 ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN :
SHRIMATI SHEILA KAUL
MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION
 AND SOCIAL WELFARE GOVERNMENT
 OF INDIA

Minister of State for Education and Social Welfare

I join my colleague Shrimati Serla Grewal in welcoming you all to this Thirty-ninth Session of the Central Advisory Board of Education. As the Board has been reconstituted recently, I wish to place on record my deep appreciation of the valuable services rendered to the Board by the out-going Members. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to all the new Members who have joined the Board and will be helping it to give a new thrust to the educational policies and programmes in the country. At this moment, it is but appropriate to recall respectfully the creative role of late Shri J.P. Naik, former Member-Secretary of the Board and the dedicated service rendered by him towards the development of this Board for nearly a decade. Indian education will always remain in debt to him.

As we look at the education world today, we find an intensive activity directed towards the reformation of educational aims, contents and methods. This activity corresponds to the vast changes that are coming over the society not only on account of an accelerated development of science and technology but also on account of an

Increasing realisation that the potential of the human personality needs to be attended to with a greater seriousness and scientific sophistication. It is in this context that we need to look upon our own educational system in the country. In a recent informal meeting that the Prime Minister had with the Members of the National Commissions on Teachers, she reviewed a number of problems that confront educationists and policy makers. She underlined the need to change our system of education so that it could rightly be geared to the development of personality. In this context, she also emphasised the central importance of value-education. As a matter of fact, the themes she dwelt upon during this informal exchange of ideas are so relevant to our deliberations here that I have suggested that a copy of the gist of this exchange should be circulated to the Members of the Central Advisory Board of Education.

There are in our country three levels of educational problems. At the root-level, we have the problem that relates to the need to fulfil the mandate that has been given by our Constitution under its Article 45. This Article promised free and compulsory education for all children in the age-group 6 to 14 by 1960. Regretfully, despite all efforts, we have not been able to fulfil this commitment. The target date was first revised to 1970, then to 1976, and now again to 1990. Considering, however, that this particular problem has now been included in the Twenty-point Programme, I feel reasonably confident that this time our date-line of 1990 will not need to be pushed further, and that we shall be able to fulfil our targets. At the same time it is clear that an unprecedented effort will be needed on the part of all of

us to achieve our goals. In the first place, we shall have to strengthen the non-formal system of education, which we have put forward as an indispensable alternative system. Secondly, we must attend urgently to the need to provide schooling facilities as adequately as possible. And thirdly, we must aim at the universal retention by preventing drop-outs. I would also like to suggest that the learning materials which are being provided in the non-formal system will need a continuous evaluation and improvement. The notes on this point of the Agenda have spelt out in some detail the issues involved in realising the aim of universalisation of elementary education, and I am sure the Members of the Board will like to make comments on them and to put forward useful and practicable suggestions.

There is a close connection between the aim of universalisation of elementary education and that of the removal of adult illiteracy. In particular, we need to concentrate upon the adults in the age-group 15-35. As you know, we have chalked out a time-table so as to cover all the adult illiterates in this age-group by 1990. There are 11.55 crores adults who come under this age-group, and in the first three years of the Sixth Five-year Plan, approximately one crore adults have been enrolled under the Adult Education Programme. The rate of coverage is envisaged to increase year after year. However, in view of the enormous number involved, it is necessary to review the entire programme and work out strategies for achieving the goals laid down. Since this programme is also covered under the New Twenty-point Pro- gramme (Point-16), I have no doubt that a greater effort than ever before, will come forth from all concerned so

that our targets are fulfilled. I have a feeling that we need a fresh look at the potentialities of the mass-media for adult education. Newspapers, particularly local newspapers, can play an increasingly important role in educating the illiterates. Radio and Television can also play a major role. There can also be massive cultural and exhibition programmes aiming at motivating the illiterates to learn as also to get them involved in the contents of learning. The involvement of voluntary organisations, universities and colleges as also of village teachers and agencies like Nehru Yuvak Kendra have to be energised to contribute to the success of the programmes. It is gratifying that the University Grants Commission has laid down a definite time schedule of expanding the adult education programmes through universities and colleges. I feel, however, that we need to go a step further and reiterate the need to establish strong linkages between the university curriculum and the adult education programme.

