Contents: Foreword. Introduction. I. School education and literacy: 1. Progress and problems of primary education: a study/P. Ramappa and V. Jagannatham. 2. Impact of sex, caste and type of school on "adjustment" of residential school students/R. Siva Prasad. 3. Trends in the growth of primary education in Visakhapatnam District/A. Vamsi Krushna, Archana Bala and R. Vijaya Krishna. 4. Urban rural disparities in literacy rates in India: some dimensions/D. Pulla Rao, D. Francis and P. Raj Kumar. 5. Educational dropout of children at primary stage in east Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh/D. Narayana Rao, V. Seshagiri Rao and P. Arun Kumar. 6. Status of primary education in Vizianagaram Distirct of Andhra Pradesh/Mohammed Khasim Shaik, D. Francis and D. Pulla Rao. 7. Development of the primary and upper primary education in India/P. Jayanand Kumar and A. Vamsi Krushna. 8. Trends in the growth of secondary education in India/P.S.K. Sudheer, Y. Ravini and D. Pulla Rao. 9. Child labour: perils and preventive strategies/G. Venkata Ramana. 10. Disparities of females in literacy rates and education in India/S. Ramesh Babu, Y. Venkata Naidu and K. Ravi Kumar. 11. Dropouts in primary education in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh-Mandal level analysis/D. Francis, S.M. Khasim and D. Pulla Rao. 12. Literacy in India some observations/R.V.L.N. Ratnakara Rao and V. Krishna Murthy. II. Higher education: 13. Role of higher education in rural areas of India/I. Narendra Kumar, C.P. Kasaiah and A. Siva Sankar. 14. Need for reforms in examination system/Rakesh A. Joshi. 15. Higher education and private sector/K.A. Rasure. 16. Role of open universities in the development of higher education in India/P. Raj Kumar, N. Someswara Rao and P.S.K. Sudheer. 17. Academic staff development in higher education: role of UGC academic staff colleges/Sai Ramesh Thota. 18. Visionary leadership in higher education/A. Pal Pandi, U. Surya Rao and D. Jeyathilagar. III. Education of weaker sections: 19. Women empowerment through education/J. Rama Rao and T. Tirupathi Naidu. 20. Women Empoerment through education/G. Syamala Rao and M.Sanyasi Rao. 21. Empowerment of weaker sections though education/E. Vanilla Kumari, E. Sharmila Hymavathi and G. Ratna Priya. 22. Policies and programmes and changing employment opportunities for women in school education: a case study of Andhra Pradesh/R. Vijaya Krishna, D. Pulla Rao and P. Jayanand Kumar. 23. Status of education and employment of weaker sections in India (in relevance to accessibility of reservations)/S. Pulla Rao and P. Usha. 24. Educational status of scheduled castes in India/E. Vanilla Kumari, E. Sharmila Hymavathi and G. Ratna Priya. 25. Education of weaker sections in India/V. Krishna Murthy and R.V.L.N. Ratnakara Rao. Index.
   
"Education is a life long process of growth and development. It is not confined to the limits of time, place and individual. But it was not made universal. Therefore the constitution made special mention about the education of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other educationally backward classes. After Independence the Government of India has implemented several programmes for the development of education especially among SCs, STs and other backward classes. Yet, these groups have not been able to reap the benefits of education to the fullest extent. The present volume has examined the efforts made by the government and the achievements made in the area of education for the weaker sections." (jacket)