QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Please list existing national laws, regulations and policies establishing norms and
standards for quality of education in your country. Please also include any guidelines on the
quality of education
Major laws, regulations, policies establishing norms for quality elementary education in India:
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) 2009 : notified in Apr 2010
RTE National Model Rules
Sarva Shiksha Abhyan: National Flagship Programme for Universalization of Elementary
Education (Framework revised in 2011 in the light of RTE)
The Constitution of India: The Constitution Eighty-Sixth Amendment Act 2002
The National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986: modified in 1992
The National Council for Teacher Education Act 1993: The National Council for Teacher
Education (Amendment) Act 2010
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005
2. Please describe briefly applicable norms and standards and minimal requirements,
especially with regard to the following:
SSA has been the main programme in India to universalize Elementary Education, with the
focus on universal access and retention, bridging gender and social gaps, and enhancement of
learning levels. In the light of RTE with the legally justifiable framework, all children between
the ages of 6-14 years are entitled to free and compulsory elementary education, based on
principles of equity and non-discrimination.
a. School infrastructure:
School should be made available within the defined area or limits of neighborhood notified by
the State Government and its RTE rules. Schools will have all-weather buildings consisting of:
(i) at least one classroom for a teacher and an office-cum-store-cum-head teacher’s room; (ii)
barrier free access; (iii) separate toilets for boys and girls; (iv) safe and adequate drinking water
facility to all children; (v) a kitchen where all mid-day meal is cooked in the school; (vi)
playground; (vii) arrangements for securing the school building by boundary wall or fencing.
Residential schools as support for children in difficult / sparse areas as well as urban deprived
children in difficult circumstances may be required in relaxation of neighborhood limits. School
building has to ensure easy access to all children and teachers, and should be built with a
sensitivity to their different requirements. The school environment should be inviting and
attractive for all children and provide ample opportunities for children’s learning.
b. Class size and pupil-teacher ratio:
1st to 5th class
Up to 60 children Two teachers
1
Between 61-90 Three
Between 91-120 Four
Between 121-200 Five
Above 150 Five plus one head teacher
Above 200 PTR (excluding head teacher) not exceeding Forty
6th to 8th class
(i) At least one teacher per class so that there is at least one teacher each for Science and
Mathematics, Social Studies, and Languages
(ii) At least one teacher for every 35 children
(iii) Admission of children above 100 – a full time head teacher and part time instructors for Art
Education, Health and Physical Education, and Work Education.
c. Teacher qualification:
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has been notified as the academic
authority to lay down the minimum qualifications for teachers in elementary schools. The
NCTE minimum qualification for primary level (Classes I to V) is senior secondary and a two
year Diploma in Education (D. Ed) or four year Bachelors in Elementary Education (B.El.Ed),
while for upper primary level (classes VI to VIII), NCTE Regulations provide for one year
Bachelors in Education (B.Ed), in addition to D.Ed. or B. The RTE provides a time frame of five
years for ensuring all teachers in elementary schools to become professionally trained. The state
government may make the assessment of the teachers requiring academic and professional
qualifications and SSA will support the training of untrained teachers to meet NCTE
requirements.
d. Working conditions for teachers and their professional development:
The state government or the local authority notifies terms and conditions of service and salary
and allowances of teachers to create a professional and permanent cadre of teachers: (i)
Accountability of teachers to the School Management Committees (SMCs); (ii) Provisions
enabling long term stake of teachers; (iii) The scales of pay and allowances, medical facilities,
pension, gratuity, provident fund, and other prescribed benefits of teachers. Under RTE,
teachers are not allowed to be deployed for non-educational work other than decennial census,
local elections, state legislatures and parliament, and disaster relief. In addition to the teacher
functions, a teacher may perform participation in training programmes and curriculum
formation and development of syllabi, training modules, and textbook development. SSA will
provide resources, and organize training of untrained teachers, and support District Institute of
Education and Training (DIET) and Teacher Education Institutions to conduct Pre-service
training of teachers. In addition, SSA will support annual In-service Training of teachers for
continuous improvement of professional knowledge and skills.
