 SCHOOL EDUCATION

The Union Government grants financial assistance to State Governments for schemes for the development of school education and in addition directly implements a few schemes mostly for the promotion of research or for the execution of pilot projects.

A.ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

2. Expansion of Primary Education (Age-Group 6-11).Expansion of educational facilites for children in the age-group 6-11 is by far the most significant scheme of school education included in the third Five-Year Plan. At the end of the second Plan, the enrolment in classes I-V reached 349.87 lakh or 61.1 per cent of the age-group 6- 11. The total number of girls enrolled was 113.97 lakh or 40.4 per cent of the total population of girls in the corresponding age-group. The original targets fixed for the third Plan were to enrol 152.95 lakhs of additional children in classes I-V and take the total enrolment in these classes to 496.4 lakh or 76.4 per cent of the children in the age-group.

2.2. The mid-term appraisal of the third Five-Year Plan was held during the year. It showed that the enrolment in clases I-V has far exceeded the original targets. It is now estimated that, by the end of the third Five-Year Plan, the total enrolment in classes I-V would be 519.68 lakh or 80.2 per cent of the population of the corresponding age-group. Of these, the girls would number 198.68 lakh or 63.3 per cent.

2.3. Progress has not been uniform in all the areas. In some States, such as Madras, Punjab and Gujarat, the targets have been very largely exceeded. In others, such as Uttar Pradesh, the targets would be Just reached. There is a likelihood of shortfalls occuring in some States, such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, mainly due to inadequate financial allocations arising out of the unfavourable financial position of the State Governments.

2.4. During the year under review, the Government of India, sanc- tioned Central assistance of Rs. 2 crore for the appointment of additional teachers in elementary schools. The grant is, made available to the State Governments on a matching basis, but over and above the State ceilings.

3. Expansion of Middle School Education (Age-Group 11-14). In classes VI-VIII, the total enrolment in the country at the end of second Plan was 67.1 lakh or 22.8 per cent of the total population in the age-group, 11-14. The original target for the third Plan was to raise this enrolment to 97.48 lakh or 28.6 per cent of the population in the, age-group 11-14. The original target for the third plan was to raise this enrolment to 97.48 lakh or 28.6 per cent of the population in the age-group.

3.2. The expansion at the middle school stage has been even more rapid than that at the primary stage. This is a welcome development in that it indicates the increasing desire to stay longer in the school. The

mid-term appraisal of the Plan carried out during the year showed that, by 1965-66, the total enrolment in classes VI-VIII would rise to 110.28 lakh or 32.3 per cent of the age-group 11-14. Of these, as many as 30.07 lakh (or 18.2 per cent of the age-group) would be girls.

4. Legislation for Compulsory Education.-During the year West Bengal passed a new law for compulsory primary education. Similar legislation bad already been passed by Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Mysore and Punjab. Other States are considering the matter.

4.2. The Third National Seminar on Compulsory Primary Education was held at Hyderabad from 25th May to 2nd June, 1963. It was attend- ed by senior officers in charge of elementary education and girls' education in all States and Union Territories. The main problems discussed were : review of the development of elementary education; training of teachers and preparation of a perspective plan for the development of elementary education in India.

5. Training of Primary School Teachers.-The report of the Study Group on the Education of Elementary Teachers in India, set up by the All India Council of Elementary Education has been broadly approved by the Ministry of Education and circulated to the State Governments for necessary action.

5.2. The scheme of orientation of primary school teachers in community development was continued during the, year. And the third round of seminars for principals of training institutions and one month's course for teacher-educators was completed in the social education organisers' and mukshya sevika training centres. Preliminary arrangements for the fourth round (beginning in February, 1964) have been made.

5.3. The Second National Seminar on the Education of Elementary Teachers was held at New Delhi in October, 1963. It prepared a perspective plan for the development of teacher education at the elementary stage in India on the lines recommended by the Study Group on the Education of Elementary Teachers. Its main recommendation is that available places in training institutions should be doubled by the end of the fourth Five-Year Plan and that steps to implement the programme should be taken from 1964-65. The report of the Second National Seminar was circulated to State Governments for information and necessary action. Most State Governments have decided to take advance action for the expansion and improvement of training facilities on the lines recommended by the Seminar.

5.4. Thirty extension service centres have been established in training institutions for elementary teachers on the lines of those established earlier in training colleges for secondary teachers. The scheme has received a good response. The number of such centres is proposed to be increased to; 45 in 1964-65.

6. State Institutes of Education.-An important scheme approved during the year, is the establishment of State Institutes of Education. These will ultimately deal with education at the pre- primary, primary, middle and secondary levels. To begin with, however, their scope has been limited to the improvement of primary and middle school education. The Union Government will bear the entire expenditure on these institutes during the third Five-Year Plan. In the fourth Five-Year Plan, the scheme would be

transferred to the State sector, but will continue to be Centrally assisted on a high priority basis.

