Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) 5.7.1 In order to provide good quality modern education to the talented children predominantly from the rural areas, Government of India have launched a scheme to establish Navodaya Vidyalayas on an average one in each district. Two hundred and sixty one Navodaya Vidyalayas covering 22 States and 7 Union Territories have so far been established in the country.
5.7.2 Admission to Navodaya Vidyalayas is at the level of Class- VI. In view of the fact most of the students so admitted would have been taught earlier through the medium of the mother tongue/regional language, instruction is provided through the same medium upto Class VI or VIII, during which time intensive teaching of Hindi English both as a language subject and co-media is undertaken. Thereafter, the common medium would be Hindi/English. At this stage, there is a migration of 20% students from each Navaodaya Vidyalaya to another Navodaya Vidyalaya, in a
33
different linguistic region. The migration is mainly between Hindi and non-Hindi speaking districts. During the current academic session, this migration took place between 83 Navodaya Vidyalayas having Class IX and above. The parents and students have willingly accepted the scheme of migration. The Navodaya Vidyalayas follow the normal three langugage formula.
5.7.3 The basis of admission to Navodaya Vidyalaya is a test conducted by NCERT. The medium of the test is the mother-tongue or regional language. Test is largely of non-verbal nature, class- neutral and so designed as to ensure that talented children from rural schools are able to compete without suffering a disadvantage.
5.7.4 Navodaya Vidyalayas are co-educational. Admission of children from urban areas is restricted to a maximum of one-fourth. Efforts are made to ensure that at least one-third of the students in each Navodaya Vidyalaya are girls.
5.7.5 Reservation of seats in favour of children belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is provided in proportion to their population in the concerned district, provided that in no district such reservation is less than the national avenue.
5.7.6 For the. 261 Vidyalayas sanctioned, the construction programme is planned in three phases (1) Construction of tubular structures-Zero phase, (2) Construction of school buildings, part of dormitories and part of quarters for Vidyalayas upto Class X - Phase-I, and (3) Complete construction of Vidyalayas upto Class XII- Phase II As per the designs prepared by the CBRI for different Vidyalayas according to geo- climatic condition, the construction of tubular structures is in progress at 67 places and work under Phase-I is in progress at 130 places. Construction of Phase-I programme has been completed in 30 Vidyalayas and they have already moved to their permanent buildings. For the construction of the Vidyalaya buildings, an amount of Rs. 46 crores; was spent during 1988-89, and Rs.35 crores during 1989-90.
5.7.7 Since all Navodaya Vidyalayas are residential and located in remote areas, the following incentives have been provided to attract good teachers/ principals:-
(i) Rent free, partly furnished, accommodation as available at site.
(ii) Children Education allowance at the rate of Rs. 150/- p.m. per child subject to a maximum of two children.
(iii) Free boarding facilities to House Masters and teachers staying with the students.
(iv) Free lunch to all teachers.
(v) Facility for the appointment of spouse as per Samiti's rule.
(vi) Admission without test in the Navodaya Vidyalayas for children of teachers are posted and free boarding facility to such children.
(vii) Teaching allowance of Rs. 100/- p.m.
5.7.8 Earlier, all teachers and Principals were recruited on deputation basis. However, from the year 1988-89, the Samiti decided to recruit 50% teachers and Principals on direct recruitment basis. Since most of these Principals/teachers had very little background of working in residential schools, it, is essential to provide sufficient inputs to facilitate them to adjust themselves to the working of the residential school. system. One month orientation course for teachers was organised in different regions in May/June, 1989, and another 1 month course was organised in December 1989. Similarly for the newly recruited Principals, 1 month orientation course was organised in the training wing of the Samiti which is located at Navodaya Vidyalaya, Katewara, Delhi, in January 1990.
5.7.9 Besides the above orientation courses, inservice courses for teachers of Music, Yoga, SUPW and Art have been organised too.
5.7.10 A series of workshops on "What Research tells teachers" has been organised. The materials developed during these workshops have been appreciated by all.
