INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Of

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
on
IMPROVING RURAL EDUCATION
on
10-12 OCTOBER 2005
at
ANGEL MATRICULATION HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL,
THIRUNINRAVUR, NEAR CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU

ABSTRACTS OF THE PAPERS

Insights into the Strategies of In - Service Programmes for Headmasters - Instrument   for   Improving Rural Education

 

Harikrishnan,M, Reader, Dept. of Education, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar - 608 002

 

This paper is concentrating on the changes required in the in-service programmes for headmasters, expecting the performance modifications in rural schools.  In the aspiration of qualitative and quantitative improvement of rural education, adequate adoption of new strategies to integrate the already existing in-service programmes is the focus of attention. Objectives of this paper are in search of steps: (a) to realize the changing needs of the rural schools, (b) to increase the enrolment, to encourage academic achievement, (c)to improve their community - education linkage, (d) to modify the existing state of performance in rural schools, (e)to activate the experienced and senior headmasters, and (f) to canalize the enthusiasm and cooperation of young headmasters. Rural schools are functioning for the improvement of the rural community.  It is the responsibility of the headmasters to realize the nature of dimension of requirement in which the improvements in rural schools are awaiting for.  The designing of the strategies must be more flexible and systematic in strengthening the manpower of rural education. Rural educational institutions need no separate treatment as such, but the in-service programmes have to concentrate upon the modifications in the performance. To formulate a policy of service among the teachers and headmasters to place the teachers during the initial stage of their service, for about three to five years in the rural schools.  And must be made on rotational basis the urban schoolteachers in rural schools.  Teachers and headmasters prefer to be in urban schools, this tendency could be avoided through some regulations. It is a technique through which the expertise and efficiency of the teaching and heading fraternity could be properly utilized.

_____________________________________________________________________

Self Development of Rural Teachers

 

Hemalatha Kalaimathi,D, Lecturer, Dept. of Education, University of Madras, Chennai-600 005 & P. Nirmala, Reader in Mathematics, Ethiraj College, Chennai- 600 008

 

Teaching is one of the most challenging and crucial professions in the world.  Teachers are critical in facilitating learning and in making it more efficient and effective and they will continue to be in the future.  The teacher of today must be the teacher of a whole man.  He can never be this unless he himself is a complete man.  There are teachers who have acquired enormous success in teaching through training, experience and self development.  Teachers should themselves be trained in the demands of change.  Teaching is to be considered seriously as a life- long career and this can only be possible through self development.  There is a general need to increase the status of teachers.  Teachers play a key role in all educational system and the quality of education is finally determined by the quality of teaching in the classroom.  Rural development is the basis for national development.  Children reflect the health of a nation.  If they are healthy, active, educated, informed, disciplined the future of a nation is secure.  Rural teachers should train the children.  Hence, rural teacher’s self development is very much essential.  This paper takes a brief look at the need for self development and the ways of individual self development.  There can be no substitute for a good teacher of good quality.  There never was.  There never will be.  So the rural teachers as such should endeavour to go through a process of self development individually while he is in service, which is by and large, the personal responsibility of the teachers.

_____________________________________________________________________

Elementary Education in Rural India

 

Hrushikesh Senapaty, Reader in Education, Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar-751022 E-mail: [email protected]

 

India is mostly a rural country. As high as 72.22% of the country’s population, live in rural areas. Analysis of various school related indicators, e.g. school building, classrooms; enrolment indicators, e.g. share of girls enrolments, transition rate, repetition rate, examination results; and teacher related indicators, e.g. pupil teacher ratio, qualification of teachers, training of teachers, in respect of 8,53,601 rural elementary schools (87 % of the country’s elementary schools) indicates that these schools are worse as compared to urban schools on all accounts. It is observed that in basic service sectors, including drinking water, electricity, connectivity, telecommunication etc., and specific programmes are designed by the Government targeting the welfare of the rural masses. Currently there are programmes like rural connectivity, rural health, rural electricity, rural water supply etc., for the development of the rural areas. But it is disheartening to note that there is no such programmes targeting educational development of the rural people. Further more there is no separate budgetary allocation for rural and urban areas. It seems that this lack of special focus on elementary education of rural India, the long cherished goal of universalisation of elementary education would remain a dream. In the present paper, attempts have been made to highlight the initiatives for the universalisation of elementary education, and to reveal the basic facts and the challenges, and thereby suggest action for policy makers and implementers to achieve the long cherished goal of universalisation of elementary education in rural India.

_____________________________________________________________________