- 4.1 Vision of a Classroom"My vision is of an active classroom, where students do not merely sit passively taking notes or listening to lectures. My vision is of a classroom with a buzz of activity. Children are working and involved, alone or in teams, some supported by peers and some supported by the teacher. The classroom is full of colour. It is open and inviting, the atmosphere is charged with energy and enthusiasm; children can be heard laughing, discussing, debating and arguing.""My vision of a classroom is a place where there is no discrimination or bias on-grounds of gender, caste or community, where learning takes place, where self-confidence is built and exercised, and where personal interactions are nurtured and developed.""My vision of a classroom is one where children do not hesitate, but do their work spontaneously and with confidence; where children are not afraid of making mistakes, and are not afraid to talk to the teacher. They move around freely, form groups or consult with peers. The teacher helps, observes, supports, and monitors. Parents and others are in school, talking with children and teachers. Children and the community have respect for the teacher. Community members share and discuss problems with the teacher, ask her to solve issues, and even admire her work."Participants at an SSA WorkshopThe following statements from the Vision document of a State Plan (Kerala DPEP) also gives an idea of what we need to transform in our school system to achieve 'quality', which is often spoken of but not necessarily understood in terms of actual processes.We want to see our classrooms as learning centres where:The child• gains confidence in facing problematic situations and undertakes tasks without any hesitation.• interacts freely, meaningfully and joyfully with her classmates, teachers and teaching learning materials.• interacts in groups and makes use of other resources for expanding her knowledge.• compares events, things, facts and findings and arrives at logical conclusions.• assesses her own progress in her work, identifies errors and rectifies them with the help off peers, teachers and parents.The teacher• designs and implements activities taking into consideration the individual differences of each child.• formulates innovative techniques and practices for the class.• facilitates activities during classroom interactions as one among the group, without any inhibition.• sets tasks and gives instructions in accordance with the learning capability of children.• uses local resources for designing class activities, and reference materials for updating her knowledge.• elicits regular feedback and maintains recorded observations to improve her teaching.• takes up classroom problems as part of action research.• conducts academic discussions with her colleagues, takes part in collective planning with the School Resource Group, and inter acts with the community.4.1.1Right to Learn. - We have had a vision for quality education for all, and now for the first time in the history of Indian education we have the RTE with a separate Chapter (VI) to ensure that this vision is implemented. A right framework is a major shift which implies that the 'compulsion' is on the State to ensure learning of equitable quality for all children. In the earlier framework, the responsibility was often placed on the children themselves by labelling them as 'disinterested' or 'slow learners', or on parents who were assumed to be 'unaware and uneducated'. In fact, Section 8 (c) ensures that children belonging to weaker sections or disadvantaged groups are not discriminated against and prevented from pursuing and completing elementary education on any grounds.4.1.2Making this shift is a tremendous challenge for a system which rests on 'selection' from day one, even before a child can enter school, and judges a child to be 'slow' or a 'failure' without reminding itself that all children will learn and develop well in an environment that provides them quality education. Indeed, the RTE Act requires an emphasis on 'equitable' quality. Even our earlier policies have stressed that the quality of education depends on how far it ensures equity; so a system or school that selects children on the basis of their social advantage, actually compromises on equity and therefore on 'quality'. Our selective system claims to give preference to 'merit', and has segregated children into schools of differential quality on this basis. The so- called most 'able' are selected for highly resourced 'model' schools. However, the right framework reminds us that this notion of 'merit' decided by tests is actually connected to social advantage'. Children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds need greater attention and the best academic support from a system that promotes 'equitable quality', not differential quality, through which they are relegated to impoverished schools and thus, further disadvantaged. Research shows that the more competitive a test the more it actually selects social advantage, whereas collaborative and non-threatening assessment of children's progress leads to better learning of all. This is why the RTE Act (Section 13) has banned any kind of screening procedure for children and parents at the time of admission, has barred detention or expulsion of a child, and even disallowed the conduct of Board examinations till a child completes elementary schooling (class VIII). This is to give the child adequate time to develop