Primary education Essay Example for Free

Primary education Essay India has made large strides in educating its population of more than a billion people, yet a lot remains to be done. It is commonplace now that education is both intrinsically valuable and also instrumental for economic well-being, and this is true for individuals and entire nations. No country in the world has been able to develop without the spread of mass education. An educated population is a prerequisite for take-off into high economic growth. Table 1 in the appendix shows literacy rates for India as a whole and by sex. It also shows the decadal rates of change from 1901 to the present. 2 Literacy rates have increased for both males and females, and though the latter continues to lag behind the former, there has been a narrowing of the male-female gap in literacy: from 24. 8% in 1991 to 21. 7% in 2001. In 2001, the absolute number of illiterates declined historically for the first time by nearly 32 million. In terms of state-wise performance, Kerala continues to occupy first rank as it has done historically; on the other hand, densely populated states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar are yet to overcome their educational inertia. 3 The average figures for India as a whole hide a great deal of variation among states. Table 2 in the appendix provides literacy rates for states for the years 1991 and 2001, for the population as a whole, by sex and also provides the decadal rate of change. In 2001, Kerala, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh had more than 75% of their population of 7+ years literate. On the other hand, even in 2001, less than half of Bihar’s population of seven years and above was literate with female literacy rate only 33. 6%. In terms of zones, states in the South and West outperform states in the North and East. 2. Primary Education Primary education refers to the education of children between the ages 6-11 years (grades 1-5). Universalization of Primary Education (UPE) is a constitutional provision in India and there has been a steady expansion in the spread of primary education since Indian independence in 1947. The Indian educational system is the second largest in the world after China. In 2001-02, there were nearly 0. 66 million primary schools in India 1 This study has been undertaken as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Project. 2 Before the 1991 census, only those belonging to the age-group 0-4 years were excluded from the population in order to compute literacy rates and the basis of the computation was the entire population. From the 1991 census onward, literacy rates were computed based on the population aged 7+ years and above. 3 In Bihar, Nagaland and Manipur as well as Delhi and Chandigarh, the absolute number of illiterates has increased in the 1990s. 4 providing access to 84% of habitations with a primary school located within a distance of one kilometer. Between 1997 and 2002, the gross primary school enrolment rate4 for India was 111 for males and 92 for females. The net primary school enrolment rate5 on the other hand was only 78 for males and 64 for females. The net primary school attendance rate between 1999 and 2002 was 79 for males and 73 for females. However, of the children who entered primary school, only 68% reached grade 5 between 1995 and 1999 (UNICEF, 2004). Table 3 provides data on gross primary school enrolments by sex between 1950-51 and 2001-2002. As can be seen from the table there has been a steady increase in the numbers of boys and girls attending primary school over time. In Table 4, state-wise enrolment of boys and girls as a percentage of their age-group is provided for 1997-1998. Girls’ enrolment has been steadily increasing over time and in 2001-02, nearly 45% of girls in the age-group 6-11 were enrolled in school. These statistics are heartening because at least until the 1990s, one of the most dismal aspects of India’s education system was the large percentage of the population in the younger age groups that were out of school. Socio-economic disparities Despite the strong constitutional backing for the provision of primary education in India6 and its expansion over time, the system is characterized not only by low achievements but also by large unevenness of achievements. Huge gaps remain between rural and urban areas, and the probability of getting any education at all sharply depends on gender, caste and income. Women, scheduled castes and tribes and the poor are faced with formidable barriers when it comes to getting basic education. Of the 200 million children in the age group 6-14, it is estimated that 59 million are out of school. Of these 35 million are girls and 24 million are boys (Ministry of Human Development, GOI). Apart from socio-economic determinants, the educational infrastructure and the management and the governance of the educational system in India are far from efficient or sufficient. The government is the largest provider of education in India with only about 10% of primary schools owned by the private sector. 