(i) The State Government has decided to involve eminent voluntary agencies and also experts and school teachers in preparing textbooks and teacher training. A suitable mechanism for wider dissemination of experiences of the voluntary agencies in these areas would be evolved.

(ii) The State Government had also decided to adopt necessary legislative and administrative measures to regulate the opening and functioning of pre-schools and also to develop norms for running pre-schools by private agencies with a view to preventing such schools from perpetrating violence on young children by a heavy dose of `over education.'

26. Shri Mahendra Singh also mentioned the top priority being accorded by the State Government to eradicating communalism from school textbooks particulary of History. He also mentioned about the progress achieved by the State in implementing the innovative pilot project called `Shikshak Samakhya' or Teacher empowerment in five districts. The Government of Madhya Pradesh was also giving due emphasis to convergence of services. In this context he referred to the school health programme entitled `Arunima' run by the Public Health Department in conjunction with the Education Department. The Government also proposed to launch a `Food for Education' programme to reduce the incidence of child labour and to reduce drop-outs. He also mentioned that the State Government had decided to set up Education Committees at village, block and district levels and to involve parents and local citizens.

27. Shri Mahendra, Singh also stated that the State Government is taking measures for making sports and physical education including not only Yoga, but also Judo and Karate as integral part of education by giving lot of incentives.

28. Shri Prem Bhai, Secretary, Banwasi Seva Ashram, UP stated that he was broadly in agreement with the recommendations of Yash Pat Committee. He said that the students should be encouraged to partici- pate in regular debates within school hours in order to facilitate, "concept-formation". He felt that the students should also be encouraged to participate regularly in environment linked and skill- developing activities related to their actual life-situation. There should be corresponding reduction in the time being spent in textbook teaching. He suggested that both the school day and school hours should be increased, if necessary, by curtailing holodays and vacations. He made a for ceful plea for provision of minimum teaching-learning material in the schools in rural areas. Inviting attention of the members to the tendency of teachers posted in rural schools to get transferred to towns, he emphasised the need for making them stay in the rural school for a reasonable period of time. Welcoming the recommendation of Yash Pal Committee for setting up education committees at village, block and district levels, Shri Prem Bhai stated that such committees under the Panchayati Raj institutions should be given full powers in matters of recruitment, etc., of school teachers. Referring to the Report on Sports and Physical Education, Shri Prem Bhai suggested that if needed school hours be increased to accommodate compulsory period of sports.

29. Dr. (Smt.) Suman Sahai, President, TCS, Tilhar (Uttar Pradesh) suggested that the rural school timings and hours should be adjusted with the time spent by the rural children in helping their parents in domestic chores, particularly in agricultural activities. She opined that the duration of school-terms in rural areas should be as per the sowing and harvesting seasons by readjusting the vacations. She felt that the children should be provided with need-based informa- tion related to the economic activities of their parents; for example, children belonging to agricultural communities should be provided with the information on the crops sown by their families. She stressed the necessity of deleting such lessons from language textbooks that were totally adien to the local socio-cultural set-up.

30. Shri S. S. Chakraborty, Education Minister, West Bengal said that he was in full agreement with the basic concern of Yash Pal Committee that too much burden had been imposed on school children. he felt that one of the reasons for increase in the burden was the presure from parents and teachers to make school education solely

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oriented serve the purpose of clearing competitive examinations. He said that there was a dearth of good textbook writers.Cautioning that the enthusiasm to reduce the load should not deprive the children from having adequate information he felt that there should be a reasonable balance between the two so that the children were adequately equipped to face the life challenges in actual work- situations.

31. Shri Anisur Rahman, Minister of State for Primary Secondary and Madrasah Education, West Bengal stated that the State Government would organise workshops and send its recommendations shortly. He also said that sports and physical education was considered as an integral part of education and encouraged at various levels in the State by holding sports competitions from the primary school stage. He also mentioned that special training programme in sports and games would be organised for all the teachers and the State Government had set up a Committee which would provide advice on equipments to be provided to the schools. He also stated that in the near future some schools at the District level would be considered as Special Schools for sports only and all facilities would be provided by the State Government. He agreed that our performance in sports in the international sports arena is very poor. He suggested that UGC should draw up a programme for motivating the students in colleges and Universities for Physical education and sports. He further mentioned that though a number of meetings had been held and a number of recommendations had been made, the recommendations could not be implemented due to financial constraints. He also referred to the very small allocation made for sports and games and requested that the allocation for sports should be increased. In 1994-95 a sports school in the State level will be opened.

32. Dr. Syed Hassan, Director, Insan School and college, Kishanganj, Purnea (Bihar) felt that strengthening the training programmes for teachers, particularly primary school teachers, was the most vital step for implementing Yash Pal Committee recommendation. He stressed non-book teaching through activities particularly cultural. He was in full agreement with the committee's emphasis on increasing the role of teachers in preparing textbooks.

33. Dr. Hassan agreed with the recommendation of Shri K. P. Singh Deo's committee for integrating sports and physical education at all levels Education. He emphasised that steps should be taken to implement the recommendations and also to improve the facilities to the players to achieve excellence in sports. He further added that talented students are found in rural areas. He suggested that efforts should be made to identify them and encouragement should be given for improving rural sports and games.

