our human resources, but we are not bothered about 170 million children whose (brain) education suffers due to lacuna of the present education system."

Ravi Pratap Singh Regional Director of AeA South Asia emphasized the centrality of role of teachers in education, particularly for the children from under-privileged families where illiterate parents cannot provide the required support to their children at home. "For many children, poor quality of school education means, they are neither useful for agriculture related work nor can find place in sector related work", he added.

About Aide et Action

Aide et Action is an international development organization working with a vision that dignity is ensured for all men, women and children through Education- a lever for human development. Aide et Action is currently working in 26 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America and Caribbean, with its presence in India for past 29 years. For further details, please visit: www.aea-southasia.org.


CONTACT DETAILS
Vishy, Head- Communication, Aide et Action South Asia, +91 9440801759, vishy@aea-southasia.org

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, SOCIAL, MARKETING, EDUCATION

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