NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING
A. ORGANISATION Established in September, 1961 as an autonomous organisation, the National Council of Educational (Research and Training continued and developed its programme and activities during the year, that marks the second year of its career. The main agencies of the Council are the National Institute of Education and the four Regional Colleges of Education that implement the Council's programmes. Again, the functions of the National Institute of Education are discharged by a number of institutions or departments that are its constituent units. The Board of Educational Studies screens all educational programmes of the National Institute of Education and Programme Advisory Committees have been set up to advise the departments on their programmes. The responsibility for the general supervision of a Regional College of Education rests with the Management Committee set up by the Governing Body for each Regional College of Education.
2. The National Institute of Education has been further developed with the establishment of the Department of Psychological Foundations. The Department of Psychological Foundations has be-en set up with the amalgamation of the four units, viz., the Psychometric Unit, Central Bureau of Educational and Vocational Guidance, Child Study Unit and the Psychology Wing of the Central Institute of Education. A Unit for the Study of Educational Problems of Scheduled Tribes has also been set up in the National Fundamental Education Centre. The Central Bureau of Textbook Research has been developed into the Department of Curriculum, Methods and Textbooks. A Unit for Teacher Education, the Department of Educational Administration and the Department of Philosophical and Sociological Foundations and Comparative Education are in the process of being organised.
3. Arrangements for starting the construction work of the building for the National Institute of Education on a 65-acre plot near Mehrauli, New Delhi, acquired in 1962-63 for its campus, are nearing completion.
4. The following section gives an account of the activities of the main Council followed by accounts of the activities and development, during the year, of its main agencies, sectionwise.
B. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COUNCIL 5. The Council continued its programme of promotion of research studies and investigations and production of textbooks for secondary schools and other educational literature.
6. Grant-in-Aid for Approved Research Projects.-15 educational institutions/universities were assisted under the scheme during the period
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with the grant of a total sum of Rs. 1,14,054 for conducting research on various educational problems.
7. Grant-in-Aid for Publication of Ph.D. Theses in Education.- The universities and such other institutions are assisted by the Council towards publication of research theses. During the period a sum of Rs. 2,250 was sanctioned for the purpose.
8. Research in Collaboration with Foreign Governments.-Under the International Cooperative Research Programmes of the U.S. State Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Council, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, has undertaken to carry out the following nine research projects in important educational areas :
(i) A Survey of Secondary Schools in India
(ii) Achievement Motive in High Schools and Training for It
(iii) Scholastic Aptitude Test in Hindi at Two levels of School Education
(iv) Evaluation Criteria for Inspection and Supervision of Secondary Schools
(v) Wastage and Stagnation in Primary, Middle and Secondary Schools
(vi) Survey of Achievements in Mathematics at three levels of School Education
(vii) A Study of Costs of Education in India during the period 1951-61
(vii) Identification and Incidence of Talent in Elementary and Secondary Schools
(ix) Curriculum for Teaching of Mathematics in Higher Secondary Schools
Work on these projects has started since October, 1963.
9. Preparation of Model Textbooks.-The programme for the production of textbooks for secondary schools and other educational literature is supervised by the Central Committee on Educational Literature, with the Union Education Minister as Chairman and other subject experts as members. During the year three more textbooks panels were set up-one each for commerce, technology and agriculture. The progress made in regard to different subjects is reported below:
9.2. Hindi Textbooks Panel : Four textbooks in prose and poetry for classes IX, X and XI have been prepared and are under print. Material for textbooks for middle classes is being collected.
9.3. History Textbooks Panel : The panel has undertaken to write textbooks for classes III to XI simultaneously. A syllabus for all the stages has been prepared. First drafts of textbooks for classes VI and IX are ready. Work on the remaining books is in progress.
9.4. Mathematics Textbooks Panel : The first drafts of the textbooks for grades I to VIII are under preparation. In respect of secondary classes. course content for each branch of the subject, namely, arithmetic,
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algebra, geometry, trigonometry, coordinate geometry, probability and statistics, and calculus and analysis has been fixed and the preparation of the first drafts has been taken in hand.
9.5. Physics Textbooks Panel : The panel is for the time being engaged in preparing books for the higher secondary classes. The syllabus has been finalised and Part I of the book is ready in the first draft form and work on Part II is under way.
9.6. Geography Textbooks Panel : The first draft of the book for higher secondary classes is almost complete.
9.7. Commerce Textbooks Panel : The Panel has been set up only recently and a detailed course of study is being drawn up.
9.8. Agriculture Textbooks Panel : The Panel is in the process of being constituted.
9.9. Chemistry Textbooks Panel : The Panel has taken up the pre- paration of the textbooks for higher secondary classes in the first instance, and the first draft of the textbook is under preparation.
