EDUCATION FOR LIFE AND LIVING

Despite unprecedented growth in world economies and unparalleled improvements in global standards of living over the past few years, poverty and hunger are still realities in several countries. Indeed more than 70 per cent of the world’s poor are rural poor. One of the major inequalities affecting the rural poor is their unequal access to quality education, which is very important for social and economic development. Any attempt to readdress the challenges of increasing inequity, poverty and widening human development gaps is possible through access to relevant, equitable and effective education of our rural people. Education for Rural Transformation (ERT) is the only way to reduce the widening human development gaps within and between nations. The dynamics of rural transformation in the "globalized" world has created new educational imperatives that call for a re-evaluation of present educational policies and priorities, and the re-examination of the role of education and learning (formal, non-formal and informal) for rural people from rather new perspectives. Henceforth, education should be seen as a key instrument for shaping and fulfilling the goal of rural transformation. It should contribute to the wellbeing of the rural people including food security, health, and employment, protection of the environment and the management of our natural resources.

Rural transformation faces a key challenge to achieve both poverty reduction and Education for All. In order to achieve the Millennium development Goals, specifically the first two goals, reducing hunger and poverty by half and ensuring universal primary education by 2015, there is a need to change the traditional working modalities and address the needs of the rural India. This can be achieved through new multi-sectarian and interdisciplinary alliances and partnerships in education and those working in agriculture and rural development.

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the International Institute for Educational Planning of UNESCO (2003) emphasized the need for specific modalities to address the demand and supply issues that education faces in rural areas. The report highlights the challenge as missing link of education interventions with broader poverty reduction and rural development efforts. The report has also envisaged that Education for All will never be achieved in areas affected by poverty, high mortality, gender and other forms of discrimination.

India Lives in its villages. Rural Transformation is one of the most important factors for the growth of the Indian economy. India is primarily an agriculture-based country. Agriculture contributes nearly one-fifth of the gross domestic product in India. In order to increase the growth of agriculture, the Government of India has planned several programs pertaining to Rural Development. The introduction of Bharat Nirman, a project set about by the Government of India in collaboration with the State Governments and the Panchayat Raj Institutions is a major step towards the improvement of the rural sector. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 was another significant step for improving the living conditions and its sustenance in the rural sector of India. Sarva Shiksha Abhyan as a national initiation of Education for All has been addressing the contextual issues of primary education. However, there is a need to have a cohesive approach and concerted effort to bring significant changes in rural India.

In view of such concerns, a National Symposium was organized by the Department of Educational Administration, Faculty of Education and Psychology, the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, Stockholm University, Sweden to provide a platform to policy analysts, administrators, researchers and practitioners to critically examine the current scenario of rural education in India, identify the challenges and to develop a framework for rural transformation. The Symposium was directed by Dr. Pushpanadham Karanam who is currently working at the Mahareaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, who is also the visiting professor at the Stockholm University and Jonkoping University in Sweden.

The following Issues were discussed in detail

• What are the challenges of ERT in the rapidly changing global socio-economic, cultural and political contexts?
  · What are the success stories of education for rural transformation?
  · Whether the developmental policies and educational programs of the government are rural inclusive and empowering rural people?
  · What is the role of education in the process of rural transformation and sustainable rural development?
  · How can education and learning contribute towards training for rural youth using non-formal and informal educational organizations?
  · Are there discrepancies between research, policy and practices in ERT?
  What are the specific contextual strategies for promoting skills in rural people for transformation?