SECONDARY EDUCATION
5.1.0 The growth of Secondary Education has already been presented in tables and graphs under the part relating to Elementary Education.
5.2.0 Having considered that Secondary including Higher Secondary Education is terminal on the one hand for those who enter the world of work after this stage, and preparatory to higher education for others, several important schemes in this sector are in implementation under the National Policy on Education, 1986. Progress achieved under them and other on-going schemes is presented below:
Vocationalisation of Secondary Education 5.3.1 Vocational education has been accorded high priority in the National Policy on Education, 1986 which, inter-alia, states that "introduction of a systematic, well-planned and rigorously implemented programme of vocational education is crucial in the proposed educational re-organisation." The Policy. has expressed the commitment that 10% of higher secondary students would be enrolled in vocational courses by 1990 and 25% by 1995.
5.3.2 Based on the guidelines laid down in the NPE and the Programme of Action and the discussions held with the State Governments and experts, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary Education has been started with effect from 1987-88 under which assistance is provided to States/UTs for introduction of vocational courses at + 2 level in schools. The scheme envisages establishment of a Joint Council of Vocational Education at the national level, with counterpart orgaisations at the State level for policy, planning and coordination of vocational programmes being run by the various organisations/ agencies. The management structure at the Central/State/District and institutional levels is to be suitably strengthened for successful implementation of this programme. Under the scheme, 100% assistance is provided to the States/UTs for conducting district vocational surveys, development of curriculum and resource materials, necessary equipment for vocational courses, construction of worksheds, training of teachers, textbook subsidy, etc. evaluation and monitoring in accordance with the norms of the scheme. Seventy five per cent of the expenditure on salaries and allowances of teachers and other vocational staff in schools and 50% of the expenditure on staff in the Vocational Wings in the Directorates of Education, SCERT and District Education Officers is borne by the Centre. However, raw-materials and contingencies, vocational guidance and examination and certification are 100% responsibility of the States. The Scheme also provides for assistance to voluntary organisations for taking up experimental and innovative programmes in the area of vocational education.
5.3.3 The Courses started under the scheme are to be so designed that there would be enough employment opportunities for the students passing out of these courses or the students would be able to go in for self-employment. An innovative project taken up by C.B.S.E. is the introduction of vocational course in General Insurance in selected C.B.S.E. Schools in metropolitan cities in collaboration with the General Insurance Corporation of India which has ensured employment to the students who successfully complete the course. The State Governments have also been advised to identify such employers in their region and develop similar courses in collaboration with them to ensure employment opportunities to the students and provide suitable. trained manpower to the employers.
5.3.4 Keeping in view the long felt need of prop, trained manpower in Health-related areas, an expect Committee on "Health Manpower - Planning,
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Production and Management" was set up by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in May, 1986 under the Chairmanship of Prof. J.S. Bajaj. This Committee has recommended various vocational courses in the health sector which could be started in schools. The State Governments/UT Administrations have been requested to give due consideration to the recommendations of the Bajaj Committee while indentifying the vocational courses to be started by them.
5.3.5 During 1987-88, Central assistance amounting to Rs. 32.26 crores was sanctioned to 18 States/UTs providing for about 3100 vocational courses in about 1000 higher secondary schools. During 1988-89 also States have submitted proposals under the programmes for substantial Central assistance.
Improvement of Science Education in Schools 5.4.1 The place of science in the Scheme of general education for school children can scarcely be overemphasized. The Kothari Commission and the Education Policy Resolution (1968) accorded high priority to the teaching of science at the schools stage. However, teaching of science in schools is rather weak at present. Teaching of science required not only classroom teaching but also demonstration and experimentation. However, majority of the schools in the country do not have adequate laboratory facilities.
5.4.2 The National Policy on Education (1986) has also emphasized the need to strengthen science education programmes. It has been felt by the experts that in addition to providing proper physical facilities. it is also necessary that teachers are improved. Accordingly, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Improvement of Science Education in Schools has been started during the last quarter of 1987-88 under which financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for supplying science kits to upper primary schools, to upgrade science laboratories in secondary and higher secondary schools upto a desired standard, upgrading libraries in secondary and higher secondary schools and setting up of District Resource Centres for Science Education which would not only help in training of Science teachers and development of teaching-learning materials, but also serve as a forum where science teachers may come to sort out their problems and share ideas. Besides, an intensive programme of inservice training of science and mathematics teachers of schools will also be taken up under this Scheme. The Scheme also provides for assistance to voluntary organisations active in the field of science education for taking up innovative programmes for creation of scientific temper, increasing awareness and promotion of Science Education. The National Board for Higher Mathematics has been requested to examine the feasibility of taking up a programme for strengthening of teaching of Mathematics in schools with a view to preparaing students for participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad held every year.
