Community Participation and Empowerment in Elementary Education: A Study of Uttarakhand State

Abstract

The role of School Management Committees (SMCs) in promoting quality elementary education of children indicates that the community has a strong resolve to achieve education for all- goal 4 of the UN Agenda for sustainable development. Community participation and empowerment meaningfully brings the point to fore that schooling system partnering with the local community can provide solutions to many intricate issues. The present paper argues that community (School Management Committee) is an effective instrument to empower the marginalized to voice their grievances and come up with solutions and have a say in decision-making. The study establishes, that SMCs are aware of the policy issues and fault lines therein but their major concern is immediate i.e., to enroll all children, retain them in school and improve the quality of learning. The parents of children find difficult to provide academic support to children as they are pressed by the drudgeries of livelihood along with low level or no education. Therefore, in SMCs meetings they insist on improving school effectiveness, and for the improvement in the classroom, processes are the key to quality education. Thus, in improving access, enrolment, retention of children in schools and the overall monitoring of schools, the SMCs are playing significant role. However, more concentrated efforts are required to improve the classroom processes- resulting in better quality of learning