MEMORANDUM ON ITEM NO.III TO RECEIVE THE REPORT OF THE GOVT. OF INDIA AND STATE GOVERNMENTS ABOUT THE ACTION TAKEN ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD MADE AT ITS LAST MEETING
PART I
ACTION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Item No. 3 Special steps required to step up the enrolment of girls
in the 6-11 age group.
Para Recommendations Para Action Taken
Nos. Nos.
4 The Board accepted the 4 The recommendations of
recommendations of the the Bhaktavatsalam Committee
Bhaktavatsalam Committee have been referred to the
regarding mobilisation of State Governments, the State
public cooperation to pro- Councils for Women's Educa-
mote the education of girls and tion and other Voluntary
emphasised the need for their Educational Organisations
implementation. working, in the field of
Women's Education or im-
plementation.
5 The Board recommended 5 The recommendation was
that special measures (such referred to the Planning Com-
as those mentioned below) mission. The Commission
to encourage girls' education has stated that although at
should be included in the this stage it would be difficult
centrally sponsored sector of to indicate precisely the pat-
the Fourth Plan, with 100% tern of Central assistance for
Government of India's assis- "special schemes for girls' edu-
tance : cation" in the Fourth Plan,
(i) Construction of tea- in formulating the pattern
chers' quarters of Central Assistance, the
(ii) Rural allowance for Ministry of Education will be
teachers consulted.
(iii) Provision of school
mothers
(iv) Construction of sani-
tary blocks in schools
(v) Hostels
(vi) Creches
(vii) School meals; and
(viii) School uniform.
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6 The Board recommended 6 The Planning Commission
that advance action proposals have since communicated the
already under examination allocation to the State Govern-
should be finalised early and ments. The details of the
necessary financial assistance schemes to be implemented by
be given to the States for pro- the States are being intimated
grammes which would promo- to them.
mote the preparation of wo-
men teachers.
Item No. 4 The targets of enrolment to be aimed at during the next Plan period.
Para Recommendations Para Action Taken
Nos. Nos.
7 The Board emphasised that 7 & 8 These recommendations
the future programme of will be kept in view while
expansion at the elementary finalising proposals in the
stage was mostly expansion Fourth Plan.
of education among girls
and in the backward areas.
It recommended that every
State and Territory should
move towards the ultimate ob-
jective of making Elementary
Education universal, free and
compulsory, and that special
attention should be paid to
backward sectors and areas.
In this connection, the Board
recommended that every
educationally Backward State
should make special efforts,
with adequate and liberal
Central aid, to reach the
national average of enrol-
ment, while other States
should be enabled to progress
as much as possible towards
the ultimate objective.
8 In regard to legislation for
compulsion at the primary
stage, the Board was of the
view that whereas statutory
provisions may be necessary
for such purposes as collec-
tion of cess, the really effec-
tive method of achieving uni-
versality in education. in this
age group would be exten-
sion of facilities in areas not
yet covered and use of per-
suasion incentives.
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Item No. 5 Measures for improving standards of education at the
elementary stage.
Para Recommendations Para Action Taken
Nos. Nos.
The Board observed that 9 The State Governments
practically all elementary are mainly concerned with the
schools were at present work- recommendations made under
ing at sub-standard level in so this item.
far as their qualitative stan-
dards were concerned. To Efforts will be made to
effect improvement it recom- improve the working of all
mended the following mea- schools and to develop Model
sures be provided for: institutions. The extent of im-
(i) Better paid, better provement will depend on the
qualified and better resources available in the
trained teachers (trai- Fourth Plan.
ning including initial
as well as in-service
training)
(ii) Suitable textbooks and
other reading material
(iii) Suitable buildings,
equipment and teach-
ing aids
(iv) Improvement in tea-
cher-pupil ratio
(v) Provision of improv-
ed syllabii
(vi) Development of school
health programme
(vii) More effective ins-
pection ; and
(viii) Full development of
State Institutes of
Education and ex-
pansion of Extension
Service Centres.
10 The Board emphasised
that the accent should be on
the general improvements of
standards in all schools. Si-
multaneously, selected schools
should be developed as model
institutions, adequate safegu-
ards being provided in their
location, admissions etc. to
ensure that socially, economi-
cally and educationally back-
ward sectors of children, parti-
cularly from rural areas are
also enabled to derive full
benefit from these schools.
