RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION SECRETARIES AND DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION OF PROGRAMMES OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FIFTH PLAN
The Conference of Education Secretaries and Directors of Public Instruction/Education/Higher Education met on 15th and 16th September 1972 to discuss the Working Papers on Educational and Cultural Development in the Fifth Five-Year Plan.
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT The Conference considered the Working Paper on programmes of educational development proposed to be included in the Fifth Five-Year Plan and broadly approved of the strategy adopted, the priorities indicated and the major programmes identified for inclusion in the Fifth Plan. It felt that the total outlay of Rs. 3200 crores needed for these programmes was the minimum required and may have to be increased to some extent. It was also of the view that resource of this magnitude will not be available in the State Sector and that it would be necessary for the Centre to bear a much larger proportion of the total educational expenditure than in the past.
The main recommendations of the Conference on the proposals contained in the Working Paper have been given below, section by section:
I. Main Ingredients of the Programme The main ingredients of the programme for educational development in the Fifth Five-Year Plan as listed in the Working Paper were approved.
II. Transformation of the educational system There was a general consensus that transformation of the educational system was an immediate necessity.
III. Improvement of Standards (1) There was general agreement that standards need be improved, both in primary and secondary schools by revising the curriculum and staffing pattern and training of teachers as well as strengthening of supervisory staff.
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(2) The scheme of model schools drawn up by the Government of India is generally acceptable. It is a step towards equalisation of educational opportunities as well as of raising standards and trying innovations. The programme of model schools should be drawn up so that full administrative control vests with the States and the costs are kept down so as to ensure that the model can be reproduceable. Talented children of economically weaker sections and backward classes should receive special attention and their enrolment may be stepped up to 50 per cent. There should be continuous evaluation of the scheme.
(3) The programme of upgraded selected schools should cover 20- 25 per cent of the institutions during the Fifth Plan and not only 10 per cent as proposed.
IV. Pre-School Development For attaining better coverage of backward and neglected sections of society, pre-school education needs to be considerable expanded. The scheme should include provision of mid-day meals, clothes, equipment, nursery trained teachers and other facilities.
V. Universal primary education, for the age-group 6-14 (1) The programme of universal primary education should be given the topmost priority.
(2) Increased provision will be needed for equipment and teacher training.
(3) Expansion of primary education to 100 per cent level will not be possible in all areas and regions for the age-group 6-11 by 1975-76. Extra time to the end of the Fifth Five-Year Plan may, therefore, be allocated, where necessary.
(4) Implementation of this programme would necessitate a large programme of training of teachers and also of personnel for extracurricular activities.
(5) The expectations of teachers regarding their remuneration will have to be considered in the light of their status, living conditions and responsibilities.
(6) The need of a large scale programme of informal education was admitted. However, it was pointed out that, if proper arrangements are made, this may weaken rather than strengthen the system.
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(7) For areas with scattered population, Ashram type of schools with hostels fully financed by the States may be established.
(8) For improving the enrolment of girls, it may be necessary to adopt elastic patterns of curricula and time-tables. Assistance may have to be provided by way of gift of clothes and stipends. Wherever possible, women teachers from the locality may be appointed and hostels provided.
(9) The policy of providing primary education through them mother-tongue should be fully implemented.
(10) Minority language schools as well as school facilities for girl% will need special attention.
(11) The amount provided for school buildings was inadequate and will have to be increased.
(12) In the programme of mid-day meals, if the assistance now received from CARE is to be replaced by indigenous materials, a large allocation will have to be made over and above the amount provided in the Working Paper for mid-day meals which should really be reserved for the additional children now being enrolled.
(13) A large scale programme of refresher courses for teachers is needed at the elementary stage (and in secondary education also). The expenditure on pre-service training will also be very large. The amounts provided in the Working Paper for pre-service and in-service education appear to be inadequate, both at the elementary and secondary stages and would have to, be substantially increased.
(14) Work Experience programmes may not be rigidly understood as a programme of vocationalisation, but as a system of changing attitudes to work, and this should be embodied in the methodology of curricular subjects. The idea that work experience will prepare a child for actually discharging craft functions may not be justified.
(15) Work Experience would not be sincerely pursued unless the pupils are rated for it and suitable marks allotted in the final assessment.
