Significance of elementary education to promoting quality education in India

Universal elementary education has been at the centre of attention in discussions of both democracy and development in the last decade. The focus of the education policy must shift from enrolment to improvement in the functioning of schools as well as towards raising the quality of education outcomes. This paper begins with a consideration of the need for universalizing elementary, and not just primary, education in India. This paper addresses concerns of equity, inclusion, and quality in the context of elementary education from the central focus which looks into the dimensions of location disadvantage, social exclusion, gender disparity, and special needs for children of other neglected groups.