Awareness of Village Education Committee Members about Their Powers and Functions - A Study

Abstract

India, one of the ancient civilization of the world, embraced and evolved a unique system of 'education'; a system which was essentially (caste) community affair. This kind of education system lasted hundreds of years without many mutations. However, with the advent of British system of education community-based system of education was replaced by state-centric centralized system of education. This intervention by British had freed system of education from caste cover. However, in the process, system of education was uprooted from community. Local community lost its role in deciding and providing education to its masses. After independence, the then National leadership of the country decided in favour of a democratic polity. They also recognized the fact that the successful functioning of any democracy in any country largely depends upon active and conscious participation of the people in political processes. The active and conscious participation of the people, in tum, depends upon their education. There fore, to create democratic citizenry, constitutional framers and political and educational leadership instilled faith and hope in education. At the same time, they also very rightly recognized that unless educational opportunities are democratized, it is well nigh impossible to democratize the polity. This appreciation of the nexus between universal, equal educational opportunities and democracy, at the dawn of independence, manifested in the form of article 45 of Directive Principles of Indian Constitution. Article 45 reads, "The State shall endeavour to provide within a period of ten years from the 1 RIE Library Bhopal commencement of this constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years." It is very clear from the above citation that provision of elementary is the obligation of the state.