1
Tejaswani Kadavakollu ¹
Asst. Prof. in English
GITAM University
Hyderabad
India
Email ID: ktejaswani@gitam.edu
tej_hyd@rediffmail.com
Lalitha Sridevi Mirthinti ²
Lecturer in English
GITAM University
Hyderabad
India
Email ID: lalitha_india2k@gitam.edu
lalitha_india2k@yahoo.com
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USHERING IN NEW PRACTICES IN A DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT:
A CASE STUDY
Abstract
In Andhra Pradesh, schools are run by state government, for children of economically
backward students. Lamentably, even after 65 years of Independence, Indian Governmentrun schools are in a pathetic condition. Most of them run on a shoe-string budget of Rs.
15,000 per annum, without even basic infrastructure. The school buildings are in a perpetual
state of repair. Most of them do not even have decent toilet facilities for the staff and the
students as well. In many government schools, the teachers neither have a staff room nor a
lunch room.
Basically, candidates who have Intermediate level of education and Teachers’ Training
certificate can appear for District Selection Committee entrance test for the teacher posts in
Zilla Parishad Primary schools. Unfortunately, students of these schools come from
marginalized communities who are beleaguered with societal, economical and financial
problems.
The present paper deals with the various factors that impact the performance of students in
government-run Primary schools. The study is carried out with the aim that issues which
hinder the progress of students can be identified and brought to the notice of proper
channels so that government-run Primary School students can emerge as competent
individuals on par with students from schools run by Central Government and private sector.
The paper identifies lack of infrastructure and trained teaching methods as important factors
that should be addressed to improve the learning. Teachers who are trained in Montessori,
Waldorf and Reggio Emilia educational systems or similar systems can address the issues in
an effective manner. The paper expounds that the society also has a role to play in the
improvement of government-run Primary Schools. The authors opine that instead of
depending upon the Government alone for financial aid, the society should take a step
forward to improve the conditions of these government-run Primary schools.
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Acknowledgements
In the course of our research the authors met Smt. C. Sadhana, Head Mistress,
Mandal Parishad Primary School, Rudraram, Patancheru Mandal, Andhra Pradesh, and Sri
P. Narsimha Reddy, Head Master, Zilla Parishad Primary School, Rudraram, Patancheru
Mandal, A. P. who gave us valuable inputs regarding the existing conditions and required
improvements in Zilla Parishad Primary Schools in Andhra Pradesh. The authors thank the
head masters, teachers and students of these primary schools for their cooperation and
support. The authors are also extremely grateful to the Director of GITAM University, Prof.
Dr. Ch. Sanjay and Resident Director of GITAM University, Mr. D. V. V. S. Varma for their
unconditional support to the authors during the research period and for financial support to
the Mandal Parishad and Zilla Parishad Primary Schools, Rudraram, Patancheru Mandal, A.
P., through the University’s NSS programmes.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Rudraram is a small village Panchayat in Patancheru mandal in Hyderabad.
Most of its inhabitants are unskilled labourers who work in and around Patancheru area in
industries. There are two government run primary schools in
Rudraram, Mandal Parishad Primary School and Zilla Parishad Primary School. Both the
schools have five to six rooms but not much infrastructure. The teachers do not have any
specific training to teach the primary students. Only a few teachers boast of degrees in
education.
The students come from families where the parents themselves are illiterate or educated
only up to the primary level. The parents are unable to identify that education is a tool for
the progress of their children. Society and government can come together and help in this
aspect. Especially, for the schools in Rudraram, factories and educational institutes in and
around Rudraram can come forward to help them with the necessary equipment. The
government can make it mandatory for the teachers to undergo specialized training to
address the needs of these children.
The students come from families where surviving on a day to day basis is a big challenge for
the parents. There are numerous problems the parents face in their daily life and sometimes
the parents themselves are the problem. Trying to stay out of reach of hunger and not falling
prey to depression are two difficult tasks that the parents of these school children face.
