The Routledge Companion to Primary Education in India: From Compulsion to Fundamental Right

This companion gives a comprehensive overview of the history of primary education in India. It presents an analytical narrative of the progress of primary education as a national endeavour in colonial, post-colonial and contemporary India, and studies its transformative policy journey culminating in the adoption of education as a fundamental human right. The book looks behind and beyond stated policy goals and outcomes to examine the processes involved in implementing positive change and discusses the underlying socio-political factors affecting education in India. The author also shares reflections on the reform measures needed to achieve the goal of education for all in India.Rich in archival resources, this companion will be essential reading for scholars and researchers of history of education, education, Indian history, colonial history and South Asian history. It will also be useful for policymakers, organizations and professionals working in the field of education.

About the Author

R. Govinda is Distinguished Professor, Council for Social Development, New Delhi. He is the former vice chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), India. He has previously taught at the M.S. University of Baroda, Institute of Education, University of London, and the International Institute for Educational Planning, Paris. He has authored and edited several books on education, including Community Participation and Empowerment in Primary Education in India , Who Goes to School: Exploring Exclusion in Indian Education , India Education Report: Progress of Basic Education and India’s Social Sector and SDGs: Problems and Prospects . His current areas of research interest include primary education, decentralized management, leadership development, policy analysis, human rights and democracy.