Concerns, Conflicts, and Cohesions: Universalization of Elementary Education in India »

Preet Rustagi is Senior Fellow at the Institute of Human Development, New Delhi.

The volume addresses vital concerns and conflicts that need urgent attention in advancing India's quest for universalizing elementary education. The dialogue among experts, researchers and practitioners offers theoretical perspectives, identifies systemic constraints and points to institutional rigidities that hamper the spread of good quality basic education.

The volume undertakes in-depth analyses, helps understand issues based on the insights of scholars and practitioners, and identifies areas of action for ensuring social cohesion and relevance. It also addresses specific concerns, especially of girls and the socially marginalized groups. The essays draw attention to faulty assumptions, persistent disparities and inadequate commitment to inclusive education, resulting in the neglect of pre-school, out-of-school, over-age, and working children.

Detailed case studies draw attention to systemic deficiencies in school management and administration of the education system.

1 Towards universalizing elementary education : emerging issues and challenges Preet Rustagi Rustagi, Preet 3

2 Universalizing elementary education : a review of progress, policies and problems Jandhyala B. G. Tilak Tilak, Jandhyala B. G. 33

3 Measuring educational development and disparities Dhir Jhingran Jhingran, Dhir Deepa Sankar Sankar, Deepa 72

4 Inequities in elementary education Sunil Batra Batra, Sunil 102

5 Systemic barriers to equity in education Vimala Ramachandran Ramachandran, Vimala 125

6 The challenge of quality Krishna Kumar Kumar, Krishna 153

7 Changing mindsets about quality Rahul Mukhopadhyay Mukhopadhyay, Rahul 172

8 The open classroom and its critics Padma M. Sarangapani Sarangapani, Padma M. 191

9 Women's education or 'schooling' for women - contested terrain Sadhna Saxena Saxena, Sadhna 210

10 Enhancing child learning in Andhra Pradesh S. Galab Galab, S. H. Moestue Moestue, H. P. Antony Antony, P. A. McCoy McCoy, A. C. Ravi Ravi, C. P. Prudhvikar Reddy Reddy, P. Prudhvikar 230

11 Children with disabilities Sudesh Mukhopadhyay Mukhopadhyay, Sudesh 259

12 Over-age children Usha Menon Menon, Usha 275

13 Out-of-school children Afke de Groot de Groot, Afke 297

14 Out-of-school and working children Preet Rustagi Rustagi, Preet Balwant Singh Mehta Mehta, Balwant Singh Sunil Kumar Mishra Mishra, Sunil Kumar 314

Contributors 339

Index 341