5.7.11 A system of continuous comprehensive evaluation has been introduced by the Samiti deemphasise the external examination. The Scheme is based on the principle that the purpose of evaluation is to provide feedback and guidance to the teachers in general and students in particular.
5.7.12 In collaboration with Sports Authority of India (SAI), 25 Navodaya Vidyalayas have been selected for the admission of 5% sports- talented children. Special coaches for the development of
34
34 (A),
34 (B),
34 (C),
34 (D),
34 (E),
34 (F)
sports talent among the children are being provided by SAI.
5.7.13 thirty Navodaya Vidyalayas have been selected by the Department of Bio-technology, and computers are being provided in these Vidyalayas to facilitate the learning of Biology and other subjects.
5.7.14 in the following Table, information is furnished on the progress of NVs since 1987-88:-
TABLE 12
NAVODAYA VIDYALAYAS: Achievements
1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 Total for
(antici 1987-88,
pated by 1988-89 &
31.3.90) 1989-90
Amount spent 69.00 79.03 84.79* 232.82
(Rs crores) (79.30) @
Number of States 29
UTs covered
Number of Schools
opened cumulative 209 261
National open School
School Complexes 197
under construction ( full first phase
construction in respect of 130
Vidyalayas and Limited construction in
respects of 67 Vidyalayas)
Total students 48940
strength Number Percentage of
total
children
Scs 9150 18.70
Sts 5493 11.22
Girls 13054 26.67
Students 19576 40.00
from
families
below
poverty
line
@ The Figure in brackets is BE for 1989-90
* This figure can be higher as the actual requirements based on
commitments are more.
National Open School 5.8.1 With encouragement received from the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi, set up the Open School in 1979. It was meant to be a complement to the formal system, by providing an alternative or second chance for education and life opportunities to school drop-outs, housewives, unemployed or working adults and in general, to those who wished to avail of continuing education. Starting with a small enrolment of 1672 in 1981-82, the annual enrolment stood at 51,000 in 1989. The cumulative active enrolment is about 1,50,000. More importantly, every State and Union Territory has now Open School students, most of them from deprived sections of the Society. About 37% registrants are women and 20% SCs/STs. Around 75% of the students are above 17 years of age.
5.8.2 Open learning already available at the tertiary level in India has been greater urgency at the school level. As a result of the increasing demand from young persons all over. the country courses leading to Secondary School Certification were introduced by the Open School in September 1988. Twenty three thousand six hundred and ninety one candidates have been certified as qualified in the Secondary School Examination so far. The first Senior Secondary School Examination will take place in January 1990. As a supplement to distant learning the Open School ran 101 study centres all over the country providing the candidates face to face teaching.
5.8.3 Open School Education provides a vital link with the National Literacy Mission and Non-formal and Adult Education Programmes by providing a channel for continuing education apart from selected vocational courses. Thus, the Open School supplements the formal system of education in order to facilitate a flexible approach in the execution of its complex objectives, the National Open School has been registered as a Society on 23rd November, 1989.
5.8.4 During the year 1989-90, there is a budget provision of Rs. 80.00 lakhs (Plan). The entire amount, it is anticipated, would be spent.
5.8.5 Charts relating to Open School are presented alongside.
Integrated Education for the Disabled Children 5.9.1 It has been established scientifically that children who are disabled with mild handicaps make better progress academically and psychologically if they study in common schools alongside normal children. NPE, 1986 lays emphasis
35
on the need for integrating these children with other children in common schools. The Scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children sanctions 100% financial assistance to State Governments/UT Administrations/ voluntary Organisations for creating necessary facilities in the schools. Admissible items of expenditure are books and stationery allowance, transport allowance, uniform allowance, readers allowance (for blind children), escort allowance (for orthopaedically handicapped children with lower extremity disabilities), equipment allowance and wherever necessary, hostel charges. Besides, the scheme also provides for meeting the cost of salary and incentives for teachers, setting up of resource rooms, carrying out assessment of disabled children, training of teachers, removal of architectural barriers in schools, development and production of special instructional materials for disabled children, etc. Assistance is also given, through UGC, to selected universities/institutions for running training courses in special education for teachers of the handicapped children. Training facilities are also provided by NCERT and the four Regional Colleges of Education.
