FOREWORD
 

Education must be purposive, not only in the general sense of helping to build up the personality, character and intelligence of an individual but also in terms of improving his productive capacity. I have been, therefore, emphasising, for quite some time past, that education must be work-oriented, development biased and linked with productive capacity. This obviously implies that education should be science-based, right from the elementary stage, and should also pro- vide for some production-oriented activity.

Having been informed that a concrete shape had been given to work-oriented education in the German Democratic Republic, I thought that it would be a good idea if an officer of the Ministry of Education and Youth Services could make an on-the-spot study of this programme. I, therefore, suggested to Dr. S. N. Saraf, Director, Bureau of Planning and Co-ordination in the Ministry, who visited the German Democratic Republic in August-September, 1969 in connection with the Fourth International Colloquy on Teacher Education, to make a study of the polytechnical education or work-experience programme as it has been developed in the GDR. He could do so because the Government of GDR was kind enough to give him all the necessary facilities.

This Report of Dr. Saraf is a valuable document which gives a comprehensive picture of the activities that are being undertaken under the programmes of polytechnical education or work-experience in the GDR. I commend this for the consideration of teachers and educational planners and administrators in India. It will help in preparing concrete programmes for the introduction of work-experience in schools

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and will be of great use in the programme of pilot projects which are now proposed to be launched. In the light of the experience gained in these projects, I hope it would be possible to introduce the programme in a big way very soon.

I take this opportunity to thank Dr. Saraf for his valuable contribution and the GDR authorities for making it possible through their assistance.

        
                                                     V.K.R.V. RAO
             New Delhi,                              Union Minister for
             November 12, 1969.                      Education & Youth
                                                     Services.