Recommendations of National Knowledge Commission on School Education 2007

Back to: Contemporary India and Education – Unit 3

The National Knowledge Commission held several workshops across the country to evaluate the quality of education in India. Seeing that some areas needed change and improvement, they sought the intervention of the government in the same to offer adequate learning resources and also enhance the overall quality of the education.

In 2007, the National Knowledge Commission on School Education submitted a report containing the following recommendations.

Right to Education Through Central Legislation Supported by Financial Commitment

NKC demanded the central legislation to enact the right to education policy immediately so that all children can get universal access to education as soon as possible. Because the establishment of schools and provision of adequate learning materials requires more financial resources, the report demanded the government to make this a priority investment.

The Flexibility of Funds Disbursal

The report also suggested that the disbursal of funds to states for the accessibility of education was too rigid and they must be made more flexible.

Decentralization

The report also recommended decentralization of education and stated that community participation must be encouraged as it is crucial to improving the school’s functioning and accountability. Hence, the management of schools and funds were recommended to be decentralized to the local authorities.

Improvement of Infrastructure

The policy demanded that the infrastructure of the schools must be improved and maintained if the government wants to increase literacy among the population. Schools should be set up in rural areas and not just in urban areas for equal access to education.

Schools’ Education Database

Maintenance of the school’s database should be prioritized and improved to ensure that accurate data is provided on the attendance, age group, and enrollment of both the students and the teachers.

Department Coordination

The report examined that the overabundance of various management structures was creating confusion and hence, the management should be improved by regulating the successful coordination of several departments.

Teacher Training

The report also suggested the training of teachers to improve their teaching skills so that the shortage of qualified teachers can be reduced in schools and the quality of education can be improved.

Taking into account the government’s provision of universal access to education, the NKC made all these recommendations to the central government so that there can be wider access to a good quality of education.