5.9.2 The scheme is at present being implemented in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and A&N Islands.
5.9.3 The coverage of the disabled under this scheme stands at about 20,000 children at present. During the year 1988-89, Central assistance amounting to Rs. 1.94 crores was sanctioned to various States/UTs. There is a budget provision of Rs. 2.00 crores for this scheme for the year 1989-90. Expenditure anticipated by 31.3.90 is Rs. 2.20 crores.
Freeships for girls 5.10.1 In recognition of the crucial role girls and women play in accelerating socioeconomic development, the government has formulated a variety of measures from time to time to promote their envisages education. The NPE that education would be used as a strategy for achieving a basic change in the status of women. The national education system would : (i) play a positive interventionist role/ in the empowerment of women; (ii) contribute towards development of new values through redesigned curricula and textbooks; and (iii) promote women's studies as part of various courses. The main features of the targets and implementation strategy will be (i) to gear the entire education system to plan a positive interventionist role in the empowerment of women; (ii) to promote women's studies as a part of various courses and encouragement, to educational institutions to take up active programme to further women's development; (iii) to widen the access of women in programmes of vocational, technical and professional education; and (iv) to create dynamic managerial structure to cope up with targets envisaged.
5.10.2 The government had introduced in 1985-86 a scheme for reimbursement of tuition fee charged from girls in classes IX-XII in government/government aided/local body schools in the States/Union Territories. The scheme continues till the end of the Seventh Plan. During 1988-89, a sum of Rs. 9.00 crores was released to various States/union Territories under this programme. For 1989-90, there is a budget provision for Rs. 7.00 crores. The entire provisions would be spent by 31.3.90.
Educational Concessions to the Children of officers and Men of
Armed Forces killed or disabled during Hostilities 5.11.1 The Central Government and most of the State Governments and Union Territories continued to offer educational concessions to the children of defence personnel and paramilitary forces killed or permanently disabled during Indo-China hostilities in 1962 and Indo- Pakistan hostilities in 1965 and 1971.
5.11.2 During 1988 these concessions were extended to the children of IPKF/CRPF personnel who were killed/disabled during action in Sri Lanka and to the children of Armed Forces personnel killed/disabled in action in Operation Meghdoot in Siachen Area.
5.11.3 In the year 1988-89, 22 students availed of such concessions. In 1989-90, 13 students have availed themselves of concession amounting to Rs 82415 against budget provision of Rs. 1.50 lakhs.
Promotion of Yoga 5.12.1 The place of Yoga in physical education has been established. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has been implementing a scheme for
36
36 (A)
promotion of yoga as a part of its overall programme for development of physical education in the country taking into consideration the potential usefulness of yoga in promoting physical fitness. Under the scheme financial assistance is given to yoga institutions of an All India character towards maintenance and also developmental+expenditure on basic research, teacher training and programmes in other aspects of yoga except therapeutic. Financial assistance to yoga institutions for promotion of yoga therapeutical aspects is being extended by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
5.12.2 The Kaivalyadhama Shriman Madhava Yoga Mandir Samiti, Lonavla' (Pune), continues to be assisted under the scheme, both for its maintenance and developmental expenditure for research and teacher training programme.
5.12.3 The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan which had started yoga as a separate subject on an experimental basis in 1981-82, has now decided, based on an evaluation, to teach yoga in all Kendriya Vidyalayas on a regular basis. It is now proposed by the Ministry to introduce yoga in other schools also on as large scale as practicable. Accordingly, a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme has been started in 1989-90 under which yoga institutions will be assisted for training yoga teachers and for building infrastructural facilities for the purpose. An amount of Rs. 79.00 lakhs under Plan and Rs. 20.00 lakhs under Non- Plan has been provided for promotion of yoga in the budget. for 1989- 90. These amounts are meant to meet the requirements of the existing programmes as well as for the new Centrally Sponsored Scheme. An expenditure of Rs. 16.95 lakhs under plan and Rs. 19.90 lakhs under Non-Plan was incurred in 1989-90 on the existing programmes for promotion of yoga. The level of anticipated plan expenditure during the year is Rs. 11.12 lakhs.
