 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE
 CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF
 EDUCATION

at the 38th Session held on

27-28 November, 1975

I. Comprehensive educational transformation

.-The Board is of the view that it is desirable and essential to transform the educational system comprehensively on the basis of the major concepts now being developed in most countries of the world, viz., shifting of emphasis from teaching to learning; reducing the dependence on the formal system of instruction as the channel for education of the people; developing large scale programmes of non-formal education and integrating them with the formal system; utilising all the educational resource available in the community, including the students themselves; and making education a life-long life-wide process so as to create a learning society. The Board is happy to note that these ideas have been broadly supported by the Prime Minister. In this reconstruction, the teachings of our great national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Zakir Husain and Rabindra Nath Tagore are of great relevance and significance. The Board, therefore, recommends that the Standing Committee should formulate concrete proposals for the comprehensive transformation of the educational system on the basis of these broad concepts and suggest practical steps for their implementation and especially for the development of a large scale programme of experimentation and innovation on the part of schools and teachers at all stages of the educational system and all other agencies involved in the educational process. These proposals should be brought before the next session of the Board for its consideration.

II. Educational Development in the Fifth Plan

.-The Board notes with deep concern and anxiety the heavy reductions in the allocation to education in the first two years of the Fifth Five Year Plan. If these trends are not reversed, the overall allocation to educational development in the Fifth Five Year Plan would be of the order of Rs. 1,000 to, 1,100 crores and the actual expenditure may not go beyond Rs. 900 to 1,000 crores. This is even more unsatisfactory than the allocations made for educational development in the Fourth Five Year Plan, which although admittedly inadequate, stood at Rs. 822 crores (allocation) and Rs. 768 crores (actual expenditure), specially if allowance is, made for the increase in Prices and the further I expansion which has to be reckoned with in the Fifth Five :Year Plan. The Board is of the view that these drastic reductions will affect adversely the development of education in the country and ultimately the entire process of national development itself. The Board, therefore, urges upon the Central and the State Governments to make larger allocations to education during the remaining three years of the Fifth Five Year Plan so that the possible damage to educational progress is reduced to the minimum and educational development begins to move forward. The Board also requests the Chairman to convence an early meeting of the Standing Committee for this purpose, to take up the issue with the Planning Commission and to seek an early reversal of the present unhappy trends.

III. Educational Finance

.-(1) In the opinion of the Board every effort must now be made to mobilise additional resources for educational development in the remaining three years of the Fifth-Five Year Plan and to see that they are deployed in the best manner possible. From this point of view, the Board makes the following recommendations:-

(a) The Ministry of Education at the Centre and the Education Departments in the States should strive to secure the largest allocations possible for educational development by seeking adequate priority at the highest level in consultation with the Ministry

of Finance and, Planning Commission at the Centre and the Finance and Planning Departments in the States.

(b) Every effort should be made to mobilise additional resources from the community. Suitable measures should be adopted to make the local communities (including Panchayats and other local bodies) responsible, with some assistance in the case of backward or poorer areas, for such programmes as construction and maintenance of buildings, provision of equipment, provision of student services and quarters for teachers, etc.

(c) The possibility of the levy of education comes should be, explored. In all such cases care should be taken to see that the funds raised from such cesses are available for educational development in addition to the normal grants from general revenues which are made from time to time.

(2) The Board is of the view that, for purposes of educational development as a whole, the artificial distinction between Non-Plan and Plan expenditure is irrelevant. It, therefore, suggests that all Non-Plan expenditure should be scrutinised very carefully in every State and Union Territory and suitable, steps should be adopted for its rationalisation and more intensive utilisation, including deployment for financing programmes of qualitative. improvement and non-formal education. It may be necessary to set up a small working group of the Board for this purpose and to pursue the matter with all concerned intensively and in a sustained manner.

(3) It is essential that the limited funds-available should be utilised for programmes of the highest priority, relevance and significance. The Board therefore recommends to the Ministry of Education and to the State Governments to re-examine all the existing programmes, identify priorities within priorities and make the necessary adjustments in the Plan proposals.

(4) It is necessary to provide funds for assistance to the States under the Central or Centrally-sponsored Sector for the proper development of a few national programmes of great

relevance and significance which should be pursued simultaneously by all the States. The Board, therefore, recommends that the Standing Committee should identify such national programmes and that early steps should be taken to assist them under the Central or Centrally- sponsored schemes.