11 The Board reiterated that
the minimum qualifications for
new teachers of primary schools
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should be matriculation (or
equivalent qualification) with
professional training and it
recommended that no rela-
xation should be made in this
direction. The Board also
recommended that the exis-
ting underqualified teachers
should be helped to improve
their qualifications and reach
the prescribed standard.
Item No. 6 Scheme for improvement of quality in all Secondary
schools so as to bring them to a reasonable norm of
efficiency and the special development of Quality
Schools.
Para Recommendations Para Action Taken
Nos. Nos.
12 The Board approved of 12,13 The State Governments are
the following steps for im- and mainly concerned with the re-
provement of secondary edu- 14 commendations made under
cation: this item.
(i) Improving and stre-
ngthening of science
teaching through mea-
sures like strengthen-
ing of science labo-
ratories and special
training of science
teachers
(ii) Improvement of
school library services
(iii) Improvement and
expansion of multi-
purpose schools
(iv) Upgrading of high
schools to higher se-
condary pattern
(v) Training and supply
of teachers and im-
provement of their
service conditions,
and
(vi) Development of selec-
ted schools with re-
sidential facilities for
talented children.
13 The Board recommended
the continuance and streng-
thening of other existing sche-
mes directed to improve the
quality of secondary educa-
tion, viz., Evaluation Units,
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Bureaux of Educational and
Vocational Guidance, scien-
ce clubs, Science fairs and
science talent search scheme.
14 The Board particularly
emphasised the need to stren-
gthen the existing program-
mes of extension for in-service
training of teachers.
Item No. 7 The nature, extent and mechanism of diversification of
education at the secondary stage.
Para Recommendations Para Action Taken
Nos. Nos.
15 The Board recommended 15 As suggested by the Board,
as under: action is being taken to es-
(i) The diversification tablish junior Agricultural
should start at about Schools in the Fourth Plan.
the age of 14 In regard to other streams,
plus, i.e., the end of action will be taken in consul-
the elementary stage. tation with the National
(ii) Adequate provision Council of Educational Rese-
should be made to arch and Training. The extent
diversify courses at the to which facilities for diversified
secondary level cour- courses could be expanded will
ses in the vocational depend on resources available
fields should be so de- in the Fourth Plan.
signed as to be termi-
nal in character. Pro-
vision should be made
for adjustment cour-
ses through which
such students may
proceed for higher
studies as show ap-
titude and inclination
and are found to be
capable. Such courses
could be provided
through part-time and
correspondence cour-
ses to be taken by
them after they have
joined the vocations
for which they are
trained.
(iii) The expansion of
vocational and diver-
sified courses at
the secondary stage
should be undertaken
in accordance with
placement opportuni-
ties and aptitude of
students.
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(iv) The Board stressed
the need for orga-
nising vocational gui-
dance and counselling
services in the schools
in order that students
voluntarily take up
the various diversi-
fied courses.
Item No. 8 Strengthening of science education-Steps other than
those covered in item 6.
Para Recommendations Para Action Taken
Nos. Nos.
16 The Board recommended 16 & A scheme for introducing
that the target to be achieved 17 General Science at the elemen-
by the end of the 4th Plan tary and secondary stage is
should be to provide General under preparation. Similarly
Science including Mathema- efforts will be made in the
tics in all secondary schools Fourth Plan to encourage the
and Elective Science in as teaching of elective science
many as possible with the in all secondary schools. Suf-
ultimate object of providing ficient funds are being provi-
Elective Science as well in all ded in the Fourth Plan for the
secondary schools. To achieve promotion of science teaching
this objective, it recommend- at the secondary stage.
ed adequate funds being provi-
ded in the 4th Plan to supply
to the schools the required
equipment and qualified
teachers of science.
17 The Board further re-
commended that teachers of
science who acquire higher
qualification through conden-
sed or other special courses
should get a suitable increase
in their salary scale and that
an appropriate machinery
should be evolved to ensure
the follow up of the special
training given to science
teachers.
Item No. 9 Salient features of perspective planning for higher
education with particular emphasis on schemes
under consideration for the Fourth Plan.
Para Recommendations Para Action Taken
Nos. Nos.
18 (i) The Board was of the 18 The recommendations made
view, that the contemplated by C. A. B. E. pertaining to
diversification of courses at University Education were
the secondary stage in the considered by the University
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