7 The quality of education provided by the public education system is low which translates into low educational abilities even for those who are able to complete primary education cycle. Moreover, there is a lot of ‘waste’ in the educational system with dropout rates as high as 40% for the country as a whole and in some Indian states, they are as high as 75%. Though the number of primary 4 Gross primary school enrolment rate is computed as the number of children enrolled in primary school regardless of age divided by the population of that age group. 5 Net primary school enrolment rate is computed as the number of children in that age group enrolled in primary school divided by the population of that age group. 6 In 2002, the Supreme Court of India decreed that free primary education was a constitutional right. 7 Around 3% of private schools are aided by the government, which makes government intervention in the education sector even greater. 5 schools in the country increased, more than 1 lakh8 habitations still do not have access to a primary school within a distance of one kilometer. Teacher-pupil ratios are inadequate: less than 2 teachers are available in rural areas to teach a class size of around 100 students. Teacher motivation and teaching incentives are also very weak. India perhaps has the highest rate of teacher truancy in the world. Poverty and Education. Empirical evidence strongly shows that, both at the level of the household as well as at the level of the country, there is a positive relationship between income (and wealth) and educational attainment. More income simply means more resources available to spend on the acquisition of education. With more than 250 million people in India living on less than a $1 a day, poverty remains a major barrier to educational access. Although education is provided ‘free’ by the government, the cost of uniforms, textbooks and transportation costs are beyond the reach of many households (Tilak, 2004). Added to these direct costs are the indirect (opportunity) costs of wage/domestic labor which children perform and the costs of acquiring education become considerable for households. Graphs 1 and 2 in the appendix show simple regressions of literacy rates for sixteen states against state poverty rates and state per capita income for 2001. As is expected, literacy rates decline with poverty and rise with per capita incomes. State per capita incomes seem to explain literacy rates better than poverty rates. Filmer and Pritchett (2001) using Demographic Health Survey data for India find that the gap in enrolment between the highest and the lowest wealth class is as much as 52 percentage points. Gupta (2003) using the 52nd round of National Sample Survey data finds that the percentage of people who have completed five years of schooling declines as one descends consumption deciles. In the lowest consumption decile, the proportion of people who have not completed the primary school cycle is greater than 80%. 9 While poverty status and income class are strong determinants of who goes to school and for how long, they do not make up the whole story. Indian states of Kerala and Himachal Pradesh even with fewer resources at their disposal have been able to achieve much better educational and health outcomes compared to rich states such as Punjab and Haryana in India. This is true even when we look at cross-country outcomes. For example, Sri Lanka and Botswana do much better in education and health terms than would be predicted based on their level of resources; the Latin American countries do much worse given their resources (Mehrotra and Jolly, 1998). 8 One lakh is equal to 100,000. 9 These graphs are meant to be illustrative of the association between resources and education and do not claim any direction of causality. The relationship between resources and educational attainment is bidirectional. The poor cannot afford schooling. With little human capital, the opportunities to escape persistent poverty are very restricted and the poor can be trapped in a low education, low income vicious cycle across generations. A large literature has analyzed both theoretically and empirically persistence of poverty inter-generationally due to lack of resources to invest in education.