Assistance to Agencies for strengthening Culture/Art/Values in
Education and Assistance to Educational Institutions implementing
Innovative Programmes. 5.13.1 The National Policy on Education, 1986 stipulates that education about India's cultural heritage should be strenghtened and creative activities like art education should be emphasised. A Central Scheme for assistance to agencies for strengthening Cultural/Art/Values in Education and for assistance to educational institutions implementing innovative programmes has been in operation since 1987. For effective implementation of the Scheme, prominence has been given to the people's involvement including association of nongovernmental agencies and voluntary efforts.
5.13.2 The specific objectives of the scheme are to strengthen the cultural input in the educational content and process; to strengthen value education in, the school system, and to implement pioneering or innovative programmes at the school stage.
5.13.3 Assistance under the scheme is provided for the following purposes :
- Development of learning materials, instructional/learning aids;
- Teacher training;
- Meetings, conferences, seminars to promote innovation and experiments;
- Innovative and experimental projects of national importance;
- Activities/programmes interlinking education with culture/art/value education activities;
- Development of infrastructure in schools assisted for innovative programmes.
5.13.4 Some of the programmes which have been assisted under this scheme are :
i) Spic-Macay, New Delhi :- For promoting traditional Indian
Culture among the youth of the
country, the chief medium of which
is classical Indian Music and
dance.
ii) Alarippu, New Delhi:- For organising workshops with students
particularly girl guides, slum youth
etc., training workshops for anganwadi
workers, production of video film on
women etc.
iii) Banasthali, Rajasthan:- For the promotion of women education
from nursery to research level,
particularly in rural areas.
iv) Olcott Memorial For imparting integrated education and
School, Madras Training in livelihood skills,
physical training and also to provide
free nutritious noon meals, free-books
and free uniforms to a large number of
students, mostly from SC/ST
communities.
37
v) Nandikar, Calcutta : For Theatre Activity for Motivation and
Liberation of Student Community.
vi) Ninasam, Heggodu Sagar, To produce selected childrens' plays
Karnataka and for the purpose to conduct plays
and for the purpose to conduct
training workshop for a group of
Directors/Technicians.
vii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Mission, For construction of 5 class rooms
Shimoga, Karnataka and dormitory for talented SC/ST
girls.
5.13.5 Budget provision is Rs. 50.00 lakhs. Anticipated level of expenditure is Rs. 48 lakhs.
National Population Education Project (NPEP) 5.14.1 Realising the potential of education in tackling the problems of a growing population, a National Population Education Project was launched with effect from April 1980 designed to introduce population education in the formal education system, The underlying objective is to create in the younger generation adequate awareness of the population problems and realisation in this regard of their responsibilities towards the nation. The programme has been developed in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with the active involvement of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare which is the nodal Ministry for the project. The NCERT provides technical assistance. The expenditure incurred by the implementing agencies in States/UTs and NCERT on this project is reimbursed by UNFPA.
5.14.2 The NPEP has covered much ground towards achieving its ultimate objective of institutionalising Population education into the ongoing education system. The launching of NPE 1986 has been the most significant milestone in this direction. The specific mention of the small family norm' and other core curricular areas which have a bearing on the major concerns of population education, has strengthened the validity of purposes and objective of the project. As a follow-up of NPE the elements of population education are being effectively integrated into the syllabi and textbooks of various States and Union Territories.