5.4.3 During 1987-88, Central assistance amounting to Rs. 29.27 crores was sanctioned to 19 States/UTs, inter-alia, for providing science kits to about 21000 upper primary schools, upgradation of science laboratories in about 6900 secondary/higher secondary schools and establishment of District Resource Centres in 80 Districts. It is proposed to cover the remaining States during the current financial year. The scheme has also received an encouraging response from voluntary organisations. A number of proposals for taking up various programmes in the area of science education have been received from various voluntary agencies and assistance has already been sanctioned to Ekalvya, Bhopal; Tamil Nadu Science Forum, Madras; Pondicherry Science Forum, Pondicherry; Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad, Trivandrum; Bal Bhavan Society (India), New Delhi. The proposal of the National Council of Science Museums for setting up schools science centres has been approved for 25 Districts @ two in each district. These Schools Science Centres will organise various activities for promotion of science education and creation of scientific temper among students, like preparation of models and charts, organization of exhibition, plays, essay & quiz competitions, etc.
Environmental Orientation to School Education 5.5.1 Environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important with the scientific and technological developments in the world. The National Policy on Education (1986) attaches due importance to this subject and, inter alia, states that "protection of the environment" is a value which along with certain other core values, must form an integral part of curriculum at all stages of education. Accordingly, NCERT has developed a national curricular framework designed to lay down essential learning outcomes for all learners. NCERT is also developing syllabi, textbooks and other teaching-learning materials to give effect to the provisions of NPE. Teacher training arrangements are also being given environmental orientation. However, since these
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programmes would be designed and implemented with the national and State level perspectives, the full intent of environmental education will not be achieved because the environmental concerns are locate- specific and, therefore, do not admit of global solution. These efforts, therefore, need to be supplemented by more intensive locale- specific efforts.
5.5.2 Accordingly, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Environmental Orientation to School Education has been started with effect from the current financial year under which 100% financial assistance is provided to States/UTs and voluntary organisations working in the field of environment education. Various programmes aimed at creating environmental consciousness among the students and the community would be organised on project basis in selected areas comprising homogenous ecological conditions. The project activities would include review of curriculum, preparation of revised textbooks, curricular and extra- curricular materials, preparation of general informative books/ brochures/ posters/audio-visual materials, adoption of monuments by schools for study and upkeep, study of ecological problems in the neighbourhood, participation in conservation projects, etc. Setting up of school nurseries will be taken as one of the preferred activities with the help of State Departments of Environment & Forest and National Wastelands Development Board. The scheme also provides for involvement of voluntary organisations in innovative projects relating to environment education.
5.5.3 During the current financial year, proposals of Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Mizoram have already been sanctioned and some others are under consideration. The scheme has received a very good response from the voluntary organisations and a number of proposals are being received for taking up projects under this scheme. Some of the proposals already sanctioned are from:
- Uttarakhand Seva Nidhi, Almora for environmental orientation to elementary education in Kumaon & Garhwal regions of Uttar Pradesh.
- Sanchal Foundation, New Delhi for a project on social imperatives of development which seeks to establish a linkage between the natural disasters and environmental degradation.
- Centre of Environment Education (CEE) Ahmedabad to act as a nodal agency for involving NGOs working in the area of environment education to take up localespecific activities in a cluster of schools around them. The CEE will provide orientation to the key functionaries of the NGOs, will collaborate with and guide them in their programmes. The NGOS identified by CEE will be given grants through CEE which will monitor and supervise the implementation of the programme in schools.
Educational Technology Programme 5.6.1 An educational technology programme was started in the Central Sector during the Fourth Plan period in 1972 for widening access to and bringing about qualitative improvement in education.
5.6.2 In 1982, with the commissioning of INSAT transmission it was decided that production of ETV programme will be the responsibility of educational authorities. Accordingly, a scheme was prepared by the Ministry of Education for creating Educational Television (ETV) programme production facilities within the education sector on a decentralised basis by setting up a Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) in the NCERT and State Institutes of Educational Technology (SIETs) in six States i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa and strengthening of ET Cells in other States.
