APPENDIX `A'
MEMORANDUM ON ITEM 3 :
SPECIAL STEPS REQUIRED TO STEP UP
 THE ENROLMENT OF GIRLS IN THE 6-11
 AGE GROUP

The progress of primary Education since Independence has been phenomenal and although it has not been possible to fulfil the Direc- tive principle enunciated in Article 45 of the Constitution, 77% of the children of age-group 6-11 will be in schools at the end of the Third Five Year Plan, in the country as a whole, although there are a number of States where the enrolment is still fairly low. Apart from this, there is also a large disparity in the percentage of enrolled boys as compared to girls attending schools Annexure I gives the estimated figures of children of this age-group and the non-school- attending children (boys and girls separately) at the end of the Third Plan. Various causes have hindred the progress of girls education; most important among these are social inhibitions, lack of schooling facilities, dearth of women teachers, and paucity of funds. The special problem to be tackled to achieve full enrolment is to intensify the efforts for enrolment of girls particularly from the rural areas.

2. The special steps which might be taken for intensifying the effort for enrolment of girls in the Primary Schools are:

(i) Provision of quarters for women teachers particularly in rural areas;

(ii) Education and training of women teachers in requisite numbers ;

(iii) Employment of school mothers

(iv) Inducements like free books, writing materials, exemption from tuition fees and school uniforms etc., and

(v) Provision of hostels for girls in the Middle and Secondary Schools (to provide more women teachers).

3. In this sector, satisfactory results can be achieved only when public opinion and cooperation is mobilised by an intensive effort. The Committee set up under the Chairmanship of Shri M. Bhaktavatsalam (Chief Minister of Madras) by the National Council for Women's Education has recently made a number of important recom- mendations on this subject. An outline indicating the main recom- mendations is enclosed. (Annexure II).

4. The Board may (a) consider the recommendations of the Bhaktavatsalam committee for securing public cooperation in girls" education; (b) indicate in enrolment targets which should be aimed at in different States in the IV Plan period ; (c) suggest special steps necessary to achieve the set targets, particularly in the areas underdeveloped from this point of view.

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ANNEXURE II

Committee to Look into the Causes for Lack of Public Support Particulary in, Rural Areas for Girls' Education and to Enlist Public Co-operation

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee felt that the ground is ready for a comphrehensive programme for mobilising public cooperation to promote girls' education and giving it constructive channels for expression. It emphasised that official action and the programme based on public initiative must move in close harmony.

1. Public Cooperation:

Direct cooperation of the public should be encouraged in the following fields

(i) Establishing private schools.

(ii) Putting up of school buildings.

(iii) Contributing voluntary labour for construction of school buildings.

(iv) Helping in the maintenance of school buildings.

(v) Helping in providing suitable accommodation for teachers and students, particularly in rural areas.

(vi) Popularising co-education at the primary stage at the primary stage.

(vii) Creating public opinion in favour of the teaching profession and to give greater respect to the teacher in the Community.

(viii) Undertaking necessary propaganda to make the profession. of teaching for women popular.

(ix) Encouraging married women to take up at least part-time teaching in village schools and to work as school mothers.

(x) Initiating action and participating in educative propaganda to breakdown traditional prejudices against girls education.

(xi) Setting up and organising school, betterment committees, improvement conferences.

(xii) Supplying mid-day meals.

(xiii) Supplying uniforms to poor and needy children.

(xiv) Supplying free textbooks and writing materials to needy children.

2. State Councils for Women's Education.

-The State Councils for Women's Education should function as a part of the net work of which the District Councils and the Mahila mandals and similar voluntary bodies would be strong links.