CHAPTER XIV
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL
 RESEARCH AND TRAINING

The National Council of Educational Research and Training was established as an autonomous organisation in September, 1961. The year under report is, therefore, the first year of its career. Its programmes are designed with focus on research studies and investiga- tions in problems of education, particularly those the findings on which will make a direct contribution to the improvement of schools, training of key personnel in different sectors of education and on providing extension services to the schools and the State Departments of Education, with a view to disseminating information of improved school practices and promoting their increasing use. The research studies and investigations are not only undertaken by the Council directly but also in collaboration with university departments of education, training colleges and other research organisations. Finan- cial assistance is given to such institutions by the Council for approved projects.

2. The main agency of the Council is the National Institute of Education and the four Regional Colleges of Education which are in the process of being established. The National Institute of Education will, ultimately be set up in a campus of its own, for which a 65-acre plot has been acquired near Mehrauli, New Delhi. At present, the functions of the Institute are discharged by its constituent units, accounts of whose work are presented in subsequent paragraphs.

3. The Council is engaged in carrying out a comprehensive programme for the production of textbooks for secondary schools and other educational literature, drawing for this purpose on the knowl- edge and expertise of specialists from the universities and other educational institutions. The programme is supervised by a Central Committee on Educational Literature with the Union Education Minister as the chairman and different subject-experts as members. The Central Committee has constituted eight panels of experts for preparing text- books in Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, General Science, Geography, History and Hindi. The first drafts of these textbooks will be available during the course of 1963-64. They will be pub- lished, in the first instance, in experimental editions and will be tried out in selected schools all over the country. The final edi- tions will be prepared in the light of the experience gained in the course of their experimental use.

4. The Council has undertaken a programme for improving science education at the school stage. In this it is receiving assistance under the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance. The programme covers improvement of the curricula, improved methods of training science teachers, production of methodological literature for teachers, identification and development of scientifically talented pupils, promotion of science clubs in schools and designing and stand- ardisation of inexpensive scientific apparatus. A Programme Advisory Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. D. S. Kothari guides and supervises the programme. As a first step, the Council has started publication of a quarterly journal

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"School Science" which aims at keeping the science teachers in schools informed about the latest developments in their field. A Committee of Experts has also been constituted under the chairmanship of Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis to examine the present position of science education in schools and to suggest measures for its improvement and expansion. The Committee has completed a preliminary survey and published a factual report on it. Its final report and recommendations are expected to be received during the course of the current year.

5. The Council brings out two regular series, one in the form of a Year Book on Education and the other on "educational studies and investigations", presenting the work done in the country in this field. The first Year Book was a "Review of Education for the period 1947-1961" and was published last year. The second Year Book is on Elementary Education and is in press. The first volume in the series "Educational Studies and Investigations" has also been published.

6.Council's Work in the National Emergency

The Council has brought out 34 pamphlets for the use of schools and teachers on the various aspects of the Emergency. It has also initiated a comprehensive programme for systematising the extra- curricular work in the schools and integrating it to the needs of preparing youth for national defence. This programme known as "The School Defence Corps" has, on approval of the Ministry, been communi- cated to the State Departments. The Council is now preparing a series of pamphlets containing suggestions how productive and creative activ- ities under the "School Defence Corps Programme" should be organised.

7. Account of the Activities of the Constituent Units of the National Institute of Education

7.2 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AUDIO-VISUAL EDUCATION

(A) Studies and Investigations

: The report on the use and preparation of audio-visual aids in community development training centres was prepared.

(B) Training

: A number of short-term orientation courses in silk screen printing and hand-made filmstrips and in the operation and maintenance of audio-visual equipment were organised for the staff of several organisations at their request.

(C)Production of Audio-Visual Materials

: Fifty-eight posters, charts and pictorial maps and textbook illustrations for the Central Bureau of Textbook Research were prepared. The 'Time Charts on Indian History' and a prototype chart on 'Iron and Steel Production in India' were finalised and a chart on 'Tea Production in India' was printed. A study kit, 'Discovery of India' is being modified and adapted for mass production to make it available to schools in India and abroad. An exhibition of instructional materials on the Himalayan region are being developed to create among school children an awareness of the country's northern frontiers.

