MEMORANDUM ON ITEM NO. VIII GENERAL FEATURES OF THE FOURTH PLAN OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RE-ORIENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL POLICIES AND PLANS IN VIEW OF THE PRESENT EMERGENCY
The progress of education in the Third Plan, both in respect of the total outlay and physical targets, has been satisfactory. The overall Plan outlay of Rs. 560 crores for education is likely to be fully spent and the physical targets fixed for different stages of education are likely to be exceeded. The rapid expansion has, however outstripped the resources of trained teachers, buildings,. and equipment. The maladjustment between the educational development and the economic development has not been substantially adjusted. As a result of this, there has been a great increase in the number of educated unemployed side by side with the shortage of trained personnel. Also, the huge wastage that is found practically at all stages of education is continuing at a very high level.
Approach to the Fourth Plan An attempt has been made in the Fourth Plan to link education more intimately with other programmes of economic development.. For this, highest priorities have been assigned to the training and development of education at all stages with a bias to manual work and productivity. At the elementary stage, the enrolment drive would have to be intensified to bring the maximum, number of children, in schools as an effective step towards achievement of the Constitutional Directive. At the secondary stage science education, vocational education and diversification of courses have been given due emphasis to make education terminal at this stage. At the university stage, admission would have to be restricted to those who can really benefit by higher education. Schemes of qualitative improvement have been incorporated in all sectors of education to get good returns of educational investment. Special measures for girls' education have been included to accelerate girls enrolment in order to remove disparity between boys and girls.
In formulating the Fourth Plan programmes of education, every effort has been made to intensify the necessary co-operation between the Centre and the State in their efforts of development in this field.
Outlay The total outlay for education in the Fourth Plan has now been fixed by the National Development Council at Rs. 1,260 crores. Its sector-wise allocation is given below:
Sector Allocation
(Rs. in
Crores)
Elementary Education396.42 396.42
Secondary Education280.00 280.00
University Education134.00 134.00
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Sector Allocation
(Rs in
Crores)
Scholarships 55.00
Social Education 71.00
Technical Education 252.40
Cultural Programmes 16.18
Others 55.00
TOTAL 1,260.00
Targets of Enrolment
The main targets of enrolment at various stages of education, are shown in the table below:
(Figures in lakh)
1960-61 1965--66 1970-71
Stage/Age-Group (Actual) (Likely Targets
achieve-
ment)
Primary (6-11) :
Enrolment 349.87 512.07 702.07
% of the age-group 62.2 77.8 93.00
Middle (11-14) :
Enrolment 67.04 107.96 187.96
% of the age-group 22.5 31.6 46.00
Secondary (14-17) :
Enrolment 29.6 52.4 90.00
% of the age-group 11.7 17.8 22.00
University (17-23) :
Enrolment 7.32 11.00 16.00
% of the age-group 1.5 1.9 2.3
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It will be seen that as against 161.20 lakhs additional enrolment in classes I to V during the Third Plan, 190.00 lakhs additional enrolment is proposed for the Fourth Plan. Similarly, at the middle stage of education, as against enrolling 41 lakh students during the Third Plan, the target for the Fourth Plan would be 80 lakhs students. Even with this additional enrolment, we will not be able to fulfil the Constitutional obligation of providing universal elementary education for all children of these age-groups by the end of the Fourth Plan.
Programmes and Policies The following main points of policies have been taken into con- sideration while formulating the various educational programmes under different sectors of education:
1. Elementary Education (i) Sufficient provision has been made in the Plan for the ex- pansion of facilities for education in the age-group 6-11 and 11-14 in order to fulfil the Constitutional directive as early as possible. With the achievement of the target of 190 lakhs additional children of the age-group 6-11, we will come nearer to the goal of bringing all children of this age-group into schools particularly in the case of comparatively advanced States, in the field of education. With this target, the less advanced States would be able to achieve this target by the end of the Fifth Plan.
(ii) For removing the disparity between the enrolment of boys and girls, special programmes for girls' education with a provision of Rs. 25.20 crores have been included.
(iii) A large number of schemes for the qualitative improve- ment of primary schools have been incorporated in the Plan. These include conversion/orientation of primary schools to Basic type, improving the working of the existing Basic schools, development of work bias in all elementary schools, improvement of teachers' training institutions, correspondence courses for clearing the backlog of untrained teachers etc.
