Psychtechtrend

Unit I

Elementary Education

1.1 Meaning

1.2 Concept

1.3 Aims

1.4 Objectives

1.5 Scope

1.6 Structure of Elementary Education

1.7 Final thoughts

1.1 Meaning

Elementary school is defined as a period of formal education following pre-school but before high school. It usually encompasses grades 1-8 and students learn basic skills in areas such as reading, writing and math. Primary education, also called elementary education, is for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Primary education provides students with a basic understanding of various subjects as well as the skills they will use throughout their lives.

1.2 Concept

Elementary education builds on preschool education and education in the family. Elementary education is the only stage of education whose completion is compulsory for the whole population of pupils, namely in two stages, the second of which continues the first in terms of content and organisation as well as didactically.

With its conception, elementary education at Stage 1 is to facilitate the pupils’ transition from preschool education and family care to compulsory, regular and systematic education. It is based on acquiring new knowledge, respecting and developing each pupil’s individual needs, potential and interests (including pupils with special educational needs). With its activity-based and practical nature as well as its the application of suitable methods, the education motivates pupils to further learning, guides them to active learning and to the realisation that a suitable way of solving problems may be sought, discovered, created and found.

Elementary education at Stage 2 helps pupils acquire knowledge, skills and habits which will enable them to study independently and create such values and attitudes that lead to prudent and cultivated conduct, to responsible decision making and to respecting the rights and obligations of a citizen of both our state and the European Union. The conception of Stage 2 of elementary education builds on broad development of the pupils’ interests, on the pupils’ higher learning potential and on the interconnectedness between education and the school’s activities on the one hand and life outside of school on the other hand. This makes it possible to use more demanding working methods along with new sources and methods of learning, to assign more complex and long-term tasks or projects and delegate greater responsibility for education as well as in organising the school’s activities to the pupils.

Elementary education at both Stages 1 and 2 requires a challenging and creative environment which stimulates the most gifted and talented pupils, encourages the less gifted ones and protects and supports the weakest pupils and which ensures that each child, through instruction adapted to his/her individual needs, develops optimally in accordance with his/her own learning capabilities. To this end, corresponding conditions are also created for the instruction of pupils with special educational needs.

A friendly and accommodating atmosphere encourages the pupils to study, work and perform activities of interest to them, and provides them with space and time for active learning and for the full development of their personality. The evaluation of the pupils’ performance and achievements results shall be based on the fulfilment of specific and practicable tasks, on the assessment of the pupils’ individual development and on positive evaluative judgements. The pupils must be given the opportunity to experience success, not to be afraid of mistakes and to learn through them.

In the course of their elementary education, the pupils gradually acquire such personal qualities that will enable them to continue their studies, improve themselves in the profession which they have selected, continue their lifelong learning, and within their potential abilities participate actively in society.

Free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of fourteen years is the Constitutional commitment in India. At the time of adoption of the Constitution in 1950, the aim was to achieve the goal of Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) within the next ten years i.e. by 1960. Keeping in view the educational facilities available in the country at that time, the goal was far too ambitious to achieve within a short span of ten years. Hence, the target date was shifted a number of times. Till 1960, all efforts were focused on provision of schooling facilities. It was only after the near realization of the goal of access that other components of UEE, such as universal enrolment and retention, started receiving attention of planners and policy makers. It is the Quality of Education, which is at present in the focus in all programmes relating to elementary education in general and primary education in particular.

1.3 Aims

The aim of education is to bring desirable changes in the behaviours of the learner. It helps in the all round development of a child’s personality and inclusion of healthy attitudes and good values. Since education changes according to the changing needs of the society, the aims of education also varies from time to time in the same society. The aims and objectives are not uniform for all stages of education. There are differences in aims and objectives of primary, secondary and higher education due to variance of age and maturity experiences, physical, mental and emotional growth of the child.

In our country, education has been a state subject but now it has been put on the concurrent list i.e. shared by the central government. This has been done with a view to achieve the target of free and compulsory primary education. Because it is clearly directed in Article 45 of the Indian constitution that the provision of Universal, Free and Compulsory Education becomes the joint responsibility of the centre and the state.

Primary education is the stage where education touches at every point, Thus, it has to do more with national ideology and character than any other single activity. The objectives of primary education should be visualized against the background of its ultimate ends and purpose.

The primary stage is very crucial stage in the life of the child. So, The objectives of primary education are different from those in the middle stage of education. At the primary level the child’s curiosity, creativity and activity in general should not be restricted by a rigid and unattractive methods of teaching and learning.