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VI-VII. Secondary Education (1) There should be very close co-ordination between the vocational courses attached to the higher secondary stage, the Industrial Training Institutes and the polytechnisc. Courses selected should have close affinity to the skills and services in demand in the locality. This will involve manpower studies and market surveys and setting up of workshops and production centres, as well as financing of the skilled personnel on co-operative or institutional patterns for self-employment or employment in production centres.
(2) The scheme of vocationalisation of education as welt as work experience deserve highest priority in the plan and should be assisted fully.
(3) Vocationalisation courses prescribed in the institutions would need constant review and replacement as technology, materials and demands change. They would have to keep pace with development of local industries also, particularly the small scale, cottage and consumer industries.
VIII. Adoption of a uniform pattern of school and college classes
(10 +2 + 3) (1) A uniform pattern of education of 15 years duration leading to the first degree should be adopted by all the States.
(2) Whether there is an addition of one year to the school and college classes, or whether it involves merely a restructuring of the pattern, additional expenditure will necessarily have to be incurred on the scheme for which massive Central assistance will be necessary.
IX. Higher Education (1) The recommendations regarding expansion and qualitative improvement of higher education set out in the Working Paper were generally approved. The pressure on higher education is bound to increase consequent upon the increase in enrolment at the school stage. The democratic commitment of the State to ensure facilities for higher education to all sections of the society, particularly to the underprivileged, also has to be respected. The quantitative expansion of higher education resulting from these two factors, should keep pace with qualitative improvement and maintenance of standards.
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(2) There is a pressing need for relieving the pressure on institutional facilities for higher education by providing opportu- nities for continuing education through correspondence courses, evening colleges and also through facilities for appearing for the examinations privately. If these courses are to be successful, it is essential that the degrees obtained by such means should be treated on par with the degrees obtained through regular institutional courses for purposes of appointment.
(3) The need for vocationalisation of education, particularly at the intermediate stage, has been recognised and this programme can be expected to serve as a terminal course leading to self-employment and middle-level employment, thus relieving the pressure on institutional facilities for higher education. It should, however, be noted that the impact of this programme is likely to be felt only after a period of five to seven years. The programme for vocationalisation should also be accompanied by a diversification of higher studies which would develop attainment of middle level vocational skills which will ensure adequate employment opportunities. It is essential that this programme of vocationalisation and diversification should be related to the recognised employment potential, to locate which a scientific survey of the employment opportunities in the locality should be conducted.
(4) Non-government colleges have also played a significant role in the development of higher education. It is, however, essential that the opening of such colleges should be on a planned basis, and subject to the colleges fulfilling certain minimum requirements as prescribed by the universities.
(5) There should be a substantial programme for the development of facilities in the colleges. Research programmes should be developed in close collaboration with the universities.
(6) Steps should be taken for the maximum utilisation of existing physical and laboratory facilities in the colleges and the universities by adopting the shift system, where necessary, so as to meet the demands of increased enrolment of students.
(7) In planning for the expansion and development of higher education, adequate attention should be paid at every stage to the provision of student amenities and substantial provision made for the same.
(8) The recommendations made under para. 75 of the Working Paper were generally approved. Particular significance
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should be attached to the recommendation under 5 (b) regarding autonomous colleges, which are expected to play a significant role in quality improvement of higher education.
(9) To ensure full and fruitful utilisation of the services of the science service centres and national library centres to be set up under this scheme, it will be necessary to initiate a Fellowship Scheme for travel and maintenance of scholars to utilize these facilities.
(10) To keep pace with the programmes of quality development of higher education, and evaluation of diversification and vocationalisation suggested above, it would be necessary to adopt more valid and reliable method of evaluation.
X. National Scholarships Policy (1) The National Scholarships Policy enunciated in the Working Paper was generally approved. Proposals for augmenting the existing scheme with a view to extending the benefits to a larger number of deserving students were welcomed. In particular, the need for providing more scholarships to the weaker sections of the community and to girls, in order to attract them to schools and colleges, should be recognised in the formulation of scholarship schemes. The scheme for providing scholarships for children of teachers should be expanded. Scholarships for handicapped children to enable them to pursue higher education should also be offered on a generous scale. While it was noted that a scheme of scholarships for talented students from rural areas had been recently introduced, it, was felt that concerted effort should be made to reduce the disparities in educational opportunities available to the students from urban areas and rural areas.