5.14.3 In order to facilitate effective integration of population education elements, the conceptual framework of population education has been revised and Minimum Essential Contents have been identified. A compendium of Lessons on Population Education for selected subjects that are being taught in different classes from I to XII has been developed. A number of prototype curricular and instructional materials including textual and audio visual materials and also evaluation tools, have been developed at the national level and circulated to States/UTs for their use. Four hundred titles of different kinds of material available in 17 Indian languages have been developed. An evaluation study of curricular and textual materials was conducted. instructional and training materials, including audio visual material, of 9 Hindi speaking States and Union Territories were reviewed and screened. About 600 posters and charts prepared in different themes and content of population education were reviewed as also some video cassettes and slide sets. Meaningful guidelines for preparing effective and qualitative audio-visual materials were developed. The States/UTs developed audio visual materials used primarily in teacher training programmes. Orientation programmes for textbooks authors, curriculum developers and teacher educators were organised. In States/UTs over a million teachers, teacher educators, key persons, educational administrators and other functionaries have been trained during the last eight years. Two co-curricular activities, namely painting competition and essay writing competition have been organised at the national level. States/UTs also organise debates, declamation, essay writing and painting competitions, exhibitions, youth parliament and kavi darbars. Tools to evaluate curriculum, textbooks, training programmes and classroom lessons, and three types of Awareness Tests were developed at the national level. A status study schedule consisting of seventeen schedules was developed to collect information for regular monitoring of NPEP. The first draft of the National Source Book on Population Education written by different authors was reviewed in a workshop and most of the knowledge base part of the Source Book is ready. A half yearly journal entitled Population Education Bulletin has been started for circulation to various persons and agencies interested in this area.
5.14.4 Fifteen States/UTs have developed curriculum for non-formal education sector and
38
eight of them have incorporated population education elements into the on-going syllabi. Twenty-one titles have been prepared for Instructors/Facilitators. About 28,000 Instructors/. Facilitators have been oriented by States/UTs in the Non-formal sector. An intensive training programme in population education was organised for States/UTs project personnel who had joined the Population education sector. The Population education cells in States/UTs have prepared integrated syllabi in Population education for the plus-two stage and teaching-learning materials for non-formal sector.
5.14.5 There is a budget provision of Rs. 75.00 lakhs during 1989- 90 for this programme and the entire amount would be spent.
Cultural Exchange Programme in the Field of School Education. 5.15.1 The programme is being implemented by the Ministry in consultation with NCERT and the State Governments.
5.15.2 The following deputations/delegations were sent abroad by the NCERT under the Cultural Exchange Programme : -
5.15.3 Mrs. Kanta Seth, Senior Lecturer in NCERT visited Mongolia from 5th December to 12 December, 1989 to get aquainted with educational system of Mongolia in the field of pre-school education.
5.15.4 A two member delegation consisting of Prof. B.N. Roy and Ur. (Mrs.) Asha Bhatnagar was given approval for visiting China for 2 weeks w.e.f. 20.3.89 to study experience on child Psychology and Child Education under item 31 of Indo-China Cultural Exchange Programme for 1988-90.
5.15.5 The Budget provision of Rs. 1 lakh made for 1989-90 has been spent on participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad.
Review of School textbooks from the standpoint of National
integration 5.16.1 Since 1981, the Ministry of Human Resource Development with academic support from the NCERT, has been engaged in making concerted efforts to review school textbooks from the standpoint of National Integration to ensure that the school curricula designed in this country, while matching the cultural, geographical and ecological diversity of the land, do not contain any material or approach which can directly or indirectly perpetuate untouchability, racialism, regionalism, casteism and communalism in the impressionable minds of our school students. Two distinct phases of this programme of review of school textbooks from the standpoint of National Integration have been completed by covering the school textbooks in use in States/UTs in situations where NCERT textbooks have not been adopted without any change or where textbooks printed by non-NCERT organisations are in use. The built-in system which the States/UTs were advised by NCERT to establish for continuous evaluation of textbooks as part of textbook preparation and development, has stood the test of time.