(iv) Mid-day meals and free supply of text-books are two other important schemes with a provision of Rs. 40 crores included in this sector, which represents an important feature of the educational programmes in the Fourth Plan.
2. Secondary Education (i) Besides making sufficient provision for the additional enrolment proposed for this sector, a large amount has been provided for the teachers' training programme in this sector.
(ii) Nearly 40 per cent of the total outlay for this sector has been apportioned for the various schemes of improvement and di- versification of courses at secondary stage.
(iii) The present state of economic development and the pre- sent employment situation warrant that the large majority of our students should enter life at the end of the secondary stage. Ac- cordingly, a substantial provision has been made for providing
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vocational courses of a terminal character, particularly, agricultural courses which will send boys back to the farms where they are needed.
(iv) Great emphasis has been laid on the strengthening of science teaching in this sector for which alone a provision of Rs. 28.50 crores has been made.
3. University Education (i) In drawing up the Plan for the university sector, it is pre- sumed that no new university should, as a rule, be established during the Fourth Plan. Instead, university centres should be set up, each within a complex of colleges with about 10,000 enrolment, where facilities for academic work of university standard are made available in regard to libraries, laboratories and teachers. For this, a provision of Rs. 10 crores has been made in the Plan.
(ii) A target of 5 lakhs of enrolment has been fixed for this sector with an idea of restricting the enrolment at this stage as far as possible. Out of this total enrolment, 50,000 students are propos- ed to be covered through correspondence courses and the remaining 4 1/2 lakh students through full-time courses by staggering the working hours of the colleges so that the cost involved in bringing this additional enrolment might be minimised.
(iii) Affiliated colleges are in dire need of improvement, for which a provision of Rs. 20 crores has been made in the Plan.
4. Social Education A large provision of Rs. 71 crores has been made for the pro- grammes of social education. Besides the programmes of mass literacy included in the Plan, a massive programme of production of books and literature and for libraries and reading rooms has been included to reduce relapse into illiteracy to the minimum.
5. Technical Education A total of Rs. 252.40 crores is proposed for this sector in order to increase the output of engineers and technicians for meeting the requirements of other sectors in the field of economic development. In this sector, sufficient provision has been made for expanding the training capacity of large number of existing engineering and technical institutions and also for establishing 6 large-sized engineering colleges and 18 polytechnics in different parts of the country.
6. Educational Administration In order to reap the fruits of a plan, its proper implementation is necessary and for the effective implementation of the plan, a strong and efficient administrative machinery is needed. It has, therefore, been felt that the educational administration, both at the Centre and in the States should be strengthened. For this, a provi- sion of Rs. 10 crores has been made in the Plan.
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7. Improvement of Teachers' Emoluments No amount for the improvement of teachers' salary has been provided in the Fourth Plan, except that for special awards to those who receive special training to improve their qualifications.
8. Defence-orientation of the Fourth Plan In the present context of national emergency, there is need for making the educational Plan defence-oriented. Some of the educational programmes included in the Fourth Plan can be selected to contribute quickly and directly to the needs of national defence. For example, in the technical education sector, the entire programme can be geared to meet the present as well as future defence demands. Besides providing the required number of engineers and technicians for the economic growth of the country and for the demands of defence services, we could organise a large number of specialised courses of functional importance to step up aircraft production, manufacture of electronic and electrical instruments and for a wide range of industrial operations and processes of strategic importance. A vast potential exists in our technical institutions which can be oriented to training programmes in relation to our defence needs in close coordination with defence authorities and defence-based industry.
Another sector which can be geared to defence preparedness is social education. An outlay of Rs. 71 crores for this sector can advantageously be utilised for developing in the large adult masses technical and vocational skills relating to agricultural and indus- trial production-the strategic need of national defence. Simulta- neously, we could also aim at preparing the masses for civil defence, for the maintenance of law and order and other aspects of community life through mass. literature, community broadcasts, audiovisual aids and other media. All that is needed is an aggressive and forth-right approach to the social education programmes in the context of the present emergency.
