This policy brief highlights the Enactment of the landmark RTE legislation has triggered signific... more This policy brief highlights the Enactment of the landmark RTE legislation has triggered significant improvements, but evidence shows that quality has often been neglected.
The Twisted Tryst: Some Reflections on Inclusion and Quality in the Public Provisioning of Elementary Education in India
Indian Journal of Human Development
The role of education as a key driver of a nation's well-being, both social and economic, is ... more The role of education as a key driver of a nation's well-being, both social and economic, is well-acknowledged. Public policy discourses in recent years hove shown increased recognition of the critical importance of education in a nation's well-being. The present article examines critical issues relating to the attainment of human development through the public provisioning of equitable, inclusive and quality education, particularly at the elementary level, and the impediments therein. This is attempted by assessing the country's profile with regard to its performance on specific educational outcomes, and by examining key aspects related to infrastructure and issues related to public financing, at the level of elementary education in India. Herein, glaring gaps with regard to ensuring uniform, compulsory and quality education to children belonging to diverse sections and groups through the provisions of the soon-to-beenacted Right to Education Bill, 2008 are also dwelt upon. The authors find that while continued commitments have been made to universalize elementary education, these efforts have been few and far between. It is held that apart from addressing the concerns of access and quality. the long-term solution lies in facilitating increased and sustained public provisioning for education, to provide for the much-ne~d~d basic infrastructural support, among oth~r things.
Oxfam India is part of a global movement working to fight poverty, injustice and inequality. In I... more Oxfam India is part of a global movement working to fight poverty, injustice and inequality. In India, it works in seven states. Oxfam India believes that the right to education (RTE) is vital to closing the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. As a founding member of the RTE Forum, it is working towards increasing peoples’ access to quality, universal and inclusive elementary education in mainstream the public education system, with a special focus on the Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims and girls. In Odisha, Oxfam India supports Sikshasandhan’s work to improve the quality of education, influence the functioning of government schools, and campaign to ensure effective implementation of the RTE Act.
Primer on Budget Analysis - Taking the Case of Elementary Education
Budgets play a pivotal role in governance. It is largely seen as an essential tool adopted by the... more Budgets play a pivotal role in governance. It is largely seen as an essential tool adopted by the State to deliver a wide range of responsibilities. Government budgets are policies that affect every sector of the economy and every section of the population. Thus, the policy concerns steering the Budget and its implementation find resonance in the day to-day lives of people. The role played by the government while not being essentially co-terminus with formulating the budget and providing key guidelines on its implementation, has been diluted gradually. What has been and continues to be a major responsibility of the State has gradually moved from the public domain to private provisioning and administration. This phenomenon merits due concern as continued withdrawal of the State from provisioning for basic services such as education can lead to several social and economic issues, such as inequality, exclusion, and erosion of secular framework of education. Towards this direction, a pr...
The Primer is structured in the following manner: (a) Primer on Civil Society Budget Work and (b)... more The Primer is structured in the following manner: (a) Primer on Civil Society Budget Work and (b) Primer on Budget Analysis: Taking the Case of Elementary Education, as part of the CBGA Manual Series. The Primer on Civil Society Budget Work goes a step forward in drawing attention to the budget making process and indicative methodology for the civil society engagement in the process. The second manual “Primer on Budget Analysis: Taking the Case of Elementary Education” examines the issues related to financing of elementary education in India. We believe that the success of any budget advocacy initiative lies in its capacity for demystification and democratization. We hope the documents would help numerous activists in comprehending the issues related to Budget and the sectors we are interested in. We take responsibility for any omission and mistakes in these documents. We would also appreciate any efforts put by our readers to convey us the mistakes and suggestions for any improveme...
This policy brief highlights the Enactment of the landmark RTE legislation has triggered signific... more This policy brief highlights the Enactment of the landmark RTE legislation has triggered significant improvements, but evidence shows that quality has often been neglected.
The Twisted Tryst: Some Reflections on Inclusion and Quality in the Public Provisioning of Elementary Education in India
Indian Journal of Human Development
The role of education as a key driver of a nation's well-being, both social and economic, is ... more The role of education as a key driver of a nation's well-being, both social and economic, is well-acknowledged. Public policy discourses in recent years hove shown increased recognition of the critical importance of education in a nation's well-being. The present article examines critical issues relating to the attainment of human development through the public provisioning of equitable, inclusive and quality education, particularly at the elementary level, and the impediments therein. This is attempted by assessing the country's profile with regard to its performance on specific educational outcomes, and by examining key aspects related to infrastructure and issues related to public financing, at the level of elementary education in India. Herein, glaring gaps with regard to ensuring uniform, compulsory and quality education to children belonging to diverse sections and groups through the provisions of the soon-to-beenacted Right to Education Bill, 2008 are also dwelt upon. The authors find that while continued commitments have been made to universalize elementary education, these efforts have been few and far between. It is held that apart from addressing the concerns of access and quality. the long-term solution lies in facilitating increased and sustained public provisioning for education, to provide for the much-ne~d~d basic infrastructural support, among oth~r things.
Oxfam India is part of a global movement working to fight poverty, injustice and inequality. In I... more Oxfam India is part of a global movement working to fight poverty, injustice and inequality. In India, it works in seven states. Oxfam India believes that the right to education (RTE) is vital to closing the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. As a founding member of the RTE Forum, it is working towards increasing peoples’ access to quality, universal and inclusive elementary education in mainstream the public education system, with a special focus on the Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims and girls. In Odisha, Oxfam India supports Sikshasandhan’s work to improve the quality of education, influence the functioning of government schools, and campaign to ensure effective implementation of the RTE Act.
Primer on Budget Analysis - Taking the Case of Elementary Education
Budgets play a pivotal role in governance. It is largely seen as an essential tool adopted by the... more Budgets play a pivotal role in governance. It is largely seen as an essential tool adopted by the State to deliver a wide range of responsibilities. Government budgets are policies that affect every sector of the economy and every section of the population. Thus, the policy concerns steering the Budget and its implementation find resonance in the day to-day lives of people. The role played by the government while not being essentially co-terminus with formulating the budget and providing key guidelines on its implementation, has been diluted gradually. What has been and continues to be a major responsibility of the State has gradually moved from the public domain to private provisioning and administration. This phenomenon merits due concern as continued withdrawal of the State from provisioning for basic services such as education can lead to several social and economic issues, such as inequality, exclusion, and erosion of secular framework of education. Towards this direction, a pr...
The Primer is structured in the following manner: (a) Primer on Civil Society Budget Work and (b)... more The Primer is structured in the following manner: (a) Primer on Civil Society Budget Work and (b) Primer on Budget Analysis: Taking the Case of Elementary Education, as part of the CBGA Manual Series. The Primer on Civil Society Budget Work goes a step forward in drawing attention to the budget making process and indicative methodology for the civil society engagement in the process. The second manual “Primer on Budget Analysis: Taking the Case of Elementary Education” examines the issues related to financing of elementary education in India. We believe that the success of any budget advocacy initiative lies in its capacity for demystification and democratization. We hope the documents would help numerous activists in comprehending the issues related to Budget and the sectors we are interested in. We take responsibility for any omission and mistakes in these documents. We would also appreciate any efforts put by our readers to convey us the mistakes and suggestions for any improveme...
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Papers by Pooja Parvati