Higher caste teachers in India have physically and verbally abused lower caste students and India will not be able to achieve the literacy goals set for 2015, says a UNESCO-commissioned report on the Education For All (EFA) programme. Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the Indian version of EFA.India is among 30 countries that the UNESCO feels will not make the target.At the same time, the report commended India’s total literacy campaign launched in 1992 as a successful example of highly targeted, large-scale national programme. ‘‘It mobilised community resources and set up centres offering continuing education,’’ it said.Taking strong exception to the report, Elementary Education Secretary of India Kumud Bansal said: ‘‘The report is ignorant of the latest demographic trends and progress being made on literacy and primary education. India is well set to achieve all the goals set under the EFA programme,’’ she said. ‘‘It is more than likely that India will reach a sustainable threshold literacy rate of 75 per cent by 2007 and at least 80 per cent by 2015 as planned.’’The UNESCO Global Monitoring Report-2006 charts the progress made by various countries towards achievement of the goals of EFA. The report said corporal punishment is excessive in South Asian schools but it said verbal abuse ‘‘affects the confidence’’ of students more than punishments.UNESCO report• Teachers in Pak, Bangladesh found putting their students in chains. Twisting of ears, slapping common in S Asia, teachers resort to excessive corporal punishment • India, Nepal have achieved near total gender parity in primary enrollment, Pakistan far behind• Distance greater deterrent for girls than boys
