Every human being requires education. "Education for all" declares that everyone has a right to education. It aims to give everyone a chance to learn from primary education - not as an accident of circumstances or as a privilege but as a RIGHT.
The 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' ( education for all) was a movement pioneered by prime minister ' Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which aimed to free and compulsory education a Fundamental Right to children between the ages of 6 to 14 years.
Top 8 challenges for education for all in India
1. Lack of funds
lack of sufficient funds is the main problem in the growth of education. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education and ranks 62nd in total public expenditure on education. NITI Aayog, in its synchronized plan, called for raising the education expenditure minimum 6% to improve education quality in India.
2. Social barriers and beliefs
India is a predominantly agricultural economy where more than 50% of its population works in agriculture. Some parts of Indian society ( agriculture and labor) think that if their children go to school, then who cares for their agriculture and supports them in their agriculture labor work. Here, there is a need to decipher the importance of education for their welfare.
Child labor also acts as a significant social barrier in preventing primary education.
3. Mass illiteracy
Despite constitutional directives and economic planning, we are not able to achieve 100% literacy. Even now, 35% of people remain illiterate.
4. Gender inequality
The disparities in education between boys and girls are visible in India's literacy rates - 82% of boys are literate while only 65% of girls can read and write. This gap is more comprehensive in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand.
According to UNICEF, cultural beliefs along with poverty cause discrimination against girls in education throughout India.
Another barrier to education for girls is a lack of sanitation in schools across the nation.
5. Neglect of Indian languages
The medium of instruction in schools is not based on vernacular languages. So, some students who are not well versed in English cannot study properly in English.
6. Problems of primary education
Many primary schools have no buildings what to talk of basic facilities like drinking water, urinals, electricity, furniture and study material. A large number of primary schools are single-teacher schools, and many schools are even without teachers. The dropouts rate is very high and a cause of concern. Here, teachers' education is also a point of reference.
7. Problem of Quality Education
The education policy and initiatives mainly focus on quantitative education, not focus on quality education. Our educational system is of general education in nature. The development of technical and vocational education is quite unsatisfactory. Hence the number of educated unemployed persons is increasing.
Our education system does not have the proper ability to develop scientific temper without technological support.
8. Political will
One of the main loopholes in our education policy or education system is the lack of political will. Political will is done by increasing more literate and like-minded politicians who have the vision to do their best to achieve 100% literacy throughout the nation.
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