Concept Note for Quality Education Campaign Every Child Can

35 18 (Thirty five minus eighteen). Looks like an easy subtraction problem that everyone who reads note this can solve, possibly without the use of pen and paper. We expect to learn this skill in primary school - in standard 2, according to the governments own curriculum. Imagine the plight of a child who has been going to school for 5 years and is unable to solve such a problem. Youd possibly think how many such children would be there? Isolated cases here and there, if at all. The sad reality is that several surveys show that more than 65% children of Class 5 in rural schools of Tamilnadu cannot do this subtraction problem. And it is not as if the problem is specific to subtraction - More than 50% of them cannot even read a simple story in their own tongue, Tamil. And this is not just from one survey many studies by different agencies (including some by the government itself) have more or less arrived at the same conclusion. In fact, Tamilnadu, in spite of better infrastructure, ranks close to the bottom in education quality. Over the last 10 years, while the government has made significant progress in ensuring access to education, the quality of education leaves a lot to be desired. If students do not acquire even basic skills like reading and are unable to solve simple problems in addition and subtraction, then what is the use of providing such education? Invariably, many of them drop out of school by class 8. Who are the children who go to government schools today? Many of these children are firstgeneration learners, and are either Dalits or other backward castes that form the marginalized sections of society. It is easy for society and the education system to blame the children (or their parents) for the poor progress they make in education. Some may even mumble who knows? Perhaps it is something genetic, though science has shown such claims to be rubbish. We, on the other hand, believe that Every Child Can. While each child is unique and may excel in his/her own fields, it is definitely possible for all children to acquire fundamental skills such as reading and arithmetic. If they do not, it is the fault of the education system, and not the individual children. The government claims to have introduced many innovative approaches to education. But they are of little use if they cannot deliver on learning outcomes! With the simple approach of identifying lagging children, and a proper focus on ensuring that such children learn basic skills, it is definitely possible to significantly improve the situation in a short time. And there are specific, concrete steps that the government can take to achieve this. Let us join hands in whatever way possible to ensure that this happens. And to reiterate our belief that Every Child Can.