her learning and understanding fully through an enabling educational environment, and through a system of continuous and comprehensive assessment which enhances learning.4.1.3Section 29 of the RTE Act is, therefore, crucial for the design of an enabling curriculum, by the designated academic authority. The curriculum here stands for all the components of schooling including in classroom processes, teacher development programmes, the syllabus and textbooks, assessment procedures, etc, and is meant to ensure:(a)Conformity with Constitutional values;(b)all round development of the child;(c)building up the child's knowledge, potentiality and talent;(d)development of physical and mental abilities to the fullest extent:(e)learning through activities, discovery and exploration in a child friendly and child-centred manner;(f)the child's mother tongue serving 'as far as practicable 'as the medium of instruction;(g)making the child free of fear, trauma and anxiety and helping the child to express views freely and(h)Comprehensive and continuous evaluation of the child's understanding and knowledge and the ability to apply it.4.1.4In this way the principles of child centred education spelt out in the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986/92 and elaborated in the NCF - 2005 are now part of educational legislation. Some of these have been included in various guidelines prepared under Central and State level programmes launched since the formulation of the NPE, 1986/92, but now need to be strengthened to ensure implementation of the RTE with in the mandated time."A warm, welcoming and encouraging approach, in which all concerned share a solicitude for the needs of the child, is the best motivation for the child to attend school and learn..The policy of non-detention at the primary stage will be retained, making evaluation as disaggregated as feasible. Corporal punishment will be firmly excluded from the educational system and school timings as well as vacations adjusted to the convenience of children."NPE, 1986/924.2Quality Concerns in Elementary Education4.2.1Under SSA, most states have included a variety of interventions for quality improvement. These include pilot programmes within the Learning Enhancement Programme (LEP), teacher training, material development, specific subject-oriented programmes, etc. However, these interventions have sometimes taken the form of add-ons to the existing learning systems and practices, and have not adequately influenced the mainstream system, largely for the following reasons:(i)The education system follows a disjointed approach to curriculum formulation, viewing it score components of curriculum , syllabus formulation, textbook development, teacher training, learner assessment, classroom processes and school management as discrete, fragmented or isolated interventions, rather than inter-connected and synthesised.(ii)There is a tendency for the system, while formulating the curriculum, to ignore the ground realities of children, and to espouse 'deficit' theories of learning which assume that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are also lacking in ability or interest'. For example, the child may speak a different language at home, may be a first generation school-goer, may continue to help with domestic chores of the family, but the design and transaction of the curriculum fails to recognise this and build on it. It is common for the system to claim that children who come to school at an older age of say 8 or 9 years 'know nothing' - just because they do not know how to read and write. This again is a failure of the system to recognise that children are natural learners and that they bring with them sophisticated structures of learning and constructing knowledge. Any attempt to improve the quality of education will succeed only if it goes hand in hand with steps to promote equality and social justice. This can only be achieved when the knowledge and experience of children from all backgrounds and particularly those from disadvantaged groups are fore- fronted in school learning with primacy to their socio-cultural context.(iii)The education system has adopted a subject based approach to the organisation of curriculum, focusing on areas which readily lend themselves to being formulated as 'subjects'. These subject boundaries have become rigid, are determined more by the disciplines they are associated with at higher stages of learning, and have little connection with how children actually develop their conceptual understanding. Moreover, areas which do not lend themselves to being organised in text books, for example visual and performing arts or work education, are relegated to 'extra' or 'co-curricular' activities. Any 'new' concern or problem, such as environmental awareness, human rights, value education or disaster management, is addressed piecemeal or as an add-on, without incorporating it cohesively in the curriculum. The NCF-2005 has called for breaking of these rigid compartments of conventional subjects to redefine learning areas in line with children's experiences and learning strategies.(iv)There is an emphasis on reproduction of 'information' learnt by rote, rather than on 'constructing knowledge' from experience, which is the natural process for a child's development and learning.Our schools usually 'transmit information' through lessons 'delivered', where children are expected to passively listen, write or respond to evaluation tasks on an individual basis. However, children construct knowledge through collaboration with others, not alone, and the curriculum design and classroom transaction must ensure this, through the choice of suitable themes which build on interaction, discussion and group work.