Vijay Garg
Basic education is defined as primary plus secondary level education. It is an evolving program of instruction that is intended to provide students with the opportunity to become responsible and respectful global citizens, to contribute to their economic well-being and that of their families and communities, to explore and understand different perspectives, and to enjoy productive and satisfying lives.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, which was approved by the Indian Parliament on 4th August 2009, explains the modalities of the provision of free and obligatory education for children between the ages of 6 to 14 years in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of the hundred and thirty-five countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into implementation on 1st of April 2010. Basic education is the basic and foremost right of every child. The availability and provision of general education to the child is not only the responsibility of government but also of parents and households.
Basic education brings awareness among the masses, opens avenues for opportunities as well as self-advancement and improvement and reduces chronic and inter-generational poverty. As a first step in the creation of welfare and just society, universal basic education is an absolute pre-requisite for sustainable development. In order to compete with the surrounding world, children are prepared from very early childhood. The first six years of a child’s life are globally acknowledged as being the most critical years for lifelong development since the pace of development during these years is extremely rapid. This is why basic education is very necessary for all to go ahead in life and get success. It develops confidence and helps to build the personality of a person.
Goals of basic education
There are basically four main goals of basic education of a child which are listed below.
Read with comprehension, write effectively, and communicate successfully in a variety of ways and settings and with a variety of audiences.
Know and apply the core concepts and principles of mathematics; social, physical, and life sciences; civics and history, including different cultures and participation in representative government; geography; arts; and health and fitness.
Think analytically, logically, and creatively and to integrate technology literacy and fluency as well as different experiences and knowledge to form reasoned judgments and solve problems.
Understand the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.
Importance of basic education
Primary education is one of the basic needs of human. The difference that basic education can make to human life is easy to see. There are many important features of getting the basic education in childhood as discussed below.
Deprivation: The most basic issue relates to the elementary fact that illiteracy and innumeracy are forms of insecurity in themselves. Not to be able to read or write or count or communicate is a tremendous deprivation. The extreme case of insecurity is the certainty of deprivation and the absence of any chance of avoiding that fate. The first and most immediate contribution of successful basic education is a direct reduction of this basic deprivation.
Ideal Society: Education provides a platform for a decent livelihood. One can take up a job in industry or another professional service if he is educated. An educated society can help everyone to grow and develop as individuals in their respective fields. Basic education helps you become a useful member of society. Many people of lower income groups have a good lifestyle through basic education. If we want to see the world as a fair place where everyone is given equal opportunities, basic education is what we require. Education is a must if we want to do away with the existing differences between different social classes and genders. It opens a whole world of opportunities for the poor so that they may have an equal shot at well-paying jobs. Education also plays a major role in women empowerment.
Employment: The means of economy and money making have changed with basic education. It is the primary cause of rising in employment opportunities all over the world. Without education, a person can only perform lay jobs or labour jobs using his hands and legs, but with basic education, he can work using his brain. The advent of the internet, software and other technology could perform well due to education. This makes us generate colossal income and employment opportunities. Maybe if people are not educated, these technologies would be of no use to anyone. So such vast income generation is possible due to educated humans.
Ability to Read and Write: Basic education gives the ability to a person to read and write. As most of the information is delivered in writing. This is because it is important in daily life. An individual with these abilities is an educated person. He/she able to read literature, newspapers, magazines and signboards. He/she is able to get the other people’s views and experiences which result in enhancing the individual’s knowledge. A person with basic knowledge of education can understand the signboards applied on roads, shopping malls, bus stands, railways stations and airports. Moreover, an individual with the basic education can do his/her daily chores like activities related to banks, shopping and money transactions by his/her own, otherwise, a person with no basic knowledge will be dependent on others just to do his daily chores.
Communication Etiquette: With basic education, a person can communicate in a sensible way. Basic education teaches communication etiquettes like the sense of speech, use of proper gestures and good body language. A person having least required education has a good way to speak and also own other communication etiquettes. The body language of that person reflects confidence due to education. It will be difficult for the person to compose an email, write a letter or even understand the features of a smartphone without basic education. Also, if an individual goes abroad, he can easily survive thereby learning the local language. He will learn the local language easily from the books available in markets for learning that language. With this, you are able to communicate in a proper language with the correct usage of grammar, prepositions, pronunciation, etc.
Express Views and Opinions: Basic education gives the ability to a person to express his own opinions in a well-mannered way. He is able to communicate with the mass audience by writing his views in newspaper articles, writing letters and by making videotapes. Most of the famous poets, authors are not so much educated but they got fame due to their ability to influence people. Though it is true that this ability influencing people is by birth but basic education nourishes their skill. One can even communicate professional and personal issues in written form. They can do by email, letters, books, etc. Many people write novels, poems, stories due to their education.
Better Social Harmony: The basic education is a way by which people of different cultures, religions; sects come together during schooling, college, etc. Thus it helps them understand each other better and stay in mutual harmony. Therefore education can improve social harmony. Education can guarantee a better lifestyle.
Difference between educated and uneducated person
There is a huge difference between the educated and uneducated person. Following are some of the aspects in which both are different from each other.
Confidence: An uneducated person has low confidence in social affairs because of lack of proper education. This disability will keep one low in confidence in public affairs whereas the educated person has a high level of self-confidence just because of basic education.
Respect: Usually, an uneducated is less respected by society. We generally notice this thing that people without basic education are less respected than those with proper education.
Ease of Life: An illiterate person depends on the others to read a signboard or write a bank pay slips etc. on the other hand the literate person does not depend on anyone and will be self-reliant on most of the issues.
Learning: An Uneducated person can gain knowledge of things happening around only by hearing from the others on the flip side the educated person gains knowledge of happenings by even reading books, magazines etc.
Growth in Life: For an uneducated human it is very difficult to occupy higher positions in society whereas there are many chances for the person with a basic education can occupy the higher position in society proper if proper effort is taken.
Hence, these are some of the important aspects of basic education which makes it essential in modern life. If a person does not have a basic education, he will face different sort of problems in his entire lifespan. Basic education is not just an arrangement for training to develop skills; it is also recognition of the nature of the world, with its diversity and richness, and an appreciation of the importance of freedom and reasoning.
(The author is retired principal, educational columnist and can be reached at [email protected])