The Coquette Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hannah Webster Foster

The Coquette, written by Hannah Webster Foster in 1797, chronicles the life of an affluent woman in the 18th century. There are a few themes that are presented throughout the whole novel: correspondence, sexual freedom, and ideal womanhood. Elizabeth Whitman has been an icon of American history since the 19th century because of her bravery and contempt for the caged position of women in society. It is stated that the tombstone of Elizabeth Whitman is a popular tourist attraction; â€Å"her grave was a popular destination for New England travelers, who beat paths to the far corner of Danvers’s Old South Cemetery through the entire nineteenth century.† (Waterman) The Coquette was loosely based on the story of Elizabeth Whitman, born in 1752 and dead in 1788. Women were typically not objects of novels because women were not deemed important by society, therefore it is surprising when a novel about a woman becomes very popular among the general public. The Coquette was advertised as a dime novel in the late 17 and early 1800s but come the turn of the 21st century, it is one of the most popular novels about women’s liberation and sexual freedom. Since The Coquette is based on true events, there must be a primary or credible secondary source; in this case, the epistolary novel was compiled using themes from the original letters written by Elizabeth Whitman. There were only 15 letters that remain of the correspondence between Elizabeth Whitman and Joel Barlow that exist in the Baldwin Family Papers. (Waterman) In her novel The Romance of the Association, Caroline Wells Healy Dall had to personally contact the Baldwin family in order to review the original letters. This is why correspondence is so important in novels of this time period. ... ...est stick since she lost her life and her reputation, the two most important things to her. However I would argue that the punishments were the same, Sanford lost the two most important things to him as well, Eliza and his money. Depending on one’s view point, it may be better to die than to live without the love of your life. Works Cited Castiglione, Balclesar. "The Book of the Coutier ." Castiglione, Balclesar. The Third Book. London: Norton & Company, 1523. 147-187. Elizabeth Whitman Grave. Peabody, n.d. Photograph. Foster, Hanna Webster. The Coquette. Oxford University Press, 1797. ebook. Waterman, Bryan. "Coquetry and Correspondence in Revolutionary-Era: Reading Elizabeth Whitman’s Letters." Early American Literature (2011): 541-563. Wenska Jr., Walter P. "The Coquette AND THE AMERICAN DREAM OF FREEDOM." Early American Literature (1977): 243-256.

Critical Analysis various programs

One of the most essential functions of the state is to provide public welfare and look after the citizens of the country. This is done through the application of various programs aimed at developing the people’s capacity and alleviating others. The success in this task is what, to a great extent, defines the state’s relationship with the citizens and how much people get involved in collaboration with it. If they don’t get the support of the state, citizens can slip into apathy and become disjoint from matters that require the attention of the whole nation.As the decades have progressed we see significant changes in the way public programs are organized and continuing improvement is necessary to promote efficiency and results. In Hope Unraveled, Richard Harwood states some of his basic observations after conversations with the American people across various states. He makes a good point that the nation is embroiled at most, in the debate regarding republicans and democrats and whether religion should be an important element in the state and does not go any further. When looked at closely, what the nation appears to be eliciting is a general level of distancing from politics and public life.The link between state leaders and the ordinary people is a very frail one and now that the ethos of the people is no longer truly represented in the rhetoric of the politicians, the public is withdrawing itself. This as a result is allowing these leaders to garner political gain for themselves (Harwood, 2005). This perhaps presents the need for some sort of change in the measures adopted for public welfare and other programs initiated by the state. That fragile link between the state and the people needs to be rebuilt which can best be done by improving public management.Kamensky and Burlin, present a very good insight into the measures that could be taken by public managers which stress use of collaborative arrangements. The basic principles of networks and partnerships can be of very important use in this regard. To bring about a so called â€Å"public management revolution† requires some changes in the methods adopted. Productivity needs to be stressed on through all levels of public services (Kamensky, 2005). This has been the hallmark of the private sector and perhaps it is now a time for increased dependence on it by the public sector.Another change drastically needed is reducing the centralization and allowing more entrustment at the sub national level so application is left more to those at the grass roots, better able to respond to changing conditions. The centre could focus more on the creation of public policy and making sure the smaller, semi-autonomous units are held accountable for their measures. The core beliefs surrounding the need for this public management revolution are culminating in public managers opting to replace the traditional bureaucratic organizational structure and to engage in the provision of p ublic services with new and creative ways.A few ways of doing this is contracting out services to third parties and collections of public, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations, instead of a bureaucratic hierarchy. These contractual relationships can help develop linkages between organizations, although it would be significantly different from a network. Networks may be funded by grants, contracts, or