(v)Work on the core components of curriculum is not accompanied by improvement in the enabling components, which include teacher recruitment and deployment systems, re-orientation of educational administrators, BRC and CRC faculty.4.3Core Components of Quality Education4.3.1In dealing with quality concerns in elementary education, States would need to address the following core components of Quality Education:4.3.2Appropriate aims of education"The aim of education is not the acquisition of information, although important, or acquisition of technical skills, though essential in modern society, but the development of that bent of mind, that attitude of reason, that spirit of democracy which will make us responsible citizens"Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan4.3.2.1There is need for arriving at a relevant, balanced set of aims describing what learners should learn and why. NCF-2005 identifies educational aims as comprising:• A commitment to democracy and values of equality, justice, freedom, concern for others' well being , secularism, respect for human dignity and rights. Education should aim to build a commitment to these values, which are based on reason and understanding. The curriculum should provide adequate experience and space for dialogue and discourse in the school to build such a commitment in children.• A sensitivity to others' well-being and feelings, together with knowledge and understanding of the world should form the basis of a rational commitment to values.• A capacity to learn and willingness to unlearn and relearn as means of responding to new situations in a flexible and creative manner.• Appreciation of beauty and art forms as an integral part of human life.4.3.2.2The aims of education are expected to reflect the current needs and aspirations of a society as well as its lasting values. States would need to ensure that the aims of education are reflected in the curriculum, syllabus, textbooks and other learning material developed by them.4.3.3. Key Role of Curriculum and Syllabus:4.3.3.1NCF-2005 lays down the broad principles for the Curriculum Framework, for the States to design the detailed Curriculum and Syllabus. The curriculum tells us what is worth teaching, how much should be taught and in what sequence, with what methods and materials, the linkages across different aspects of knowledge, how learning should be assessed, teachers prepared, and how schools monitored.4.3.3.2There has been a general tendency in the system to load the syllabus of early classes with topics which were earlier introduced in the secondary and higher secondary classes. This tendency has been particularly strong in mathematics and science, but it is also fairly perceptible in the social sciences. The report of the Yash Pal Committee, Learning without Burden (1993) had pointed out that the burden was from bombarding children with information that they could not understand at that age, resulting from an erroneous notion of 'knowledge'. NCF-2005 and the NCERT syllabi based on it have made an attempt to redress this problem to a certain extent, but the tendency persists and takes different forms. In j several states, syllabus revision at the primary stage has not been particularly radical, and a lot of age-inappropriate material continues to be taught during the primary classes. The fear that deletion of complex concepts in the early classes will result in 'dilution' of standards has prevented many States from taking necessary measures. In many schools, additional and non prescribed textbooks are used. Some well known private publishers have retained inappropriate content, which is not in the new syllabus, in their revised textbooks used by private schools under the claim that these offer more 'advanced' information. When teachers are faced with topics which children cannot negotiate at a particular age-level, they make children learn by rote and reproduce those answers in tests and examinations. When children fail to learn by rote, they are corporally punished or scolded. Poor marks or grades compel parents to hire a private tutor. RTE has outlawed private tuition as far as government teachers are concerned. Therefore, to develop meaningful curricula in keeping with the RTE Act, States need to be guided by the educational aims discussed above and the following fundamental questions:• What educational aims and purposes should schools seek to achieve?• Are our schools achieving these educational purposes?