EDUCATIONAL SCENARIO IN MANIPUR STATE-ROLE OF OLS
1. Growth of Education 1.1 There has been a phenomenal expansion in the
number of institutions and student enrolment in Manipur during
the last four and half decades - from 278 Primary Schools and
13 Junior High Schools in 1947 to 3,225 Primary Schools and
687 Junior High Schools in 1991 and enrolment of students
from 25,400 in Primary and 1,360 in Junior High schools in
1947 to 1,87,846 and 75,100 in Primary and Junior High
Schools respectively in 1991. According to Educational Survey
of 1986, 91% habitations have Primary Schooling facilities
within a radius of 1 km and 97% population is served by them.
At Junior High School level habitations covered within a radiu
of 3 kms are 58% and population served is 80%.
1.2 Similar growth has taken place in case of High
Schools, H.S.S. and Colleges. There were 6 High Schools and
one College 1947 and the number has risen to 394 High
Schools, 27 Higher Secondary Schools and 49 Colleges in
1991. Manipur has got a separate university of its own. Enrol-
ment at Higher School level was 1, 14,980.
1.3 The liver-all literacy rate in Manipur is 60.96 as
per 1991 Census. The Gross Enrolment ratios of 6-11 age-
group is reported to be 112.30 whereas from 11 to 14 age
group,there is a sharp, decline to 66.80 per cent.
2. Problems and Issues 2.1 Nearly 70% students drop out by the end of class
V and 74% by the end of Class VIII. In the District Council
Schools, the incidence of drop out is very high- in Tamonglog.
Sadar Hilss and Chandel Districts, out of 100 students who
joined Class IA/113 in 1986, only 3 students remained by the
time, they reached Class V.
2.2 The pass percentage at the HSLC Examination
during the last five years has varied between 26% to 39%.
There are large number of high Schools giving 0% result.
Distictwise, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Temenglong and Sadar
Hills have been showing poor results. There is a large inci-
dence of failure in subjects like Science, Mathematics, Hindi
and English. Qualitatively only 1% of the successful candidates
Secure 1st Division.
In Higher Secondary (1991) only 38 out of 1,048
successful candidates got first division. There was no First
Division among successful candidates of Arts and Commerce
Stream.
*Source - Report of the Education Commission, Manipur 1991.
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3 The percentage of untrained teachers at various
stages is as under:-
Primary - 43.20%
Upper Primary - 62.51%
Secondary - 69.13%
Higher Secondary - 56.22%
2.4 Qualification wise, about 4472 teachers - 40% of
the total Primary Teachers - are under matric.
Education and Work 2.5 The per capita income of the State is Rs. 1085/- as
against national average of Rs. 1536/- in 1980-81. As against
1.7% of the Population being job-seekers on the live register of
Employment Exchanges on an All India basis the proportion of
job-seekers on the live registers in Manipur is 7.9% i.e., 2.52
lakhs. According to one estimate by 2000 A.D., the number of
job-seekers will be 4.82 lakhs in the State.
2.6 The Sixth and Seventh Plans of the State envisaged
vocationalisation of Secondary Education but no progress was
made in this direction.
2.7 The draft Eighth Five Year Plan of the State envis-
ages major thrust in generation of productive employment op-
portunities through integrated area planning. Some of the
sectors having potential of employment are Handicrafts, Agro-
Industries, Fisheries, fruit preservation, power loom-weaving,
textile designing etc.
Prospects and Future 3.1 Keeping in view the enormity of educational prob-
Directions lems in the State, the Government appointed an Education
Commission in February, 1991 to suggest measures for ration-
alisation of management structures, improvement of quality of
education and reviewing of service conditions of teachers. Re-
port of this Commission is now available with the State Gov-
ernment and a Task Force is being constituted for
implementation purposes. Action is being initiated to rationalise
salary structure, recruitment, service conditions and revamping
of Teacher's Training Programmes.
3.2 Techno-academic support system is being reorgan-
ised by opening Second D.I.E.T and proposed strengthening of
SECRET, College of Education and P.G. Department of Edu-
cation in the University.
Vocational stream is being contemplated,at +2 and
college stage.
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4. Possible Areas of In- 4.1 Keeping in view the past experience, inadequate
tervention through OLS infrastructural facilities, spatial distribution of population, con-
ditions of deprivation and large number of intended beneficiar-
ies, following critical areas of educational development will
require supplementation of traditional "face to face" approach
with OLS.
(a) Upgradation of qualifications of teachers;
(b) Pre-service Training of untrained teachers;
(c) In-service Training of teachers both in content and peda-
gogy;and
(d) Employment oriented programmes.
4.2 In the context of priority being accorded to OLS
in the Eighth Plan, it will be desirable to develop a substantial
programme of OLS in the State of Manipur. Most of the N.E.
STates are facing similar problems and a successful programme
will have far reaching effect in other STates also.
4.3 Setting up a group of following Institutions may
be considered for developing time-bound Action Plan:
1. University Grants Commission (UGC);
2. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU);
3. National Open School;
4. Y. B. Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik;
5. National Council of Educational Research & Training
(NCERT);
6.National Institute of Educational Planning & Administration
(NIEPA);
7. Ministry of Human Resource Development; and
8. Planning Commission.
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