fee-for-service arrangements, but they use collaboration as a way of dealing with problems in a coordinated fashion that would be impossible for just one organization.The idea behind contracting is exactly the opposite of collaboration—competition, where two or more organizations are forced to compete for the contract. The network logic is that collaboration is needed to deal with problems that don’t fit neatly within the boundaries of a single organization. This creation of a so called networked form of governance has been the ultimate result of contracts and decentral ization (Harwood, 2005). Collaborative networks are the best methods for tackling public management problems like homelessness and child welfare.The problems mentioned above that have to be tackled by public agencies are interrelated to a great extent and in most occasions, are bigger than what one single, unconnected agency can handle. Effective management is important in the case of dealing with networks but the benefits accumulated from them are resoundingly high. A connected series of jobs can be fulfilled that may otherwise prove overwhelming. The network is disjointedly different from other forms such as a bureaucratic structure but their ability to aid in problem solving; despite their complex make up is what makes them important for improving public management.Certain precautions need to be taken for networks to be successful. They can result in failure if effective management is not available. There is not much significant research available in this regard. However it is st ill important to be stressed upon with public managers being provided a certain level of understanding of what needs to be done for increased ability of networks to achieve success. Schorr is an advocate making use of the ability of networks and the lessening of the bureaucratic hierarchical structure that was slowly emerging.According to her, public programs have to be â€Å"comprehensive, flexible, responsive and persevering† to be effective. This is best achieved by the decentralization that has been stressed upon before and letting the people at the grass roots handle what they are adept at. These public programs also require clear objectives and the availability of sufficient resources (Schorr, 1998). There may never have been a need for thinking about the advantages of networking for public services if earlier trends had continued.Before, as Schorr examined, there were slowly emerging small but viable public programs that were actually making headway in dealing with soc ial problems. Unemployment and issues such as teen pregnancy were effectively being handled and great things could have been expected from these programs but many of these creative ideas soon came under the stranglehold of bureaucracy. Once caught, these programs slipped into obscurity and lost their luster. Part of the responsibility for the slip in public management and the adverse results can be attributed to the public.The modern day citizens can be seen to possess a deep seeded anger with public life and politics in general. There was some level of care about the public realm but in general, most felt manipulated by lobbying techniques and spin meisters. Over time this even developed into frustration as many saw big issues being deliberated upon but too little concern being shown for their issues. This was complimented by the failure of public programs that were bogged down by the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Even the news was dominated by scandals and power politics th at did not fit public concern anywhere in its fold.Thus when the people were immensely frustrated with public life, they began to withdraw to their own personal abode where they attempted to get away from the manipulative power of media and the political lobbyists and spin meisters. September 11 was one event that gathered the nation together with promises of engaging citizens, inception of new welfare programs and perhaps the emergence of more practical news in the media. It could have been the starting point of a process of change, a catalyst for greater trust and involvement in public life.That golden opportunity was eventually lost as well as the nation continued its retreat away from the public sphere and slipped further away. Success of public programs depends to a great extent on the involvement of citizens. This requires certain notions of public good and awareness. That was just the thing being lost from the nation’s shared lives. However great the frustration is wit h a particular cause, the health of a democracy and the effectiveness of its public programs requires more than just a good voter turnout. It requires keen interest in public life and involvement in every sphere.This â€Å"me first† philosophy needs to change if public program are to be salvaged. Building networks and partnerships is one thing but not every organizational move can result in success. It requires belief and the willingness to go the extra mile. This other path can lead the nation to create a more vibrant and robust public life. This requires a reevaluation of how the general public evaluates and puts into practice the public programs. It is a translation of the belief that people actually want to get involved and make a difference. They want to step forward to improve their surroundings and bring about change in society.When things start improving on one end, it tends to produce a ripple effect that spreads across various rungs of the public infrastructure (Bar dach, 1998). For philanthropy, this approach has immediate and concrete implications. This approach needs a particular kind of thinking that focuses on going beyond the creation of single projects or singular objectives. It requires putting hope in workable projects that themselves become shining stars to follow and emulate. This creates a feel good factor within the framework of the public administration and involves the people further as well.It has to be kept in mind that such singular projects alone can not halt particular trends or lead to improvement at large. Supporting singular