In the secondary education sector, a substantial provision has been made for the multipurpose schools and vocational education programmes. This provision could be utilised to impart various kinds of technical and vocational skills to high school students for productive occupations in later life. These skills and occupational aspects could be directed towards defence. Similarly, provision has been made in the elementary education sector for work-orientation in middle schools. These programmes can be drawn in relation to defence needs.
In view of the above position, defence orientation to the Fourth Five Year Plan of Education can be aided at various points, at various levels and in various forms.
9. Scheme of Compulsory National Service With a view to mobilising the material and human resources to their highest potential, it is proposed to enforce national service
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for all school-leavers before they join universities or other institu- tions of higher learning. The broad aims and objects of the scheme are :
(i) To prepare youth to defend the country's independence and integrity; to participate effectively in the country's defence on a broad front that includes industry, agriculture, transport and communications, as also in the para-military formations;
(ii) To develop in youth a lively awareness of why and how we are bent on national reconstruction, and to inculcate in them discipline, a spirit, of "service without vanity", dig- nity of labour and dedication to India;
(iii) To toughen youth physically and morally to meet the enemy now and always;
(iv) To create a reserve of trained personnel to meet our defence needs, both on the home front and on the battle field.
It is hoped that a year's national service would correct the in- adequacy of our present secondary education and would equip the youth both for university education and for life. Those entering life would be more mature, disciplined and better prepared for the responsibilities of life in a free country. Those who go up to the university would be more self-reliant, disciplined and better equipped to profit by university education. The content of national service is under consideration and would be devised in relation to India's defence needs. The focal point, however, would be all types and forms of training that have a bearing on the defence preparedness of the country, for instance, work in factories and on farms, work in transport and communications, in civil defence including the manning of radar and anti-aircraft gun positions, construction projects (both civil and military) work in ports, harbours, railways, road transport etc. with a view to maintaining supplies and services to the defence forces and to the civil population. The programme of training should develop in youth a sense of participation and identification with national goals. Students both boys and girls would be drafted to this national service. The services of girls students will, however, be utilised more in the field of nursing, first aid, welfare activities for the fighting forces such as running canteens and cafeterias. It is expected that, besides building the youth physically and morally their energies will thus be channelised into healthier and constructive channels.
Item No. VIII : General Features of the Fourth Plan
of Educational Development and Reorientation of
Educational Policies and Plans in View of Present
Emergency. (Contd.)
Orientation of Education to Defence Effort
Note From The Government of Punjab In the background of the recent Pakistani aggression, it has become inescapable to reorientate the whole economy of this State as well as all other activities so as to further the defence effort and
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to make our country an impregnable citadel. It is already being considered at the highest level that our Fourth Five Year Plan should also become defence oriented on long term basis, and that this defence effort gets reflected in all sectors of economy. Challenged by tyrannical foes as we are, education can play a vital role in strengthening our reason and will to defend our way of life. This calls for a two-fold action-short range as well as long range. In the Punjab State, some immediate measures have already been taken by the Education Department in the wake of the recent hostilities to meet the challenge of the National Emergency and these are detailed in Annexure `III'. Other short-term measures necessary in the field of education are:
(i) Provision of adequate shelters in the schools situated in border areas;
(ii) Giving extensive training and practice to the students and teachers in first aid, nursing and local civil defence besides periodical exercises and manoeuvres for the students, in small groups, to guard petrol pumps, water reservoirs, bridges, culverts on the main roads, public buildings and the like;
(iii) Inculcating saving consciousness in our students and, through them, in the households in general, particularly in the matter of use of food, kerosene, electricity for house- hold consumption, use of woollen clothes and saving of paper, stationery, etc.;
(iv) Encouragement to growing, on voluntary basis, preservable vegetables and other crops etc. in every inch of available piece of land not being utilised in the educational institu- tions for play-grounds;
(v) Enlarged photographs or portraits of local martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the front be displayed in schools and due reverence be paid to them in the morning assemblies; and
(vi) Adequate arrangements for the continuance of education of displaced children from vulnerable areas. The children should not only be allowed free education, but also given free books and other ancillaries free of charge.
2. On long term basis, a reservoir of trained man-power for specific defence purposes has to be built up. In order to achieve this purpose the following methods may be considered:-
(i) Speed of teaching science, medicine, engineering and tech- nology should be accelerated generally.