5.16.2 With the publication of new textbooks on the basis of revised curricula, the need for undertaking another programme of their evaluation from the point of view of promoting communal harmony, secularism and national integration was felt and a fresh programme initiated during 1989-90. To oversee this fresh programme, to be coordinated and monitored by the NCERT, a Steering Committee at the national level has been set up. Under this fresh programme, the textbooks brought out by the state level agencies, and private publishers and being used in schools under all types of management, will be evaluated.
National Awards to Teachers 5.17.1 The Scheme of National Awards to teachers, introduced in 1958 with the object of raising the prestige of teachers and giving public recognition to teachers of outstanding merit, continued in 1989. The number of awards allotted to a State depends upon the number of teachers. However, each State/UT. is entitled to atleast one award each for the categories of Primary and Secondary School teachers. The number of awards have been increased in 1986 from 186 to 300. Of these, 272 awards are for Primary and Secondary School teachers of different States/UTs. 4 awards each for teachers of Kendriya Vidyalayas and schools affiliated to C.B.S.E., 15 awards for teachers of Sanskrit Pathashalas and 5 for Arabic/Persian teachers of Madrasas run on traditional lines due to their limited number.
5.17.2 For 1988 National Awards, 274 teachers were
39
selected. Out of these 173 were Primary teachers, 94 Secondary teachers, 5 Sanskrit teachers of traditional pathashalas and 2 Arabic/Persian teachers of Madrasas run on traditional lines.
5.17.3 So far the selection of 211 teachers has been finalised for the National Awards, 1989. These teachers are from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh Administration, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi Administration, Pondicherry, KVS and CBSE. Selection of teachers from other States/UTs, Sanskrit teachers/Arabic/Persian teachers is in progress.
5.17.4 Out of the total provision of Rs. 22.00 lakhs for 1989-90, of Rs. 20. 10 lakhs would be spent by the end of March 1990.
National Foundation for Teachers' Welfare (NFTW) 5.18.1 The National Foundation for Teachers' Welfare (NFTW) was set up in 1962 under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890.
5.18.2 Financial assistance from the National Foundation for Teachers' Welfare. is granted to teachers for the following purposes:
- Construction of Shikshak Sadans.
- Paid holiday to eminent teachers who have rendered meritorious service.
- Support for professional education of children of school teachers.
- Medical reimbursement to teachers suffering from serious ailments.
- Gratuitous relief to teachers in cases of serious accidents.
- Subsidy for academic activity of teachers.
- Excursion tours of teachers.
- Assistance to teachers and their dependents in indigent circumstances.
5.18.3 During the year, administrative approval was conveyed for construction of 14. Shikshak Sadans in four States as per details given below :-
- Uttar Pradesh: There 20 room Shikshak sadans-at Lucknow, Agra and Allahabad at an estimated cost of Rs. 15 lakhs each. Five 10 room Shikshak Sadan at Almora, Varanasi, Haridwar, Chitrokoot and Ayodhya at an estimated cost of Rs. 8 lakhs each.
- Tamil Nadu: Shikshak Sadan at Teachers' College, Saidapet, Madras, at a cost of Rs. 10 lakhs.
- Kerala: Shikshak sadan at S.M.V. High School, Trivandrum, at an estimated cost of Rs. 10 lakhs.
- Rajasthan : Four 20 room Shikshak Sadan at Bikaner, Jaipur, Udaipur and jodhpur at an estimated cost of Rs. 14 lakhs each.
5.18.4 Expenditure anticipated by 31st March, 1990, to provide assistance for various purposes from out of the funds is as follows :-
Sl. No. Purpose Number of Amount of
cases assistance
(in Rupees)
1. Construction of Shikshak 1 5,00,000/-
Sadans
2. Paid holiday to eminent 3 4,188/-
teachers
3. Professional education of 246 5,23,266/-
children of school teachers
4. Medical reimbursement to 1 10,000/-
teachers suffering from
serious ailments
-----------------------------------
251 10,37,454/-
or
-----------------------------------
Rs. 10.37 lakhs.