6.2. Proposals for the establishment of the State Institutes of Education in all States except Madras and Kerala have been sanctioned. Proposals from these two States are awaited and are expected to be sanctioned before the end of the current year.

6.3. A Department of Teachers Education has been established in the National Council of Educational Research and Training, an autonomous Organisation entirely financed by the Ministry of Education, for coordinating the work of the State Institutes of Education, for training their staff and for the development of teacher education in general. A grant-in-aid of Rs. 7 lakh for the third Plan period has been sanctioned for this purpose.

6.4. A seminar for the principals and vice-principals of the State Institutes of Education is being organised by the National Council of Educational Research and Training at New Delhi from 10th February to 7th April, 1964.

7. Basic Education.-For the elementary stage of education, Basic education has been accepted as the national pattern and all elementary schools are to be ultimately converted to the Basic pattern. Some progress has been made in this programme. In 1950-51, there were 33,761 Basic schools in the country (33,379 junior and 388 senior). Their number rose to 47,813 (42,971 junior and 4,842 senior) in 1955-56 and to 76,787 (62,519 junior and 14,268 senior) at the beginning of the third Plan.

7.2. Side by side, the States have also taken steps to introduce the activities and other features of Basic schools (excluding the full-fledged introduction of craft) in non-Basic schools, as this does not require large financial outlays and highly trained personnel. This programme, known as the `orientation programme' has been included in the third Five-Year Plan and is being implemented by the States. It is hoped to be completed by the end of the third Plan.

7.3. To advise the State Governments and the Union Government on programmes and policies of Basic education, the Government of India has set up a National Board of Basic Education.

8. Ameliorative Measures for Primary School Teachers.--Efforts were continued, during the year, to improve the emoluments of primary school teachers. The mid-term appraisal of the Plan showed that salaries of elementary teachers have been substantially revised in West Bengal. The inequalities in dearness allowance have been removed in Orissa and Assam. Mysore, has also revised the salaries of elementary teachers and some improvement has been made in Uttar Pradesh. The State of Madhya Pradesh gave effect to the proposal to revise the salaries of elementary teachers with retrospective effect at a cost of about Rs. 9 crore.

8.2. Steps are being taken to improve the old-age benefits available to elementary teachers. Gujarat and Maharashtra have introduced pension schemes; Andhra Pradesh has introduced the triple- benefit scheme on the lines of the Madras State and a decision to the same effect has been taken in Bihar. Further efforts to improve the salaries and old-age benefits are continuing.

9. School Meals.-The programme of school meals is progressing satisfactorily. It receives assistance, in the form of food commodities, through CARE, UNICEF and other bodies. During the year the number of children benefited under the scheme was : 13 lakh in Madras, 17 lakh in,Kerala, 10 lakh each in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, 5 lakh each in Punjab, Mysore and Orissa, 1 lakh each in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and 0.5 lakh each in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Small programmes are also under way in other States and some Union Territories.

9.2. The Union Government extend financial assistance for this scheme equal to one-third of the total expenditure incurred by the State Governments on the programme (excluding the value of the foodstuffs received from abroad and local contributions). In 1962-63, an amount of Rs. 39,02,470 was given as assistance to the State Governments. In 1963-64 about 80 lakh children are expected to be covered under the programme. During 1964-65, it is proposed to expand the programme to about 90 lakh children.

10. School Textbooks.-We are grateful to the Government of West Germany for donating three printing presses for the publication of textbooks. It has been decided to locate them at Mysore, Chandigarh and. Bhubaneshwar. The presses would be put in operation by the Government of, India on a regional basis.

10.2. It is estimated that a sum of Rs. 150 lakh would be required for buildings and other expenditure connected with the printing presses. The buildings for the presses are being designed and it is expected that the construction work would start early in 1964-65. The printing presses are expected to be in operation by the end of the third Plan.

10.3. We are grateful to the Governments of Australia and Sweden for their of 2000 tons of paper under Colombo plan and Sweden also repeated valuable gifts of paper. During the year, Australia repeated the gift the gift of 8,000 tons of paper. The paper has been distributed to the to the State Governments on the basis of their requirements and it is estimated that about 75 per cent of the State Governments' requirements of paper for the production of the nationalised textbooks has been met from these gifts.

10.4. It has also been decided to distribute free of cost the textbooks, no less in value than that of the paper received as gifts, to poor and needy children.

11. Children's Literature.-A National Prize Competition for Children's Books is organised by the Union Government since 1954. During the year Ninth National Prize Competition for Children's Books was held. In all 371 books/manuscripts were entered for this competition in 13 modern Indian languages. Twelve prizes of Rs. 1,000 each and 2 prizes of Rs. 500 each were awarded to books and manuscripts. One book in Bengali was recommended for the award of a certificate of merit. Two prizes of Rs.250 each were also awarded to the artist of two prize-winning books of the, Eighth Competition.

11.2. As mention in the last years report, the scheme of sahitya rachnalayas continued to be held in abeyance during this year on account of emergency. The sahitya rachnalayas are organised to bring together authors, writers and publishers interested in the books for children, and

to provide training for them in. producing better books. Provision, however has been made for organising one sahitya rachnalaya during 1964-65.

