IMPACT OF BASIC EDUCATION ON THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN BARANI AREAS

Basic education refers to the level of education intended to develop basic learning skills (3 Rs) as well as some basic life skills necessary for the children to improve the qualities of their lives and to continue learning. Basic education is linked with development programs like growth in income, participation in social activities, health awareness, use of mass media and acquisition of land and use of fertilizers, which enable people to improve their living conditions. The major objective of basic education, however, is the improvement of living standard of every one through promotion and enrichment of communal life. It must, therefore, not only encourage all individuals to participate in the activities of community, but also help them to acquire the attitudes, competencies and behavior necessary for taking initiative and responsibility, which will permit them to play an active role within the community in such a manner as to make the best use of the resources and thus to increase its economic prosperity and wellbeing in every field.\ud \ud Development in any community, a village, a city or a country finds its key in basic education, a pillar on which the building of the knowledge is supported. It is also true that the condition of the educational institutions in any given society reflects the standard of living, attitude towards life of that society and the overall development in that area.\ud \ud The objectives of the study were (1) to investigate the level of education of the people of barani areas; (2) to explore the impact of basic education on economic development of barani areas; (3) to see the impact of basic education on social development of barani areas; (4) to see the impact of basic education on health of barani areas; (5) to determine the impact of basic education on general awareness of barani areas; and (6) to see the impact of basic education on the acquisition of land and use of fertilizers in the rural barani areas. Male and female general population, sanitary workers, health workers, teachers and community leaders constituted the population of the study. Two hundred villages, 50 each from Attock, Chakwal, Jehlum and Rawalpindi were taken as sample of the study.\ud \ud The researcher through field visits observed the availability, level and quality of education being imparted, social status of the people and development in the areas. The observation list was prepared to observe the quality of education being imparted. This contained criteria to compare the availability of the education and its quality. A questionnaire pertaining to views of the teachers, parents, public and students was also administered. The data so collected were tabulated and analyzed by using relevant statistical techniques. On the basis of the analysis of the data, findings and conclusions were drawn. Only educated people considered education as the basic ingredient of development and change. However, with growing population, the number of illiterate people had increased in the country, which proved to be a major block in the path toward development.\ud \ud Where educational facilities did not exist, generations of illiterate people were being produced, and lots of children were not attending any educational institution.\ud \ud These conclusions proved the hypothesis of the study that communities with better educational facilities had better economic, social, health, general awareness and acquisition of land and use of fertilizers than communities with meager or no education facilities. Rural barani communities with better educational facilities were more inclined towards innovations than communities with little or no educational facilities