(2) The recommendations in paragraph 84 for the award of scolarships for the most underprivileged group of society was welcomed.
(3) While it was recognised that the present merit-cum-means criteria governing the award of scholarships should continue, economic backwardness should receive increasing attention.
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(4) It was noted that while there were considerable difficulties in recoveries under the loan scholarship programme, the scheme as such had proved beneficial and should continue and should be augmented.
(5) In order to implement the enlarged programme of scholarships, ensure its efficient working, streamline procedures for selection and award of scholarships, and effect better recoveries of amounts sanctioned under the Loan Scholarship Scheme, it would be necessary to strengthen the administrative machinery at the State level, for which advance action should be taken immediately and assistance made available by the Central Government.
(6) It is gratifying to note that the scholarship schemes are working successfully. It would, however, be worthwhile to conduct a research study in depth through a suitable research agency, of the benefits and social impact of the schemes particularly with reference to the weaker sections of the community. Such a study will also be helpful in devising a more rational means test.
XI-Establishment of Nehru Youth Centres and the Informal Education
of the Young (1) The Scheme for the establishment of Nehru Youth Centres which will also provide for the informal education of the youth and serve as cultural and educational community centres, was welcomed. It was noted that the expenditure on the establishment of these Centres in the initial stages and the recurring expenditure of the Centres will be fully met by the Government of India.
(2) The Universities through their education extension departments, and the colleges through the National Service Scheme, should play an important role in the successful functioning of these Centres.
XII-Adult Literacy (1) The problem of the eradication of adult illiteracy has to be tackled with a sense of urgency. According to present computation, the number of adult illiterates in the age-group of 15-25 is of the order of 8 crores. While it can be expected that a major impact on the problem of illiteracy will be made
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by effective provision of universal primary education to all children in the age-group of 6-14, provision of part-time education and the development of a youth movement, it would stiff be necessary to launch a concerted drive to tackle this problem. A rewarding strategy will be to direct our efforts towards organized groups of illiterates like agricultural labourers, factory workers, etc. The establishment of Nehru Youth Centres, can be expected to evoke leadership among students and youth in general in this campaign for the removal of illiteracy. Students have a very vital role to play in this sphere and it would be ideal if every college student considered it his duty to make at least one adult literate. There is also immense scope for mobilising the efforts of audio-visual agencies like the All India Radio and the Films Division in this task. Special attention should be paid to the preparation and production of suitable reading material for neo-literates in the regional languages. Considering the staggering dimensions of this problem, the Conference considered that a higher allocation of at least Rs. 50 crores would be necessary for this purpose.
(2) This programme calls for sustained and coordinated community effort and participation of all educated sections of society in all walks of-life.
(3) The success of our objectives in the generalisation of education and our socialistic commitment to the welfare of the masses will depend on an all-round effort to improve the educational level of the community.
(4) In view of the need to enlist the active assistance of several agencies and to coordinate their efforts, it would be necessary to set up one Central agency at the State level to be in charge of all aspects of work of adult education.
(5) It would be desirable to have a time-bound programme for the eradication of adult illiteracy and work out annual targets.
XIII. Other Programmes Language Development (1.1) It was noted that the programme of publication of books in Indian languages for use at the university level has been of great help in the introduction of regional languages as one of the media of instruction at the university level. There is, however, need for much more organised effort in this direction. The scheme for the preparation
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of university level books in Indian languages should, therefore, be continued and generous allocation of funds should be made.
(1.2) It is essential that the books produced in the regional languages should reach the students very expeditiously and should also be available in libraries. Where necessary, the price of these books can be kept low with an in-built element subsidy.
(1.3) The scheme for the introduction of regional languages as one of the media for instruction at the college level can succeed only if the students who study in this medium are given the same employment opportunities as would be available for others. Where a review and amendment of the recruitment rules to provide for this is necessary, necessary steps should be taken.
(1.4) In addition to the preparation of university level books, it world also be necessary to undertake translations and original publications of research material, including science digests, science encyclopaedia and other technical publication, which can serve as supplementary reading and reference material for graduate end post- graduate students.