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1. Elementary education in India versus China: Guidelines for NEP implementation

Author:
Naveen Kumar and Vinitha Varghese
Publication Date:
06-2022
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United Nations University
Abstract:
This paper documents the state of elementary education in India and China since the 1960s, key lessons for India from China’s shift in focus from ‘quantity’ to ‘quality’, and evidencebased guidelines for effective implementation of India’s New Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020). The divergent policy focus has led to differential trajectories for elementary education in the two emerging economies, with China being decades ahead in improving literacy rates. China’s adoption of the New Curriculum Reform 20 years before India’s NEP 2020 has put China on the path to achieving equitable development of ‘quality’ compulsory schooling. India’s NEP 2020 has components that have the potential to improve quality, equity, and efficiency of the education system. This paper makes the following recommendations for effective implementation of some of the NEP 2020 components: (1) an additional worker should be recruited at every preschool centre; (2) more resources should be allocated towards implementation, evaluation, and needed recalibration of the management of school clusters; (3) teacher recruitment, training, and rewards should be revamped; (4) standardized tests should be protected from data corruption, fudging, or grade inflation; and (5) a national-level road map and regular evaluations have to be introduced to ensure participation of socio-economically disadvantaged groups in education.
Topic:
Education, Literacy, and Schools
Political Geography:
China, South Asia, India, and Asia

2. Literacy Status of BRAC Primary School Completers

Author:
Samir Ranjan Nath and Mohammad Anwar Hossain
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Literacy status of a sample of primary education completers from BRAC non-formal schools in 2016 and enrolled in grade six in various formal schools in the following year were assessed. Their performance in literacy was compared with a similar group of students taken from national literacy assessment under Education Watch 2016. A test-based literacy assessment tool developed for Education Watch 2002 was used. The findings reveal that although the BRAC school students bear a lower socioeconomic status than those in the national sample they achieved a significantly higher literacy rate than the comparison group of students. A similar result was observed in each of the four components of literacy viz., reading, writing, numeracy and application of the 3Rs. No gender difference was observed in the national sample but girls outperformed boys in the BRAC sample.
Topic:
Education, Literacy, and Schools
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia