 SCHOOL EDUCATION : ELEMENTARY,
 BASIC AND SECONDARY

Schemes for school education are, in the main, included in the State sector. The State Governments are assisted by the Government of India. in accordance with the general policy adopted for assisting the State Plans. In addition to the grant of financial assistance, the Government of India implements a few schemes in the Central and Centrally sponsored sectors, mostly for the promotion of research or the development of pilot projects.

2. Expansion of Primary Education (Age-Group 6-11):

The most important scheme of school education included in the third Five- Year Plan is the expansion of facilities of education in the age-group 6-11. in 1961, the total enrolment of children in classes I-V was 344.2 lakh or 61.3 per cent of the total population in the age-group 6-11. It is proposed, during the third Plan, to enrol 152.2 lakh additional children and to raise the enrolment in classes I to V to 496.4 lakh or 76.4 per cent of the children in the corresponding age- group.

3. In 1961-62 which was the first year of the third Five-Year Plan, the progress of this scheme has been encouraging. There was great enthusiasm among the people for sending their children to schools and in every State, the annual enrolment in 1961-62 was much greater than the targets fixed for the year. The original target for the whole country was to enrol 22.5 lakh additional children in classes I to V during 1961-62. It is now estimated that the actual additional enrolment during the year would be 35.5 lakh.

4. The estimated additional enrolment for 1962-63 is 36.3 lakh. At the end of 1962-63, therefore, the increase in enrolment would have been about 71.8 lakh as against a target of 152.2 lakh for the third Five-Year Plan as a whole. The details of the enrolment in 1961-62 and 1962-63 are given in Annexure III.

5. In almost all States, enrolment drives were organised during the year under review with very substantial results. Attempts were also made to popularise co-education and to enrol more girls as well as to increase the supply of women teachers. These programmes combined with the enthusiasm among the people, have contributed to the progress achieved during the year.

6. If the pace of expansion achieved in 1961-62 as well as that expected in 1962-63 is maintained, the enrolment in the age-group of 6-11 might easily reach 80 per cent by the end of the third Plan as against the target of 76.4 per cent originally prescribed.

7. Expansion of Middle School Education (Age-Group 11-14):

Education in the age-group 11-14 has also made considerable progress during the year, although the expansion in this field is not of the same dimension as in the age-group of 6-11. It is expected that, during 1961-62, the additional enrolment in classes VI to VIII would be 6,65,000 and in 1962-63, 8,84,000. In the first two years of the Plan, therefore, the total additional enrolment anticipated in classes VI to VIII is 15,49,000 as against an anticipated enrolment of 34,60,000. It will thus be seen that the anticipated achievement in this sector is slightly better than the original targets.

8. Primary School Teachers:

During the year under review, efforts to improve the economic condition of primary school teachers were continued. In some States, the scales of pay were revised; in others ad hoc increases in. pay or allowances were sanctioned.

9. During the year under review. the Government of Andhra Pradesh have introduced the triple benefit scheme for primary teachers and the Government of Gujarat have introduced the pension scheme for primary teachers working under the local authorities. The Ministry of Education as recommended the scheme for the consideration of all those State Governments who have not so far been able to provide a good scheme of old-age provision for the primary school teachers.

10. School Meals:

The Committee appointed by the Government of India, under the chairmanship of Shrimati Renuka Ray, has submitted its report on school health (including the provision of school meals). It is now under the consideration of the Ministry.

Large-scale programmes of school meals at the primary school stage were introduced, during the year under review, in Madras, Kerala and the Punjab. About 6,50,000 children in Madras, 16,00,000 children in Kerala and 5,00,000 children in the Punjab get the benefit of this scheme. An essential part of the scheme is the mobilisation of community participation to supplement the State resources. The response from the community has been very encouraging. CARE has also rendered assistance by-gifts of food supplies or milk powder. The UNICEF also gives about 20 million lbs. of milk a year for distribution to maternity and child health centres and also for school feeding. It is proposed to extend this programme during 1962-63 and to provide milk to about 20 lakh children a year.

11. Training of Primary Teachers:

The report of the first National Seminar on the Training of Primary Teachers was published during the year under review. The recommendations made by the Seminar are now being implemented.

A programme for the orientation of primary school teachers in community development was taken up during the year. The main object of this scheme is to train the primary school teachers so that they may be enabled to play an effective role in the community development programmes and make the primary school a centre of the community. The programme proposes to make this orientation an integral part of the training of primary teachers. For this purpose, seminars of principals of training institutions for primary teachers were organised at the social education organisers' training centres and it is proposed to train two members of staff of every teacher training institution in community development. During the year under review, nearly 800 members of the staff of these training institutions were given orientation in community development and about 500 principals of training institutions attended the special seminars organised for them.

