Quality and Inclusion in Education: The Persisting Challenges

This book calls for an equitable and qualitative access to education for all. It proposes paradigms of educational governance that are based on coalition building between key stakeholders, are grounded in local and cultural contexts, sensitive to the language needs of communities. It underlines the significance of gender sensitive and inclusive approaches that ensure equity for marginalized children and minorities.

Based on research-based studies, the volume focuses on equity, quality, and learning -- covering a broad spectrum, from school to higher, to adult education. It discusses the multiple learner deprivations amongst the marginalized communities and the severe impact of events such as pandemics that exacerbate learner inequities and the recent developments in India under the National Education Policy 2020. It also presents research-based country experiences in the Asian (India, Bangladesh, China) and African (Ghana, South Africa) contexts, showing how external influences on the changing priorities in policy perspectives cut across developing countries.

Compiled in honour of Professor R. Govinda, this volume of insightful articles will be of interest to students and researchers of educational policy and studies, sociology of education, equity and human rights. It will also be useful for decision makers and think tanks.

N.V. Varghese is Vice Chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi. He is the Chief Editor of the Journal for Educational Planning and Administration. He has directed several national and international research projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and CIS region. He has published major works in educational planning, financing and higher education.

Anjana Mangalagiri is an educationist and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. She served as UNICEF’s Chief of Education in several countries and is the Country Representative of the online network on the South Asia Forum of Early Childhood Development Professionals. She has worked extensively in the areas of children’s rights, educational policy and planning at national and international levels, and a strong advocate of equity, cross-sectoral and gender sensitive approaches in education and development.

A. Mathew is in-charge of the Digital Archives of Education Documents, NIEPA. He was a National Fellow, NIEPA and an ICSSR Senior Fellow. He is actively engaged in the field of educational research, writings and publications for over four decades, on elementary education, Education for All, Adult and Non-formal Education, educational developments in historical perspectives and the study of state policies in Higher Education in southern states and Maharashtra.