IV. Universal Elementary Education

.-(1) The Board views with concern the short-fall in enrolment in the age-groups 6-11 and 11-14 in 1973-74 as shown by the Third Educational Survey. This concern becomes more serious because the allocations for elementary education have been cut very drastically in the first two years in the Fifth Five Year Plan, so that additional enrolments in these age groups are, at best, keeping with the growth of population and very often not even so. The Board is of the view that this programme is of such vital significance that it must be pursued in a vigorous and sustained manner and the target of universal education in the age- group 6-14 should be reached as early as possible, and at any rate, by 1986 as recommended by the Education Commission.

(2) From this point of view, the Board makes the following recommendations : -

(a) The programmes of a non-formal education should be developed on a large scale to enrol children who do not attend schools at present and also to reduce wastage.

(b) The stress on more enrolment, especially in Class I, should be given up. Instead, the emphasis should be on universal retention.

(d) Emphasis on the appointment of full-time teachers should be reduced. Instead, the emphasis should be placed on the employment of a large number of part-time teachers to deal with the programmes of non-formal and part-time education at this stage. For this purpose, all available talent in the local communities should be harnessed.

(e) Wherever necessary, the double shift system should be adopted in Classes I & II.

(3) This Programme should be treated as a national programme of the highest significance and funds required for it should be Provided on a priority basis. Its success would depend on the extent to which the, enthusiasm of the people is mobilised and its implementation assumes the form of a mass movement. It will also be necessary to orient the primary school teachers to this new approach to the implementation of the programme and to streamline the administrative machinery for the purpose. In Particular it will be necessary to prepare detailed plans for each school area, tehsil and district and to watch their progress from year to year.

V. Non-formal Education

.-(1) The Board whole-heartedly endorses the observations made by the Prime Minister that Education should be made "life-long" and "life-oriented", that educational activity should, not be confined to formal system and that new relationship needs to be established between man, community and technology.

(2) Noting with appreciation the fact that the idea of non- formal education was gaining ground in the country and that States had started preparatory work, the Board recommends that:-

(a) Detailed plans of non-formal education, based on necessary surveys, should be prepared by each State for different age groups and sections of society consistent with the local requirements and situations. These plans should indicate priorities in regard to the groups to be covered under this programme. Special emphasis needs to be given to economically, socially and educationally deprived sections of the society.

(b) Non-formal education programmes should be correlated with the main developmental such as land reforms, irrigation, family planning, etc. In Particular, it should be an essential

input of programmes, the successful implementation of which depends on well informed participants.

(c) Greatest care should be taken to make the content of non- formal education programmes related to environmental and learners' needs.

(d) In organisation of non-formal education programmes there is need for a much greater involvement of student and non-student youth organisations as well as the concerned departments of Government. Voluntary agencies must also be involved in a big way in implementation of this programme. Suitable arrangements of coordination should be made at the national, State and implementation levels.

(e) A cell may be set up in each State either in the State Directorate of Education or in the State Institute of Education to coordinate all programmes of non-formal education.

VI. Youth Services

.--(1) The youth programmes have a crucial place in the process of development of our country. Com- prehensive programmes should be formulated and implemented so as to develop the total personality of the youth and to prepare them for a full and more positive participation in national life. It is necessary that large sections of non-student youth, in urban as well as rural areas, who have remained out of the coverage of youth services are now brought within their purview. Owing to their idealism and a spirit of adventure, the youth can serve as the vanguards of social and economic programmes aimed at eliminating exploitation. The existing student and non-student youth programmes, for example National Service Scheme, Nehru Yuvak Kendras, National Volunteer Service Scheme, National Integration Samitis and Planning Forums etc. should organise their activities in this direction.

(2) Sports, games and physical culture should be broad-based and cover a much larger number of young people, particularly the, non- student youth in rural areas. Indigenous sports should be, encouraged and playgrounds should be shared by institutions to cater to increasing number of youth.

(3) Students' amenities should be given high priority. Hostel facilities should be provided for students coming from economically and socially weaker sections of community and hostel bursaries should be established for such students. To enable them to overcome their initial disadvantage it would also be necessary to provide remedial tuition to such students.

(4) In view of their significance, a Committee of the Board should be set up for youth services and- students' welfare.

VII. The New Pattern

.-(1) The Board notes with satisfaction that many States have taken steps to adopt the educational pattern of 10+2+3 and the remaining States are considering the matter seriously. The Board deems it necessary to stress the crucial importance of the stage of two years between the school and university stages of education. It reiterates that this stage should be regarded as not merely college preparatory, but as a period for preparing an increasingly larger number of school leavers for different vocations in life.

(2) The Board invites attention to the detailed recommendations made in regard to vocationalisation of education in the last session of the Board and recommends vigorous action by State Governments and other agencies. The Board also welcomes and supports the resolution on the new pattern adopted by the Vice-Chancellors' Conference. The Board is of the, view that guidance and financial assistance by the Central Government would enable State Governments to take quick and effective action in this direction and recommend the same.