Suitable courses of training in community development work are also being organised for the inspecting officers of the education departments.

Every training institution for primary teachers is given a grant- in-aid of Rs. 300 for the purchase of books relating to community development. The literature produced by the Government is being supplied, free of charge, to these institutions. Special literature for this programme is aim being prepared.

It is proposed to introduce practical work connected with the programme in every training institution for primary teachers and the necessary grants-in-aid for this purpose are being made available.

12. Legislation for Compulsory Primary Education:

So far, new laws for compulsory primary education on the model of Delhi Compulsory Primary Education Act have been enacted in the States of Andhra Pradesh Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Mysore and Punjab.

13. Centrally Sponsored Schemes:

The third Five-Year Plan includes as a Centrally sponsored scheme the establishment of extension services centres in training institutions for primary teachers. These would function, broadly on the lines of extension service departments established in secondary training colleges. It is proposed to make a beginning with 30 centres in 1962-63 and to raise the total number of centres to 60 by the end at' the third Five-Year Plan.

The Centrally sponsored scheme for the improvement of science teaching at the elementary stage (introduced during the second Five- Year Plan) has been transferred to the State sector. Recently, the first National Seminar of the Science Consultants working under the scheme was organised. The Seminar examined the problem and made a number of recommendations for improvement and expansion of the programme. These are now under the consideration of the Ministry.

14. Children's Books:

A National Prize Competition for Children's Books is being organised by the Government of India since 1954. The VII Competition in the series was held during the year under review. In all. 531 books/manuscripts were entered for the competition in all the modern Indian languages. After scrutiny, according to rules; the Children's Literature Committee awarded seven prizes of Rs. 1,000 each and 21 prizes of Rs. 500 each to 28 books in total.

For administrative convenience, it is proposed to decentralise the working of the scheme and to delegate larger powers to the State Governments in its implementation. This delegation will become. effective from the VIII. Competition which has just been announced. Three State Governments-Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala-have accepted the proposal of holding sahitya rachanalayas during 1961-62. The object of this scheme is to train authors in the technique of writing books for children. The expenditure on each rachanalaya is about Rs. 10,000. During 1962-63, six more sahitya rachanalayas are proposed to be organised.

15. Basic Education:

The programme of Basic education has been allocated Rs. 2,800 lakh in the third Five-Year Plan.

One of the important schemes in the programme is to orient all primary schools to the Basic pattern so that the main features of Basic education, which do not require large-scale expenditure or equipment, may become apart of the ordinary primary schools. The programme of orientation training has been started in all the States and is expected to be completed by 1962-63. Another scheme aims at continuing the process of converting primary schools to the Basic pattern. During the Third Plan, 57,760 schools are proposed to be so converted. A beginning is also being made in establishing Basic schools in urban areas. Since ultimately all primary schools would be of the Basic pattern, it is envisaged that as a first necessary step towards this goal, all training schools for primary school teachers, would be converted to the Basic pattern by the end of the third Five- Year Plan.

In order to assess the progress of Basic education, and to advise the Central and the State Governments on the policies and programmes of Basic education, a National Board of Basic Education has been set up.

16. Education of Girls and Women:

The third Five-Year Plan accords high priority to the education of girls. It provides about Rs. 17,500 lakh for the education of girls and women out of a total provision of Rs. 40,800 lakh for general education. It is proposed to increase the enrolment of girls at the primary stage to 61.6 per cent, that at the middle stage to 16.5 per cent and that at the secondary stage to 6.9 per cent by the end of the third Plan.

A review of enrolment during 1961-62 shows that, although the overall expansion has been much greater than the original targets, the increase in the enrolment of girls has not kept pace with the general increase. This indicates the need for further and more intensive efforts. Special measures are, therefore, being adopted to organise educative propaganda and to increase the supply of women primary school teachers.

The National Council for Women's Education was reconstituted during the period under review with Smt. Raksha Saran as chairman. Two meetings of the Council-one of the old Council and the other of the reconstitituted Council-were held during the year.

On a suggestion made by the Council, seminars of women social workers are being organised in all parts of the country with a view to launching a drive for increasing the enrolment of girls. Seventeen seminars were proposed for the country as a whole; of these 13 have been organised during the year and the remaining would be shortly held.

17. Other Programmes:

An up-to-date printing press has been donated by the Government of West Germany which will be used for the production of school textbooks. The services of German experts have also been made available for setting up the press. The site for the location of the press is currently under the consideration of the Ministry.