11.3. During the year, the entire loan of Rs. 20 lakh sanctioned for the construction of a building and the setting up of a printing press was released to the Children's Book Trust. The building is nearing completion and the press is being set up.

12. Standing Committee of the C A B E on Primary Education.-The Standing Committee on Primary Education of the Central Advisory Board of Education was set up in June, 1962 along with the three other Standing Committees, under the chairmanship of Shri U. N. Dhebar. The Committee has so far held 9 meetings and visited 6 States, namely, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. the Committee has since submitted a report.

13. Education of Girls and Women.-As a result of the several stops taken by the Government to encourage women's education during the third Plan, it is expected that by the end of the Plan, 63.3 per cent of girls at the primary stage, 18.2 per cent at the middle stage and 7.8 per cent at the secondary stage in the respective age-groups will be in schools.

13.2. The National Council for Women's Education, which was set up in 1959, continued to advise the Government on various matters relating to. women's education. The Council was reconstituted on 20th January, 1964, under the chairmanship of Smt. Raksha Saran. The reconstituted Council consists of one representative of Rajya Sabha, two of Lok Sabha, one of the Central Advisory Board of Education two of the Union Ministry of Education and one representative each of the Union Ministries of Community Development and Cooperation, Labour and Employment. Health, and the Planning Commission, all State Governments and one representative of the Centrally Administered Areas.

13.3. At its fifth meeting, held in April, 1963, the Council considered the report of the Curriculum Committee appointed by it. The Report has since been circulated among the State Governments for consideration and necessary action.

13.4. The Committee on Part-Time Employment and Training of Women appointed by the Council has since decided that a pilot survey be conducted and this work has, accordingly, been entrusted to the Delhi School of Social Work and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay. The pilot surveys are expected to be completed during the current year. The National Council also set up, during the year, two committees : (1) to look into the causes for lack of public support for girls' education in rural areas and to enlist public cooperation; and (2) to work out the fourth Plan programme for the development of education of girls and women. The work of the first committee has made considerable headway, while the second has submitted its report.

13.5. In view of the emergency and the need for economy, the programme of seminars for women social workers was kept in abeyance during the year. However, the programme has since been taken up again and six States have. been requested to organise a seminar each this year. During 1964-65, it is, proposed to organise 22 such seminars.

13.6. Under the scheme of financial assistance to voluntary organisations engaged in the field of women's education, grants up to the end of December, 1963, were sanctioned to the extent of Rs. 1,23,000 to 16 institutions towards the construction of hostels, buildings and equipment of laboratories and libraries.

14. Assistance to Voluntary Educational Organisations in the field of Elementary Education.-The scheme of assistance to voluntary educational organisations engaged in the field of pre-primary, primary and Basic education was continued during the year and 12 institutions were given assistance Lip to the end of December, 1963 to the extent of Rs. 56,700.

B. SECONDARY EDUCATION

15. Improvement of Secondary Education.-In the field of secondary education, the policy of the Government is to lay special emphasis on measures designed to improve the quality of teaching. In addition to the assistance given to States for their schemes of upgrading secondary schools and strengthening science education, the Ministry has sponsored other projects for raising the standard of education at this stage.

16. Strengthening of Multipurpose Schools.-The policy in regard to the multipurpose schools during the third Plan has been directed towards the consolidation of their Work rather than the expansion of their number. A Centrally sponsored scheme for the strengthening of multipurpose schools was introduced during the present year. Under this scheme, 50 per cent financial assistance is given to State Governments for developing a few selected multipurpose schools. Most of the States have accepted the scheme in principle and grants have been released in the case of proposals received from the States of Assam, Mysore, Punjab and West Bengal. The proposals of Tripura and Delhi Administrations have also been approved. The scheme will continue during the remaining years of the Plan.

16.2. A list of selected reference books for the libraries of multipurpose schools is being compiled. The cost of these books, which will be supplied to all multipurpose schools in the country, will be met by the Ministry. The project regarding the production of textbooks, handbooks for teachers and students' manuals for practical subjects for such schools has been entrusted to the National Council of Educational Research and Training. The latter step is by way of avoiding any duplication of effort.

17. State Bureaux of Educational and Vocational Guidance.-Under this Centrally sponsored scheme, which was initiated during 1962-63, grants on A hundred per cent basis have been sanctioned to the Governments of Assam, Gujarat, Kerala Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mysore, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for the strengthening of the State Bureaux and for the appointment of guidance counsellors. During 1964-65 it is proposed to expand the scope of the scheme by sanctioning the appointment of 50 additional guidance counsellors and the training of 2,500 career masters.

18. Establishment of Education Evaluation (Examination Reforms) Units.-The Union Government continued to make the efforts to foster examination reforms in schools. Hundred per cent Central assistance is given to the State Governments for the establishment of State Evaluation Units to develop the programme of examination reform.Grants have been sanctioned,