UPSC Prelims 2018·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

It is no longer enough for us to talk about providing for universal access to education. Making available schooling facilities is an essential prerequisite, but is insufficient to ensure that all children attend school and participate in the learning process. The school may be there, but children may not attend or they may drop out after a few months. Through school and social mapping, we must address the entire gamut of social, economic, cultural and indeed linguistic and pedagogic issues, factors that prevent children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups, as also girls, from regularly attending and complementing elementary education. The focus must be on the poorest and most vulnerable since these groups are the most disempowered and at the greatest risk of violation or denial of their right to education. The right to education goes beyond free and compulsory education to include quality education for all. Quality is an integral part of the right to education. If the education process lacks quality, children are being denied their right. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act lays down that the curriculum should provide for learning through activities, exploration and discovery. This places an obligation on us to change our perception of children as passive receivers of knowledge, and to move beyond the convention of using textbooks as the basis of examinations. The teaching- learning process must become stress- free; and a massive programme for curricular reform should be initiated to provide for a child- friendly learning system, that is more relevant and empowering. Teacher accountability systems and processes must ensure that children are learning, and that their right to learn in a child- friendly environment is not violated. Testing and assessment systems must be reexamined and redesigned to ensure that these do not force children to struggle between school and tuition centres, and bypass childhood. According to the passage, which of the following is/are of paramount importance under the Right to Education? 1. Sending of children to school by all parents 2. Provision of adequate physical infrastructure in schools 3. Curricular reforms for developing child-friendly learning system Select the correct answer using the code given below

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  1. A1 only
  2. B1 and 2 only
  3. C3 onlyCorrect
  4. DNone of the above

Explanation

The passage emphasizes that while schooling facilities are essential, they are insufficient. It highlights that quality education is an integral part of the Right to Education and that if the process lacks quality, children are denied their right. Let's analyze each statement: 1. Sending of children to school by all parents: The passage notes that children may not attend or may drop out even if schools exist, and calls for addressing social, economic, cultural, and other issues. While attendance is a goal, the passage focuses more on systemic changes and quality to ensure attendance, rather than solely on parental action as the "paramount importance." 2. Provision of adequate physical infrastructure in schools: The passage states this is an "essential prerequisite, but is insufficient." This indicates it is important but not of "paramount importance" compared to other factors discussed for ensuring children attend and learn. 3. Curricular reforms for developing child-friendly learning system: The passage explicitly states, "Quality is an integral part of the right to education... The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act lays down that the curriculum should provide for learning through activities... a massive programme for curricular reform should be initiated to provide for a child- friendly learning system, that is more relevant and empowering." This section strongly establishes curricular reform as central to quality education and the right to education, making it of paramount importance. Therefore, only statement 3 is explicitly highlighted as being of paramount importance for ensuring quality education and the Right to Education. The final answer is C.
Reading Comprehension: It is no longer enough for us to talk about providing for universal access to education. Making available schooling faci

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