• If not, what alternative educational experiences can be provided that are likely to achieve these purposes?4.3.3.3To implement RTE, SSA will provide resource and logistic support to States to conduct workshops and hold consultations for developing new curriculum and syllabus.4.3.4Learning in age-appropriate classes. - The RTE Act (Section 4) stipulates age appropriate admission for out-of-school children, or those who may have dropped out, so that older children do not lose self esteem by being made to sit in a designated class of younger children. The RTE Act, thus, recognises that children do not enter as 'blank slates' but have rich knowledge from their life experiences which the school must acknowledge. The Act also provides that such children shall be entitled to free and compulsory education even after attaining the age of 14 years till they complete elementary education. Thus, every child has a right to an age-appropriate education, where she can learn at her own pace for achieving her full potential. It is in this context that the RTE Act provides for Special Training for out- of-school children, before being accommodated in an age-appropriate class. These provisions will result in a special training heterogeneous class, where children learn from each other and from a sensitive teacher, who engages them with respect and understanding, in meaningful learning activities. This special training 'bridge' class, having children of different ages, will need to sustain the motivation and self esteem of the older children by creatively using their knowledge to help the younger ones, and factor in the differential pace of learning by children from diverse backgrounds and experiences. More importantly, the RTE Act stipulates that all regular teachers of the school, who need to welcome these children in their class after their special training is over, will also need Special Training to understand how to accommodate them without discrimination which makes them feel 'left out 'or' handicapped' in any ways.4.3.5Subject balance and age-appropriate syllabi: The goals and aims of curricula must be reflected in the subjects taught in schools. By and large, there is consensus on the need for a child centred curricular policy, but in practice, there has been little change in the content and process of subjects of Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Sciences over the last two decades. There is need for a consensus regarding how subjects are defined, how many should be taught at different stages of education, and the time allocated to each.4.3.5.1The current NCERT syllabus for Classes I to VIII, prepared based on the NCF-2005, is in consonance with the formulations of the RTE Act, and marks a major step forward toward an experiential syllabus design. It was based on the following principles which need to be included in all the State curricular interventions:(i)Resonance of the values enshrined in the Constitution of India(ii)Sensitivity to gender, caste and class parity, peace, health and needs of children with disabilities(iii)Infusion of environment related and work based knowledge in all subjects and at all levels(iv)Linkages between school knowledge in different subjects and children's everyday experiences(v)Appropriateness of topics and themes for relevant stages of children's development and continuity from one level to the next(vi)Inter-disciplinary and thematic linkages between topics listed for different school subjects, which fall under discrete disciplinary areas(vii)Nurturing aesthetic sensibility and values by integrating the arts and India's heritage of crafts in every aspect of the curriculum4.3.6Learning material4.3.6.1Textbook Contents Reform. - States need to prepare textbooks based on the NCF-2005 principles. Textbook developers would need to design books such as they focus on the construction of knowledge by learners through the understanding of concepts, by active exploration, reflective thinking, and by providing interactive opportunities for children to conduct activities in groups, with continuous self and peer assessment. The textbooks should keep the principle of equity and inclusion at the forefront, proactively break extant stereotypes and reflect sensitivity to gender, caste and class parity, peace, health and needs of differently abled children. National agencies like NCERT would play a major role in enhancing the capacity of State agencies to undertake this task, and helps to sustain academic consultations for a critical review of curricular initiatives.4.3.6.2While undertaking revision of textbooks it will be important to rationalise the number of books both at the primary and upper primary levels such as there is no additional curriculum load on children. States that follow the seven-rather than eight-year elementary education cycle, tend to introduce subjects of history, geography, science and social studies in Class V, rather than Class VI. This adds to the curricular load on children. There is also need to integrate the various learning materials like text books, workbooks, worksheets, LEP materials etc. With the purpose of reducing an unnecessary additional burden on the teacher and child, as well as bringing in cohesiveness and reducing overlaps. The textbooks should be designed to nurture an aesthetic sensibility in children. There should be adequate focus on good quality printing and visual design of books along side improvement in content. Attention has to be paid for preparation of handbooks for teachers on new textbooks and the new approach to curriculum.4.3.6.3Textbook Production Reform. - The textbook production, encompassing the layout and design, text and cover, paper size and specifications, ink, printing and binding, etc., have significant implications for quality. These aspects have so far been relegated to the State Textbook Boards or SCERTs. SSA will provide support for ensuring reform in the textbook production process and national consultations to review these issues with professional artists and designers.4.3.6.4Libraries as learning sites. - The library will be an essential component of the school, providing not only resource for learning, but also for strengthening the idea of reading