Therefore it becomes a double task for all the stakeholders to convince the parents of the
importance of education as well as improve the conditions to impart effective education for
these children.
The government should keep the fact in mind that the primary school students of villages
come from a poor background. Education in these primary schools should be on par with
education imparted in Public schools to bridge the gap between the Public school children
and government school children. Teaching methodologies should focus on making learning
interesting and fun for the young children.
2. OBJECTIVE:
The study of government run primary schools in Rudraram village was taken up to study the
causes of dismal performance of the students of these schools. In that study, it was
identified that lack of infrastructure and appropriate teaching methods along with some other
minor causes affect the depressing performance of the students. This paper deals with one
of the main causes, i.e., teaching methods in government run primary schools. Based on
the present study it was identified that teaching methodologies like Montessori, Waldorf or
Reggio Emilia would help these underprivileged students to perform better.
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Profile of schools visited:
Mandala Parishad Primary
School, Rudraram
No. of students
143
No. of teachers
05
No. of classrooms
06
Pucca building
Yes
School surroundings Next to a graveyard, on
National highway
Traffic controller
No
With compound wall Yes
Proper toilets
No
Benches
in
the No
classroom
Staff room
No
Lunch room for the No
staff
Chairs and tables for No
the teachers
First aid box
Basic
Medical doctors
Once in 30 days
Teaching aids
Prepared by the teachers
Playground
Yes
Sports equipment
No
Protected
drinking No
water
Substaff/Attenders
1
Zilla Parishad Primary School,
Vaddera Colony, Rudraram
140
05
05
Yes
In the midst of residential homes
Not applicable
No
No
No
No
No
No
Basic
Once in 30 days
Prepared by the teachers
No
No
No
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Overview of Mandal Parishad Primary School:
The school is on a national highway next to a graveyard. There is no traffic controller near
the school to help these young children cross the road. As it is a government school, it is
utilized for other official purposes of the village panchayat. The students are not in a position
to afford uniform or books. To some extent both are provided by the government. The
government also provides the students with lunch though it falls flat when compared to world
nutritional standards for growing up children.
The school has five small rooms and in all the rooms there are no benches. The students sit
on the floor. The teaching material is prepared by the teachers and the students are taught
through the rote method. The teachers are hampered both by time and also by proper
training. Most of the things are learnt without any understanding. There is neither fun nor
interest in learning. Some of them come to school as they have nowhere to go since both
the parents are labourers. A few students have to look after their younger siblings also.
There is a room for infants and toddlers, “Anganwadi” but here also the conditions remain in
a pathetic manner. The young would rather sit in the classroom with their siblings rather
than in the “Anganwadi” room as there is a consolation of “familiarity” in the form of their
siblings in the classroom than in the “Anganwadi.”
The school boasts of a small playground but unfortunately no sports equipment. The
teachers actually discourage the children from running about in the ground so as to avoid
injuries as they do not have proper medical facilities in case of any accidents.
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The government of Andhra Pradesh allots a yearly budget of Rs.15,000/- to each primary
school to address their needs. The school authorities are forced to put up with any other
inconveniences or repairs like the problem they had last year with the overflowing septic
tank. The cost of fixing that came to Rs.11,000 and the school authorities were helpless in
dealing with the problem. The students ended up using the Nature to address their nature
calls1.
The authors with Smt. P. Rama Devi, School Assistant, at Mandal Parishad Primary School.
1
The GITAM University students came to the rescue and raised a fund of Rs. 8,000 and were
instrumental in renovating the toilets. The management of the University also provided the schools
with some furniture and plates for the school children. Previously, the students used to bring their
own plates and have their lunch in the school.
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The playground of Mandal Parishad Primary School which is situated on a National Highway next to a graveyard.
