 RECOMMENDATION

1. Item No. I To record appreciation of the services rendered by those who have ceased to be members of the Board since the, last meeting and to welcome new members.

The Board recorded its appreciation of the services of the following who ceased to be members of the Board after the last Session :

1. Lt. Gen. H. H. Maharajdhiraj Sir Yadavindra Singh Mohin- dr, Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala

2. Dr. M. S. Chadha

3. Shri G. C. Chatterjee

4. Dr. C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar

5. Shri R. Choksi

6. Shri M. Fayazuddin

7. Dr. C. B. Singh

2. The Board extended a warm welcome to the following new members :

1. General K. M. Cariappa

2. Dr. K. N. Rao

3. Shri L. R. Sethi*

4. Shri E. W. Aryanayakam

5. Shri S. Raja Raman*

6. Shri V. G. Garde

3. Item No. II To report that the proceedings of the 31st meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education held at Bangalore in October, 1964,were sent to the State Governments and Union Territories.

The Board noted the action taken.

4. Item No. III To receive the report from the Government of India and State Governments about the action taken on the recommendations of the Board made at its last meeting.

In noting the report, the Board desired that in future such re- ports should contain as full, detailed, precise and up-to-date infor- mation as possible. It would also be useful to sort out the main outstanding items for report and to secure information from each State/Union Territory in respect of every one of the items.

5. The following other suggestions were also made during the discussion on the report :

(a) In the context of the national effort for self-sufficiency in food, steps should be taken to start short-term training courses in

Those marke 1 with an asterisk were present at the session.

Home Science and Agriculture (including allied vocations such as Horticulture, Pisciculture, Poultry Farming, etc.). These courses, it was indicated, may be particularly suitable for housewives. The Chairman mentioned that the N.C.E.R.T. might in consultation with other Departments/Agencies dealing with these subjects examine the feasibility of the suggestion and prepare proposals.

(b) Special efforts should be made to give effect to the earlier recommendation of the Board that the Board that the University Grants Commission should be given more authority and more funds to enable it to maintain and improve standards of higher education in the country. In particular, all courses of higher education, whether general or professional, should be brought within the purview of the Commission. The Chairman mentioned that statutory amendments were being considered actively to give effect to those recommendations of the Sapru Committee which had been accepted by the Government. These include the recommendations that all institutions of higher education should be within the University Grants Commission's purview and that the Commission should have the right to inspect and give guidance to the universities. In the discussion, it was mentioned that the laws relating to universities were made by the State Legislatures and provided for the autonomy of the universities in varying degrees. For raising standards of higher education, however, it was essential that despite the autonomy, the University Grants Commission should have the authority to suggest, and implement through the universities, measures for improvement of standards, This could be ensured if the State Governments do not prepare or amend laws affecting the working of universities, without prior consultation with the University Grants Commission.

(c) The report showed that some of the recommendations made in the past sessions of the C.A.B.E. were not accepted, and acted upon, by every State simultaneously although the Education Ministers of State Governments are, as members of the Board, direct parties to its recommendations. As an example, recommendation No. 37 of the 31st Session of the Board (regarding daily pledge in educational institutions) was mentioned. Members unanimously ,expressed the view that as- the recommendations were made by the Board on the basis of the support of all the members they should be acted upon without further reservations in regard to the merits of utility of the recommendation.

(d) A question was raised in regard to standard designs and specifications for cheap construction of educational buildings in the light of recommendation made at the 31st C.A.B.E. Session (recom- mendation No. 43). The Chairman explained that while the State Governments would be taking action separately on the recommendations, the Central Government have asked the Education Commission to give a special report on this aspect of educational development.

Item No. IV To consider the report of the Standing Committee on School Education.

Note:-Items IV, V, VII and IX were taken on the second day of the meeting but in recording the recommendations, the sequence of the agenda has been maintained.

6. The Board accepted the following recommendations regarding. promotion of science education at the school stage :

(i) At the primary stage, science education should be linked with the study and observation of the physical surrounding and should lay special emphasis on Nature study, health education etc.

(ii) At the middle stage, whether formal teaching of science should commence in the form of general science or the study of one or more branches of sciences as separate disciplines should be decided on the basis of expert opinion. Provision of a small laboratory is in any case essential.

(iii) At the secondary stage, increased provision should be made for the study of elective science courses. For students who do not offer elective science, provision should be made for the teaching of general science as a compulsory subject so that the future citizens of the country would possess the desired basic scientific outlook.

(iv) It is essential that the teaching of biological sciences be also emphasised in schools/colleges so as to increase the availability of larger number of auxiliary-nurses, midwives and other medical personnel.