for pleasure, recreation and further deepening of knowledge and imagination. It will have newspapers, magazines, books as well as access to new information technology, including computers wherever possible. Training of teachers in library management and its usage will be integrated within the teacher training programmes. The libraries through SSA resources will be created strictly by the decentralised mechanisms, wherein the wisdom of teachers and the SMC for procuring books for their children is trusted.Flabby textbooks, and the syllabi they cover, symbolise a systemic failure to address children in a child-centred manner. Those who write such encyclopaedic textbooks are guided by the popular belief that there has been an explosion of knowledge. Therefore, vast amounts of knowledge should be pushed down the throats of little children in order to catch up with other countries. Learning without Burden recommended a major change in the design of syllabi and textbooks, and also a change in the social ethos, which places stress on children to become aggressively competitive and exhibit precocity.NCF, 20054.3.6.5Pedagogy. - The NCF-2005 calls for a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, where learners make sense of the world around them. This is to be done through 'critical pedagogy' which foregrounds questions of inequality and justice and enables learners to undertake transformative action.(a)Language. - The vision of SSA is to enable children to develop language from a social context and use it for thought and expression in their daily lives. Language teaching cannot be de-linked from the process of meaning - making and interpreting the implicit, where culture plays a significant role. Thus, language teaching and learning should span across the curriculum, in all subject areas and activities.(b)Social Sciences. - Teaching of Social Sciences should help to develop an understanding of the socio-political structure of society, including issues of equity and discrimination. It should be able to situate these understandings in a historical context rather than presenting them in fragmented stand alone components. This should converge into every child being empowered to critically understand one 'sown positioning vis-a-vis others and developing an attitude to intervene and play a role in transforming the social order.(c)Sciences. - Like the Social Sciences, Science should develop an attitude to question what is taken for granted. Teaching of Sciences should enable every child to understand Science in Everyday life and use activities of daily life to explain concepts in Science. It should enable children to question and pursue inquiry in a systematic manner, interpret and analyse. SSA will support schools for development and procurement of suitable kits and the establishment of a small laboratory using local resources(d)Mathematics : Mathematics is a significant area in school education where logical reasoning and abstract thinking can be developed. However, Mathematics has been a source of fear among many school going children, despite the fact that they use Mathematics in daily life to a considerable extent without knowing that they are doing so. Teaching of Mathematics should incorporate knowledge from e very day mathematics and folk mathematics, from varied contexts of carpentry, agriculture, brick making, fishing, architecture, home management, etc. It should help children develop confidence, an ability to formulate problems they encounter in their lives and facilitate decision 'making. It is also critical to relate mathematics to the understanding of social reality, and to creatively integrate it with other subject areas.(e)Arts and Craft education. - Art and craft education with special focus on local forms of arts must be incorporated in the teaching-learning process of all subject areas.(f)Health and Physical Education. must be an integrated part of schooling at the elementary level. SSA will support health and physical education at the upper primary level.(g)Work Education. - The vision of SSA is to enable each child to understand and gain from the knowledge and dignity of work as part of education in all subject areas, and not to separate 'manual' from 'mental' abilities.4.3.6.6Among all these areas, the cross-cutting characteristics will be that teaching will be based on and make use of local knowledge, experiences of children, be integrated across subject areas, informed by pedagogical research, and essentially participatory in nature.4.3.6.7Community knowledge. - Community is a rich local resource. Every family carries a wide range of knowledge and skills in the form of stories, songs, poems, riddles, dances, and occupational knowledge. This local knowledge can provide a rich learning resource for children. Schools must explore the potential of such learning resources. NCF-2005 recommends that schools need to relate to children's knowledge and experiences, and connect classroom knowledge with life outside the school. Schools need to be nurtured in this spirit, where the teachers work closely with the community as knowledge partners for effective school development and management.4.3.7Good use of time. - Research shows consistent positive correlations between learning time and student achievement. Studies also show that there is a significant gap between school calendar days, available school days, and the teachers' physical presence days in the school. This gap is accounted by teachers