1.1 Towards a Rights-based Framework The role of Universal Elementary Education (UEE) for strengthening the social fabric of democracy through provision of equal opportunities to all has been accepted since the inception of our Republic. The original Article 45 in the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution mandated the State to endeavour to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to age fourteen in a period of ten years. The National Policy on Education (NPE)...

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2.1 Background Universal access to elementaryeducation requires schooling facilities within reasonable reach of all children. If schools are not located in or near the habitations where children reside, children are unlikely to complete schooling, even if they are formally enrolled in schools. The RTE Act....

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Context Bridging gender and social category gaps in elementary education is one of the four goals of SSA. Consequently, SSA attempts to reach out to girls and children belonging to SC, ST and Muslim Minority communities. SSA has also given attention to urban deprived children, children affected by periodic migration, and children living in remote and scattered...

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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...

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Background It would be impossible for RTE as well as SSA to succeed without people’s support and ownership. The RTE mandate for age-appropriate admission of every out-of-schoolchild, special training for each child to enable her to cope in school, promoting child-friendly child centered and activity based learning processes, which is free of anxiety, trauma and fear sets the agenda for proactive community participation...

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Introduction SSA aims to universalise access toelementary education in accordance with the vision of the RTE Act. Quality of the school building and availability of basic facilities therein is an important determiner of school access. The built environment of the school has to be inviting, attractive and comfortable to the child, so that the child is motivated to enrol in and attend school regularl...

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Management In every state of our country there are age-old systems for administration of elementary education. Over the years, SSA has superimposedonthesesystemsamanagement structure which has more or less satisfactorily met the needs of the project. In most states the extant administrative system and the one created for implementation of SSA have endured side by side....

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Introduction The RTE which came into effect in April 2010 mandates that the implementation of the rights enshrined in this Act be monitored by the NCPCR and the corresponding SCPCRs [Section 31]. This is radical new feature and sets a precedent in the legislative history of India, wherein an autonomous neutral body has been charged with monitoring the implementation of a fundamental right...

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Planning and Development of Comprehensive Work Plans Approach: The previous chapters, particularly those pertaining to Access, Equity, Quality and Participation in the context of RTE Act, adequately bring out the challenges in planning for UEE. The biggest challenge is to have an integrated approach to synthesise and integrate the wide variety of....

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