Early Childhood Education or Pre-Primary Education: Base for Primary Education

The type of education to be imparted to the children before they enter into the formal education system is called pre-primary education. This is the education to be imparted to the children in the age group of 3 to 6 years. It is considered essential as it provides the opportunity to the children to experience community-life on a small scale where children of similar as well as varying ages work and play with one another day-by day.  Future prejudices and social maladjustments are removed by the provision of properly “controlled environment” for the children when they are at this stage. In addition, Pre-Primary education also provides the scope of being ready for formal education and helps them to enhance their performance standard in the primary classes.

It is said that Pre-Primary education is of great significance to the physical, emotional and intellectual development of the children, especially those with unsatisfactory home background.

The development of a nation depends upon the development of its children. As such the UNICEF measures the development of a nation on the yardstick of the development of children.

The main objective of the Pre-Primary education is the holistic development of the child.  The development includes the following areas as stated in the book entitled ‘A Guide for Nursery School Teachers’ published by NCERT in 1978:
■Development of Physical Health and Motor Skills;
■Development of Good Health Habits;
■ Development of Desirable Social Attitude and Manners;
■ Development of Emotional Maturity;
■ Development of Aesthetic Values;
■ Stimulation of Intellectual Curiosity;
■ Encouraging Independence and Creativity; and
■ Development of Language.

Pre-Primary Education in the District

In Sikkim, the Pre-Primary Education is being provided by both the government and private agencies like Human Resource Development Department, Social Justice, Empowerment and Welfare Department and private schools.

Pre-Primary Education managed by the Social Justice, Empowerment and Welfare Department
The District possesses 265 ICDS Centres being run by the Women and Child Division of Social Justice, Empowerment and Welfare Department, Government of Sikkim. These centres provide care and education to pre-primary children. However, the education imparted by these centres is not considered as formal education i.e. qualifying for the admission in class I (first grade) in the Government Schools.

Pre-Primary Education managed by Private Schools
Another agency which caters the pre-primary education is the private schools. There are 109 private schools running under South District. They have play group, Nursery, L/KG and U/KG at pre-primary level.

Pre-Primary Education managed by the Human Resource Development Department 
The Human Resource Development Department is the largest agency catering pre-primary education in the district. The totals of 56% of children are in the government schools.

The pre-primary education is being provided in the formal school itself. It means every school has pre-primary section attached to it and a teacher called School Mother is provided to teach these children. It is said that a child should attain 5 years of age when s/he is brought to school for admission in Pre-Primary Class. Normally, a child enters into the normal school system at the age of 6 years after passing one year Pre-primary Class.

As it is already mentioned that the education catered by the ICDS centres is not considered as the pre-school education by the government schools of the district, the children have to take admission in pre-primary class either they had attended ICDS centres or not. This is one of the reason of accumulation of overage children in the school system. It is seen that one of the reason of failure and dropping out of the children from the school is due to overage.  

Thus it is thought that a brief study on the age category of the children of pre-primary class of government schools would be helpful to understand the status of children those are going to feed Class I next year.

For the study, 66.82% of the total government schools of the district were selected by random sampling and the age group-wise enrolments of pre-primary class were collected. The data were consolidated gender-wise, age-wise and sub-division-wise basis.

It is found that the children attending the pre-primary class are of assorted age groups ranging from 4 to 12 years. If it is considered that the entry age of a child to enter into the pre-school system is <6 years, then the district has only 50.11% of children are of right age. This means 49.89% children attending pre-primary class in government schools are overage children.

It is already mentioned that the teachers appointed to teach pre-primary class in the State is called School Mothers. This post is exclusively reserved for the women. The procedure of appointment of school mothers is simple as the candidates do not need to sit for any competitive examination or interview to get selected. The appointment is solely on the discretion of area MLAs. Maximum numbers of school mothers appointed in early eighties were under matric because this post was in fixed pay basis at that time. Later on, the provision is revised and the candidates having minimum qualification of matriculation or having pre-primary teacher training certificate were conferred scale of pay.

The State Government has the provision of special quota for school mothers having higher qualification in the primary teacher selection test. Thus, it is seen that the qualified and efficient school mother gets promoted to primary teacher and less qualified one remains at pre-primary level. This has degraded the quality of pre-primary education in the state which cannot be compensated at any cost. Moreover, the annual examination results of pre-primary class of last three years reveal that average of 46% children fail in this class every year.

