CHAPTER X ADULTEUCATION
In accordance with the highest priority being given in edu- cational planning to adult education in parallel along with that of elementary education, the tempo in the preparatory action and implementation of the National Adult Education Programme was maintained during the current year. Although in the Outline of the National Adult Education Programme the period until the end of March 1979 for all practical purposes is to be treated as a period of intensive preparation, considerable spade work has been done for consolidating and reinforcing on-going programmes and strengthening the administrative structures for implementation of the NAEP in different States and Union Territory Administrations. The Directorate of Adult Education which is the national resource agency in the field or adult education, and the concerned Division in the Ministry, both were strengthened to cope up with the increasing responsibilities for implementation of the Programme.
Launching of the National Adult Education Programme The National Adult Education Programme was launched in New Delhi by the Vice-President of India on October 2, 1978. The Prime Minister was the Chief Guest at the function, which was presided over by the Education Minister. Cabinet Ministers, Members of Planning Commission, Parliament, the Metropolitan Council, Delhi, Heads of various Central organisations and Foreign Missions, Professors and Principals of colleges/schools, as also the field participants in adult education programmes attended the function. The State Govern- ments and Union Territory Administrations were advised to organise similar functions in their areas, The Universities various Colleges and the Education Secretaries of State Governments/Union Territory Administrations were advised to organise Conferences/Seminars on important topics of Adult Education. All this had salutary effect for creating the appropriate atmosphere for implementation of the National Adult Education Programme.
155
156
National Board of Adult Education and its CommitteesThe National Board of Adult Education was set up in 1977 for advising the Government in regard to the formulation of policies and programmes of adult education, their coordination, implementation and evaluation. The Chairman of the Board is the Union Minister of Education, Social Welfare and Culture and its members are Union Ministers of Information & Broadcasting, Agriculture & Irrigation, Labour & Parliamentary Affairs and Health & Family Welfare. The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission is also its member. The other members of the Board include two Members of Lok Sabha, one Member of Rajya Sabha, five Ministers of Education from States, one Chief Commissioner of Union Territory, five Ex-Officio Heads of Organisations having bearing on adult education programme and nine distinguished Educationists. The Joint Secretary in charge of Adult Education in the Ministry is its Member-Secretary. The Board held its second meeting on 5th July, 1978 and its third meeting on 30th January, 1979 At its second meeting the Board emphasised the need for setting up of State Boards of Adult Education in every State/Union Territory for facilitating implementation of the programme. As adult education is now visualised as an integral part of the developmental strategy, the Board desired that steps should be taken to have proper coordination with other concerned development Departments/Ministries. Accordingly, the Conference on Development and National Adult Education Programme was convened in New Delhi on 1-2 August, 1978 in which representatives dealing with development programmes in the Central Ministries/Departments of the Government of India of selected voluntary organisations, District Collectors, Heads of Development Departments in the States, etc. participated. The guidelines emerging out of the deliberations of the Conference were circulated to all concerned.
The Committee of National Board of Adult Education on Preparatory Action for National Adult Education Programme was convened on July 20, 1978 under the Chairmanship of Dr. V. K. R. V. Rao. Necessary action has been taken on its recommendations regarding supply of basic materials to all Members of Parliament interested in NAEP, circulation of guidelines for organising seminars in colleges and universities, and emphasis for setting up of State Boards of Adult Education etc.
The National Board of Adult Education decided to set up a Special Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ram Lal
157
Parikh to go into the motivational aspects of the National Adult Education Programme. This Committee had a number of meetings during the period under report, and submitted an interim report in September 1978. A comprehensive document on the subject is proposed to be brought out by the Committee very soon. As motivation of the illiterate learners and the various functionaries is of great importance in the implementation of the programme, the guidelines of this Committee would be very useful.
The following three other Committees of the Board have also been set up :
(i) Committee on Evaluation;
(ii) Committee on Voluntary Agencies ; and
(iii) Committee on Post literacy and Follow-up Activities.
Rural Functional Literacy Projects As part of its responsibility for social and economic planning, the Central Government continued to provide leadership in NAEP. Among the efforts of the Central Government in this direction, mention may be made of the model pace-setter projects under the scheme of "Rural Functional Literacy Projects (RFLP)" which is the new nomenclature of the two on-going schemes of Farmers Functional Literacy Programme and Non-formal Education for 15-35 age group. The Central Government has undertaken to finance, on cent percent cost basis, at least one Rural Functional Literacy Project in each district in every State during the mid-term plan 1978-83. The implementation of the projects would be the responsibility of the State Governments.