(ii) In order to enable our poor but brilliant young boys to pursue studies in science, medicine, engineering and tech- nology, a very large number of scholarships, both outright grants and loans, will need to be instituted. Those amongst them undertaking to join courses in medicine, technology and engineering and undertaking to serve the Defence Forces for at least 5 years after completing the course, should be given the aforesaid scholarships, in preference to others and in addition be allowed freeships as well as some kind of hostel concessions and supply of free books etc.
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(iii) Physical development should be given its rightful place in our educational institutions, as an effective instrument of national utility and as a potent weapon for creating sustained physical efficiency and stamina. To this end, apart from compulsory introduction of N.C.C. and A.C.C. mass military drill and training should form an integral part of the programme to be followed in our educational institutions. Climbing hills, walking in thick jungles and carrying heavy loads and other such activities, should be made a routine feature for our young boys, beyond a particular age. There should be `play for all' in the schools throughout the year.
(iv) N.C.C. and A.C.C. should be reorientated so as to include civil defence in general and fire fighting, traffic control and guard duties in particular as compulsory items in their training programme.
(v) Each student beyond the age of 14 years should be compul- sorily required to attend one week's camp in civil defence, after the annual examination.
(vi) Our new objectives should be reflected in every aspect of education-curriculum, technique, discipline and tone of the institutions. For this purpose the morning assemblies should vibrate with feelings of patriotism and secularism and our language textbooks should be replete with poems and excerpts of bravery and secularism. Such books written afresh should be placed in the hands of the rising generation. The Institutes of Audio-Visual Education may bring out inspiring posters to ignite constructive thinking.
(vii) There should be a full-fledged department of military science at all the universities and regular research should be undertaken. Military science should also be an optional subject in the three years degree course.
(viii) Study of geography should be taken more seriously and map-reading should become an integral part of the curricular programme while military geography should be a vital part of history, especially at the advanced stage.
(ix) Students should be given more knowledge about our Army, Navy and Air Force. In particular, they may be made aware of the big victories won by our forces during the Pakistani aggression and the heroic deeds performed by our officers and Jawans, particularly the valour exhibited by those who won high awards, posthumous or otherwise. The deeds of valour exhibited by our Army and Police Officers should be highlighted in talks and lectures.
(x) It has already been decided in the Punjab State that each high and higher secondary school as well as college should function as a first aid-cum-ambulance centre. Steps should now be taken to convert these schools/colleges into training centres so as to train up members of the community in civil defence measures. Teachers who have already secured first aid or civil defence training and are imparting this training to the students should extend their activities so as to cover local citizens who voluntarily come forward to undergo such training.
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(xi) Through students, it should be possible to produce such a climate that luxuries, pomp and show at social functions, paints and perfumes are given a go-bye. It should further be possible to impress upon the community in general to produce more food which should be kept moving and not allowed to be hoarded.
3. Finance needed for the various activities mentioned above, particularly those to be introduced on long term basis, should be made available out of grants from the Central Government so that it is possible for the State Governments to implement the programmes effectively. It will not be possible for some of the States, particularly those lying on the border, to adopt these measures owing to their inadequate finances.
ANNEXURE III (i)Boy scouts, girl guides, rovers and teachers besides other students who have already received training in first aid and nursing should be mobilised and their services utilized in collaboration with the local civil defence authority. For this purpose, heads of institutions should immediately draw up, list of these persons for being supplied to the local defence authority immediately.
(ii) First aid training classes of students above the age of 15 years should be started so as to impart training in first aid, nursing, fire fighting and other assignments connected with the civil defence and those who have already received training should, if necessary, be given refresher courses.
(iii) The students above 19 years and members of the staff should be encouraged to donate blood for Jawans and immediately get suitable lists prepared and the blood grouping determined for being utilized at the time of need.
(iv) Each educational institution should function as a first aidcum-ambulance post and for this purpose each institution should immediately have:
Sufficient length of plastic or rubber water Pipe with attachments, fire fighting equipment, two or three lad- ders, three to five first aid boxes fully equipped with medicines etc., one or two hand water pumps. In addi- tion, they should undertake the duty of sand bagging of public buildings, when necessary. (v) Able bodied school and college boys, particularly scouts and N.C.C. boys should be deployed in small groups for guarding petrol pumps, water reservoirs, bridges, culverts on the main road and public buildings, besides helping in the reinforcement of A.R.P. measures and in running canteens started by the public.