(v) The teaching of science should be strengthened in the train- ing institutions for elementary teachers. At least one science- graduate should be appointed on the teaching staff of each of the training institutions and adequate laboratory facilities should be provided. Teacher trainees should be given instruction in content and methodology of the subject.

Steps should also be taken to strengthen science teaching in training colleges by providing adequate number of science teachers and laboratories.

(vi) While summer Institutes were performing a very useful function for the retraining of science teachers in the latest advances in scientific knowledge and the improved techniques of teaching science, it was observed that the teachers were unable to make effec- tive use of their training on account of the defective curriculum and inadequate laboratory facilities and other handicaps. It was stressed that measures should be taken to ensure that the work of the Summer Institutes has the desired impact on science teaching in schools and that there should be a follow-up in the form of science kits, periodicals etc, which would be available to schools.

(vii) It was felt that as a result of the competition from indus- try, schools were unable to secure the services of adequate number of science graduates and post-graduates of the requisite calibre,. although the output of science graduates has increased in recent years. This situation was unlikely to improve unless more attractive salaries were offered to science graduates and postgraduates who were willing to work in schools. Steps should also be taken by Universities to expand facilities for turning out more science graduates.

(viii) Steps should be taken for the preparation of model uniform syllabii in general science and elective science courses at all stages of education.

(ix) While provision should be made for the general expansion of facilities for the teaching of science, urgent attention should be, given to the development of such facilities in the rural areas.

7. Regarding diversified courses the Board agreed that greater stress should be laid on their vocational contents and in the context of the country's urgent requirements for defence and for the development, courses in technology, agriculture and home science should be provided to a much larger percentage of students at the secondary stage. The Board also endorsed the following suggestions made by the Standing Committee:

(a) Steps should be taken in the 4th Plan to remove the defici- encies of the existing multipurpose schools in respect of staff, equipment, accommodation etc., in accordance with norms to be prescribed on a careful study, keeping in view rising prices and the need to increase the vocational content.

(b) Existing syllabi should be reviewed by a Committee of Experts, experienced Headmasters and Representatives of Industries, Agriculture, etc., in the light of the best experience gathered in the field with a view to increasing the practical content of the courses.

(c) In introducing diversified courses, care should be taken to locate the technical courses preferably in industrial areas. Care should also be taken in respect of other diversified courses so that there is a closer link between the schools and the prospective area of employment.

8. The Board reviewed the progress of basic education in dif- ferent parts of the country over the entire period since the system was initiated. It was felt that (i) any good system of school educa- tion will have to take note of, and provide for, the fundamental concepts underlying basic education; and (ii) the system to be adopted will have to be dynamic enough to meet modern challenges and make necessary adjustments to suit local conditions and experiences. Many members pointed out that the basic system has had a chequered progress largely because of phenomenal expansion of enrolment, shortage of funds and paucity of teachers competent to translate the concepts into practice. The Chairman stressed that Article 45 of the Constitution does not warrant provision of substandard education and therefore even if the country has to go slow on additional enrolment, care should be taken to provide good education to the enrolled students.

9. The Board made the following recommendations:

(i) Education at the elementary stage (i.e. the primary and the, middle stage) throughout the country should, progressively and as quickly as possible, be enabled to conform to the concept of basic education. (A booklet with this title, published by the Ministry of Education. should be re-published and copies circulated to all States and Union Territories, with a view to re-emphasize the ideas and programmes embodied in the system). The changeover will have to be phased and taken up in a planned manner on the following lines:

(a) The existing. basic schools (both junior and senior) should be strengthened and developed fully to become effective models of good basic institutions of a high standard.

(b) The other elementary schools should progress towards the same goal by introduction of crafts and activities selected carefully so as to suit local environments. There should be no insistence on introduction of spinning in every basic school. In many of the rural schools, and even in some urban schools, horticulture or kitchen gardening could be an appropriate as well as useful craft. The utility aspect of articles produced by students was also stressed by members.

(c) In establishing new schools, care should be taken to in- troduce a craft from the very beginning so that no schools which are neither basic nor production-oriented are set up. Local pressure for starting of new schools should be converted into people's parti- cipation in provision of facilities for introducing suitable crafts at an appropriate stage.

10. (ii) At the Secondary stage, the following measures should be adopted:

(a) Post-basic schools should be an integral part of the system of education at the secondary stage. If they are at present treated as a stream completely outside the pattern of school education in any State/Union Territory, the integration should be brought about immediately.

(b) As in the case of elementary schools, the existing post- basic schools should be specially strengthened to rise to a high standard and in other secondary schools, production-centred and other programmes should be introduced as a continuation of the system of basic education at the elementary stage.

