Rehbar - Meaning of - ‘Rehbar’ in the traditional concept means a person who enlightens, illumines, guides, paves the path of light, unfolds the bright horizon amidst the encircling gloom, expands his aura enigmatically reaching the true follower and also the one who transfers his sense of originality, duty of accountability and progressive creativity to the dutious disciple leaving his lively foot prints on the sands of time. If the ancient scriptures are to be taken into consideration, then a "Rehbar’can be put on the same pedestal as a ‘Guru’ was put in the Shashtras making him equivalent to guide. In turn, making the disciples follow him with reverence and acts of veneration.
The destiny of this nation is now being shaped in class rooms. In a world based on science and tenchnology, it is the education that determines the level of prosperity, welfare and security of the nation and of the people who constitute it. To some people what is of importance is the number of schools, the number of scholars, question of fees, the co-relation of private and Government schools. At the same time, the general feeling is the same as was commented upon by Locke; "Schools fit us for University rather than for the world. "Huxley was of the view that "Education should enable an average boy of fifteen or sixteen to read and write his own language with ease and accuracy and with a sense of literary excellence derived from the study of our classic writers; to have a general acquaintance with the history of his own country and with the great laws of social existence; to have acquired the rudiments of the physical and psychological sciences and a fair knowledge of elementary arithmetic and geometry. He should have obtained an acquaintance with logic rather by example than by precept; while the acquirement of the elements of music and drawing should have been pleasure rather than work." There is also a feeling that the great mistake in education is the worship of book-learning the confusion of instruction and education. The system strains the memory instead of cultivating the mind. The children in elementary schools are wearied by the mechanical act of writing and interminable intricacies of spelling. They are oppressed by columns of dates, lists of kings and places, which convey no definite idea to mind and convey no near relation to their daily wants and occupation. Education should be a harmonious development of mind. It begins in the nursery and then at school but does not end there. It continues in life. Every person has two educations-one which he received from others and one which he gives himself, which is more important. The first education i.e. in the matter of receiving education from others, an effort has been made through the present scheme i.e. ‘Rehbar-e-Taleem’ now formulated. It is hoped that this education which is received by the young children would prepare them for much more important education which they are to give to themselves throughout the later period of their lives.
The Rehbar-e-Taleem provides promoting decentralized management of elementary education with the community participation and involvement. The idea behind is to ensure accountability and responsiveness through its strong back-up and supervision through the community at grass root levels. Another purpose which is indicated in the preamble of the scheme is to operationalise effectively the schooling system at village level. The main object is said to highlight the role of a teacher as a teaching guide and to improve the quality of education. In this process, the village level committees are to participate. The village Level Committee is to consist of the parents of the school going children and also a representative of women/Social Caste/Social Tribes. The Zonal Education Officer is the convenor. The eligibility criteria has been indicated in the Scheme. The selection is almost on mathemetical basis. A person who possesses the highest qualification in the area is to be appointed under this Scheme. He is to get an honorarioum of Rs.1500 for two years. Thereafter, he is to get an honorariom of Rs.2000/- per month. This also ensures to some extent the later, adjustment in the regular scheme. This aspect of the matter is dealt with in the last para of the Scheme. There appears to be a genuine effort to involve the local population in a process which would ultimately built up the future citizens of this country.
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