5.6.3 The National Policy on Education 1986 states that, In order to avoid structural dualism, modern educational technology must reach out to the most distant areas and most deprived sections of beneficiaries simultaneously with the areas of comparative affluence and easy availability.' This approach would intrinsically favour the use of broadcast methods with their inherent advantage of greater reach, convenience of management and cost effectiveness. Keeping this in view, a revised scheme has been formulated by the Department which seeks to consolidate present efforts under the INSAT utilisation programme, achieve larger programme production capabilities within the education sector and extend Radio and TV coverage to one lakh and five lakh elementary schools respectively by providing receiving sets. The scheme has been finalised and started in 1987-88.
5.6.4 Programme production has commenced in CIET and SIETs. From the current academic year, responsibility for programme production, which was hitherto being. shared between Doordarshan and CIET on 50:50 basis, has devolved entirely on CIET.
5.6.5 The ETV programmes are telecast daily in the morning for 3 hours and. 45 minutes, on about 220 school days, covering five regional languages viz.
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Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya and Telugu on a time sharing basis (45 minutes each language). Programmes in five languages are produced and telecast for six to eight and nine to eleven year old children both in school and out of school from Monday through Friday. Programmes for the primary level teachers are telecast every Saturday. The ETV programme are relayed by all HPTs and LPTs in the six INSAT States and other Hindi speaking States.
5.6.6 CIET has produced 350 ETV programmes and 700 language versions since 1984. Ending November, 1988, the CIET had produced 50 new ETV programmes in Hindi and prepared Oriya version of these programmes. As in the earlier years, the CIET prepared the ETV component of the National programme of the Mass Orientation of School Teachers (MOST) this year also. The programmes produced in Hindi and English are preceded by synopsis of 13 different languages. The emphasis is to support different core curricular areas and print material. More than 4.5 lakh teachers receive the benefit of these programmes each year. Various training courses are organised in collaboration with international agencies of repute. Ninety four persons will be participating in various training courses during 1988-89. About thirty in-country training courses have also been organised providing training to 600 persons of SIET and CIET in various aspects of audio and video production.
5.6.7. Though the CIET has reached programme production capability of high order, SIETs have been a little slow in this regard. They have faced management problems as well as technical manpower problems. A working group was set up to examine the management structure and suggest measures to improve the functioning of SIETs. The group, among other things, recommended that an autonomous organisation in the form of a registered society should be consitituted under the aegies of the State Government to manage the affairs of SIETs. In pursuance of this, draft bye-laws have been framed and various measures are under consideration for reorganisation of the SIETs.
5.6.8 The emphasis on educational audio production in the CIET during the year has also been on core curricular areas and 72 new audio programmes were produced. Three 16 mm colour films on West Coast in a Geography series on "Land and People" were completed In addition, two other films on 'Aravali Ranges and 'Non-formal Education' are nearing completion. Efforts are also on to involve private producers in production of ETV programmes. The NCERT has set up a Committee to evolve modalities for involving outside producers to produce video films for CIET. SIET, Lucknow is also exploring the possibility of commissioning private producers for ETV programmes.
5.6.9 A group on use of Satellite for education was set up with Shri Kiran Karnik as convenor to go into media time requirement, manpower requirement and finances for the entire educational sector. The Group is expected to submit its report soon.
5.6.10 The new ET Scheme approved in January, 1988 envisaged supply of one lakh TV sets and five lakhs radio-cum-cassette players to elementary schools during last three years of the Seventh Five Year Plan period. During 1987-88, a total number of 10,049 TV sets and about 38,000 Radio-cum-cassette players (RCCPs) have been sanctioned to States/UTs for supply among elementary schools. To ensure standardization for purchase of TV sets and RCCPs, their design specifications were finalised in consultation with CIET, DOE, Doordarshan/AIR and these were circulated to the States along with guidelines for purchase procedures.
Computer Education in Schools 5.7.1 A Pilot Project on Computer Literacy and Studies in Schools (CLASS) was initiated in 1984-85 in 248 Secondary/Higher Secondary schools; jointly by the Department of Electronics and the Department of Education to acquaint students and teachers with the range of computer applications and its potential as a learning medium. The project continued till 1987-88 on year to year basis with addition of 1700 more schools (700 schools covered during 1987-88). Fifty three resource centres were set up to train school teachers and provide logistic support to the participating schools. Maintenance of hardware and its installation was assigned to the CMC Ltd. The NCERT was identified as the nodal agency to implement the project. Since the inception of the project till 1986-87, the project had been entirely funded by the Department of Electronics. During 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87 and 1987-88 the Department of Electronics allocated Rs. 2.2 crores, Rs. 4.00 crores, Rs. 4.00 crores and Rs. 90 lakhs respectively. During 1987-88, the Department of Education spent Rs. 5.39 crores for the project.