2
e. School curricula content and pedagogical materials:
NCF 2005 lays down broad principles for the Curriculum Framework for the States to design
the detailed Curriculum and Syllabus. The current National Council of Educational Research
and Training (NCERT) Syllabus for classes I-VIII is based on the following principles: i.
Resonance of the values enshrined in the Constitution, ii. Sensitivity to gender, caste and class,
peace, health and needs of children with disabilities, iii. Infusion of environment related and
work based knowledge, iv. Linkage between school knowledge in different subjects and
children’s daily experiences, v. Appropriateness for relevant stages of child development and
continuity from one level to the next, vi. Inter-disciplinary and thematic linkages, vii. Nurturing
aesthetic values by integrating the arts and India’s heritage of crafts. Teaching Learning
Equipment (TLE) will be relevant to local specific context and requirement and need to be
determined by the teachers and / or SMCs. Teachers and parents should be involved in the
selection and procurement of TLE. Teacher Grant will be provided to all teachers on annual
basis to facilitate child-centred, joyful classroom processes by using self-developed, low cost,
locally available teaching learning material.
f. Teaching-learning processes:
The NCF 2005 calls for an approach to let learners make sense of the world around them
through ‘critical pedagogy’ which addresses questions of inequality and justice and enables
learners to take transformative actions. Teaching for any subject areas will be based on and
make use of local knowledge and experience of children and participatory in nature. The RTE
prescribes a learning environment that does not cause fear, anxiety and trauma to children,
promotes their all-round development rather than mere excellence in subjects, builds up the
child’s knowledge, potential and talent, respecting values enshrined in the Constitution,
learning through activities, discovery and exploration in a child-friendly and child-centred
manner, using the mother tongue as the medium of instruction as far as possible.
g. School management, including student and parents’ participation:
All government, government aided and special category schools have to constitute SMCs as
stated in RTE. 75% of members are parents or guardians of children in the school and the rest of
SMC members are from the local authority, teachers, local educationists, children etc. 50% are
women. RTE National Model Rule addresses that the Chair and Vice Chairs should be parents.
SMC prepares a School Development Plan and meet at least once a month to advocate for
children’s right to education, support and monitor the implementation of RTE provisions,
ensure the enrolment and attendance of all children in the neighborhood, including children
with special needs, and prepare an annual account of the school. SSA would make efforts also
to address the issue of children without adult protection by advocacy for children’s right to
participation, by supporting the formation of support groups and children's collectives, and by
encouraging efforts to accommodate their voices in planning, implementation and monitoring
of interventions and strategies.
3
h. Methods to evaluate student performance and assess learning outcomes
RTE prohibits detention and requires that a child can join the school at any point in the year.
The vision underlying the RTE is further clarified by the prohibition imposed on Board
Examination at the end of the elementary stage or before it, in consistent with NCF 2005.
Teachers’ work should be continuously guided by the child’s response and participation in
classroom activities and “Continuous Evaluation” becomes a strategy of assessment which is an
integral part of teaching and learning itself. Similarly, a “Comprehensive Evaluation” would
imply that aspects like the child’s health, self-image, sensibilities etc are perceived in the context
of development and growth. Self-assessment exercises are encouraged so that learners can
creatively articulate what they can do and what they need support for. Teachers need to observe
and understand the child's own nature through interaction and engagement. Training for
observation and record-keeping have to be organized and relevant materials need to be
developed to fulfill RTE expectations.
3. Please identify the institutional mechanisms in your country used to collect and process
information and assess adherence to norms and standards established to ensure quality of
education (Please specify if there are different mechanisms monitoring public and private
institutions)
The RTE envisages a National Advisory Council (NAC) and State Advisory Councils (SACs) to
advice on its implementation and designates the National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (NCPCR) / State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) to monitor the
rights of the child. RTE division of NCPCR will: i. Appoint State Representatives to coordinate a
network of civil society groups, ii. Identify District and Block Resource Persons and
Organizations, iii. Initiate Social Monitoring (Audit) with the help of civil society and SMCs, iv.
Hold Public Hearings for violation of child rights, v. Collaborate with Civil Society Networks,
vi. Set up a Complaint Management System, vii. Research and Data Collection, viii.