Negotiations were undertaken with some foreign countries for securing supply of paper for school textbooks. The Government of Australia has agreed to supply as gift 10,000 tons of paper over a period of five years. The Government of Sweden has also offered a gift of 8,000 tons of paper annually. The paper received from these countries will be made available to the State Governments to enable them to undertake programmes for free distribution of textbooks at the primary stage to poor and needy children.

18. Expansion of Secondary Education:

During the third Five-Year Plan, the enrolment in classes IX to XI is expected to rise from 28.7 lakh in 1961 to 45.6 lakh in 1966. This will raise the percentage of enrolment in these classes to the total population in the age-group of 14-17 from. 11-4 by 1961 to 15.6 in 1966.

A review of the anticipated achievement in the first year and the expected achievement in the second year of the Plan shows that the enrolment in classes IX to XI will increase by about 6,00,000. This indicates a slight improvement over the targets originally proposed.

19. Improvement of Secondary Education:

To supplement the schemes for the improvement of secondary education which are in the State sector of the Plan, the Ministry has sponsored certain programmes directly as well as through the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

20. Schemes of Educational and Vocational Guidance in the State:

The All-India Secondary Education Commission recommended the provision of educational and vocational guidance in the reorganised secondary schools. A small beginning in this direction was made during the second Plan and the programme is to be strengthened and expanded as a Centrally sponsored scheme in the Third Plan. A scheme in this regard has been finalised and transmitted to the State Governments for implementation.

The scheme visualises the strengthening of the bureaux of educational and vocational guidance in the twelve States and the setting up of new bureaux in the remaining three States. It also includes the provision of counselling service in a limited number of multipurpose schools.

21. Central Board of Secondary Education:

The Central Board of Secondary Education, Ajmer, whose controlling authority is the Educational Adviser to the Government of India, in the Ministry of Education, has reconstituted itself into the All-India Board of Secondary Education. This Board will conduct examinations at secondary and higher secondary stages. Examinations of all Government, corporation and aided schools located in the Union Territory of Delhi will be conducted by this Board. Secondary schools located anywhere in the country are eligible to seek affiliation to this Board. The Board will also help the Government in providing edu- cational facilities with a common syllabus and medium of examination to the children of Central Government employees who are frequently transferred from one place to another and all other similar floating population in the country.

22. Strengthening of Multipurpose Schools:

One of the important recommendations of the Secondary Education Commission related to the diversification of the curricular programmes at the secondary stage to suit, the varying abilities, aptitudes and attainments of secondary pupils. Multipurpose schools have, in response, grown rapidly. The schemes to consolidate and improve their working are provided in the State sector of the Third Plan. The Ministry propose to help the State Governments to

develop a few selected schools to a high level of effectiveness so that they may serve as models for future Plans. A scheme in this regard has been finalised and will be implemented from 1963-64. It envisages development of specific programmes in selected schools, provision of textbooks in such subjects as technology, crafts, agriculture, etc., and strengthening the library facilities in multipurpose schools.

23. Central Institute of English, Hyderabad:

In order to improve the teaching of English as a foreign language in the educational institutions in India, the Ministry of Education sponsored the setting up of the Central Institute of English. This has been located at Hyderabad and is administered by an autnomous organisation. The British Council and the Ford Foundation have rendered considerable assistance in the setting up and working of the Institute.

The Institute conducts training courses for teachers of English in secondary schools, training colleges and pre-university classes. It also undertakes research in the problems of teaching English as a foreign language.

The first issue of the Institute's bulletin was published in September, 1961. Two books consisting of pre-university teaching materials in English were prepared and are expected to be published in April, 1962.

The Institute organised two seminars in Srinagar in May and June, 1961. The first seminar was meant for the directors of education and chairmen of boards of secondary education; and the second for university professors of English and chairmen of the university boards of studies in English. The Institute also organised a short training course of a fortnight's duration for the secondary school teachers of Jammu & Kashmir State at the latter's request.

A four-day course was run by the Institute's staff in Bombay and in Aurangabad for the benefit of pre-university teachers of English at the request of the S.N.D.T. University for Women and the Marathwada University.

Several ex-trainees of the Institute participated in the running of training courses organised for the teachers of English by State departments of education all over the country. The reports on the two seminars held at Srinagar have been circulated to all universities and State departments of education for consideration with a view to implementing the suggestions contained in them.

The sixth regular four-month training course was held from 10th July, 1961. Fifty-two trainees drawn from training college lecturers, arts and science college lecturers and higher secondary school teachers attended the

SCHOOL EDUCATION : ELEMENTARY, BASIC AND SECONDARY