ROLE OF PANCHAYATI-RAJ IN EDUCATIONAL-ADMINISTRATION

The association of local bodies in educational administration can be t raced to the days of Lord Ripon who passed the Local Self Government A ct in 1882. Under this Act, education was transferred to local bodies - municipalities in urban and District Boards in rural areas. But thes e bodies were beset with all sorts of problems and could hardly bring about any improvement in the educational level of the rural areas. Hen ce a need was felt to decentralise educational administration further and give the Panchayati Raj bodies a greater say in its management. It was with this objective that education was entrusted to these bodies. Evaluation studies done after the transfer of management of education to Panchayati Raj have given both a rosy as well as a bleak picture o n the education front. The answer to the fall in standards does not li e in withdrawing education from the ambit of Panchayati Raj but findin g solutions to the problems faced by it. With Constitutional protectio n as a result of 73rd Constitution Amendment, it is hoped that these b odies will be better equipped, both politically and financially to bri ng about the much needed improvement in education which had evaded it so far.