Revisiting the Pertinent Problems of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan in Kerala

Abstract

Schooling is ubiquitous in the world, making education a major institution in societies. Indeed it is difficult to imagine any industrialized or industrializing society without a system of schools, from preschool to graduate level. Social institutions such as education constitute the major structural components of any society. Fewer and fewer students fit the mold of the “typical” student. In fact, “atypical” to some degree is becoming the norm. Although this creates issues for schools, the positive result of this reality is that the educators have to view each child individually and take into consideration individual strengths and weaknesses. Today’s students present many differences; some of the most obvious are present in those with identified disabilities, those who are classified as gifted and talented, and those who are “at risk” for developing problems. Another group of students experience a degree of disability that is not significant enough to result in special education eligibility. Still other students need special attention because of poverty, difficulties with language, or other at-risk factors.Adding all of these students together, plus gifted children, who are considered to be an additional 3 to 5 % of the school population, shows that 20 to 30 % of all students in public schools have some special needs. Although many of these students do not meet the specific criteria to be classified as “disabled” and are therefore not eligible for special education. For public schools to be effective with this growing diverse student population, school personnel must address the needs of all children, including children with special needs. They must be able to identify these students and help, develop and implement effective programs; this requires teachers to be able to understand the types of students they need to serve.