It is thought that the numbers of school mothers in the district by educational qualification is also an area of concern. A detail survey was conducted to see the number of school mothers by their educational qualifications. It was found that maximum number of school mothers falls in matriculate category and 22.91% of them are under matric.

It is found during the school visits that the classes at the pre-primary level in government schools are not totally allotted to school mothers.  The primary teachers are also sent to the pre-primary class for teaching purpose. The heads of the school advocate that the primary teachers are more qualified and efficient than school mothers and can teach this class more effectively. However, it cannot be recommended as pre-primary and primary are two different levels of educational management system. Further, the classroom management, child management, teaching-learning processes etc. of pre-primary level are completely different from primary.  It is technically considered that the primary teachers are not at all competent to teach pre-primary class.

The processes involved in teaching- learning is totally a technical matter and a person without training cannot be entrusted for teaching job.  Pre-primary education is also called the early childhood education. Thus, the introduction of 3 R’s in this class is always expected. However, the formal method of introducing 3 R’s is discouraged. There should be activities or playway methods.

It is found that the children attending the pre-primary classes of government schools are being evaluated in summative way which is discouraging for the children.  The recommended methods of evaluating the children of pre-primary class are continuous and comprehensive methods. Further, the children should not be detained in this class.

It is also recommended that the pre-primary class should be segregated in three groups on the basis of age of the children within a classroom and multi-grade teaching is to be introduced.  The segregation can be done in the following way -
♥ 3 yrs child in PP - “C” Group
♥ 4 yrs child in PP - “B” Group
♥ 5 yrs child in PP - “A” Group
This sort of arrangement can ensure the entry of a child in primary level at the age of exact 6 years and does not allow the accumulation of overage children in pre-primary level.  

*************
[This is 5th chapter of the book titled “A Study on Reasons of Failure and Repetition at Primary Level in Government Schools of South District of Sikkim” a research study conducted by

Dhan B. Subba in 2007-08 and submitted to the Secretary, Human Resource Development Department, Govt. of Sikkim, in May 2008.]

School Development Plan – What, Why and How?

School Development Plan is a document with a list of activities prepared by a school on the basis of its ‘at hand status’ which are to be conducted in future to achieve the targeted objectives in targeted timeframe (short term or long term) with appropriate strategies and plan of actions.

Objectives:
Broadly, the objectives of preparing School Development Plan are as under:
● To ensure universal enrolment, retention, Quality and completion of elementary cycle at appropriate age.
● To ensure child-friendly, barrier free, safe and attractive school environment for pedagogical processes
● To ensure Special Training to Out of School Children of school neighbourhood to put them in the age appropriate class
● To ensure physical infrastructure along with all-weather school buildings
● To ensure higher order learning in children with holistic development
● To ensure community and civil society partnership in all developmental activities of the school

Who makes the School Development Plan?

School Management Committee with following composition makes the plan:
★ 75% parents or guardians of the children admitted in the school (parents or guardians of children belonging to disadvantaged group or weaker section of the society are to be given proportionate representation in the Committee)
★ 25% representatives of teachers, panchayat and senior citizen of the society
★ 50% members of the Committee should be women

Major steps involved in the preparation of School Development Plan: 

Step 1: Status Assessment – Conduct of diagnostic activities and listing of problems
Step 2: Prioritization of identified problems and conversion of prioritized issues to goals
Step 3: Devising actions/steps to achieve the goals


Status Assessment or Diagnostic Activities 

a) Conduct household survey: This will find out the age-wise, gender-wise, economic status-wise, parents’ occupation-wise, CWSN population of school going and out-of-school children within the boundary of that school neighbourhood area.

b) Conduct institutional survey: Institutional survey reveals the status of infrastructure, teachers, teachers’ attendance, students’ attendance, number of school inspection conducted by education officers, availability of playfields, sports/games materials, musical instruments, TLE, TLM, reading corners, laboratory, library, etc.

c) Listing problems or the areas which need improvements: Make a list of issues identified through these two surveys like 3 children in the age group of 6 to 14 years are out of school out of which 1 child is orthopedically impaired, attendance of the students coming from BPL family is poor, shortage of TLM, no girls toilet, etc.