involvement in enrolment drives, admissions, surveys, distribution of textbooks, scholarships etc., as also personal leave, administrative duties, and official work of other departments, Much time allocated for instruction is also lost because of teacher and pupil absenteeism, shortage of classrooms, lack of learning material and weak discipline. The RTE Act mandates 200 school days at the primary level, comprising 800 effective schooling hours per year. At the upper primary level the RTE Act requires 220 school days comprising 1000 hours per year. The RTE Act also provides that teachers will not be assigned for non-academic work (barring decennial census, elections and disaster management). Further, it prohibits teachers from taking private tuition. The Act provides that teachers should put in 45 working hours per week. This would include time required for planning and preparation, TLM preparation, transacting the regular time table, assessment of children's work, providing academic and emotional support to children who need such support, interaction with the parents and community. This is expected to improve the teacher's physical presence in the classroom. However, mere teacher presence in the classroom will not transform student learning unless it is accompanied by sensitisation for greater learner oriented pedagogy and classroom organisation.4.3.8Pedagogic approaches for better learning. - Practitioners broadly agree that teacher-dominated pedagogy, placing children in a passive role, is undesirable, yet for most part, this style and method remains the norm. Innovations can be found across the country, which encourage child-centred, active pedagogy, cooperative learning and the development of critical thinking and problem- solving skills. Examples include the curriculum renewal approach of DPEP Kerala, the work of the Rishi Valley Trust, the 'Nali Kali' programme of Karnataka, the Activity Based Learning programme of Tamil Nadu, the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme by Eklavya in Madhya Pradesh, or the Integrated Kalikayatna Approach by Prajayatna in Karnataka.4.3.9Language policy : The choice of language(s) used in school is of utmost importance for the quality of teaching and learning. Evidences hows that starting instruction in the learner 's first language improves learning and cognitive development, and also ensures better learning of a second language if after a few years, a gradual transition is made to the second language. Language instruction is a policy choice affecting curriculum, content and pedagogy.4.3.10Assessment for Learning. - The goals of assessment are to give learners and teachers a sense of what is being learnt and how, in order to improve learning and teaching practices. It must show what progress the child has made with respect to her own performance over time, and is not meant to compare one child with another. Assessment must enhance the child's motivation, which is crucial for any learning. In fact, research now focuses on 'motivation' as the key to better learning rather than the notion of 'competence'. However, in our prevailing system, the examination is used to create competition for eliminating children who are found to be weak on the basis of their poor marks. Once declared 'fail', they either repeat grade or leave the school altogether. Compelling a child to repeat a class demotivates and discourages further, without necessarily giving any special resources to deal with the same syllabus requirements again. Parents of such children also tend to view them as being fit for failure, thereby reinforcing the perception which the school has already used for declaring the child 'fail' on the basis of a three-hour test. The prevailing examination system treats evaluation as a means of judging and passing a verdict. Such a practice is incompatible with the concept of child-centred education in a rights framework, and has been prohibited through the provision of 'No Detention' under the RTE Act.4.3.10.1RTE provides for Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE). CCE essentially means that assessment should be treated as an integral part of teaching and learning, through observations of children and maintaining records of their work done in a portfolio, rather than as a judgement. More importantly, efforts should be made to give self assessment exercises to learners, so that they can creatively articulate what. they can do and what they need support for, as is effectively done in progressive interventions even with young children. With the formulation of RTE, evaluation in any form, including examination, cannot be treated as a basis for stopping a child from progressing to the next Class.4.4Enabling Components of Quality Education4.4.1Pre-school or Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): The National Policy of Education (NPE) gives importance to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as a crucial input for human resource development, as a feeder and support programme for primary education and as a support service for working women of the disadvantaged sections of society. It has also taken into account the holistic nature of ECCE and has pointed out the need for early care and stimulation of children belonging to the vulnerable sector. The potential of ECCE as an intervention for girls' education is widely recognised as an essential input in freeing girls from sibling care responsibilities, leading to their regular attendance