Case study on challenges faced in rural education in Jharkhand Jharkhand was born on 15 th Nov 2000. It has 24 districts. As far as the development of the entire state is concerned, people have had huge expectations from the newly formed administrative machinery. Reforms in education system and improvement in the literacy rate were among the major issues, which were declared to be given the topmost priority by successive governments. In order to attain those objectives, various initiatives were taken by the state government. Various scholarships given by the state government are intended to enhance the intellectual capabilities of each and every individual. As a part of its initiative to adopt e-governance system, the Jharkhand government has launched the muchawaited online fund transfer facility that aims to benefit over 4 lakh students belonging to scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (STs), other backward classes (OBCs) and minority community students studying in the state and outside. Moreover, various programs by the central government have also contributed in creating a salubrious environment for the education system. Right to Education act is one among the many other such initiatives. Moreover, consistent budgetary support and many other social schemes are intended to have a uniform and inclusive growth. Till recently, it was very difficult to conduct an objective assessment of the productivity of various educational initiatives taken by government. It was because of the difficulty in accessibility of relevant and pertinent data. In order to
address this issue, National University of Educational Planning and Administration has created a comprehensivedatabase on elementary education in India known as District Information System for Education (DISE),under one of its most prestigious projects. The project covers both primary and upper primary schools/sections of all the districts of the country. The DISE software is operational in all the districts of thecountry and is providing vital information for policy formulation and preparation of district elementaryeducation plans. All DISE publications, such as 'District and State Report Cards', 'Elementary Education in Rural and Urban India', 'DISE Flash Statistics including Educational Development Index', and 'Elementary Education in India:Progress towards UEE, Analytical Reports', are available at www.dise.in. As per the 2011 census conducted by Government of India, the official literacy rate for Jharkhand was 67.63% (Male: 78.45%; Female: 56.21%). Statistics turn gloomier if we segregate rural and urban areas. Gap between rural and urban area is increasing day by day because of the non-uniformity in the reach of educational initiatives of the government. Jharkhand s statistical figures in terms of various educational parameters are inferior to that of the national average. Exhibit 1 at the end of this case accentuates this stark reality. It is a known and widely acknowledged fact that unless rural population is educated and well informed, vision of a developed India will be a chimera. Jharkhand is a state rich in mines and minerals, yet majority of its population (especially rural)find it difficult to survive. If the state has to improve its
performance at the national level, itcan ill afford to ignore the huge challengesin the path ofmaking the concept of completerural education a reality. If government initiatives are not reaching to the target segment, there must be problems somewhere in the system. It is a bounden duty of all of us to identify those loopholes and fix the system as soon as possible. Problem statement: In order to find out a work able solution to the problem, you may have to go to a few schools and check out what the bottlenecks are in terms of infrastructure, teaching aids, cleanliness, availability and quality of faculty etc. you are free to look at other problems also. Note down what the problems are and come up with solutions for these problems. Solutions have to be practical and implementable. Explore reasons for the low turnout and the hardships faced by the students in Jharkhand and also look at the problem of parental support. You can do a survey too and document the results. Document the findings in a word file. The Word file sent should have the following 1) State the problem 2) Cause of the problem 3) Methodology used 4) Some Statistics and data 5) Recommendations and solution to the problem.
Come up with recommendations and email the document to us by 10 th December. The results for the final list would be announced on 14 th December. The selected groups have to do a PPT presentation before our eminent panel on 18 th December. The contents of the two documents should be the same. No new recommendations should be added in the PPT. You will be evaluated based on innovative ideas, practical solutions, word document, presentation and the thoroughness of research undertaken. EXHIBIT: 1 ATTRIBUTES JHARKHAND INDIA Number of Recognized Schools imparting 2008-09 41850 1285576 Elementary Education covered under DISE 2009-10 41875 1303812 No. of government schools % of government share in total schools Number of Private Schools % of private share in total schools No of government schools opened during 2002-03 to 2009-10 2008-09 39461 1035178 2009-10 39624 1048046 2008-09 94.29 80.52 2009-10 94.62 80.37 2008-09 2082 249920 2009-10 2250 254178 2008-09 5.06 19.44 2009-10 4.97 19.49 Primary schools/sections 16960 132209 Upper primary schools/sections 937 58720 Primary Schools/Sections 2008-09 12 8
per thousand Child Population (6 to 11 Years) 2009-10 12 10 Upper Primary Schools/Sections per 2008-09 7 7 thousand Child Population (11 to 14 Years) 2009-10 7 7 Density of Schools per 10 Sq. Km. for Primary 2008-09 5.1 3.3 Schools/Sections 2009-10 5.1 3.35 Density of Schools per 10 Sq. Km. for Upper Primary Schools/Sections Ratio of Primary to Upper Primary Schools/Sections 2008-09 1.77 1.45 2009-10 1.97 1.5 2008-09 2.88 2.77 2009-10 2.59 2.23 Average Number of Instructional Days (In Previous Academic Year) Avg. no. of class room in primary schools Avg. no. of class room in govt. schools Avg. no. of class room in pvt. Schools Average Student- Classroom Ratio (SCR) in all schools Average Student- Classroom Ratio (SCR) in primary schools 2008-09 225 211 2009-10 245 224 2008-09 1.6 3.1 2009-10 2 3.2 2008-09 2.7 3.6 2009-10 3.1 3.7 2008-09 7.3 7.5 2009-10 7.7 7.8 2008-09 54 33 2009-10 47 32 2008-09 57 35 2009-10 43 32