Prioritization of Problems

■ Prepare another list of problems on the basis of its urgencies of solution.
■ Segregate the prioritized problems into two categories – i) Short Term and ii) Long Term

Devising of Action/Steps and Review Strategies

♥ Identify solution levels of each issues to be solved and prepare a list of actions or activities to be carried out to solve each issues, include monitoring/review activities for each issue at each level of solution.
♥ Make chain of activities along with the sub-committees to perform it, monitor/evaluate it and re-plan it if original plan fails.

Plan Submission

Bind the plan into a book form and place it in Gram Sabha for discussion and sanction

Review of Progress

Conduct periodical review meetings to monitor the progress of plan targets.

****************

A formula for Teacher Trainers:: 3DSE

This formula tells us about the sequential steps as how to reach at enrichment level of trainees during training period. This is very useful especially during in-service teacher training. It goes like this…

“1st D” - On first day or second, trainees ‘DENY’ your ideas/concepts what you want to instil in trainees as a take away of the training being imparted. They may have valid reasons of denying your proposals. Like in early 1990s while training the English teachers to integrate teaching of grammar with text/content, I mean not to teach grammar as separate subject. There were vehement objections from the trainees.  In such situations, persuade the trainees by giving convincing examples, conduct related activities involving them to prove how the concepts being imparted can work at activity level.

“2nd D” – Despite your efforts to convince them, the trainees ‘DISAGREE’ your proposals. Then dig out the reasons of their disagreements, break their old/outdated beliefs and go on adding freshly evolved concepts. Make them feel that they need to think on what you are going to tell them during training.

“3rd D” – Still many of them express ‘DOUBTS’.

“S” – Support them to clear their doubts. Make them understand why they have doubts.    

“E” – Now start enriching them on the new concepts/ideas that you are supposed to do during that training period.

[This idea was given by Sir Subir Shukla during ADEPTS Workshop in 2007]

QUALITY EDUCATION UNDER SSA IN SIKKIM – A BRIEF RECAP

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was a flagship programme of Government of India to universalize Elementary Education in the country for 10 years i.e. 2001 to 2010. The programme continued after 2010 also as launching vehicle for RTE Act in the country. SSA during its implementation has four major areas of concerns:
a. Access
b. Enrolment
c. Retention, and
d. Quality

SSA at its inception stage, targeted the access and enrolment of the children of the age group of 6 to 14 years. Later on after 2005, it emphasized on retention and from 2008 began to focus on quality.

While planning for Quality related interventions under AWP&B 2009-10, the State identified 10 core parameters of Quality Elementary Education covering almost all aspects. These parameters were as under:
■ Students’ achievement level
■ Learning difficulties in each subject
■ Teaching learning methods
■ Development and Use of TLMs
■ Active student participation
■ Continuous and comprehensive Assessment
■ Community involvement in quality aspects
School environment
■ Teacher and student attendance, & regularity and punctuality
■ Teachers’ performance against ADEPTS indicators

However in the succeeding year, the parameters were refined further and made more diversified which were adopted in the preparation of State Quality Perspective Plan 2010-2013. The parameters are listed as under:  

★ Learning Processes and Learning Outcomes
★ Comprehensive Quality Vision and Framework
★ Minimum Enabling Conditions
★ Vision-based Curriculum and Teaching  Learning Materials
★ Learning Assessment Systems
★ Teacher Effectiveness Framework
★ Academic Support & Monitoring Systems
★Community & Civil Society Partnerships

The 157 paged State Quality Perspective Plan 2010-2013 elaborately included activities under every parameters. The planned activities which are started from 2010 on parameter-wise are given below:

1. Learning Processes and Learning Outcomes: The plan of teaching/learning through activities, discovery, exploration and dialogue is one of the major activity planned under Teaching Learning Process. This plan carried over in State Quality Perspective Plan 2014-2016 also. The teaching/learning through activities was first in 2011 along with Continuous and Comprehensive Assessment. The institutionalization of culture of discussion in the classroom where children freely express their views and questions in Primary Classes and all children have learnt basic reading and writing by Grade 2 were another two targets under this parameter.

2. Comprehensive Quality Vision and Framework: Under this parameter, the State started working on harmonization of curriculum with syllabus, Textbooks and TLM at classroom level. Another major activities undertaken under this parameter is harmonized implementation of LEP (Learning Enhancement Programme) for languages and mathematics in Pre-primary, Class I and Class II wherein colourful illustrative books were developed and distributed to the schools.

