Search for equity in education

Abstract

Studies on educational issues in India have been in different and diverse directions and varied in nature, kinds, qualities and approaches. However there seems to be little attempt to focus on the overall ‘outputs’ of educational rewards as perceived by the students, as to how do they feel & perceive about it, with reference to their access to opportunities &rewards in the practical fields of society at large, when they come to the job- markets, or society for a reward of the ‘outcomes’. Do they feel it is rewarding at par with anyone else? Or have differential perceptions of distributive justice & equity? Is education perceived differently? -- by different sects and sections in society placed under a given social condition ? Do the academic involvements, performance or the ‘drop outs’ have to do something with the kind of perceptions students have about it the overall (educational) outcomes? Has the gap in educational participations between rich and poor, between the males and females, got do something with it (the differential perceptions)? Does student's satisfaction relate to the perceived justice? If yes, what consequence(s) it has got to do with (their) academic performance or future plans? There seems to be little attempt of studies in this direction. The issues seem to be directly & indirectly linked with the rationales& logics of equity theory. Present paper attempts to hint at it and focus similar issues in light of some empirical studies carried out against the theoretical framework of equity theory & justice against the concepts of distributive-justice, fair deal, perceptual & social comparisons, input/output- ratios in academics, and rewards. Study seems to provide a new direction& insight into the problems of educational investigations. Apparently it appears to be a desired direction of educational studies& investigations particularly in a country like ours—India.