Overview of the Zilla Parishad Primary School:
The school is in the midst of a residential area where it is covered on the three sides with
houses and the fourth side extends into the main road. They have five classrooms and a
small playground. Here also there are no benches and fans for the students and the
teachers do not have a staff room. The toilets are in a dilapidated state with broken doors
and there is no protected water available. They do not have a watchman or substaff.
The students come from economically backward families. Most of them belong to the
Vaddera2 community and are unskilled labourers. Some of the students have single parents
due to separation, divorce or the death of a parent. The circumstances of the parents do not
allow them to realize the importance of education. It is important to educate the parents also
regarding the significance of education which can lead to the development of their lives.
The government provides the students with uniform, text books and a moderate lunch. But
the parents are so poor that they cannot afford note books and shoes for their children.
Fortunately, the situation is gradually changing with the presence of various engineering
colleges in and around Rudraram. The presence of the engineering students acts as a
motivation factor for these children and they began to realize the value of education.
2Vaddera
community people are professional well diggers.
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The Zilla Parishad Primary School building without a compound wall and unusable toilets.
The authors with Class III students of Zilla Parishad Primary School.
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3.
METHODOLOGY
The no. of students who enrolled in these primary schools in the last 5 years:
Academic year
Zilla Parishad Primary
School, Rudraram Village
Mandala Parishad Primary
School, Rudraram
2011 – 2012
2010 – 2011
2009 – 2010
2008 – 2009
2007 – 2008
2006 – 2007
22
27
18
25
25
29
33
29
23
23
49
43
It has also been observed that all the students who enroll in these Primary schools do not
complete high school. Many studies have proved that the students of government schools
rarely complete their education and also the schools do not have basic facilities.
In the course of the study, we met the teachers in these two schools and discussed their
teaching methods and the efforts they put in to educate these primary school students. We
also deliberated upon the problems they face in terms of infrastructure, paucity of funds and
limitation of authority.
We also talked with some students and their parents regarding the problems they face in
government-run primary schools.
4. DISCUSSION
There are various reasons for the pathetic conditions of the government run primary schools.
It is not clear whether the authority to make necessary changes in these primary schools lies
with the Gram Panchayat or the District Education Officer. This is the main reason nobody
owns up the responsibility when it comes to implementing changes in these schools.
The school buildings are in a dilapidated condition and there are no facilities either for the
students or for the teachers. Basic necessities like benches, fans, proper teaching material,
classrooms and staffrooms, lunch rooms and toilets are not provided in many schools.
Three education methods were identified which could help the government-run primary
school students perform better. They are:
(i)
Montessori education is developed by Italian physician and educator Maria
Montessori and is practiced by approximately 30,000 schools worldwide. This
form of education addresses students’ psychological development and
technological advancement of the society and helps the students develop
independent nature within limits. This method would by far be effective for
government run primary schools as the classrooms consist of students belonging
to different ages and students can choose their activities and completed them in
an uninterrupted timeframe. In this method, trained teachers use specialized
education materials developed by Montessori and her associates to impart
“Constructivist” education where students are taught concepts through working
with materials unlike direct and indifferent 3 instruction in the present teaching
methodology.
Montessori education methodology essentially helps the students to develop as
independent individuals. But again there is contradiction here as the children are
3
The teachers are unaware of the levels of understanding in the students and helpless due to the
time constraints and lack of training.
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used to a “prepared environment.” It is necessary to contemplate whether this
will also help the students to behave appropriately in an “unprepared societal
environment.”
(ii)
The world’s largest alternative education movement, Waldorf education which is
also known as Steiner education was initiated by Austrian philosopher, Rudolf
Steiner. The first Waldorf school was started in Austria to serve the children of
Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart, Germany. At present there are
more than 2,000 primary schools in over 60 countries all over the world. This
education method recognizes three stages in education where each stage covers
seven years. In the first stage, practical and creative activities are encouraged.
