India’s Struggle to Universalize Elementary Education

The status and function of primary education in India today is far from satisfactory and the fundamental functions of meeting the growth and developmental needs of all children belonging to the age group of 6-14 years are not being met. Though primary education has been made compulsory by legislation, child labour is abundantly prevalent resulting in millions of children being kept out of schools. This book questions the reasons behind non-universalization of primary education in India. Rampant child labour and poverty are the two most commonly cited reasons in India, which did not deter some of the other developing countries from making primary education compulsory. Here the current status of primary education in India is well reviewed and the role of primary school teachers is elucidated and the professional training required is highlighted. Hence this book will be useful to educationists, teachers and policy makers.