(c) All teacher-training institutions should be strengthened and improved so that the teachers trained therein are competent to, impart instruction on the lines indicated above. This strengthening would include re-organization of curricula, establishment of special model schools for practice teaching, extension work, and provision of necessary physical facilities and finances for organizing community activities and other programmes.

(d) Educational administrators should be suitably oriented to supervise and guide the development of a sound system of elementary education based on the concept of basic education.

11. (iii) The following other suggestions were made on this subject :

(a) The duration of the teacher training course, at present one year, may have to be increased so that the trained teacher attains competence and confidence to impart good education at the elementary stage.

(b) One of the difficulties in adopting the basic system fully has been the insistence on full correlation with nature society and craft. In the light of this experience, there should be no objection to permit teaching through the traditional method to make good the deficiencies in establishing correlation. What should be insisted on is a good effort to relate teaching with experience to the maximum extent possible.

(c) There should be re-thinking in regard to the scales of pay for elementary teachers in relation to the pay of secondary school teachers. The elementary school teacher teaching through the basic system may be doing as difficult a job, if not more so, as the secon- dary school teacher.

(d) With transfer of authority for elementary education to local self-governing institutions, it would be necessary to persuade them also to accept this system as a sound one. On the other hand, the advantage is that more participation from the people should be available for school improvement, including provision of crafts.

12. The Board endorsed the recommendation of the Standing Committee in regard to strengthening and expansion of the programme of establishing extension service centres for in-service training of elementary school teachers.

13. In regard to improvement of conditions of service of teachers,. the Board felt that as the matter had been recently discussed in the Conference of Education Ministers, the Board need not make any recommendation on this item.

Item No. V To consider the report of the Standing Committee of the C.A.B.E. on Higher Education.

Accepting the need for imparting higher education through evening colleges to meet the requirements of regular students and also of employees and women, the Board recommended that:

(a) Promotion of higher education through evening colleges should be encouraged as much as possible.

(b) The concept of evening colleges should be broadened so as to meet the requirements of the increasing number of regular students as well. Each college with suitable educational facilities should have about 10 working hours, in a single or a double shift as may be feasible in the light of local conditions so that besides solving the problem of increased demand for admissions, the maximum utilization of facilities is secured.

(c) In colleges where the working hours are extended, as in, dicated in (b), for regular students evening classes for employees and women should not be added as far as possible.

(d) It will be desirable not to mix employees and women students with regular students in the same classes,if there is wide disparity in their ages.

(e) There should be separate teaching staff for each shift in the day colleges and for the evening colleges.

15. The Board considered the report of the Standing Committee regarding promotion of Higher Education through correspondence courses and recommended that :

(a) The feasibility of starting correspondence courses in arts at the undergraduate level in other selected universities in accordance with the regional linguistic requirements should be explored with a view to starting more centres correspondence courses like those set up in the Delhi University.

(b) Effort should be made to extend correspondence courses to cover also science subjects at the undergraduate level, after working out carefully the organizational requirements for the purpose.

(c) A seminar or working group may be organized by the Delhi University and educationists entrusted with organization of corres- pondence courses in other universities should be invited to parti- cipate therein and to share the ideas and the experiences of the Delhi University in this field.

(d) Selected educationists from the universities where corres- pondence courses are to be started may be sent abroad for intensive training, in this subject.

(e) In order to meet the shortage of teachers for agricultural schools, the possibility of starting correspondence courses for such teachers in agricultural universities may be explored.

(f) The duration of correspondence courses should be one year longer than that of the regular institutional courses.

(g) Various media of mass communication particularly the radio and the television should be geared to extending and enriching the contents of the correspondence courses at all levels.

(h) Students enrolling for correspondence courses should be encouraged to avail themselves of library facilities in neighbouring colleges and universities.

16. Regarding funds for Higher Education in the Fourth Plan. the Board recommended that adequate provision should be made for both expansion and qualitative improvement in the field of higher education. For essential programmes like strengthening of post- graduate education and provisions for hostels, staff quarters, etc. the allocations need to be increased substantially, as indicated in the Standing Committee's Report.

17. The programme of education in international understanding should be extended to the university level in consultation with the universities which have had experience of other Unesco Research Programmes.

18. With a view to arrest the vicious circle of the rush of admissions and the declining standards of college education in the country, the Board recommended that :

(a) Universities and colleges should impose restrictions on ad- missions so that only students of calibre join the colleges.

(b) Aptitude tests may be introduced for selecting students to various courses of undergraduate studies.

(c) All the students who conform to the specific admission requirements should be provided with necessary educational facilities by expansion where essential, but more by fuller utilization of the existing colleges.