In the second stage, artistic and analytical expressions of the students are
developed. This stage also helps them to acclimatize to society as well. In the
third stage, secondary education focuses on building up critical understanding
and promoting confidence and values in the students. The outcome of this
method is students, who are independent, ethical, reliable, social and integrated
individuals.
The disadvantage of this system is the schools are totally autonomous and
doubts are also raised on the curriculum’s inclusion of sciences like religion,
spirituality and homeopathy.
(iii)
The third teaching methodology identified to help the government run primary
school students is Reggio Emilia approach. Started by Loris Malaguzzi, in Italy, it
addressed some specific needs of war-torn Italian children to develop them as
competent individuals. This approach acknowledges the importance of a student
per se. Students play an important role in planning their learning through utilizing
their senses and creatively expressing themselves.
This method also takes into account the parents of the students as collaborators in
imparting constructive education. Parents are respected as a student’s first
teacher and are included in every aspect of planning the curriculum. The major
plus point of this education method is its inclusion of the community in the
development of the child.
Practically, these three methods are not feasible to the Indian rural environment as we
cannot separate knowledge from socio-cultural wants. A teaching methodology which
encompasses the best approaches of the above mentioned highly acclaimed and tested
teaching methods should be developed by expert teachers, conscientious academicians,
parents and members of the society so as to nurture a talented and ideal generation.
5. CONCLUSION:
Education is an art which moulds our future generation. Imparting language education
should be sensitive to the learners’ needs. Learning should be filled with fun and ultimately
provide a rich learning experience to the students. Teaching should enable the students to
cherish their childhood and early educational practices. Teachers, therefore, should be
highly responsible and treat the child as a unique creative individual.
Teaching
methodologies should stress on the overall growth of the child in spiritual, mental, physical
and psychological aspects. The teachers should be trained to impart the significance of
nature and the overall development of the student. Arts like music, dance and drawing
should be compulsory for the students. Methodology should be designed based on
international methodologies to tap the creativity of the students at a young age. Montessori,
Waldorf and Reggio Emilia educational systems are known to be student-friendly and are
practiced by some International Primary Schools abroad. If the government primary
teachers are also imparted training in these educational methods, the children could develop
on par with Central Government School children.
To sum up, in the modern world, where rapid changes are taking place in technology and
economy, it is essential for the Government and the society to take necessary steps to
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reinforce the government-run schools to be on par with private schools. To envisage a
future India of global standards in education, employment and lifestyle, it is imperative to
include the vernacular student community in the mainstream education.
6. RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Zilla Parishad Primary teachers should be trained in a teaching programme which includes
the best practices of Montessori, Waldorf and Reggio Emilia teaching methodologies.
2. Arts should be made mandatory at primary level itself.
3. Teachers’ role in the development of the nation is being neglected. They are pathetically
equipped to build a budding nation. Regular training programmes for the teachers will
benefit the students. Faculty Development programmes, faculty training workshops,
guidance to parents should be conducted to promote quality education.
4. The Andhra Pradesh State Government should give clear-cut responsibilities to the Gram
Panchayats with regard to planning and implementing primary education programmes.
5. Teachers who work in rural and tribal areas should be given special allowances and
promotions to encourage teachers take up rural posts.
6. Regular inspections should be conducted to check maintenance of infrastructure and
progress of the students.
7. Conducting awareness campaigns and development programmes for the benefit of the
teachers and parents may result in the required change.
8. The responsibilities are not clearly mentioned in the GO. Hence, adequate staff should be
provided to the Panchayats and their roles clearly defined so that they are accountable to
the Panchayat.
9. Measures should be taken to transfer funds immediately for the village level plans
implemented by the Panchayat.
10. Indian Government needs a systematic and organized system of building capacities at both
Panchayat and Gram Sabha so that the members can carry out their new responsibilities
effectively.
11. Society should come forward to play an important role to improve Zilla and Mandal Parishad
Primary education. Industries, organizations and individuals should take moral and social
responsibility to improve the education of our future citizens.
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