APPENDIX `A' AGENDA PAPERS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF EDUCATION ON SCHOOL EDUCATION
Dates of Meeting 6th and 7th August,
1965.
Venue Vigyan Bhawan, New
Delhi.
Time 10. 30 A. M.
AGENDA ITEMS
1. Promotion of science education at the school stage. (Ministry of Education)
2. Introduction of diversified courses at the secondary stage of education. (Ministry of Education)
3. Basic education-to consider the progress made so far and suggest the lines of further action. (Ministry of Education)
4. Separate education for boys and girls in schools and colleges. (Govt. of Kerala)
5. Inservice training of teachers and their future work.
(Govt. of Kerala)
6. More generous provision for technical or vocational education at the post-matriculation stage. (Govt. of Kerala)
7. Implementation and development of the programme of education in international understanding in furtherance of the East-West Major Project and Associated Schools Project of Unesco. (Ministry of Education)
8. Social studies.
(Govt. of Mysore)
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SCHOOL EDUCATION COMMITTEE 1. Smt. Indira Gandhi Minister for Information & Broadcasting New Delhi
2. Dr. K. N. Rao Director General of Health Services New Delhi
3. Kumari S. Panandikar Member, Education Commission U. G. C. Building Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi
4. Dr. K. L. Shrimah Vice-Chancellor University of Mysore Mysore
5. Prof. G. C. Chatterji Chairman Central Board of Secondary Education 17-B, Indraprastha Marg New Delhi
6. Smt. Mafida Ahmed Jorhat, Assam.
7. Shri U. N. Dhebar Chairman Khadi & Village Industries Commission 3,Irla Road, Vile Parle Bombay-56
8. Shri C. L. Narasimha Reddy, M. P. 115, Darya Ganj Delhi-6
9. Dr. A. L. Mudaliar Vice-Chancellor Madras University Madras
10. Shri V. G. Garde Director of Technical Education Rajasthan, Jaipur
11. Smt. Ranu Mookerjee 7. Harrington Street Calcutta-16
12. Shri E. W. Aryanaykam Hindustani Talimi Sangh Wardha
13. Education Minister, Gujarat or his representative
14. Education Minister, Madhya Pradesh
or
his representative
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15. Education Minister, Madras or his representative
16. Education Minister, West Bengal or his representative
17. Education Minister, Bihar or his representative
18. Education Minister, Himachal Pradesh or his representative
19. Shri P. Gangulee (Secretary) Deputy Secretary (BSE) Ministry of Education New Delhi
Note : The Committee will choose its Chairman from amongst its members present in the meeting.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL EDUCATION (Meeting on the 6th & 7th August, 1965)
Item No. 1: Promotion of Science Education at the School stage. Successive Five Year Plans have laid emphasis on the effective teaching of science in elementary and secondary schools. The State Governments although keen on expanding and improving facilities for the teaching of science in schools, are handicapped on account of paucity of funds required to put up laboratory buildings and to purchase necessary equipment and apparatus. Another very serious handicap is the dearth of qualified science teachers. It is particularly difficult to obtain the services of post-graduate science teachers to work in higher secondary schools. The extent of shortage of science teachers in different States is indicated in the Statement at Annexure IV at page 220.
2. A very important step to promote science education was taken during the Third Plan by the setting up in 1963 of a Department of Science Education, in the National Council of Educational Research and Training. The main functions of this Department are: (a) to revise the curriculum of science subjects and to prepare science textbooks of high quality; (b) to train key personnel work-ing in State Governments for improving science education; (c) to lay down standards and norms for science apparatus and equipment and to prepare prototypes of the more important items of apparatus; (d) to promote activities of science clubs and organise search for scientific talent among secondary school pupils.
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3. The Department has already worked out curriculum in general science up to the middle school level. Panels of experts are working on new textbooks. The Central workshop of the Department has also started designing science apparatus. This workshop will also provide guidance to manufacturers of scientific equipment and apparatus.
4. The Regional Colleges of Education have instituted a oneyear training course for science teachers. They have also a new four-year course to teach methodology along with subject matter to prospective teachers of science.
5. The National Council of Educational Research and Training is also organising every year, with the assistance of USAID, a large number of Summer Institutes for teachers of science. The object of these institutes is to acquaint science teachers in secondary schools with the latest advances made in various branches of science, and also to acquaint them with the latest techniques in science teaching being developed in the advanced countries.