(d) Effort should be made to lay down restrictions on the-number of students to be admitted to each college and also standards regarding the teacher pupil ratio so as to provide better education for deserving students.

(e) Students excluded from admission with regular students may be provided with some other educational opportunities such as cor- respondence courses.

19. The Board endorsed the reccommendation. that new universi- ties may not be set up except with the prior approval of the Univer- sity Grants Commission. Instead, university centres may be sot up according to requirements for a complex of colleges with about 10,000 enrolment. Such centres, should provide facilities of the university standard in respect of libraries, laboratories, teaching staff, etc. In course of time, the centres may be developed into universities.

Item No. VI To consider the report of the Standing Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education on Social Education.

20. The Board considered the report of the Standing Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education on Social Education and recommended that :

(a) In as much as social education is the most significant instrument of economic development and social change it should receive a much higher priority in the Fourth Plan than it has done so far.

(b) The present rate of progress of adult literacy work is much too slow; a phased programme should, therefore, be prepared so as to eradicate illiteracy within as brief a period as possible.

(c) For quick results a dynamic programme on campaign basis involving mobilisation of national effort on a massive scale should be taken up.

(d) The initial campaign on the basis of voluntary unpaid work like the Gram Shiksha Muhim of Maharashtra will also need to be sustained by an adequate follow-up programme which will require substantial expenditure. The actual pattern of the campaign will have to be determined in the light of local needs and experiences and there need be no rigid uniformity in all the States in regard to the pattern, but it is essential that mass campaign is taken up all over the country so that some States/Territories do riot lag behind others in this vital sector.

(e) The participation and active cooperation of various Gov- ernment Departments and non-Government, agencies should be secured for this large programme of social education. In particular, the local self-governing institutions, universities and other educational establishments, teachers organisations, students' associations and social workers, particularly women, should be encouraged to take initiative and play their part fully.

(f) Effective coordination of the work to be done by various agencies is vital for the success of the Programme. It is necessary to strengthen and devise suitable agencies at the National, States and other levels for mobilising massive national involvement and effort as also for creating a strong executive machinery to implement the programme.

(g) The Board is of the view that the term "social education" which is fairly comprehensive and well understood in the country should be retained and "the concept of social education" should be as accepted by the 31st Session of the Central Advisory Board of Education. The programme should cover (i) eradication of illiteracy amongst adults (ii) imparting functional literacy as specified in re- commendation made by the 31st session of the Board, and (iii) followup programmes of sustaining literacy and its functional character. The Board is firmly of the view that this programme should be the responsibility of the Education Ministry/Departments although other departments/agencies may and should also help and cooperate. If and to the extent to which this position does not obtain, measures. should be taken to amend the allocation of responsibility amongst the departments of Government at the Centre and the States/Union Territories.

(h) The follow-up programme should have two aspects:

1. strengthening the literacy content acquired through the campaign and

2. providing opportunities to develop amongst the neolitera- tes purposeful reading habits and utilizing litercy for im- provement of knowledge or professional/vocational skills.

(i) The follow-up programme mentioned in the preceding para- graph should provide for (i) setting up of requisite continuation classes and/or night schools, clubs etc. (ii) Organisation of appro- priate library services (in the broad sense of the term "library" so to discharge the multi-functional responsibility of adult literacy centres) and (iii) production of suitable reading material in all the modern Indian languages on a big scale. For development of library services every State/Union Territory which has not done so already should enact library legislation, on the basis of the model already- circulated by the Ministry of Education. For planning the reading material, Production programmes, experience gained so far in this field should be pooled and utilized.

(j) The massive social education programme particularly follow- up, will require a strong Organisation and very large funds. These should be provided to ensure that literacy acquired through the campaign basis is adequate in content and is utilized for the betterment of the individual as also for the economic development of the country.

(k) Adult literacy and other social education programmes should focus their attention on improving the productive efficiency of the workers on the farm and the factory, so as to create the necessary motivation for rapid spread of literacy.

(l) A special programme of social education for farmers should be initiated in the intensive agricultural districts covered by the package programme and the I.A.A. programme because these areas will have the requisite organization for conducting demonstrations. and for developing the skills of the farmers.

Similarly the improvement of the factory workers' professional skill should receive attention from industry as well as from Gov- ernment.

(m) In social education programmes full use should be made of all the available physical facilities in institutions such as village libraries, community centres, panchayat ghars, schools, and vigyan mandirs. Besides literacy other means of social education and mass communication media such as films, radio talks, periodical journals, television (to the extent it develops), drama, bhajan parties etc. should also be harnessed.