in school and in providing school readiness skills to pre-school children.4.4.1.1Section 11 of the RTE Act, 2009 makes provision for being engaged with pre-school education. It states:"With a view to prepare children above the age of three years for elementary education and to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years, the appropriate Government may make necessary arrangement for providing free pre-school education for such children".4.4.1.2This allows for the necessary space within the ambit of the RTE Act to enable a greater degree of involvement in the pre-school segment of education.Continuous evaluation. - Modem educational theory has battled with such obsolete practices of examinations for a long time. Its message is simple and clear: namely that children's learning and development cannot be viewed in terms of a rigidly defined class structure, nor it can be fitted into an annual cycle of evaluation and promotion. The RTE Act represents the legal approval of modem educational thinking when the Act prohibits detention and requires that a child can join the school at any point in the year. The vision underlying the RTE Act is further clarified by the prohibition imposed on Board examination at the end of the elementary stage or before it. This vision is completely consistent with NCF which also recommends that there should be no Board examination at any point in elementary education. 'Continuous Evaluation' means that the teacher's work should be continuously guided by the child's response and participation in classroom activities. In other words, evaluation should be seen as a process whereby the teacher learns about the child in order to be able to teach better, and 'Continuous Evaluation' becomes a strategy of assessment which is a part and parcel of teaching itself.Comprehensive evaluation. - The term 'Comprehensive' implies the capacity to view the child from a holistic perspective, rather than merely in terms of a learner of different school subjects. A comprehensive evaluation strategy would imply that aspects such as the child's health, self image, sensibilities, etc. are also perceived in the context of development and growth. Conventionally these aspects are either neglected in our education system or as we now see in private schools, dealt with by using an arbitrarily devised grading system which conveys the impression that the teacher has judged the child according to a norm. It is the duty of the teacher to make every possible effort, through interaction and engagement, to observe and understand the child's own nature. It is also important that the teacher does not judge the child's nature. Rather, what is required is that the teacher notices the inherent potential of the child as a learner in the context of his or her nature. Training for careful observation and record-keeping will have to be organised and executed in a careful and academically sound manner, to enable teachers to fulfil the expectation of the RTE Act. For guiding teachers to observe a child's behaviour and attitude, a new initiative will have to be taken for developing relevant material which can serve as a basis for training programmes.Report of the Committee on Implementation of RTE and Consequent Revamp of SSA. - 4.4.1.3 SSA realises the importance of pre-school learning and early childhood care and its role in improving participation of children in schools. In order to.facilitate a greater convergence with ICDS, efforts to strengthen it in the area of pre-school education will be made.4.4.1.4In habitations not covered by Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and wherever the State Government is desirous of starting a pre-school education centre in the formal primary school, SSA support could be accessed through funds available under the head-innovative Activities. In case of a new ICDS centre coming in such a habitation, the pre-school facility will necessarily have to work in conjunction with the ICDS. Since ICDS is the main scheme for early childhood care and education, SSA will extend support only to enable the ICDS to enrich and sustain its pre- school and school preparedness component. When ICDS universalises its reach and coverage for pre-school education and school readiness, SSA support will cease in order to avoid any duplication.4.4.1.5SSA emphasises the importance of ECCE by strengthening convergence with the ICDS programme of Ministry of Women & Child Development to promote pre-school education. SSA would strive to maintain effective synergy with the ICDS through the following:(i)Convergence instructions to be issued by State Education Departments in concurrence with ICDS Department.(ii)Regular inter departmental meetings at the State, district and block level between SSA official and the ICDS programme.(iii)Representative of ICDS programme on the State Level Executive Committee of SSA and District Implementation Committee.(iv)Location of Anganwadi centres in or close proximity to primary school campus and synchronisation of the timings of the Anganwadi centres with the primary schools.(v)Joint efforts for curriculum renewal of nursery teacher training and conduct of trainings of Anganwadi workers, primary teachers and health workers for a convergent understanding of links between learning and development in pre-school and primary school.(vi)Use of infrastructure of DIETs, BRCs and CRCs for training of Anganwadi workers and other functionaries of ICDS.