The Institute is engaged in the production of films on the 'Seventh Inter-University Youth Festival', 'Malkhamb', 'Operation of Diseased Lungs', 'National Discipline Scheme'. In addition, eight films on social

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education for the Television Unit of All India Radio are under production. Filmstrips on Delhi, New Delhi, Care of 16mm Film Projector and AudioVisual Aids in Education were produced.

Tape records of the Prime Minister's message to the nation broad- cast on October 22, 1962, and of extracts from his address to the Delhi University Students' Union and other speeches relating to the national emergency were prepared and sent to educational institutions.

7.3 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BASIC EDUCATION

(A) Studies and Investigations

: Reports on the following projects were finalised : (i) An intensive study of the problems of elementary school area; (ii) A study of crafts in the Indian schools; (iii) A pilot study of single-teacher schools in Rajasthan; (iv) How students of elementary schools spend their holidays; (v) Methods of teaching mother-tongue in the first three grades of elementary schools in Delhi; (vi) A study of the progress of Basic education during the Second Five-Year Plan and programme for the Third Plan; and (vii) Practical classroom research by teachers.

(B) Extension Services

: The Council has set up 26 Extension Services Centres in the Teachers Training Institutions in different parts of the country. Each centre will serve the needs of about 50 schools, of which five to 10 will be selected for intensive work.

(C) Training

: A three-week training course for the honorary directors and coordinators of the 26 newly established extension centres in primary education was organised in January, 1963.

(D) Seminars

: A programme of organising four regional seminars and one national seminar for teachers of single-teacher schools was drawn up and the seminar for the Southern region was held at Bangalore from 23rd October to 9th November, 1962.

(E) Publications :

Twenty publications were brought out during the period, and the titles are indicated in Annexure II.

7.4 DIRECTORATE OF EXTENSION PROGRAMMES FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION

(A) Research

: To meet the growing need for research in the techniques of in-service training, 17 extension services centres took up investigations into matters like the effective utilisation of audio-visual services and library services in the in-service education of teachers, expectations of teachers and headmasters from extension services and their attitudes towards them.

(B) Training

: Guidance and training in programme planning were given to coordinators of the newly established extension services centres and units.

(C) Conferences and Workshops

: During the period, three joint conference of honorary directors and coordinators of extension services centres were held at Lucknow (July, 1962), Bangalore (August. 1962) and Ahmedabad (November, 1962) to discuss and plan various matters

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relating to the extension services centres, in addition to five more zonal conferences to review activities undertaken and plan further programmes. A workshop of 15 selected coordinators was held at the Central Institute of Education, Delhi to discuss the nature and pur- pose of intensive work in the extension services centres. This work- shop facilitated the preparation of a handbook of suggestions for intensive work.

(D) Other Activities

: A programme of Seminar Readings was initiated in cooperation with the State Departments of Education and the extension centres to acquaint teachers and other educational workers with significant educational practices and experiments. Authors of 20 best papers to be selected at the national contest of seminar readings, would be awarded suitable prizes.

(E) Publications

: Publications brought out during the period have been listed at Annexure II.

7.5 CENTRAL EXAMINATION UNIT

(A) Research

: The studies undertaken by the Unit included : (i) A study of the prognostic value of the S.S.L.C. Examination, Madras University; (ii) A study of the prognostic value of the S.S.C. Board Examination, Gujarat; (iii) An analysis of the answer-books of the Delhi Board; (iv) Internal assessment procedures of some selected schools; and (v) Instructions to paper-setters of Board examinations.

(B) Training

: The Unit conducted 10 seminars to orient 200 staff members of training colleges in the Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh towards the new approach to examinations. As a follow-up activity, the preparation of a handbook on the evaluation approach for training colleges was undertaken.

(C) Seminars and Workshops

: The Unit organised 6 workshops in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Mysore in which the question papers set by the Board were analysed. The reports of workshops containing suggestions and specimen question papers were sent to the respective Boards for comments.