State conducted Baseline Assessment Survey in 2010 to identify the children’s learning levels in different subjects and subject specific learning difficulties. The findings of the assessment survey was also used in identification of thrust areas for short term teacher training.

In 2013-14, to enhance language and maths learning among early graders, State developed reading materials for classes pre-primary and I under Early Literacy and Numeracy Programme. The materials were printed and distributed to all government schools recently.  These materials are to be kept in reading corners of the schools to provide easy access of colourful books to children.

3. Minimum Enabling Conditions: To ensure minimum enabling conditions to run the schools in the accessless habitations, SSA provided two-roomed school building with verandah for newly established primary schools along with 2 general teachers and necessary teaching learning equipment. For upgraded upper primary schools, four roomed school buildings along with three graduate teachers were provided. The teaching leaning equipment worth Rs. 50 thousands is provided to these schools. Till now, there are 63 SSA established primary schools and 94 SSA upgraded upper primary schools are running in the State. Library is established in 100% government schools to provide learning environment for the children attending elementary level. After the enactment of RTE Act, the schools having more than 100 children at upper primary level are given part time instructors for Art Education, Work Education and Physical & Health Education. At present, there are 324 part time instructors are working in different government schools of the State.

SSA emphasized in the development of learners-friendly and barrier-free infrastructure to make schools inviting for the children. Lump sum grant for free textbooks and uniform are also provided to children to improve retention.

Adhering to the RTE mandates, State issued various notifications pertaining to elementary education like No Detention in elementary classes, notifications banning board examination, corporal punishment, raising of capitation fees, specified annual working days, weekly working hours for teachers, etc.

4. Vision-based Curriculum, Syllabus and Teaching Learning Materials: State revised the curriculum, syllabus and textbooks in the line of NCF 2005 in 2007-08 and after the enactment of RTE Act 2009, the State again revised the same to accommodate the mandates of RTE Act. The Term Books are developed for primary classes to reduce the burden of the textbooks.  The language textbooks including English is planned to revise this year.

The present age is the computer age. As such, SSA started using computer as learning aid in the classes IV to VIII and termed as CAL (Computer Aided Learning). Almost all government upper primary schools were provided computer hardware and peripherals and given training to teachers to use computer as learning aid in the classroom.

5. Learning Assessment: Shift in learning assessment is one of the major happening in elementary education after the enactment of RTE Act. The situations brought by the RTE Act compelled the State to adopt Continuous and Comprehensive Assessment as an instrument to sustain quality of learning among the children of elementary classes.

In 2010, Pedagogy Cell constituted under SSA developed a booklet called “Guidelines for Continuous and Comprehensive Assessment” which consist of class-wise and subject-wise syllabus, broad learning indicators, sample activities, sample report card, grading for both scholastic and co-scholastic areas. The booklet was distributed to all government schools and training of teachers on CCA was conducted simultaneously.

The said booklet is revised once again in 2012 to include the suggestions from the field level educational workers and distributed to schools.

At present, 100% government schools adopted CCA as learning assessment tools.

6. Ensuring Teachers’ Capacity and Effectiveness: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan places great emphasis on preparing the teachers for teaching, by building their capacity through a series of training programmes. It is expected that this training should cover several pedagogical issues, including content and methodology, to improve teaching learning transactions at classroom level. Teacher training under SSA emphasizes child-centred pedagogy and competency based teaching learning. Effectiveness of teachers depends on the effectiveness of process of teacher preparation, effective trainings and effective follow-up processes.  This is the major parameter that SSA has concentrated upon since its inception. The following categories of different types of trainings for teachers are being planned under this parameter to enhance the efficiency of the elementary education system in the State:
》》10-day BRC Level Training of in-service teachers: Earlier this category of training was of 20 days. However, it was cut down to 10 days. This training is mainly for bringing shift in teaching-learning process as per renewed context. The teachers were trained for effective implementation of CCA, use of LEP materials to support learning of children, how to conduct teaching activities in the classroom, etc. For this academic session, PAB has approved 6-day training in three separate categories of teachers – (i) For the teachers teaching Classes I & II on “Effective use of Early Literacy materials to enhance language and Maths learning in early learners; (ii) For the teachers teaching Classes III, IV & V on English, EVS & Maths Teaching through activities; and (iii) For the teachers teaching Classes VI, VII & VIII on Science and Maths teaching through activities.