6. The Ministry of Education has launched a "crash" programme (See Annexure V) to assist the State Governments financially to equip school science laboratories. In addition, the States are also being given financial assistance to set up State Institutes of Science Education. These institutes will organise short and long term courses for the training of science teachers. They will also help in evolving better curriculum and writing textbooks in regional languages.
7. The Committee on Plan Projects of the Planning Commission has done very useful work by drawing up lists of science equipment and apparatus for high and higher secondary schools.* The Committee has also prepared designs of laboratory rooms and furniture for use in the science laboratories.
8. Mention may also be made of the report submitted by a team of Unesco experts. This team made a first hand study of the problems of science education in the country and made important suggestions for strengthening of science teaching. The main recommendations are given in Annexure VI. These were placed before the Central Advisory Board of Education at its meeting held in October 1964 which recommended as follows: The Board noted the various measures already initiated by Government to expand and improve the teaching of science (including mathematics) in schools. It recommended that the target to be achieved by the end of the Fourth Plan should be to provide general science (including mathematics) in all secondary schools and elective science in as many as possible with the ultimate object of providing elective science as well in all secondary schools. To achieve this objective, it recommended adequate funds being provided in the Fourth Plan to supply to the schools the required equipment and qualified teachers of science.
*Report on `Science Education in Secondary Schools', Planning Commission, New Delhi; 1964.
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The Board further recommended that teachers of science who acquire higher qualification through condensed 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. 9. The policy for science education in Fourth Plan is contained in the following paragraph reproduced from the note prepared by the Planning Commission on educational programmes in the Fourth Plan.
"Very high priority has been placed on science education at the secondary stage for which Rs. 35.5 crores have been provided. It is proposed to establish one Institute of Science in each State, appoint science supervisors in each district, introduce general science and elective science in every school, train teachers of science, strengthen the existing training colleges, organise advanced courses of science etc. It is, however, felt that before we launch on this large scale programme, we should evaluate the work done so far so that future programmes are drawn up effectively."
10. It has also been decided tentatively to set apart in the Fourth Plan a sum of Rs. 30 crores for strengthening the teaching of science in 20,000 selected middle schools. If the scheme is finally accepted these schools will be provided with adequate laboratory facilities and arrangements will be made for retraining of teachers through short courses. At the secondary stage a sum of Rs. 35.50 crore is expected to be provided for improving and strengthening of teaching of science as indicated in paragraph 9 above.
11. Basic work in the field of curriculum construction, produc- tion of textbooks and preparation of other reading material and standardization of science equipment and apparatus will have been completed by the end of the Third Plan. This will have its impact on actual teaching in school only if a coordinated and sustained effort is made during the Fourth Plan by the Central and State Governments. A comprehensive scheme for teaching of general science is also under preparation. Unicef has expressed its willingness to assist this project by providing finances (a) for training of personnel, and (b) for providing science equipment to selected schools and training institutions. The salient features of this Project will be :
(a) Intensification of work already undertaken by the Department of Science Education for the preparation of curriculum and production of textbooks.
(b) At the primary stage the emphasis will be on health education. It is also proposed to make extensive use of audiovisual aids for teaching science at this stage.
(c) Science teaching at the middle stage will be strengthened. This will include in-service training of teachers, provision of equipment and the production of suitable textbooks etc. etc.
(d) At the secondary stage efforts will be made during the Fourth Plan to teach general science to all students so that a minimum scientific literacy is imparted to all future citizens of this country.
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(e) Provision will be made for the teaching of elective science in a large number of schools so that students who have a natural bent of mind for learning science and technology could profit by the intensive teaching of different branches of science as separate disciplines.
(f) Provision will be made for the supply of equipment and apparatus to all secondary schools, regular in- service training of science teachers and production of suitable textbooks etc. 12. In view of the acknowledged importance of science education the Committee may like to consider the schemes as given in the preceding paragraphs and advise on priorities to be accorded to them. Specifically, the Committee may consider steps which are necessary to be taken during the Fourth Plan in order to ensure that the teaching of science at graduate and higher-levels does not suffer because of faulty science education given at the elementary and secondary stages.