VIII. Education of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

- (1) The Board is of the view that more intensive measures have to be taken for the spread of education among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In particular,

(a) Vigorous efforts should be made to spread elementary education among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. There should be adequate provision for incentives like mid-day meals, uniform for girls, free books, etc.

(b) The facilities now available for Pre-examination Training Centres for coaching tribal students for the I.A.S. and other Central Services should be enhanced.

(2) For the special problems of Scheduled Tribes, the following programmes will have to be developed :-

(a) An adequate institutional infrastructure should be created in tribal areas for providing universal elementary education.

(b) Special programmes should be launched for tribes at less than 5 per cent literacy levels.

(c) The educational administration should be streamlined and strengthened wherever necessary keeping in view the more difficult nature of the terrain.

(d) The UGC should evolve special norms suited to the hill and tribal areas for all its programmes of assistance to collegiate and university education in the hill States.

(e) A planned approach should be made to the urgent need for giving special training to tribal students and staff so that they may become teachers in the schools, colleges and universities.

(f) That grants should be made available for Bharat Darshan and other forms of travel by tribal students and staff so that they may become acquainted with the great changes taking place in the country as a whole.

IX. Quality of Education

.-(1) The Board stresses the need to raise the quality of education at all levels. High priority should be given to the training of teachers, especially science, teachers and with this end in view, the contents and methods of training of teachers should be upgraded. Recruitment and training programme of teachers should be closely related to the needs of the State. The curriculum at all levels should be modernised. The national curriculums for the 10 years school prepared by the NCERT is recommended to the State Governments. Work experience programme which is productive and socially relevant

should become an integral part of the curriculum. The learning of English or any other International language to a reasonable level of proficiency should be aimed at.

(2) The Board notes with satisfaction the various services offered by the NCERT for improvements in the field of school education. It recommends the utilisation of these facilities in full measures by the State Governments.

(3) There is continuous need to improve educational planning and administration at all levels in the States. The Board recommends to the States the utilisation of the facilities offered by the National Staff College in this regard.

(4) The States often require the assistance of experts and specialists in various spheres of educational programmes. These experts may be on the roll of NCERT, NSC, State and other organisations. NCERT and NSC may develop a programme by which the services of these experts can be made available to States when required by them.

(5) Reform of internal and external examination should continue to receive close attention.

X. Backward Areas and Weaker Sections of the Community

.-The Board is of the view that, in all programmes of educational development, adequate emphasis must be placed on promoting social justice. In particular, steps should be taken to promote the development of education in backward, hilly and tribal areas and the educational interests of children among the weaker sections of the community. (These will include children of the poorer social groups like landless agricultural labourers, children from rural areas, first generation learners, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes). From this point of view, a number of programmes will have to be developed. Some of the more important of these would be the following :-

(a) Emphasising the spread of elementary education.

(b) Organisation of an intensive and nation-wide programmes for discovery and development of talent among the weaker sections and to ensure that the talented children among these social groups will have access to good middle secondary and higher education through a programme of development of quality institutions in adequate numbers in all parts of the country, and provision of scholarships (combined with placement) and hostels on an adequate scale.

(c) Reservation of seats for children from the weaker sections of the community in good quality institutions at all stages and making special provisions for individual attention, personal guidance and remedial instruction to enable them to take full advantage of such institutions.

(d) Adequate steps should be taken to ensure that children from the weaker sections get good education in English, Science and Technology and admission to all useful and prestigious courses.

XI. Education of Girls and Women

.-The Board generally endorses the recommendations of the Committee on Status of Women relating to education and recommends that the Central and State Governments take necessary steps for their implementation.

XII. Higher Education

.-The CABE generally endorses the resolutions of the Conference of Vice Chancellors held on September 30-October 1, 1975. In particular the Board commends the programmes for the quality improvement of higher education sponsored by the UGC and recommends that the State Governments take necessary steps for implementing them. The Board also recommends that each State should make arrangements for proper coordination to make the best use of facilities and experts available in the State for a coordinated development of all the academic programmes.

XIII. Introduction of the New System of Educational Statistics

.- The Board welcomes and approves the proposals to introduce the new system of educational statistics which is proposed

to be introduced with effect from 1976-77. It requests the State Governments to make all the arrangements necessary for the introduction of the system and suggests that special arrangements be, made for training of the officers concerned.

XIV Book Banks

.-The Board notes with satisfactions that assistance for setting up Book Banks is being given by the University Grants Commission for universities and colleges. It recommends that funds should also be provided for setting up Book Banks at the secondary and higher secondary level as well.

MGIPRRND-13 ESW/75-II(Day)-5-1-76-2,000

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF EDUCATION