》》10-day CRC Level Training of in-service teachers: This category of training as well was of 20-day earlier. Now it is 10 monthly academic meetings of the teachers at cluster level. PAB has approved 6 monthly meetings for this year. The various subjects related to quality improvement are discussed in these meetings. The main subjects are the following:

♥ Discussion and review of progress in students’ learning achievements as per last meeting’s resolutions
♥ Feedback and impact of In-service Teacher Training conducted earlier
♥ Discussion of sharing patterns of children’s achievements with parents adopted by feeder schools
♥ Feedbacks on the basis of findings of QMTs
Sharing of innovative/good practices adopted by the schools to improve scholastic and co-scholastic achievements of the school
♥ Development of school campus as learning friendly environment
♥ Preparation of school development plan and thrust areas included to improve learning of children
♥ Sharing and discussion on various learning activities carried out by the teachers during last month and children’s reactions on that.
♥ Resolutions and identification of activities to be conducted in the schools for next month

》》30-day Induction training for newly recruited teachers: The induction training was conducted previously when there were huge lot of recruitment under SSA. Now-a-day, this training not being conducted.

》》Lump sum financial help to untrained teachers to acquire 2 years B.Ed. or D.El.Ed. professional course: MHRD provides lump sum amount of Rs. 6000/- per head to each untrained teachers undergoing 2-years D.El.Ed. or B.Ed. professional course included in the AWP&B.

7. Academic Supports and Monitoring: Teaching as a profession requires a constant touch with academics i.e. one is a ‘learner for life’. It is essential that a teacher keeps himself abreast of the constant advancements in the “Knowledge-World” and thus updates his own knowledge base. However, it is also equally important that how s/he is being provided with academic supports in the way of making herself updated as a teacher and how her works are being monitored. The support providers and monitoring personnel are to be equally updated and equipped with recent development of educational processes.

The effective monitoring and support system depends not only on updated monitoring officials, it also requires systemic arrangements to facilitate these officials to carryout effective monitoring and support activities. As such, SSA recognized every block (now GVK) as Block Resource Centre and School Complex as Cluster Resource Centre. Considering block as main level to coordinate the educational activities, the Block Resource Centres are provided office equipment like desktop computer, laser printer, dotmatrix printer, laptop, photocopier, etc. The centres are also given full time manpower like BRC Coordinator, MIS Coordinator, Data Entry Operator and Accountant-cum-Support Staff along with Rs. 50,000 lump sum annual grant. Below the BRC, there is another level called Cluster Resource Centre. These centres are provided with one each full time coordinator and annual grant of Rs. 10,000. At the lowest level i.e. at school, there is School Management Committee. These SMCs are given Annual grants like maintenance grant and School grant. In this way, there are four levels of monitoring and academic support system in action in a district viz. District Level, Block Level, Cluster Level and School Level.

The monitoring officials posted at Block and Cluster levels are given trainings on various aspects of school supervision and management information system in phase-wise manner. The office staff appointed in blocks were also provided trainings.
     
As a part of monitoring, SSA has conducted different research studies in different areas. The research studies conducted by the state on quality management so far are as under:
◆ Assessment Study on School Performance in 2006-07. (South District)
◆ Reasons of failure and repetition at primary level in government schools of South District of Sikkim in 2007-08 (South District)
◆ Low achievement level of students in mathematics, Science and English in Class V in June 2008 (West District)
◆ Impact of MDM Scheme on retention of Children at Primary Level in 2008 (West District)
◆ Teachers Absenteeism in 2008 (State level)
◆ Baseline Achievement Survey 2010

SSA conducts DISE Survey every year to maintain database on school education which covers all the educational institutions catering school education irrespective of types and managements.

Since 2013, SSA is also implementing Quality Monitoring Tools in the State to monitor quality activities being conducted at various levels of school education.

8. Community and Civil Society Partnership: It is expected that local community, teachers and management committee will, in partnership with local non-governmental organizations, prepare and implement plans for school activities, maintain records, monitor and evaluate the school activities. Community is the major agency to facilitate the enhancement of quality education as the family is considered the first school of a child.

The State, in the initiative of SSA Cell, has constituted School Management Committee in each government school as prescribed by RTE Act under Section 21. More than 7000 SMC members covering 100% government schools of the state, were trained on the process of preparation of School Development Plan and sensitized on various mandates and provisions laid by RTE Act. This training is given to PRI members and parents also.

******************