9.10. Biology Textbooks Panel : The Panel has at present taken up the preparation of textbooks for higher secondary classes. All the 63 chapters of the proposed book have been written. Several chapters have been technically edited and finalised with illustrations and photographs. A pre-publication pamphlet including a chapter from the book on `Origin of Life' explaining the programme, approach and the treatment of the syllabus has been printed for eliciting opinions and suggestions from teachers and educators.
9.11. Technology Textbooks Panel : The work of writing the textbook on technology has been entrusted to the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Books on engineering drawing, workshop practice, elements of mechanical engineering and elements of electrical engineering are under preparation.
10. Year Books on Education-The Second Year Book on `Elementary Education' is awaited from the press. The Third and Fourth Year Books respectively on `Educational Research in India' and `Secondary Education in India' are under preparation.
C.REGIONAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION 11. During the year three Regional Colleges of Education, out of the proposed four, started functioning at Ajmer, Bhubaneshwar and Mysore. The colleges at Ajmer and Bhubaneshwar have started four-year integrated teacher training courses in technology and science. All the three colleges also offer one-year teacher education course in agriculture, commerce and science. The colleges have already been granted affiliation to the respective universities. The fourth one, namely, the Regional College of Education at Bhopal is scheduled to start during 1964-65.
11.2. The four-year course represents an integrated sequence of general professional and content education, as opposed to a separate three-year degree course plus a one-year teacher education course. A special feature of the programme is a close coordination of theory and practice. The course would lead to B.Sc./B.Sc. (Tech.) B.Ed. or its equivalent. The
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one-year teacher education programme consists of some general education, considerable professional education and an enrichment of the subject-matter.
11.3. Attached to each college will be a demonstration multipurpose school to be opened during 1964-65. The schools will be affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi. They will serve as laboratories for new experiments and will provide a wide range of diversified streams.
D. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION 12. The National Institute of Education is one of the main agencies of the Council. At present its functions are carried out by its constituent units : Central Institute of Education, Directorate of Extension Programme for Secondary Education, National Institute of Audio-Visual Education, National Institute of Basic Education, National Fundamental Education Centre and the Departments of Curriculum, Methods and Textbooks, Psychological Foundations, and Science Education. The publications brought out by these constituent units are given in Annexure VI.
13. Central Institute of Education 13.1. Research.-The projects taken up during the year include : (i) A Study on the Problem of Truancy in Higher Secondary Schools; (ii) English Vocabulary Test for Grade VIII-XI; (iii) Survey of Pre- School Education in Delhi; and (iv) Optimum Size of a Higher Secondary School.
13.2. Training.-Out of 102 candidates who took the B.Ed. examination, 96 passed, including 6 with distinction. The remaining 6 candidates, passed later in the supplementary examination. At the M.Ed. level all the 15 candidates who took examination, passed, 6 of them with distinction. In the area of science education, the Institute has developed three courses : physical science, biological science and general science, instead of a single course of science. A course in the `education of the backward child' has also been developed.
13.3. Extension.-The Extension Department of the Central Institute organised the Second Delhi Schools Science Fair to stimulate scientific interest among pupils. The department organised a series of subject seminars on `teaching of English', `teaching of history through current affairs', geography of the Himalayas', `home work' and `new type tests'. A number of seminars on `evaluation' in a few selected schools were also organised.
13.4. Seminars and Conferences.-A number of seminars and conferences were organised including (i) All India Seminar on the Teaching of Educational Psychology in B.Ed. Classes; (ii) All India Seminars on the Education of the Backward Child; (iii) All India Seminar on the Elementary Teacher Education; and (iv) A Study Conference on the `Context of Education in Developing Societies'.
13.5. Unit for Teacher Education.-To bring about qualitative improvement in the professional training of teachers both at the elementary and the secondary levels, a Unit for Teacher Education is being established in the Central Institute of Education. Among other activities in this regard
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mention may be made of a National Seminar on the Syllabus for the Two- Year Junior Basic Training Course organised in December, 1963. A training course for the principals and vice-principals of the State Institutes of Education is proposed to be organised for a period of three months starting from the middle of February, 1964.
14. Department of Curriculum, Methods and Textbooks 14.1. As stated earlier, in line with the report on the `Organisation and Functions of the National Institute of Education', the Central Bureau of Textbook Research was reorganised into the Department of Curriculum, Methods and Textbooks. Its functions have also been considerably widened. It is proposed to have two separate divisions one for curriculum including methods and teaching and the other for fextbooks.
14.2. Social Studies Project.-The project aims at clarifying concepts, objectives and the pattern of social studies for different stages, developing a syllabus for all classes and finally producing instructional material. Three workshops of school teachers, lecturers of training colleges and other experts were organised at Bhopal, Chandigarh and Indore. The syllabus is now being given a final shape and a beginning has been made in the preparation of a curriculum guide for teachers.
