SECONDARY EDUCATION
Vocationalisation of Secondary Education 5.1.1 Keeping in view the priorities accorded to vocationalisation of education in the NPE-86, the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary Education started in February, 1988 continued to be implemented with vigour. The main objectives of the scheme are to provide diversification of educational opportunities so as to enhance individual's employability, reduce the mismatch between demand and supply of skilled manpower, and provide an alternative avenue for those pursuing higher education.
5.1.2 The selection of vocational courses is made on the basis of area vocational surveys, registration in the Employment Exchanges, and a general assessment of manpower needs made under District Developmental Plans. This ensures, to some extent, that students are trained in those occupational areas wherein self or wage employment opportunities are assured. In order to ensure that the curricula for the vocational courses are need-based and socially relevant, the responsibility for development of curricula and instructional material has been left to the States/UTs who may develop them in collaboration with the local expert organisations. However, it has been recommended that the vocational theory and practice should be given nearly 70 per cent of the total instructional time. On-the-job training is an integral part of the curricula. The remaining time is allocated to the study of languages and general foundation course.
5.1.3 Under the scheme, a Joint Council of Vocational. Education (JCVE) has been set up at the national level, with counterpart bodies at the State level, for laying down policy guidelines, planning and coordination of vocational programmes conducted by different agencies/organisations. The JCVE has as its members representatives from various Ministries/Departments, Members or Parliament, State Governments, voluntary organisations, experts in vocational education and all-India professional bodies. Union Education Minister is its Chairman. A Standing Committee of the JCVE has also been set up under the Chairmanship of the Union Education Secretary to ensure that the tasks laid down by JCVE are effectively performed.
5.1.4 The scheme is presently being implemented in 27 States/UTs. Upto the end of the Seventh Plan 7888 vocational sections had been approved with an enrolment capacity of 3.94 lakh students in classes XI and XII together. During 1990-91 an additional 1128 sections were approved. During 1991-92 it is proposed to sanction another 1400 vocational sections. Thus by the end of 1991-92 facilities would have been created for 5.85 lakh students in the vocational stream. The estimated enrolment during 1991-92 at +2 level is 66.05 lakh. This would mean a diversion of about 8.7 per cent to the vocational stream. The actual enrolment is however likely to be less as optimum utilisation of facilities created may not be achieved.
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5.1.5 The Scheme provides for funding of innovative programmes in the field of vocational education undertaken by voluntary organisations. During 1991-92, financial assistance to the tune of Rs.16.217 lakh has been given to six voluntary organisations.
5.1.6 The Scheme lays considerable emphasis on practical. training of students both during the course of study as well as after completion of the course. The Apprentices Act 1961 was emended in 1986 to include apprenticeship training for the pass-outs of the vocational courses at the +2 level. Subsequently, Apprenticeship Rules were modified in September, 1987 and later in April, 1988 by which 20 subject fields were notified for coverage of vocational students under the Apprenticeship Scheme. Efforts are being made to get more such subjects notified under the Act.
5.1.7 The Apprentices Act is being implemented through four Regional Boards-of Apprenticeship Training (BOATs) of the Department of Education located at Bombay, Calcutta, Kanpur and Madras. It is a statutory obligation on the part of every establishment covered by the provisions of the Apprentices Act to provide facilities for training of a specific number of apprentices. Upto 1990-91 an amount of Rs. 119.08 lakh was made available to the Boards in Southern and Western Regions. During 1991-92 (upto November, 1991) an amount of Rs. 1.00 lakh has been made available to the Northern Region for this purpose.
5.1.8 Action is in progress to start vocational courses specific to the needs of the users to ensure ready employment to the vocational students provided they fulfill the minimum standard laid down. Such vocational courses have already been introduced by the CBSE in general insurance and life insurance in collaboration with the General Insurance Corporation and Life Insurance Corporation respectively. A vocational course for Railway commercial staff has been worked out in collaboration with the Railway Board and has been started in five schools during 1991-92. More schools are expected to take up the course in 1992-93. Similarly, health related courses have been started in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Three different courses, viz., Medical Laboratory Technician, X-Ray Technician and Ophthalmic Technician, have been started in three schools of Delhi from 1991-92. More Schools will be covered during 1992-93. The auxiliary Nurse/Midwife course being run in two training institutions under the Ministry of Health has been upgraded to a two year vocational course and affiliated to CBSE for purposes of examination. Several States have also started similar health related vocational courses. In eight schools of UP, vocational courses in the handicrafts sector have been started in collaboration with the Development commissioner for Handicrafts. Correspondence is on with a large number of Public Sector Undertakings and private industrial houses seeking their involvement in the vocational education programme.