1.4 Objectives

The objectives of primary education are as follows:

Literacy:

The child should learn the first language the mother-tongue to a level where he can communicate his ideas easily.

Numeracy:

The child should develop ability in four fundamental numerical operations and to be able to apply these to solve problems in his daily life.

Technology

The child should learn the method of inquiry in science and should begin to appreciate science and technology.

Nationalism

The child should develop a respect for national symbol like the flag and the anthem and should know about learn to dislike to casteism, untouchability and communalism.

Human dignity:

The child should develop healthy attitudes towards human labour and dignity.

Sanitary habits:

The child should develop habits of cleanliness and healthful living and an understanding of the proper sanitation and hygiene of the neighbourhood.

Aesthetic Sense:

The child should acquire a taste for the good and beautiful and should take care of its surroundings.

Cooperative Spirit:

The child should learn to cooperate with others and appreciate the usefulness of working together for the common good. Besides these objectives, other desirable qualities are development of character and personality through initiative, leadership, kindness, honesty etc. These should be developed during the primary school stage.

The NCERT(1977) has laid down the following objectives of elementary education:

To acquire the tools for formal learning namely literacy, numeracy and manual skills.
To acquire the habits of cooperative behaviours within the family, school and community.
To develop social responsibility by inculcating habits.
To appreciate the culture and life styles of persons of other religions, regions and countries.

The National Policy on Education has also given stress on primary Education mainly on two aspects:

· Universal enrolment and universal retention of children up to 14 years of age.

· A substantial improvement in the quality of education.

It has laid down that primary education cannot be accepted as complete unless children acquire minimum levels of learning(M.L.L)

There is an urgent need to pay due attention to the constitutional directives with regard to the development and improvement of primary education. It is the duty of everybody to extend full cooperation in achieving the objectives of free and compulsory primary education in our country. Then only the base of democracy would be strengthened.

Objectives of Elementary Education

Elementary education should help pupils form and gradually develop their key competencies and provide them with the firm foundations of general education focusing mainly on situations close to real life and on practical conduct.

Elementary education therefore aims at fulfilling the following objectives:

• to make it possible for the pupils to acquire learning strategies and to motivate them to lifelong learning;

• to stimulate creative thinking, logical reasoning and problem solving in pupils;

• to guide pupils towards engaging in effective and open communication on all possible issues;

• to develop the pupils’ ability to cooperate and to respect their own as well as others’ work and achievements;

• to prepare the pupils to manifest themselves as independent, free and responsible individuals who exercise their rights and meet their obligations;

• to create in pupils the need to express positive feelings in their behaviour and conduct when undergoing various situations in life; to develop in them perceptiveness and sensitive relations towards other people, the environment and nature;

• to teach the pupils to develop their physical, mental and social health actively, protect it and be responsible for it;

• to guide the pupils towards tolerance of and consideration for other people, their cultures and spiritual values, to teach them to live together with others;

• to help the pupils to become familiar with and develop their own abilities according to their realistic possibilities and to utilise them along with their acquired knowledge and skills when making decisions on the their own life and profession orientations.

1.5 Scope

The scope of the elemenary education has been considered as the key competencies. Key competencies are a set of knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes and values which are important for the personal development of an individual and for the individual’s participation in society. Their selection and conception are based on values generally accepted in society as well as commonly held ideas on which competencies of the individual contribute to his/her education, contented and successful life and to strengthening the functions of civil society.

The purpose and aim of education are to equip all pupils with a set of key competencies on the level which is attainable for them and thus to prepare them for their further education and their participation in society. The acquisition of key competencies is a long-term and complicated process, which begins with preschool education, continues during elementary and secondary education and is gradually refined in subsequent life. While the level of key competencies acquired by the pupils by the end of their elementary education cannot yet be regarded as final, the key competencies acquired form a nonnegligible basis for the pupils’ lifelong learning and their start in life and in the work process.

Key competencies are not isolated phenomena; they are variously interconnected, multifunctional, have an interdisciplinary nature and can always be acquired as a result of the overall educational process. The entire educational content and all of the activities taking place at school must therefore be aimed at and contribute to forming and developing these competencies.

At the elementary stage of education, the following are considered as key competencies: learning competency, problem-solving competency, communication competency, social and personal competency, civic competency, professional competency.

The following are descriptions of what a pupil should be able to do in terms of the competency in question by the end of his/her elementary education.

Learning Competency