SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT OF EDUCATIONALLY DEPRIVEDED CHILDREN AT PRIMARY STAGE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 revised in 1992 and its Programme of Action (POA), envisages paying greater attention to the education of the educationally backward minorities in the interest of equality and social justice. The NPE 1986 and revised in 1992 states “Some minority groups are educationally deprived or backward. Greater attention will be paid to the education of these groups particularly muslim in the interest of equality and social justice. This will naturally include the Constitutional guarantees given to them to establish and administer their own educational institutions, and protection to their languages and culture. Since Independence, the Government of India has appointed various Committees and Commissions to look into the problems of education of all children. Several policies are being formulated to promote and strengthen education of children. According to the report of the Education Commission (1964-66 ) “ a society that values social justice and is anxious to improve the lot of the common men and cultivate all available talent; must ensure progressive equality of opportunity to all sections of the population. This is the only guarantee for building up of an egalitarian and human society in which the exploitation of the weak will be minimized”. Concerted efforts made by Govt.of India in last decades through DPEP and SSA programmes, states have achieved certain targets successfully in terms of educating girls in general and muslim girls in particular. For their betterment and success, attainment of educational standard among muslim girls is equally important as their enrolment. In order to sustain and survive within the education system, muslim girls need extra care and attention. Therefore, scholastic achievement has been major issue and an important concern for such girls. A number of factors has been examined and identified as the potential correlates of academic achievement. Studies in Indian context though provide sufficient empirical evidence on scholastic achievement, hardly any systematic attempt is found in relation to the scholastic achievement of muslim primary school girls. An attempt has been made to find out the level of Scholastic achievement subject wise among muslim girls. The present study was carried out among 500 muslim primary school girls in five MCD districts of Uttar Pradesh.