ANNEXURE IV
POSITION OF SCIENCE TEACHERS' SUPPLY IN STATES
S.No. Name of State Shortage of Teachers
1 Andhra Pradesh The shortage of science teachers is about 40%.
2 Assam The acute shortage of teachers in schools
and colleges. has been a major obstacle in the
expansion of science teaching. The shortage
is about 45%.
3 Bihar Shortage of science teachers is 16% in case of
graduate teachers and 38% in case of post-
graduate teachers.
4 Gujarat Information not available.
5 Jammu & Kashmir There is shortage of science teachers
percentage not given).
6 Kerala There are sufficient number of science teachers
but many of them are not trained.
7 Madras There is no large shortage of science teachers.
8 Madhya Pradesh There is a shortage of teachers particularly of
those with an M. Sc. Degree. The State Govt.
is offering better scales to attract science
teachers from outside the State.
9 Maharashtra M. Scs. with 2nd class are not available in
sufficient numbers to teach higher secondary
classes. Even III class M. Scs. are not avail-
able in sufficient numbers.
10 Mysore There is a shortage of science teachers (Per-
centage not given).
11 Orissa Shortage of teachers has not been assessed.
12 Punjab The teacher shortage for science teachers is-
M. Sc. B. Ts. 97% (Men). M.Sc. B. Ts.
10% (Women). B.Sc. B.Ts. 66% (Women).
13 Rajasthan The shortage of teachers is about 20% in respect
of B.Sc. B.Ts.and 90% in respect of M. Sc.B.Ts.
14 Uttar Pradesh Information not available.
15 West Bengal There is shortage of 30% in higher secondary
schools.
16 Delhi There is a slight shortage of post-graduate
science teachers.
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ANNEXURE VI
THE MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNESCO PLANNING MISSION'S
REPORT ON THE STRENGTHENING OF SCIENCE EDUCATION The Mission in its report has broadly defined the objectives and tasks of science and mathematics education in schools and the main recommendations are :
1. A programme of science education for all the students from classes I to X and specialised programme for those offering the science stream up to class XI.
2. Deepening of the existing syllabi and incorporating modern developments in respective sciences. Detailed draft syllabi have been suggested for all subjects in three stages IN, VI-VIII and IX-to XI.
3. General science teaching up to class V and then separate disciplines of Biology, Physics and Chemistry from class VI onwards.
4. The guiding principle of science education should be a judicious combination of theory and practical work, including demonstration and individual experimentation.
5. Polytechnical world outlook should be developed through science education by including suitable topics in science subjects.
6. Development of method guides for the use of teachers.
7. Preparation of textbooks on certain suggested principles and translation of some Russian textbooks.
8. Setting up of a number of university special mathematics boarding schools and boarding schools of science for talented pupils.
9. Combined study room both for practical and lecture work for each science subject.
10. Preparation of compulsory norms and lists of teaching equip- ment. 11. A programme of work for the central science workshop to produce prototypes of science equipment for schools.
12. Establishment of museums of teaching equipment.
13. An emphasis on science content in a teacher training school syllabus so that a graduate from there should have general education equal to the higher secondary school level in science and pedagogical qualification.
14. The present one-year teacher training colleges programme may continue for another decade with suggested changes in its curriculum and improvement of staff. There should be a unified programme in all the training colleges.
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15. Two schemes of training for M. Ed. course.
16. A revised programme for the Regional Colleges by rearrang- ing the syllabus and time schedule.
17. The programme of the Regional Colleges can become the major means of training science mathematics teachers and hence their number should be increased. It is desirable that the total enrolment in such colleges be kept at 1000 to make it an economic proposition and to provide specialists in all the major subjects.
18. A project of training teachers through correspondence edu- cation and inservice training centres through universities and Re- gional Colleges to meet the large demand of qualified science teachers in future.
19. Increase in the number of extension services centres.
20. A plan for research in science education through Department of Science Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training as the main coordinating agency.
21. To double by 1966 the enrolment of pupils in science stream of higher secondary schools as compared to the 1963 enrolment.