The size of each such project is up to 300 adult education centres with an enrolment of 30 adults in each centre. In a year, each Project of the size of 300 centres is expected to provide adult education including literacy to about 9,000 adults. During 1978-79, the Central Government have taken up 206 such Central Projects (including, 146 on-going projects under the Schemes of Farmers' Functional Literacy Project and 60 projects under Non-formal Education for the age group 15-35). The benefits of adult education, through these central pace setter projects, is expected to reach to about 7 lakh adults during 1978-79. The financial provision for this scheme for the current year is Rs. 4.12 crores and for the next year 1979-80, Rs. 13.5 crores.
158
Strengthening of Administrative Structures in the States/Union
Territories and establishment of State Boards of Adult Education In planning and implementation of the National Adult Education Programme, the States have the pivotal role to play. In order to enable them to play this role, grants have been released under this scheme to practically all the States and Union Territories. A budget provision of Rs. 50 lakhs for this scheme has been made during the current financial year and of Rs. 90 lakhs for the next financial year.
The Government of India also advised the State Governments to set up State Boards of Adult Education for advising in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of adult education programmes. Almost all the States and Union Territories have set up State Boards of Adult Education.
Assistance to Voluntary Agencies working in the field of Adult
Education NAEP visualises that voluntary agencies would play a special and partnership role in the implementation. This is to be done by securing greater involvement of the voluntary agencies already working in the field of adult education or having potentiality to do so and by creating circumstances for emergence of new agencies particularly in areas where they are few.
Efforts have been made to secure greater participation of the voluntary agencies in the NAEP after the Government's decision to launch it from October 2, 1978, was taken. Consultations at different forums were held with key representatives or voluntary agencies working in different fields to involve them in the NAEP. This matter was discussed at length at the Conference of Education Ministers held in New Delhi. Consultation were also held at various other forums. Based on all these deliberations, the scheme of Assistance to Voluntary Agencies was reviewed and revised. The revised scheme visualises the participation of voluntary agencies mainly in planning and implementation of field programmes including post literacy and follow-up activities; and in resource development, particularly production of teaching/learning material, training, research and evaluation, etc. The pattern of assistance has been liberalised. Financial assistance is now provided to voluntary agencies on 100 per cent basis of the programme cost and 75 per cent of
159
the administrative cost. In addition to the existing eligibility conditions, the following criteria have been made :-
(i) not discriminate against any person or group of persons on the ground of sex, religion, caste or creed;
(ii) not directly function for the furtherance of the interests of any political party;
(iii) not in any manner incite communal disharmony;
(iv) not proselytise; and
(v) eschew violence.
The National Adult Education Programme, in order to become a mass movement, requires the involvement and support of political parties and the organisations of women, youth and peasants, all-India cultural, religious and youth organisations and federati- ons/associations of teachers, students, trade, industry, etc. These organisations, though not eligible for financial assistance, can contribute in a substantial manner in the creation of a favourable environment for implementation of the programme. They can also help by motivating learners, teachers and other field workers.
The State Governments have a special responsibility in, the mobilisation of the voluntary effort. They have also to coordinate the programmes organised by the various agencies and to monitor them. For this reason, the applications of all voluntary agencies for field programmes have to come through the State Governments, and financial assistance is provided to them only on specific recommendations of the State Governments. Where the State Governments have so desired funds are also disbursed through the officers nominated by them.
As a result of the special efforts made during the current year to mobilise voluntary agencies for taking up adult education programmes, it is expected that by the end of the current financial year the number of voluntary agencies approved for assistance would reach about 500 involving over 20,000 Centres with an enrolment in these centres of approximately 5 lakhs. The quantum of financial assistance to be provided to voluntary agencies during the current financial year would be about Rs. 2 crores.
160
Besides, the field programmes of running adult education centres, voluntary agencies have also been assisted for the development of resource support. Out of the 14 State Resource Centres established so far, 10 have been set up under the auspices of voluntary agencies. The State Resource Centres have made very useful contributions in the areas of training of field workers, and preparation of teaching/learning materials.
For the evaluation of the programme to be taken up by voluntary agencies, institutions of social science research are being identified in each State. Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Science Research, Ahmedabad has already completed the evaluation for Gujarat State. Similar institutions are being identified in other States and it is intended that a critical evaluation of all the adult education programmes taken up by voluntary agencies would be undertaken through these Institutions for which they will be financially assisted.