(vii)Strengthening of training of Anganwadi workers in pre-school activities in both existing and new projects/Anganwadi centers.(viii)Augmentation of pre-school kits/materials in Anganwadis, where such materials are required.4.4.2. Teachers. - SSA visualises teacher as a capable facilitator, who motivates children to construct their own knowledge. The teacher should be aware about progressive pedagogy and must know the nature and experiences of children from various social and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, RTE requires that teachers should be committed to equity and social justice, aware about child entitlements and convinced that all children can learn well if provided education of equitable quality.4.4.2.1Teacher Recruitment, Placement and Training. - The RTE Act recognises the importance of providing adequate number of teachers and lays down that the prescribed Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) must be maintained for each school. It also recognises the need for subject specific teachers, head teacher and part time instructors for art, health and work education in upper primary schools. [In addition, it stipulates that no school shall have a teacher vacancy of more than 10%] [Notification No F 1-4/2010-EE.4 dated 22nd June 2010 on implementation of section 25(1) of the RTE Act clarifying the time frame to complete the recruitment process is attached at Annexure 10.] SSA will support States in recruiting adequate number of teachers in the new schools sanctioned under the programme as well as additional teachers to meet the requirements of PTR at school level as per norms.4.4.2.2While calculating the requirement of additional teachers, the enrollment, population projections and State vacancies will be considered. The practice of recruiting at least 50% women teachers will continue. The sharing arrangement for teacher salary will be in accordance with the fund sharing pattern between Centre and States. SSA assistance will not be available for filling up State vacancies that have arisen on account of attrition.4.4.3Teacher Re-deployment : The RTE stipulation that PTR shall be maintained in respect of each school and that no school shall have teacher vacancies exceeding 10% warrants immediate intervention for re-deployment of surplus teachers to schools where the PTRs exceed the RTE stipulations. It is suggested that States undertake a rational re-deployment of teachers to ensure that the RTE stipulations are adhered to.4.4.4Teacher Qualifications. - The RTE Act, 2009 under Section 23(1) provides for minimum qualification of a teacher as laid down by academic authority, authorised by the central government by notification. Accordingly the Central Government has notified National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) as the [academic authority] [Notification authorizing NCTE as the academic authority for Teacher Qualifications is at Annexure 11.] to lay down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher.4.4.5The following Teacher Qualifications laid down by the NCTE under section 23 of the RTE Act, would need to be followed in all future recruitments.Redeployment of teachers. - There is clearly a need to evolve a more transparent system of transfers and re-deployment of teachers-a system which is both child centered and teacher friendly. The implementation of the computerised system for fresh postings, transfers and re-deployment would help the States in maintaining school-wise Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) as stipulated under RTE in a transparent manner. The TSG has developed computerised software for the use of States. The software uses the DISE database and can:• generate a list of under-served and over-served schools.• create a vacancy database.• generate a list of vacancies subject-wise.• be sensitive to the needs of physically handicapped teachers, women teachers and other categories as prioritised by the State.• correct existing imbalances in teacher deployment.• be customised to State needs.4.4.6Training of Untrained teachers. - The RTE Act attaches immense significance to the role of teachers in improving elementary education by making available professionally trained teachers for the school system. It provides a time frame of five years for ensuring that all teachers in [elementary schools are professionally trained] [Notification No F 1-3/2010-EE.4 dated 9th November 2010 on the implementation of the provisions of section 23(2) of the RTE Act to grant relaxation in minimum qualification for appointment as a teacher is attached at Annexure 13.]. Within this period, all teachers would need to acquire the academic and professional qualifications prescribed by the academic authority under the RTE Act. In this context, NCTE has provided that teachers appointed prior to the NCTE (Determination of Minimum Qualifications for Recruitment of Teachers in Schools) Regulations, 2001 dated 3 September 2001, need not acquire the revised teacher education qualifications. A teacher appointed on or after 3 September-2001 would require Senior Secondary and D. Ed (two years) or Senior Secondary and B.El.Ed (4 years) for teaching at the primary stage of education. For teaching at the upper primary stage a teacher would require (a) Senior Secondary and D.Ed (two years) or (b) Senior Secondary and B.El.Ed (4 years), (c) Graduation with B.Ed (one year). States may make an assessment of the teachers requiring academic and professional qualifications as per the