22. A sequence and time of implementation of the recommendations should be laid down.
23. A phased programme of deputing experts from the U.S.S.R. to work with Indian workers and training of Indian workers in the U.S.S.R.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL EDUCATION (Meeting on the 6th & 7th August, 1965)
Item No. 2: introduction of diversified courses at the secondary
stage of education. One of the defects of secondary education in our country is that by tradition it is mainly academic in nature. Although many Com- mittees and Commissions (such as Hunter Commission of 1882, Hartog Committee of 1929, Sargent Committee of 1944, and the Mudaliar Commission) have stressed the need for introducing courses with a vocational bias, the average secondary school continues to provide predominently academic education. The inevitable result is that successful students have no choice except to seek entry to the universities.
2. To remove this defect, the Mudaliar Commission (1954) suggested the establishment of multipurpose schools. Apart from teaching the core subjects (such as languages, social studies, general science) these schools were to provide instruction in one or more of the following groups of subjects: Humanities, Science, Technical subjects, Agriculture, Commerce, Fine Arts and Home Science.
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3. The working of the multipurpose schools has revealed certain deficiences. The two main drawbacks are: (a) lack of clarity about objectives of the multipurpose schools as reflected in the curriculum and (b) the paucity of trained personnel for teaching "practical" subjects.
4. It seems that the courses in practical subjects of multipurpose schools do not satisfy the needs of those who want to take up a job in trade, industry or commerce after completion of their school career nor those who want to enter professional colleges. Engineering and agricultural colleges prefer students who have a more thorough grounding in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. As a result, those who have passed out of technical or agricultural stream of multipurpose schools find it difficult to gain admission while industry has found none or very little use for a student passing out of the technical stream of the multipurpose school because he does not possess sufficient training required of a skilled craftsman.
5. During the Third Plan efforts have been made to develop and strengthen selected multipurpose schools, produce suitable textbooks on practical subjects and supply selected reference books to libraries, of such schools. Besides this, four Regional Colleges of Education have started organising special training courses for tea- chers of practical subjects.
6. This subject has been considered at the meetings of the State Education Ministers and the Central Advisory Board of Education. It has been suggested that :
(a) except for the academic courses in humanities and sciences, the other course (of multipurpose schools) should be joboriented with a view to make the products of secondary education fit for employment in agriculture, industry, trade, commerce or other vocations and also provide them with opportunities of higher education should they later so desire ;
(b) diversification should start at about the age of 14 plus, i.e., the end of the elementary stage;
(c) adequate provisions should be made to diversify courses at the secondary level. Courses in the vocational fields should be so designed as to be terminal in character. Provision should be made for adjustment courses through which such students may proceed for higher studies as show aptitude and inclination and are found to be capable. Such courses could be provided throughout part-time and correspondence courses to be taken by them after they have joined the vocations for which they are trained; and
(d) the expansion of vocational and diversified courses at the secondary stage should be undertaken in accordance with placement opportunities and aptitude of students.
7. The Fourth Plan also lays stress on the need for introducing, at the secondary stage, practical courses of a terminal character. The relevant paragraph from the note prepared by the Planning
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Commission on educational programmes in the Fourth Plan is reproduced below:
"As the middle level leadership in various walks of life has to be trained through secondary schools and also due to the fact that aptitudes of students manifest themselves during this age, secondary education, has to be highly diversified. As the majority of students have to enter life at the end of the course, secondary education should provide terminal courses for them. In India facilities for vocational education at the secondary stage will need to be very considerably enlarged so that students do not crowd into colleges simply because they do not have any other outlet. The courses to be provided will need to be related to the demand for various types of personnel. That has, however, not yet been determined. In other countries where the system of education is fairly well developed and closely related to the needs of the socioeconomic system, the percentage of students going in for vocational courses at the secondary stage is about 40. Among other difficulties in expanding vocational courses at this level must be mentioned the major factor of costs involved. Whereas the per capita recurring cost of a student in a general secondary school is Rs. 180, it is about Rs. 1,000 in craftsmen training courses and Rs. 610 in junior technical schools."
8. The Fourth Plan provides tentatively a sum of Rs. 18.10 crore for strengthening/opening of multipurpose schools. Considering that the cost of introducing vocational courses is heavy, this amount may not take us far. But good results may be achieved by allocating it: (a) for strengthening the existing diversified courses so that they may become vocational and terminal in character; and (b) for starting additional courses, wherever there is a demand for such courses. The number of multipurpose schools at present is 3873 (Annexure VII at page 227). The number of `courses' which have a vocational bias in these schools is 5249.