Very often we forget to underline the problems of post-literacy and follow-up programmes. But it goes without saying that the adult education centres should provide increasing facilities to the neo- literates so that they do not lapse into illiteracy for want of continued motivation and availability of learning materials. I am sure that the Members of the Board will like to suggest ways and means by which the neo-literates are constantly supported so as to make life-long education a reality in our society.

An important component of Point 16 of the Twenty-point Programme is related to the problem of girls' educa-

tion. It is universally agreed that the growth and development of women's education is fundamental to our social regeneration. In fact, if we can ensure women's education by meeting the varied needs and challenges involved in it, we shall have provided to the posterity an unshakable foundation for a perpetual growth and development of the nation. I am happy to say that special programmes of education for women have been launched, which include non-formal education centres exclusively for girls, appointment of lady teachers, and construction of girls' hostels. As a measure to propel further our efforts for girls' education as also for strengthening facilities to ensure women's education at all levels, an idea has been mooted to set up a Standing Committee on Women's Education. You will find a mention of this particular matter in our Agenda as Item No. 9. If this idea of the Standing Committee receives the support of the Central Advisory Board of Education, I think, we shall have taken a major step towards ensuring a stable instrument that can keep the cause of women's education in the fore-front of our educational pre-occupations.

At the intermediate level our educational problems are those which relate to upgradation of courses, diversification of courses, vocationalisation of secondary education and others that provide the fundamental thrust to the quality of education. In this connection, a good deal has been done ever since the new pattern of education 10+2+3 was introduced in our country. The framework of this pattern provided a comprehensive scheme of subjects and underlined the need both of

aesthetics and physical education. It also provided for a choice for students whereby education meant for vocational proficiency could be pursued by those who opted for it. Finally, it also provided a basic instrument for uniformity which is extremely important for the maintenance of standards as also for the mobility of students and teachers. It is gratifying that in spite of initial hesitation and lingering difficulties, this pattern of 10+2+3 is now increasingly becoming universal in our country. There is also a growing evidence of the fact that the quality of our education is improving, although I share the complaint made by a large number of parents in our country that the load which has been laid on the minds of our children is rather heavy. There is, I think, a legitimate ground for initiating an effort to review the prescribed courses of study with an objective to reduce the burden meaningfully. When we come, however, to the vocationalisation of the secondary education, we are constrained to admit that a great deal needs to be done. Apart from two or three States, systematic survey has not been undertaken so as to correlate the local needs with the contents of vocational courses. An undesirable pessimism has been allowed to grow in regard to the very idea underlying the proposal of vocationalisation. There are also, I admit, financial difficulties, which prevent the whole-hearted effort to make vocationalisation a reality. These are important issues, and I shall be thankful to the Members of the Board, if they devote some time to deliberate upon them and to Formulate practicable suggestions.

The new pattern has also necessitated a change in higher education. The University Grants Commission

has already formulated a programme of restructuring the courses of higher education. Foundational courses which have been proposed will, if implemented with vigour and enthusiasm, provide to our youths a wide basis which is indispensable for counter-acting the disadvantages and problems of specialisation. The University Grants Commission has also proposed a new combination of subjects so that students are able to blend theoretical knowledge with practical and applied knowledge. Reform in examination system is another major thrust of the proposals of the University Grants Commission. In the context of the deteriorating situation in the university campuses, the relevance of changes in the examination system cannot be over rated. In fact, it can be said that the present examination system is one of the major maladies of our entire education system. Pursuit of degrees, passing examinations and mechanical memorising have come to be looked upon as the central aims and processes of education. I believe that the University Grants Commission has attempted to provide suggestions to improve the examination system so that students are enabled to concentrate on the development of faculties and acquisition of authentic knowledge, which are the right aims of education.