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5.1.9 The success of the vocational education programme would depend upon the placement of vocational pass-outs in wage-and self- employment. For purposes of wage employment in the organised sector it is necessary that the recruitment rules are modified to make the vocational students eligible for employment and to give them preference because of the skills acquired by them. The State Governments/UT Administrations have been advised to take urgent action in this regard in so far as State Departments/Organisations are concerned. At the initiative of the Department of Education, the Department of Personnel & Training at the Centre has issued a circular in November, 1988 to all Ministries/Departments requesting them to review their recruitment rules in order to make the vocational students eligible for employment. A few Ministries/Organisations, for whom special vocational courses have been started, have taken action to amend their recruitment rules so that the students undergoing the relevant vocational course are eligible for employment. The Staff Selection Commission have agreed that as and when requests for filling up various vacancies are received by them they would specifically invite the attention of the concerned Ministries/Departments to the circular of the Department of Personnel & Training and request them to make the vocational students eligible for those posts where minimum qualification is higher secondary.
5.1.10 Since a large number of vocational courses relevant to the banking sector have been started, the Banking Division, Ministry of Finance was requested that the vocational students doing the banking- related vocational courses be given preference for various posts in the banks. The Banking Division has agreed that the vocational students would be eligible for posts in the banking sector. The question of giving them preference has been taken up with that Division again.
5.1.11 The vocational students are also being prepared for self- employment. Entrepreneurship development is an integral part of all vocational courses. The question of providing loan facilities on easy terms to vocational students to enable them to set up small scale business was taken up with the Ministries of Finance and Industry and Department of Rural Development. The Ministry of Finance informed that the Reserve Bank of India had already issued instructions to the banks to finance small-scale industries at liberalised margin and concessional rates of interest. There should, therefore, be no difficulty for the vocational students to get bank assistance for setting up small scale industries. It has also been decided that under the Scheme of Self-Employment for Educated Unemployed Youths, students who have completed the +2 level vocational courses would be given preference provided they fulfill other criteria of eligibility. This has been conveyed to the Education secretaries and Industry Secretaries of all States/UTs. The Department of Rural Development arranged loan facilities through banks for persons/families below the poverty line to enable them to engage themselves in self-employment. The States/UTs have been advised to get in touch with the Project Director, District Rural
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Development Agency (DRDA) to identify students from Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) families who may have completed the vocational courses for availing themselves of loan facilities.
5.1.12 The second meeting of the Standing Committee of the JCVE was held on 29th June, 1991. The Committee considered revision of the existing scheme keeping in view the experience gained in its implementation. The financial ceilings for various components of the scheme were proposed to be revised and certain new components added like assistance for raw material, a teacher for the general foundation Course and vocational guidance, assistance for evaluation and monitoring, etc. The Standing Committee has approved the proposed revisions. The Standing committee also considered the scheme for pre- vocational education at the lower secondary stage. Keeping in view the suggestions made, the draft scheme has been modified and will be placed before the next meeting of the Standing Committee. The outline of the scheme for establishment of separate vocational schools was also placed before the Standing Committee. It was decided that a detailed scheme may be drafted for consideration at its next meeting.
5.1.13 The NCERT organised a national seminar on Vocationalisation of Education on 13-15 November, 1991 to review the progress of implementation of the vocational education scheme, share experiences and ideas, discuss major contemporary issues and formulate new approaches for the future. The seminar covered themes of curriculum and teacher training; teaching and evaluation procedure; entrepreneurship, guidance and placement; and industrial linkages and on-the-job training. About 45 persons from different States participated in the seminar. The Report of the seminar is expected to be ready shortly.
5.1.14 Efforts are being made to create a data base in respect of the scheme for proper monitoring, evaluation and review. Factual data on different aspects of the scheme has been collected and is being analysed. A computerised Management Information System (MIS) for regular flow of information from the States/UTs is also being developed. It is expected that the proposed MIS will be in operation from the financial year 1992-93.
5.1.15 The Budget for the scheme during 1991-92 is Rs.89.00 crore out of which an amount of Rs. 16.34 crore was released, till November, 1991.
Educational Technology Programme 5.2.1 An Educational Technology Programme was started in the Central sector in the year 1972 during the Fourth Plan period for widening access to and bringing about qualitative improvement in education. Under the scheme, a Centre for Educational Technology was set up in the NCERT and 100 per cent assistance was provided to twenty- one States for setting up Educational Technology (ET)
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Cells. 5.2. 2. In view of expansion of broadcasting facilities with the advent of INSAT and concomitant demand for educational software, the Ministry of Education decided to take on the responsibility of production of educational television programmes for relay through satellites. Accordingly, a scheme was prepared by the Ministry 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, viz., Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh and strengthening of ET Cells in other States.
5.2.3 To meet the objectives of NPE, the Educational Technology Scheme was revised in 1987 with the broad objectives of strengthening of both ETV and audio programme production capabilities and providing wider access to the same by supplying one lakh Colour Television (CTV) sets and five lakh Radio-Cum-Cassette Players (RCCPs) to primary schools during the Seventh Plan.