9. Junior technical schools established by Government are on the whole more popular with the parents and the students, because they provide comparatively better training in the skills required by industry. The technical high schools of Gujarat and Maharashtra which were established earlier than the multipurpose schools are also much in demand in those States. In these technical schools the emphasis is on providing primarily technical education, the aim being to turn out craftsmen. The number of such schools at the end of 1963-64 is as below :-
1 Junior Technical Schools 76
2 Technical High Schools 86
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Junior Agricultural Schools
10. It is also proposed (as a diversification step) that during the Fourth Plan, about 4 lakhs pupils at the secondary stage should be trained in vocational courses in agriculture in institutions to be called junior agricultural schools. A Working Group set up in the Ministry has drawn up a scheme for the establishment of about 2,000 junior agricultural schools in the Fourth Plan. According to the estimates prepared by the Group the cost of the scheme during the Fourth Plan will be about Rs. 75 crores. A copy
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of the Preliminary Report on Junior Agricultural Schools is given at Annexure VIII. As will be seen, the intention is that each Junior Agricultural School should cater to 200 students. These schools are to be situated primarily in rural areas and will necessarily stress a great deal of field work. Provision will be made for the teaching of general subjects such as languages, social studies, applied mathematics and applied science. About onethird of the total instructional time will be devoted to the general subjects. The remaining two-third will be devoted to the study of agriculture (theory and practice). The syllabus will be drawn in such a manner that comparatively more time will be devoted in Class IX on general subjects while in classes X & XI agricultural education will receive more attention. Provision will also be made for the teaching of elective subjects. It is felt that students passing out of junior agricultural schools should possess specialised knowledge and training in one or two branches of the agricultural industry e.g., dairy husbandry, poultry husbandry, plant protection, fruit and vegetable preservation, bee keeping, elementary food processing, etc. (The Ministry of Agriculture has also suggested that this item be included in the C.A.B.E.'s agenda).
11. Regarding multipurpose schools, the Committee may consider and advise on whether during the Fourth Plan period grater emphasis should be laid on providing facilities for an educational pattern which lays stress on the vocational aspect. It may also like to indicate what steps should be taken to achieve the objective, that is to say the inducement (such as scholarships) to be held out to students as are not likely to benefit from pursuing a course of higher education to go in for vocational courses provided in the secondary schools which will be job-oriented and, therefore, terminal in character. The Committee may also advise whether the vocational courses at present being conducted in our multipurpose, post-Basic and junior technical schools should continue as they are, or whether such courses should be added to or modified in order to make them such as to enable students who take up these courses to be fit for employment after doing these courses.
12. The Committee may consider the recommendations made in the Preliminary Report on Junior Agricultural Schools and specifically advise on the manner in which the scheme for starting junior agricultural schools should be implemented. It may like to suggest the phasing of the programme during the Fourth Plan period so as to achieve the objective of having, by the end of the Fourth Plan, 2,000 junior agricultural schools.
ANNEXURE VII NUMBER OF MULTIPURPOSE SCHOOLS/HIGH/HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN INDIA
Sl. No. Name of State No. of High/ No. of
Higher Secon- Multipurpose
dary SchoolsSchools
1 Andhra Pradesh 1,751 81
2 Assam 881 65
3 Bihar 1,859 108
4 Gujarat 1,364 106
5 Jammu & Kashmir 365 N.A.
6 Kerala 1,020 74
7 Madhya Pradesh 1,082 38
8 Madras 1,913 280
9 Mysore 1,223 61
10 Nagaland 34 Nil
11 Orissa 838 3
12 Punjab 1,563 87
13 Rajasthan 679 88
14 Uttar Pradesh 1,972 1,250
15 Maharashtra 3,050 313
16 West Bengal 2,502 1,265
17 A. & N. Islands .. 3
18 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 2 Nil
19 Delhi 363 10
20 Goa, Daman & Diu 88 Nil
21 Himachal Pradesh 118 11
22 L.M. & A. Islands 2 Nil
23 Manipur 118 Nil
24 NEFA 7 Nil
25 Pondicherry 37 7
26 Tripura 49 23
22,880 3,873