(n) The universities should play an active part and give the lead in programmes of social education, including "further" and continuing education". They should provide inter alia for.

(i) re-education of teachers including university teachers;

(ii) special programmes of courses suited to specialised needs;

(iii) studies and research in the techniques and methodology of adult education.

Item No. VII To consider the report of the Standing Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education on General Purposes.

21. The Board considered the report of the Standing Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education on General Purposes and made the following recommendations:

(a) The counselling service and Organisation should be suitably strengthened so that they may prove to be of greater assistance to the students.

(b) There should be better coordination between the students Advisory Bureaus at the Universities and the Employment and Training Cell provided by the D.G. & E.T., so that the students may be aware not only of the facilities available for training but also of employment opportunities.

(d) On the question as to whether the national scholarships should be in the form of loans or grants or both, the present arrange- ment should continue for the time being; it provides for scholarships of both categories, namely. grants and loans.The board also felt that the present income limits specified for the means test to determine eligibility for scholarships need not be changed.

(e) The factors responsible for delays in disbursement of scholarships should be examined thoroughly and measures devised for eliminating the delays.

(f) There should be full coordination between national and State scholarships and the administrative machinery for dealing with scholarships should be suitably strengthened where necessary.

(g) In the journal "Youth" published by the Ministry of Educa- tion, suitable articles should be included in cooperation with the D.G.E.T. to indicate the sources from which information about em- ployment opportunities can be obtained.

(h) A part of the library grant of an institution should be given in the form of literature carefully selected out of that published by the Government

Item No. VIII General features of the Fourth Plan of Educational Development and re-orientation of educational policies and plans in view of present emergency.

22. The Board considered general features of the Fourth Plan of Educational Development and re-orientation of educational policies and plans in view of present emergency and made the following recommendations:

(a) Realising that education to be imparted to students at all stages must in the present context be oriented more strongly than heretofore towards defence and development, the Board commends the idea of National Service by youth and desires that the details of the scheme may be worked out expeditiously and carefully in consultation with the universities and other educational authorities. The programme of national service should provide for (i) a measurable quantity of manual work conducive to economic development, (ii) fairly intensive military training, and (iii) general education to broaden the outlook and improve the knowledge of the youth. It was emphasised that although such a scheme will need provision of substantial funds, the need for the programme is so vital that funds should not be an impediment.

(b) Universities, colleges and secondary schools could immedia- tely start on a programme of social work and national service on a voluntary basis even before a scheme of compulsory national service becomes operative. Each institution could take up such important activities as the following

(i) Adopting a village or a particular locality for its improve- ment, including an intensive drive for eradication of illiteracy amongst adults.

(ii) Productive orientation of school programmes-kitchen gar- dening, agriculture and allied vocations, particularly to utilise such facilities as may be locally available, to the fullest possible extent.

(iii) Intensification of curricular and co-curricular activities having a bearing on building up of defence potential.

(iv) Intensifying the programmes of first-aid and nursing training.

23. The Board expressed its concern and anxiety at the possibility of drastic cuts in funds to be allowed for educational development in the near future, and emphasised the idea that investment in education is the sine qua non of all national effort in both defence and development and therefore as the late Prime Minister had emphasised at the time of the Chinese aggression, educational development programmes should rather be strengthened than reduced in a period of emergency Without prejudice to this approach it was

suggested that the following steps should be taken to adjust educa- tional programmes to the necessities of severe economy:-

(a) Quality improvement programmes intended to be provided for in the Fourth Plan should not be given up merely because funds allotted for 1966-67 might be inadequate. All these programmes require a great deal of careful planning and preparatory work. In the initial period these should be provided for and taken up despite lower allocation of funds.

(b) The programmes of evening colleges, correspondence courses, part time courses etc., should be intensified. They are both economical and inescapable for dealing with the great demand for educational opportunities. Qualitative standard in regular institu- tions can only be maintained if students of calibre join them and the rest are looked after as much as possible through the special courses mentioned above.

(c) Instead of setting up new institutions or universities, the requisite facilities should be provided by fuller utilisation of existing institutions and by setting up university centres.

Item No. IX To fix the venue and dates of the next meeting of the Board.

24. In regard to the venue of the next session of the Central Advisory Board of Education, a request was made by Andhra Pradesh. It was agreed that the Chairman may consider this and other suggestions and decide.

The Board unanimously passed the Chairman's proposal to thank the Punjab Government and in particular the State Education Minister, Shri Prabodh Chandra and his department for the excellent arrangements made, and facilities provided for the session.

The Session ended with a Vote of Thanks to the Chair, moved by Dr. M. S. Mehta.