COMMITTEE ON PRE-SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT AND PRIMARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION
PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION
Introduction 1. The Committee on Pre-School Development, Primary and Middle School Education met on 17th September, 1972, at Vigyan Bhavan, under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Nandini Satpathy. The Committee is convinced of the crucial importance of the first six years of the life for the future development of human beings. The effects of a satisfactory or unsatisfactory environment are the greatest at this stage of life. Investment in human resource development at a later stage may prove a waste of effort if the foundation has been neglected. The Committee is convinced that immediate and sustained attention to the child below 6 years of age through integrated services is necessary to ensure the success of subsequent efforts in the development of human resources. Children below 6 constitute 17 per cent. (110 million) of the total population of the country while children in the age-group 3-5 are about 48 million (1971 census). In view of the size of the problem and the limitation of resources, priority must be given to the most under-privileged groups. Amongst these, social justice and equality of educational opportunity require attention to the earliest years of life.
2. The Committee considered the report of the Study Group on the Pre-School Child set up vide Resolution No. 18, passed by the Central Advisory Board of Education at its meeting in May, 1970. The Committee accepts in principle the recommendations of the Study Group and draws attention of State Governments for further action.
Recommendations 3. The Committee especially lays emphasis on the following:
(1) The importance of a programme of comprehensive attention to the pre-school child including activities in health, nutrition
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and education which will contribute to the physical, mental, emotional and social development of the child. The term `development' is hence used. This concept includes education but does not refer to formal teaching of language and number;
(2) A feasible target would be to cover 5 million children or 10 per cent. of the population in the age-group 3-5 by the end of the Fifth Plan Period. This is in- contrast to the existing coverage of 1 million children which is 2 per cent of the age-group;
(3) The objective of the programme is to reach the most under- privileged sections of the community, i.e., children in the urban slums, children in the tribal areas and children in the tinder- privileged groups in the rural areas. While it is neither possible nor desirable to restrict the programme to the poorest groups in the rural areas, efforts should be made to locate and develop the programme in such a way that the poorest groups, such as, landless labourers, small farmers and artisans are included;
(4) A variety of operational models, suited to differing needs, circumstances and resources in different parts of the country should be developed. Some illustrative models have been described in the report of the Study Group. Some Study Groups have also developed models which deserve attention;
(5) The success of the programme will depend on adequate training in quantity and quality and subsequent supervision of workers in charge of pre-school programmes. Great emphasis is placed on the organisation of suitable training programmes. Formal educational qualifications are of less importance and may be waived in cases where otherwise suitable women can be recruited for the programme, especially in rural and tribal areas; and
(6) At present, a large number of and a variety of agencies provide different services to the pre-school child. For the success of the integrated approach to the pre-school child, there has to be a strong effort at co-ordination at every level, for which the following steps may be taken at the State level:
(a) Departments of Education and Social Welfare may be brought together under a single Secretary;
(b) A special Committee or Board, dealing with the preschool child may be set up with the Chief Minister as Chairman; and
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(c) A Special Officer may be appointed to plan, implement and co-ordinate the programmes for the pre- school child.
Advance Action 4. (a) The training of trainers and supervisors deserves priority and may be taken up in the next two years. The respon- sibility for this programme and its financing devolves on the Central Government; and
(b) The appointment of special officers for the planning and implementation of pre-school programme should also be taken up immediately with appropriate financial assistance from the Central Government.
PRIMARY EDUCATION 5. The Committee generally approved the strategy and programmes for the expansion and improvement of primary education in the age- group 6-14 as detailed in the paper `Education in the Fifth Five-Year Plan', circulated by the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare. In this regard, the Committee would like to emphasize the following:
(1) There is large disparity in the progress of primary and middle school education as between different States. The States which have made adequate progress already can achieve universal primary education in the age-group 6-11 by 1975-76-the target envisaged in the Ministry's paper. Other States where the progress has been slow here would not find it possible to adhere to this target. The Committee, therefore, recommends that every State should try to reach the goal as early as possible and preferably by 1975-76. But the States which have not made sufficient progress may plan with 1978-79 as the target year for universal primary education in the age-group 6-11. For the age-group 11-14, the target of 1980-81 may be retained.
(2) At present, the system of education is one of single-point entry. The child which is unable to obtain admission at the age of 6+ etc. cannot join the school system at a later stage, say, at the age of 11. It is necessary to introduce the multi-point entry so that those who have missed education earlier, may obtain the same subsequently at the age of 11 or 14. A system
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of part-time education will have to be provided for the age-group 11- 14. It was necessary to initiate a large programme of part-time education for the age-group 11-14. Such classes may be organised separately for girls. A separate curriculum will have to devised and teachers trained for this purpose but existing school buildings may be utilised.
(3) There was need to strengthen the administrative arrangements to ensure universal enrolment and retention by the target dates mentioned above. This implies the strengthening of the machinery for enrolment of girls, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, both at the district and at the State levels.
(4) In view of the massive programme of primary education both in regard to expansion and quality, there is need for considerable strengthening of the administration and organisational arrangements at the State and District levels. The entire responsibility for primary education should be vested in a sufficiently senior and experienced additional Director of Primary Education. The Additional Director should be exclusively in charge of primary education and should not be saddled with other responsibilities.
(5) The Committee noted that the targets envisaged in the Ministry's paper were in accord with the Constitutional commitment and the National Policy on Education. They were also generally in accord with the minimum needs programme spelt out by the Approach to the Fifth Five Year Plan approved by the National Development Council. The tagets, however, cannot be fulfilled unless there is a massive financial assistance for the purpose. It would not be, possible for the States to meet the enormous cost involved in the programme of universalisation of primary education. The Committee recommends that an Expert Committee may be set up by the Planning Commission which after holding discussions with the different States may report on:
(a) the-time schedule for universalisation of primary education up to the age of 14 to be adopted by each State;
(b) the best and the most economical method of achieving the objective in (a) above;
(c) the cost estimates for the same;
(d) the resources to be made available for the purpose by the State Government; and
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(e) the contribution to. be made by the Central Government towards the above programme.
6. On the basis of the above Report of the Expert Committee, the total plan outlay for universalisation of primary education could be determined and this should be treated as the first charge on the national plan before the plan funds are allocated between the Centre and the States. The Committee further recommends that an expert team should start working immediately and should submit its report by February, 1973.