Recommendations to Governments, ix. Legal Action, x. RTE compliance reports from the States.
The NCPCR is also expected to effectively network with other Commissions like the ones for
Human Rights, Women and Minorities.
Complaints will be settled at the school and SMC level through the intervention of civil society
groups. The complainants could also appeal to the SCPCR if the local authority’s action does
not redress the complaints satisfactorily. Both the NCPCR and SCPCR can move on their own
without anyone specifically filing a complaint. SCPCRs will set up child help lines, accessible by
SMS, telephone and letter for registering complaints. States that do not have SCPCR, the
Department of Education will constitute a Right to Education Protection Authority.
NCPCR/SCPCR has quasi-judicial powers whereby they can investigate, summon and
recommend cases to the courts. They cannot however pass judgments and hand out
punishments. Complaints can be filed in the lowest civil court, or the Supreme/High Court.
4
4. Please provide information on other relevant initiatives and developments aiming to
promote quality in education
Major Programmes:
National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) for education
of disadvantaged girls from class I to VIII as a distinct gender component plan of SSA
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Scheme for setting up residential schools at
upper primary level for girls belonging predominantly to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, minorities and other disadvantaged populations in difficult areas
Mahila Samakhya (MS) Programme for girls’ and women’s empowerment through
creating Women’s Groups, running non-formal centres, working for change in perceptions
on the status of girls, working for retention and enrollment of never-enrolled or dropped-
out girls, and running Mahila Shikshan Vihars for adolescent girls
Central Sponsored Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madarasa (SPQEM) to
encourage institutions like Madarasas and Maktabs by providing assistance to introduce
science, mathematics, social studies, Hindi and English in their Curriculum to enhance
proficiency for classes I-XII, and to provide opportunities for vocational training, strengthen
State Madrassa Boards, with a special focus on secondary and senior secondary level
Scheme for Development of Infrastructure in Minority Educational Institutions of
Elementary / Secondary and Higher Secondary Level to facilitate education of minorities
by strengthening school infrastructure in Minority Institutions with a special focus on girls,
children with special needs and those who are most deprived minorities
District Information System for Education (DISE) to develop a school based statistical
system, which is also extended to state and the national level
NCTE Guidelines for conducting Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) under the RTE 2009, in
accordance with the minimum qualifications for teachers in classes I to VIII
Scheme for Assistance for Experimental and Innovative Component of Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan / RTE at the Elementary Level to promote experimentation and innovation
through identification of agencies taking up experimental / innovative programmes,
providing technical and administrative support for them, evaluating the programmes, and
disseminating the findings
Mid-day Meal Scheme to give a boost to universal elementary education in terms of
increasing enrolment, retention and attendance in primary classes by supplementing
nutritional requirements of children
Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) to promote holistic development
of children in the age-group 0-6 years
Initiatives and development at Secondary Level include: Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha
Abhiyan (RMSA) to make secondary education of quality available; Rajiv Gandhi Scheme
for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (SABLA); National Scheme for Incentive to Girls for
Secondary Education; Centrally Sponsored National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme;
Model Schools; Revised Scheme of Girls Hostel; Inclusive Education for Disabled at
5
Secondary Stage; ICT in Schools Scheme; Schemes of Financial Assistance for Appointment
of Language Teachers; Vocational Education etc
Reference:
Frequently Asked Questions on the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education
Act (2009), UNICEF India Country Office, 2010
Planning Commission 2010-2011 Annual Plan, Government of India
(http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/annualplan/ap1011/AP_10_11pdf_Eng.pdf)
RTE Act 2009 (http://education.nic.in/Elementary/free%20and%20compulsory%20NEW.pdf)
RTE National Model Rules (http://education.nic.in/Elementary/RTI_Model_Rules.pdf)
RTE Report by Anil Bordia Committee (http://ssa.nic.in/quality-of-education/rte-reporting-
by-anil-bodia-committee)
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Framework for Implementation, Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD), Department of School Education and Literacy, March 2011
World Data on Education 2010/11 (http://ssa.nic.in/quality-of-education/rte-reporting-by-
anil-bodia-committee)
