primary school teachers the twists and turns of everyday practice

Version 20 Oct 08, edited final
Blackboard was introduced in 1987 to improve the overall infrastructure of schools
and to ensure that every school has at least two teachers. As recommended by the
1968 National Education Policy (NEP) and reiterated in the 1986 policy, GoI agreed
to pay for the additional teacher in single-teacher schools and funds were also made
available for TLA.
On the ground, the uneven implementation of this policy is clearly perceptible. At
one end are Kerala and Tamil Nadu where the school buildings look fairly neat and
clean, there is an adequate number of classrooms, a boundary wall and drinking
water. Maharashtra and Rajasthan come next where the availability of buildings and
basic amenities is fairly good except in remote or interior areas and in tribal villages.
West Bengal is a picture of decay and neglect—the buildings are old and often
crumbling, they look as if they have not been painted in decades and the overall
environment is depressing. Similarly, if we were to focus on the number of singleand
two-teacher schools or on the academic infrastructure (the availability of library
and reference books, charts, maps, basic science equipment and so on) there is again
a huge difference between states. Overall, at the ground level the
primary/elementary school is nothing like what our policy makers conceptualise as
an ideal school environment.
Although the environment in which a school functions affects teachers, whether we
look at infrastructure, at the availability of TLA, or at the number of teachers
appointed, it is equally true that teachers in turn influence the overall learning
environment. It is a two-way process. What then determines whether this two-way
process produces a positive, creative learning environment or a negative spiral of
indifference and decay?
Case studies of exceptional government schools suggest that a highly committed
head teacher and teachers can make a big difference. In 2004, Sandhan (Jaipur) did
in-depth case studies of 10 schools in Rajasthan as a part of a larger quantitative
study covering over 660 schools. The overall understanding that emerged through
school observation, community dialogue and teacher interviews is revealing:
- If teachers are hard working and sensitive towards the students, it ensures
positive community support for the school.
- Mutual understanding and coordination among teachers within a school has a
positive impact on the overall educational environment of the school.
- If teachers are creative and committed, they always find a way out even in
difficult circumstances.
- If teachers are sincere, the budget allocated by the District Primary Education
Programme (DPEP) is optimally utilised.
- The teacher-student ratio affects the educational environment and students’
learning achievement. This one thing is beyond the control of teachers.
We are confronted with this reality: regardless of the ‘system’ there are always
teachers and head teachers who are able to elicit parental and community support to
improve the overall learning environment in the school. Equally, notwithstanding
the best programmes and high budget allocations, a group of indifferent
administrators, head teachers and teachers becomes a stumbling block in improving
the learning environment. The agency of the head teacher and teachers at the
school level and that of the administrators who directly supervise the school
emerge as critical factors.
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