A number of study groups were also organised to work on matters like the formation of cumulative record card with a manual of instruc- tions, the formulation of suggestions and proposals for effective incorporation of evaluation approach in training colleges, the prepa- ration of materials for assessing personality and Other non-scholastic traits, the drawing of teaching units in social studies and science as illustrative material for use in schools and the formulation of the objectives of teaching various schools subjects.

7.6 CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

(A) Research

: The projects completed during the year include : (i) The academic adjustment of children from senior Basic schools in higher secondary schools of Delhi; (ii) The problem of truancy in selected higher secondary schools in Delhi; (iii) A survey of the pre-school education in Delhi; (iv) The verbal group, test of intelligence for ages 15 and 16; and (v) English vocabulary test for grades VIII-VI.

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(B) Training

: 97 students passed the B.Ed. examination held in 1962 and 15 students qualified in the M.Ed. examination. 100 students were admitted to the B.Ed. course commencing in 1962 and 16 to the M.Ed. course. In addition, 26 students were working for their Ph.D. degree.

A special short-term training course was organised for teachers of geography in Delhi schools to enable them to raise the pupils' geographical understanding of the issues of national emergency.

(C) Extension

: The department of extension services at the Institute organised a number of seminars, workshops, and study circles. These covered a variety of subjects like the use of psychological tests and apparatus, teaching history through current affairs, film as guide for teaching biology, chemistry, civics, economics, geography and history, modern developments in meteorology and weather forecasting techniques, aviation, television, orbits and satellites, nuclear energy etc. Science fairs were organised in four higher secondary schools in Delhi.

(D) Seminars and Workshops:

A number of workshops were organised on themes such as art study, methodology of teaching Hindi, study of psychological tests and apparatus, teaching of physics in the higher secondary classes, and the preparation of films guides for history.

(E) Other Activities

: The Institute arranged for the training of 55 women students in home nursing and of 45 men students in first aid. A Science Film Forum was established in cooperation with the United States Information Service.

(F) Publications

: The publications brought out by the Institute during the period are given in Annexure II.

7.7 NATIONAL FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE

(A) Research

: The report on the study of the 'Impact of Television Programmes' which was completed last year, was prepared and submitted to All India Radio. An analysis of the Adult Literacy Registers of different States was made to identify the variables associated with good attendance at literacy classes.

(B) Training

: The eighth training course for 13 district social education officers from nine States was held from May 14 to October 13, 1962.

(C) Seminars and Workshops

: A national seminar on literacy was held in April, 1962 to discuss the problems of literacy programme.

(D) Other Activities

: A Literacy Unit was set up to concentrate on research, training and production of materials to promote adult literacy.

(F) Publications

: The publications brought out by the Centre are listed at Annexure II.

7.8CENTRAL BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

(A) Research :

The following projects were completed : (i) Norms for D.A.T. Abstract Reasoning Test, Minnesota, paper Formboard Test Series AA and NlIP 70/23 Test; (ii) The validation of procedures for selecting teacher-trainees for admission to the two- year Basic teacher training course; and (iii) The science selection battery.

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(B) Training

: The third diploma course in guidance concluded in May, 1962 and the fourth course commenced in July, 1962. Five training courses were conducted to provide occupational information about defence services to about 200 school teachers of Delhi.

(C) Seminars and Workshops:

An all India workshop of directors and counsellors of State Bureaux of Guidance was organised at Bangalore in May, 1962 to coordinate the activities of the various guidance agencies in the third Five-Year Plan. Another workshop was held to consider long-range planning in the testing field on the basis of test materials available in the country.

(D) Other Activities

: A number of posters and charts were prepared giving occupational information for guidance services in the country.

(E) Publications

: The publications brought out by the Bureau are indicated in Annexure II.

7.9 DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

(A) Textbooks

: The department prepared the general science textbooks for classes I to VIII and teachers' guides for classes I to II for the Government of Punjab. These have been introduced in the Punjab schools. An evaluative study of these textbooks is being undertaken in cooperation with selected teachers from schools where the textbooks are in use. The manuscript of a textbook for general science for class VIll was completed and handed over to the Punjab Government.

(B) Science Apparatus

: After collecting primary data about the specifications of laboratories and laboratory equipment from different States, a standard list of laboratory equipment for higher secondary schools was prepared.