NEW INITIATIVES
The Education Policy (Resolution) passed by the Parliament in 1968, has continued to guide the development of education in the country. The educati- onal system at all levels in this period has expanded tremendously and the benefits of education have reached an ever increasing number of people. Eminent educational institutions at all levels have developed over the years in different parts of the country. These have been positive achievements but the system as a whole has not been able to come up to expectations. The quality of education at all stages continues to cause considerable dissatisfac- tion. At elementary stage we have so far not been able to achieve universali- sation, the school system is insufficiently provided in terms of teaching aids, the quality and commitment of teachers is widely perceived as not being upto the mark, there is over-crowding and dilution of standard in higher education and there are sub-standard technical teaching institutions. The system needs to be overhauled urgently to improve the quality of education and to make it a dynamic tool for modernising the country.
The Education Ministry has, therefore, embarked upon a major pro- gramme for educational reform. The work of reviewing the educational policy has been taken in hand. The Ministry proposes to prepare the draft for the new policy in the next few months and to organise a wide debate in the country. Thereafter the proposals would be placed before the Parliament for consideration and determining the revised educational policy. The two Nati- onal Commissions on Teachers have already been examining the various issues relating to the teachers. Their reports would be available to the Gover- nment soon and it is expected that many useful suggestions would become available to the Government from these reports also for improving the qual- ity of teachers and thereby the functioning of the educational system.
School Education There are 1419 Teacher Training Institutions in the country which train
Teacher Training teachers for elementary and secondary levels. The network of these institu-
tions reasonably covers the country except North-East. The Ministry pro-
poses to set up a Regional College of the NCERT in the North-East to take
care of the needs of teacher training in this region. These teacher training ins-
titutions generally cover the requirements of prehservice training satisfactor-
ily though the provision of modern tools and technologies would substan-
tially improve the content of teacher training. The arrangements for training
of teachers for Non-formal and Pre-school centres as well as for in-service
training of school teachers have not become systematised so far. Unless the
quality of pre-service training is improved and arrangements are also made
for regular in-service training from time to time in new areas of emphasis and
educational content, it will not be possible to sustain a high quality of educa-
tion relevant to the changing needs of society.
The Ministry of Education is, therefore, starting a scheme for improving
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the teacher training curricula, equipping the teacher training institutions with
modern teaching aids and assisting these institutions for systematic and lar-
ge-scale in-service training. programme. Thus during pre-service and in-ser-
vice training, teachers would be exposed, inter-alia, to mass-media and
micro-computers so that they are in a position not only to accept these tech-
nological aids but also use these optimally in schools as and when these
become available to them.
Strengthening of Teaching The Education Policy (Resolution) 1968 and the "Curriculum for the Ten
of Science and Environmental Year School-A Frame Work" prepared by the NCERT accords the highest
Education priority to teaching of languages, Science and Mathematics at the school
stage. In an increasingly scientific world the importance of equipping the
children adequately with knowledge about Science has to be recognised.
However, the arrangements for teaching of science in schools are severely
handicapped because of poor laboratory facilities in schools. According to
IIIrd Educational Survey conducted in 1973, 36,45 per cent Secondary
schools in the country do not have laboratory facilities. Without the facilities
of demonstration and experiment, teaching of science cannot improve. It is,
at present, the responsibility of the State Governments and Managing
Committees to equip the school properly. However, in view of the prevailing
unsatisfactory situation, the Ministry of Education proposes to take the initia-
tive in consultation and collaboration with the States, a substantial pro-
gramme of assistance to schools for bringing their laboratory facilities up to a
minimal level. The States would similarly be persuaded to provide Radio &
TV sets to schools. As a part of this scheme, the student population would be
involved in the schools, selected for the provision of these inputs, to improve
the environment in the locality.
Vocationalisation Vocationalisation of education at +2 stage was recommended by Kothari
Commission (1964-66) and has been reiterated in the Education Policy
(Resolution), 1968. However, it has been linked with switch over to the 10+2
system in the States. While most of the States have switched over to the
10+2 system, the remaining ones are switching over to this system only now.
Because of this and also because of constraint of resources, the progress in
vocationalisation has been very slow that has resulted in over-crowding in
institutions-of higher learning and mismatch between requirement of skilled
man-power and the out put of educated youth from the schools. The country
obviously cannot afford this any longer. Accordingly, it has been decided that
a high priority be accorded to the programme of vocationalisation of educa-
tion in schools in the Seventh Five Year Plan. The Ministry of Education is
planning to take up a large programme for promoting vocationalisation of
education. Since the resources required would be beyond the means of the
Government, it would be the endeavour of the Ministry to involve the local
industry not only in determining the choice of vocational courses to be start-
ed in schools in the neighbourhood but also to get it to assist the relevant acti-
vities through provision of financial resources as well as specialised man-
power.
Girls' Education Girls constitute the largest single group of the non-enrolled children and
the drop-outs. The role of women's education for socioeconomic develop-
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ment and education of the children in the family is obvious. The Ministry has, therefore, decided to accord the highest priority to the promotion of girls' education. The Ministry has been assisting the States on 80:20 basis for appointment of woman teachers in Primary schools in the nine educationally backward States. The Ministry has similarly been assisting the States on 90:10 basis by setting up Non-formal education centres exclusively for girls. These programmes would be pursued with greater vigour in the coming years. The Government has proposed to make girls' education free up to Class XII all over the country beginning from 1985-86. To facilitate this, a Scheme will be introduced to reimburse the State to the extent of loss of resources resulting from giving up the fees collected hitherto from the girls in these classes. It is proposed to use the money so reimbursed for construction of lavatories and supply of free uniforms to poor girls so that girls are further encouraged to pursue studies in schools.
Model Schools Already, in most parts of the country, schools have come up within reas-
nable distance from most habitations. The general standard of many of these
schools in the rural areas is not satisfactory. On the other hand, there are
many good schools in the urban areas. The benefits of good education, there-
fore, cannot be said to have become available to children in rural areas.
Measures will have to be taken to rectify this imbalance.
The question of National Integration is becoming more and more impor- tant. There is an obvious need to take effective steps to counteract fissiparous tendencies, engender the spirit of National Integration and create a sense of pride in the country and its heritage. The story of struggle for freedom also needs to the emphasised.
To achieve these aims, besides initiating suitable programmes in every school, the Government proposes to set up a Model School in each district during the Seventh Five Year Plan period wherin the best performers from each primary school in the district would compete for admission and each school would have atleast 20% children from the States other than where these are situated. Two-third of the seats in such schools would be earmarked for children from rural areas.
There would be free residential facilities on a substantial scale in these schools. These schools will be provided with all necessary teaching aids and the core-curriculum for these would be specially designed by the NCERT and made applicable all over the country. In these schools interactive teaching would replace teaching solely by lectures. Students would participate in a large number in extra curricular activities and to promote dignity of labour, the students would clean and look after the campus themselves. It is also pro- posed to open schools for gifted children.
As far as higher education is concerned, the Government has already decided to start an Open University and also initiate steps to delink acquisi- tion of certain categories of non-technical jobs from the possession of a degree obtained through attendance in a college or a university. While these measures will reduce the expenditure and effort involved in aimless expan-
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sion of under-graduate education, other measures will be taken simulta- neously to ensure that vertical and horizontal mobility through bridge courses and programmes of continuing education, could be available to all citizens irrespective of whether they have come into the world of work through the route of formal or non-formal education or a graded programme of vocationalisation.
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