successful projects only works well if it is paired with more initiative and the drive to continue producing measurable results from public programs which actually allows a new trend to establish roots and cement the change process. What needs to be taken care of here is that the change being aimed for does not just provide short term gain and results in an increase in competition within communities i n the nation.The benefits of singular projects that turn out successful may not accrue to all in the short term or even in the near future but it does lead to establishment of change. This requires patience which if not fostered, could result in acrimonious feelings within the communities (Tom, 2007). The challenge is that in the current culture of opposition, our very public structures, relationships, networks, leaders and norms are not amenable or hospitable to supporting an alternate path. This creates certain uphill tasks. As some analysts point out, real and sustainable change can only be garnered with the presence of the right mechanism.This has been founding wanting in large parts of the society and even the catalysts for change are now hard to discover and capitalize on. The years of stagnation with regard to public life has created a gap on how actually to best engage people and lead to an acceptable level of progress in public programs. It proves inherently difficult thus, to seek out ways to overcome the existent adverse conditions that hold progress. There is a need for creation of an alternate path in society, one that ignites a sense of possibility and hope. This path requires bringing together all the steps that have been deliberated above.The first is the development of civic minded organizations which go beyond the society’s divisive elements and actually involve the people as such, enabling them to engage. The needs of the hour is innovation and persistence on the part of the administrators as constructing something new and workable like that is not very quickly done. Such organizations if successfully constructed can serve as central beacons of hope that can be the stepping stone for increased engagement in public life and alleviating some of the withdrawal that has plagued the nation.These organizations themselves also need to bank on networks and partnerships with the private sector and with other public entities so as to maintain e fficiency and help increase credibility of the public management. This has to be complemented with the creation of leaders, emerging both from within society and the public sphere who can help this cycle of sustainable change to continue and also make sure that the complex partnerships and networks that come into place for problems solving work well and do not expire, leading the nation back to the trend it so desperately needs to halt.Works Cited Bardach, Eugene (1998). Getting Agencies to Work Together. Brookings Institution Press. Kamensky, John M (2004). Collaboration. Rowman & Littlefield. Richard, Harwood (2005). Hope Unravelled. Kettering Foundation Press. Schorr, Lisbeth (1998). Common Purpose. Anchor. Tom, Christensen (2007). Transcending New Public Management . Ashgate Publishing.

Character Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

After reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain’s identity is left undecided. At the conclusion of the narrative, the Green Knight restores Gawain’s knightly virtues of the pentangle and continues to praise Gawain for his virtue. But Gawain returns home unsatisfied with his restoration only to find his court full of admiration for his return home and victory, even though he now wears the green lace (4.2489-505). The physical journey Gawain to the Green Knight demonstrates his outward courage and devotion, but what is truly going on in his heart? Gawain’s moral character is at stake because he must decide between his valued pentangle or his gifted green lace as his true identity. During his encounter with the Green Knight, Sir†¦show more content†¦The courage and loyalty from his armor allows Gawain to travel through the dark and cold forest to reach an unknown castle. Here, Gawain—unknowingly—takes his first steps to uncover his t rue identity. At the entrance of the castle, he â€Å"bore away his broad sword and blazoned shield† (2.828) and took his helmet off (2.825). This initial removal of his highly decorated clothing opens up Gawain’s body to be susceptible to outside attack of sin and lust. His armor usually protects from external harm and serves as a reminder to uphold the duties of a knight. Once removed, Gawain loses his one external reminder of who he must be. He continues to trade â€Å"His war-dress of weight and his worthy clothes† (2.861) for beautiful and luxury soft robes (2.862-871). Gawain’s public appearance disappears more and more for the desires of himself, like greed and extravagance of life. His beautiful pentangle is no longer in view as he is determined to relax and cherish every moment before his anticipated death. Once inside this castle, Gawain loses sight of his mission and slowly finds an identity closer to human nature than he wishes. The contract given by the King tests Gawain without his armor. The king of the castle offers Sir Gawain a new contract where he gains everything the King wins during a hunt and Gawain must give everything he earns back to the king (2.1106-107). This contract tests Sir Gawain’s fidelity and knightly virtues the most because he cannotShow MoreRelated A Character Analysis of Sir Gawain as Presented In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight1426 Words   |  6 PagesA Character Analysis of Sir Gawain as Presented In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is skillfully brought to life by the unknown author. Through the eyes of numerous characters in the poem, we see Gawain as a noble knight who is the epitome of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all, courteous. As the story progresses, Gawain is subjected to a number of tests of character, some known and some unknown. 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