(vi) Senior institutions, namely, colleges and high and higher secondary schools should organise more than one contingent of Anti Para Troopers for being placed at the disposal of the local civil and police authority for effective action against the para troopers.
(vii) All cultural shows, fetes and melas etc. should be abandoned except when these are required to be held for the Purpose of collecting funds for defence services.
(viii) The use of kerosene oil should be minimised and the purchase of woollen cloth should be discouraged as the woollen garments will be urgently needed for our Jawans on the front.
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(ix) Teachers and students should be encouraged to go to the houses of serving personnel and assist the families who are often illiterate in writing letters to the soldiers and reading letters received by them and for rendering any other odd service that may be helpful. For this purpose principals, headmasters, and B.D.Os should draw up lists of families of soldiers in their respective beats.
(x) The students and teachers should generally help in checking the spread of unfounded rumours.
(xi) Necessary number of trenches should be dug up in the educational institutions, by voluntary labour, in consulta- tion with the local civil defence authority.
(xii) Rumours should be put down. For this purpose latest news should be announced on a board in the educational institutions, besides announcing them in the morning assem- bly. Moreover, classes should not be left unattended.
(xiii) Officials must remain on duty, by turns, round the clock in offices as well as institutions.
(xiv) In the morning as well as in other assemblies, poems and songs intended to create keen sense of patriotism should be recited.
(xv) Physical fitness mass drill should be a regular feature in each educational institution.
(xvi) Placards and prominent mottoes should be displayed on the outer gates of the educational institutions so that passing soldiers should get moral support and the mottoes etc. should inspire the general public.
Item No. VIII (1) Special talks by teachers should be arranged in all educa- tional institutions including primary and middle schools on topics such as India, her essential characteristics of secularism, democracy, socialism and national integrity followed by a mass pledge of devotion to the motherland. The broadcasts of the President and the Prime Minister could be sent to all the secondary schools and colleges. Steps need to be taken to get these translated into the regional languages and to send them to all the institutions/teachers. Copies of the pamphlets which were prepared by the Ministry of Education in 1962 should also be sent to the colleges and secondary schools.
(2) Schemes should be prepared for linking student activities with increase in production of necessary services and goods. In rural areas, this could include compost making, vegetable farming, removing of weeds etc. In urban areas, the programme could consist of collection of scraps and recovery of waste materials.
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(3) In the case of older students in both rural and urban areas, measures should be taken to link up their services with the needs of civil defence.
(4) The teaching personnel in educational institutions could be enabled to engage themselves, on a part-time basis, in work connected with civil defence in its, widest sense. This could include arrangements for blood donations, welfare of the wounded Jawans and, collection of relief materials. The students of women's colleges could undertake rolling of bandage cloth etc.
(5) Production centres could be set up in engineering colleges and polytechnics as well as in professional colleges/departments where students could work during their off-time on a part-time basis.
(6) The extra-curricular activities should be systematised into a school defence corps programme and focussed on areas closely connected with preparation of manpower for defence and development. This would call for special attention to science education and manual work.
(7) The facilities in schools could be utilised if necessary for training of craftsmen and technicians under a programme to be worked out in consultation with the Directorate General of Employment and Training.
(8) Greater attention should be given to N.C.C. programmes. As N.C.C. (Senior) training is compulsory for all students, it will provide a useful source for constructive activities related to defence purposes.
(9) There is an urgent need to provide for the special needs of the children of the defence personnel. These needs, would include admission to schools during the academic year, special tutorial classes to make up deficiencies and facilities for their stay etc. The central schools which have been set up in regimental centres need the provision of hostels on a high priority basis. It is also necessary to restate that the education of the children of defence personnel should be free. The question of eliciting voluntary offers to play hosts to these children could also be considered at least in big cities.
(10) There is a need to consider the special problems of rehabi- litation and training of the disabled defence personnel.
(11) In regard to technical education, equipment required in the technical institutions should be provided in full, in cooperation with the industries concerned. The equipment available in these institutions should also be put to maximum use during the next session by introducing additional shifts if necessary.
(12) Economy is possible in the construction of hostels by build- ing bunkers in existing hostels. This is being adopted in a number of foreign countries.