5.2.4 A group with Dr. Kiran Karnik as convener was set up in August, 1987 to study and make recommendations on the use of satellite services on education and the media time requirement of various sectors of education. The recommendations of the group are under consideration of the Government.
5.2.5 Programme production has commenced in CIET and all the six SIETs. In fact, from the academic year 1988-89, responsibility for programme production, which was until then being shared between CIET and Doordarshan on 50:50 basis, has been taken over by CIET and SIETs. The satellite based ETV service presently provides telecast of educational programmes for the children and their teachers at the primary level in the morning for 45 minutes duration in each of the five regional languages, namely, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Oriya and Telugu on time sharing basis. The programmes for children are telecast from Monday to Friday and for primary level teachers on every Saturday. There are separate programmes for the children in the age groups of 5-8 and 9-11 years on each day.
5.2.6 The ETV programmes are relayed by all high and low power transmitters in the six INSAT States. The programmes in Hindi are relayed by the other five Hindi speaking states also, namely, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
5.2.7 With the availability of uplinking facilities from Bombay and Hyderabad, the telecast timings have been rescheduled from November, 1991.
5.2.8 The CIET has produced 646 ETV programmes upto October, 1991 and 914 language versions. It has also produced 450
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capsules for the programme of MOST during the summers of 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. The number of programmes produced by SIETs is given in the Table 5.1.
Table 5.1
Number of Programmes Produced BY SIEETs as on July, 1991
SIET No. of Programmes
1. Andhra Pradesh 562
2. Bihar 105
3. Gujarat 805
4. Maharashtra 1058
5. Orissa 107
6. Uttar Pradesh 604
5.2.9 The SIETs have been a bit slow in achieving adequate production capability of the required standard because, of management and technical manpower problems faced by them. The Working Group set up to suggest ways and means of improving the functioning of SIETs, among other things, suggested conversion of SIETs into autonomous organisations in the form of registered societies under the aegis of the State Governments. SIETs in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, U.P. and Maharashtra have already become autonomus. SIETs in Bihar, is likely to be registered as societies shortly, while the matter is being pursued with the Government of Gujarat.
5.2.10 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 videofilms for CIET. As many as nine ETV video programmes commissioned to outside producers have been completed and another eight programmes are nearing completion.
5.2.11 An ambitious programme of distribution of CTV sets and RCCPs was undertaken under the ET Scheme. Funds are also being sanctioned for audio programme production by State Governments and non-Government organisations. The CIET has also produced more than 1100 audio programmes on various educational themes at various levels of school education. SIETs have also geared efforts towards production of audio programmes either by themselves and/or through outside agencies. A list of about 40 video and audio programmes produced by the CIET have been identified for providing meaningful media support to the DIETs in their teacher training activities.
5.2.12 The summary of achievements under the ET Programme is given in Table 5.2.
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Table 5.2
Educational Technology : Achievements
1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 Total
(as on 12.12.91)
Amount Spent 14.14 16.20 16.50 14.57 3.15 64.56
(Rs. in crore)
No. of states
covered (cumulative) 13 29 31 32 32
No. of TV sets
distributed 10049 12049 2799 6232 - 31129
No. of Radio cum
Cassette Players 37562 67735 49963 72883 3115 231228
distributed
Continuing Schemes
1. Amount released to CIET
to CIET
(Rs. in crores) 5.28 3.10 3.146 2.37 2.00 15.89
2. Amount released
to SIETs (Rs. in 1.40 1.53 2.20 0.44 0.63 6.65
crores) (6 INSAT Plan
States A.P.,Bihar,
Gujarat,Maharashtra, 0.45
Orissa and U.P.) Non-Plan
3. Amount released. to ET Cells
(Rs. in crores) 0.22 0.26 0.54 - - 1.02
4. Amount released
to States/UTs for
TVs/RCCPs (Rs. 7.15 11.19 10.60 11.66 0.33 40.93
in crores)
5. Development of
software for
RCCPs (Rs. in - - - 0.10 0.19 0.29
crores)
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Improvement of Science Education in Schools 5.3.1 In order to improve the quality of science education and promote scientific temper, as envisaged in NPE, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Improvement of Science Education in Schools was started during the last quarter of 1987-88. Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided to States/Union Territories for provision of science kits to upper primary schools; upgradation and strengthening of science laboratories in secondary and higher secondary schools upto a desired standard; upgradation of libraries in secondary and higher secondary schools; setting up of District Resource Centres for science education, development of instructional materials; and training of Science and Mathematics teachers. The scheme also provides for assistance to voluntary organizations active in the field of science education for undertaking innovative projects and resource support activities in science education. Though the scheme originally intended to cover all Government and Government-aided upper primary, secondary and higher secondary schools by the end of Eighth Five Year Plan, this Ministry, taking note of the financial constraints, proposes to cover about 55 per cent of the total number of existing schools by the end of the Eighth Plan.