III

Without going further into various other aspects of the problems at the intermediate level, I would now come to what can be regarded as the top problems of our education. These relate to the infusion of a new spirit among our students and teachers to pursue education for those objectives which are enunciated in our educational

policy and which have been reiterated by all our leading educationists. Among them the most important is to place the theme of India and her cultural values as central to our entire educational endeavour. To be an Indian is important, but to feel proud of being an integral part of the vast, rich cultural mosaic that is India is even more important for all of us. The most important and sacred task of the teacher is to inspire among the youth a free man's worship of Mother India. And to realise this aim, what is needed is a massive spread of the knowledge of the aim of Indian Culture, its rich heritage and of the contemporary problems which we require to solve in order to bring about a brighter future for the country. It is in this context, that I invite the Members of the Board to suggest what changes we should bring about in our curriculum as also in what way should we utilise the mass-media such as radio and television. Closely connected with the theme of India is the theme of value- oriented education. The Prime Minister has been repeatedly stressing on the importance of inculcation of appropriate values. And when we speak of values we do not mean only what is understood by moral education. For, in addition to moral values, we have to emphasise also aesthetic values and values of physical education. Moreover, in India we have also throughout our history emphasised what can rightly be called spiritual values. As a matter of fact, the highest theme that we can present to the contemporary education is that of the need of the synthesis of science and spiritual values. In this context, we may recall what Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru said in one of the Azad Memorial Lectures (1959) :

"Can we combine the progress of science and technology with this progress of mind and spirit

also ? We cannot be untrue to science because that represents the basic fact of life today. Still less can we be untrue to those essential principles for which India has stood in the past throughout the ages. Let us then pursue our path to industrial progress with all our strength and vigour and, at the same time, remember that material riches without toleration and compassion and wisdom may well turn to dust and ashes."

The foregoing review of the problems and priorities will reinforce the necessity of harnessing national resources-both human and financial--towards fulfilment of our educational aspirations. There are many areas in which the inputs are largely psychological rather than material or financial. For instance, if teachers are better motivated to teach and students are better motivated to learn, half of our problems will have found their solutions. And better motivation can be generated largely, by intensifying our aspirations and our will. There are, however, certain other aspects where material inputs are indispensable. This calls for a judicious but effective handling of the available financial resources. Efforts are to be made also for generating additional resources. A more subtle reappraisal of our priorities is also needed, and this will help us in planning for education with due weightage given to priority areas. We may also need to have detailed exercises of perspective planning which will enable us to have a more realistic estimate of the rate at which allocations for education could be increased year after year. There is no doubt that even with scrupulous

economic budgeting, there is a need for higher allocations for education. At the same time we have to remember that the total budget allocation for education in both Plan and Non-Plan, have been increasing at the annual rate of 10 to 12 per cent, and currently the outlay on education-both at the Central and State level--is of the order of nearly Rs. 4000/- crores per year.

Again, if we consider successive Five-year Plans, we shall find that the order of investment in the educational sector is steadily growing from Plan to Plan, although the same would not hold true as far as ratio between the total Plan allocations to the educational sector is concerned. And when we consider the insistent needs of our immediate goals, larger funds will be required. To take the example of the goal of universalisation of elementary education, we find that the enrolment over successive Five-year Plans has increased from about 22 million to over 100 million. The average annual growth rate has increased from 23 lakhs during the Fifth Five-year Plan period to 40 lakhs in 1982-83. During 1983-84 it is likely to be around 50 lakhs. But it has to be recognised that to achieve universalisation by 1990, we have to be touching the annual growth rate of nearly 100 lakhs. It is thus evident that unless this performance is matched by adequate budgetary provisions, the expected levels of achievement are not likely to be sustained. The question, therefore, that we have to ask ourselves is whether some special arrangement can be devised to meet the situation. Perhaps the Finance Commission may provide for some special funding arrangement in its award for devolution of resources. I am sure the

Members of the Board will like to make constructive suggestions on these issues.

I wish to thank you all for having come to this meeting and look forward to fruitful deliberations and concrete outcomes from this meeting. In conclusion, I can only commend to you the inspiring words of our Prime Minister, "We must strain every nerve to do better than our best."

With these words I declare the meeting open.

ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN : SHRIMATI SHEILA KAUL MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Minister of State for Education and Social Welfare