14.3. Studies in Reading Project.-The project is intended to cover all aspects of reading including vocabulary, structure, content, presentation of content in the textbooks, illustrations and reading readiness. Eight sub-tests on reading readiness and two manuals were published in this connection. Tests were administered in the selected schools of Delhi and the data thus collected were analysed. The work on compilation of a spoken vocabulary of children in various regions of the Hindi-speaking areas is in progress. Preparation of Hindi readers and teachers' manuals will be undertaken shortly.
14.4. Other Projects.-The other projects undertaken by this department during the year include (i) Methodology of Mathematics for Secondary Schools (to prepare a guide book for the use of mathematics teachers); (ii) Determination of the Expected Level of Attainment in Linguistic Abilities in Hindi of Students of Higher Secondary Classes (to determine the speaking, reading and writing abilities of students of these classes); (iii) A Handbook for History Teachers of Higher Secondary Classes; (iv) Class Size ond Effective Teaching (to survey the effective methods of teaching of Hindi and mathematics in classes VI and IX in Hindi-speaking States); (v) A Young Teachers' Guide to India ( to serve as supplementary reader for higher secondary students); and (vi) Children's Literature Project (to prepare criteria of good children's literature, to determine the subject areas in which children's literature in Hindi is deficient and ultimately to produce some books for children). A number of seminars, workshops and working groups were organised in connection with these projects.
15. Directorate of Extension Programmes for Secondary Education 15.1. Researches and Investigations.-Three major studies undertaken during the year include : (i) Sample Survey of Failures in Board's Examinations; (ii) Study of Failures in Home Examinations (in Delhi); and (iii) Investigations into the Prognostic Value of Secondary Examinations (of Gujarat, Mysore and Delhi). In addition to these, a number of other
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investigations were undertaken. They include : (i) The Time Schedule for Examination Task; (ii) Procedure for Declaration of Results at Board Examinations: (iii) Instructions to Paper-Setters and Examiners; (iv) Position of Supplementary Examination in Different Boards; (v) Types of Examination conducted by Boards; (vi) Introduction of Objective-Type Tests in Public Examinations; (vii) Internal Assessment in Public Examinations; (viii) Study of Common Errors in English at the Higher Secondary Level; (ix) Analytical Study of Mathematics Question Papers; (x) Private Candidates in Secondary School Examinations; (xi) Library Facilities in Secondary Schools; (xii) Position of Teaching English in Schools in various States; (xiii) Analysis of Syllabi at Secondary Stage; (xiv) Grant-in-Aid Rules as Operating in the Various States; and (xv) the Position Regarding the Structural Pattern of Education in the Various States.
15.2. Training.-Two training courses for coordinators of extension services in the methods of planning and implementing programmes of inservice education and extension work and a training course for State evaluation officers to improve the system of examinations in the country were organised in Mysore and Patiala respectively.
15.3. Conferences and Workshops.-During the period, a number of programmes were organised. These include : (i) five State-level seminars on intensive school improvement in Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab and Mysore to study the impact of extension work and also to develop some institutions as model institutions; (ii) five State-level workshops on experimental projects in Gujarat, Madras, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan (to help the institutions plan and implement the projects); (iii) a meeting of experts on the teaching of English (to study problems connected with the teaching of English); (iv) five conferences of honorary directors and coordinators in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Mysore and West Bengal (to review programmes of extension centres and units and to develop programmes in close cooperation with State Education Departments); (v) two seminars of inspecting officers of Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh (to study the existing practices and to evolve improved methods of supervision); (vi) seven training courses and workshops for paper-setters and moderators of four Boards of Secondary Education of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mysore and Rajasthan (to bring about improvements in the examinations in various aspects); (vii) a workshop on evaluation for the staff of the training colleges in Mysore; (viii) a conference of chairmen and secretaries of Secondary Education Boards (to evaluate programmes of examination reform in various States and to work out procedures for improving external examinations); (ix) 32 workshops for teachers of Delhi (in order to train teachers in new evaluation techniques); and (x) four zonal conferences of honorary directors and coordinators of extension centres at Bangalore, Udaipur, Ahmedabad and Patna (to review the work of extension services).
15.4. Seminar Readings.-Under the programme of seminar readings it is intended to provide teachers and educational workers with the means of making their significant educational experiences widely known. During the year several papers have been contributed by teachers and have been screened at the State level. To select twenty outstanding papers, a national contest is proposed to be held very soon.
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15.5. Emergency Projects in Schools.-To meet the needs of emergency and to prepare pupils in schools, 9 emergency projects in schools were developed and tried on a pilot basis in selected schools of Delhi. These include : (i) India's Friends Today; (ii) Safety Measures; (iii) Fire and Fire Fighting; (iv) Food Production; (v) Transport; (vi) Science and Armament; (vii) Health; (viii) Survey of the Locality and Its Needs; and (ix) Propaganda.