Adult Education through Colleges/Universities in India An important component of NAEP is the involvement of educated youth. The guidelines of Adult Education and Extension Programme, formulated by the University Grants Commission, have been circulated to all the colleges/universities and other institutions eligible for assistance from the Commission. In the guidelines, it has been laid down that the universities must assume Adult Education and Extension Programme as an important responsibility and give it a distinct status.
Over 20 universities are participating in the Programme of Adult/Continuing Education. With a view to creating an awareness in the academic community and to enabling the students in the universities and colleges to participate in the Programme, workshops have been organised at various universities/colleges. With the assistance provided by the University Grants Commission, workshops/group discussions were held at a number of universities including those of Bhopal, Kerala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Jabalpur, Agra and at a very large number of colleges. These meetings and discussions have to a great extent mobilised the opinion of the academic community for their active participation in the programme. Sri Venkateswara University and the Kashmir University have established State Resource Centres and a Regional Resource Centre has also been established at the Punjab University, Chandigarh, for the States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
161
Over 600 proposals of the colleges have been considered so far of which over 200 have been accepted for assistance from the UGC to organise Adult Education Centres at the rate of at least 10 centres (in many cases 30 centres) per college. Over 150 colleges were sanctioned a grant of Rs. 500/- each as "seed money" for the formulation of the proposals. In the case of colleges where the number of centres proposed is less than, 10, such colleges have been advised to organise Adult Education Centres from the NSS funds. Forty universities (including institutions deemed to be university) have been sanctioned "seed money" for the formulation of the proposals to participate in the NAEP.
Exchange Programme The exchange of experiences with other countries in the field of Adult Education has assumed special significance in view of the launching of the National Adult Education Programme in the country from 2nd October 1978. Such exchange programmes have been included under the bilateral cultural agreements with a number of countries. A Seven-Member team visited Tanzania for studying Adult Education Programme in that country for a period of 10 days. Another delegation consisting of ten Members visited Thailand and Vietnam to study National Literacy Training Programmes in those countries. Similar exchanges were established with some other countries including Yugoslavia, Brazil and the U.K. Such exchanges have been useful in acquainting to the adult education functionaries to get insight into the Adult Education Programmes of the countries and to make use of their experiences. These exchanges are proposed to be continued during the year 1979-80.
Directorate of Adult Education The Directorate of Adult Education established in 1971 a subordinate office of the Ministry, is its academic and technical wing in respect of matters relating to adult education programmes at the all India level. As National Resource Centre for adult education, the Directorate's activities during the year remained largely oriented towards preparations for the launching of National Adult Education Programme. It was considered necessary to strengthen the professional base of the Directorate. A full-time Director in the Directorate took over from 1st March 1978. In addition to some additional posts of senior
162
level professional staff, provision has been made in the Directorate to have services of six short-term Consultants for providing specialist support in matters of planning and implementation of National Adult Education Programme. Consultants have been appointed in the field of Material, Research & Evaluation, and Development. The salient activities of the Directorate during the current year were the following :-
Promotional Activities These included :
(i) Insignia on National Adult Education Programme designed to popularise the Programme and to visually communicate the message of literacy combined with social awareness and functionality;
(ii) Tableau for highlighting the focus of National Adult Education Programme, presented in the Republic Day Parade, 1978;
(iii) Slides on National Adult Education Programme hav- ing 120 colour slides with commentary depicting the real life situations of the poor and illiterate people and the change through National Adult Education Programme;
(iv) A 10-minute documentary on National Adult Education Programme produced through the Films Division, Government of India entitled `To Hold a Head High' released all over the country on the 29th September 1978;
(v) A Poster on National Adult Education Programme and a Cartoon Brochure entitled `The Other Side of the Fence' each brought out in 13 Indian languages and 10 lakh copies;
(vi) Exhibition on Nation's preparedness on the occasion of launching National Adult Education Programme on 2nd October, 1978;
(vii) National Adult Education Programme Newsletter brought out for wider circulation from October 1978;
(viii) Participation in the Third World Book Fair at New Delhi in February 1978 and Ninth National Book Fair in December 1978 at Bangalore;
(ix) Publications on National Adult Education Programme included : 13 titles on Illustrative Teaching-Learning
163
Materials for the Learners on Primers, Readers, Work Books and other Supplementary Readers; 4 titles on Materials on Curriculum Development; 3 titles on Training Materials; 5 titles on Materials on Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Statistics ; 2 titles on Motivation; and 4 titles on Materials for Reference and General Information.