34. Referring to the Report of Yash Pal Committee, Prof. (Smt.) Annapurna Shukla suggested that more emphasis on job oriented training, as distinct from job oriented education, should be given at school level. She felt diversion of school children towards jobs and professional skills should take place at three cut-out points, viz., (i) Class X, (ii) class XI and (iii) Class XII and the diversion should be as per their aptitudes and success in getting entry in job- oriented courses in various Defence and Civil sectors. She suggested that at the end of Class XII, there should be one uniform national- level test for admission in professional courses and also higher education courses in Sciences and Social Sciences. She suggested that Yoga should be introduced from primary level and not from the secon- dary level as recommended in the report of the subcommittee.

35. Shri Narain Chand Parashar, Education Minister, Himachal Pradesh mentioned that it had not been possible for the State Government to hold the workshops on the Reports of Yash Pal Committee and MHRD Group. He agreed with the observation made by Prof. Yash Pal that classroom teaching unduly emphasises information and that the actual cause of academic burden in schools was the load of `non-com- prehension'. Observing that uniform textbooks in schools were divorced from local contexts, he suggested that some of the local languages or dialects not included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of not recognised by the Sahitya Akademi should be used in the textbooks for the children for whom such local language or dialect was the mother tongue.

36. Shri Parashar stated that so far as the report on sports and physical education was concerned, Himachal Pradesh was the right type of State in which sports like Swimming, Trekking and Mountaineering were quite natural to the students. He also said that the State Government was intending to form a State Council of Higher Education and hoped that due recognition would be given to the local sports talents available in the state.

37. Dr. P. V. Ranga Rao, Education Minister, Andhra Pradesh informed that both the reports of Yash Pal Committee and MHRD Group were discussed threadbare in a State-level workshop held on 21st February, 1994. Making a detailed analysis of Yash Pal Committee recommendations, Dr. Rao stated that the State Government was in broad agreement with the views of the MHRD Group. He made the following observations :

(i) Rewarding individual efforts was not inimical to learing since group activity and individual effort were not exclusive or antagonistic. However, group activity should be given priority at primary stage.

(ii) Involvement of teachers in writing of text- books was essential. At the same time, the experts in curriculum development should continue to be associated in this process Curriculum formulation should be done only at the State level. Textbook design at `Mandal' level and school level would create fresh complications.

(iii) In view of the demands of the competitive world, reduction of curriculum load should not lead to deletion of content essential for keeping the standard of school education in India at par with the international level.

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(iv) Complete substitution of the existing public examination system was not feasible. While the learning process should be such as to promote assimilation of concepts, memorization could not be done away with totally, since it was also a part of the learning process.

(v) The rules governing the conduct of private educational institutions recently issued by the State Government, had been made stringent enough to take care of maintaining educational standards in such institutions. Private initiative in setting up schools, etc., should be encouraged in view of limitation of government funds to provide education for all.

(vi) As regards the recommendation of Yash Pal Committee regarding homework, the State Government was in agreement with the views of the MHRD Group. Though the load of school bag at primary stage should be reduced, treating textbooks as school property was not feasible. When books are carried home children get a sense that the books belong to them and this is very important. The State Government recently decided to give free textbooks to all children of primary classes. This facility should be extended up to class X.

(vii) Reduction of teacher-pupil ratio from the level of 1:40 would be difficult in view of financial constraints.

(viii) Reflection of spoken idiom in language, textbooks was not feasible in view of immense dialectical diversities in large State like Andhra Pradesh.

(ix) While the State Government agrees that greater room for experimentation should be provided in science syllabi and textbooks in primary classes, it agrees the views of MHRD Group regarding Science syllabi for higher secondary classes.

(x) As regards the recommendations of Yash Pal Committee regarding revision of syllabi of Social Sciences in classes VI-X, the State Government had agreed with the views of the MHRD Group.

(xi) The need for improving pre-service and in- service training of teachers was fully acquiesced by the State Government which had taken steps to strengthen the existing 23 DIETs in Andhra Pradesh and sent a proposal to MHRD to set up 69 Sub-DIETs to run in-service courses for 3-4 years. The State Government had also sent a proposal to MHRD to strengthen the SCERT of Andhra Pradesh.

(xii) The recommendation of Yash Pal committee for greater use of electronic media for creation of child-centred ethos was fully acceptable. However, under the Centrally-Sponsored Scheme of Education Technology, Liberal supply of `Video-Cassettes' to school in non-reception zones' should be introduced.

38. In his observation on the Report of the CABE Committee on sports and Physical Education, Dr. Ranga Rao said that in every school in Andhra Pradesh the school level sports meets were held almost annually. The local talents are identified, tapped and nurtured. He was of the view that in his state, the number of playgrounds is much less when compared with the number of schools available in the State and suggested that the Central Government should also come forward in providing assistance to help the schools in acquiring playgrounds of their own. Dr. Ranga Rao also observed that our country needed a healthy competitive ethos. Intensive coaching is necessary in rural areas where rare talents are available. The talent in rural/ tribal areas should be tapped and nurtured. Sports schools should be set up for promotion of sports in the country. He requested for central assistance for completing work on two sports stadia.

39. Dr. (Smt.) Saraswathi Swain pleaded for improving physical facilities in rural schools of Orissa particularly of tribal areas. She observed that teacher absenteeism in schools of tribal areas, which had assumed alarming proportions, should have figured in the Report of Yash Pal Committee. Expressing wholehearted agreement with the Committee's recommendation that language textbooks should adequately reflect the spoken idiom she suggested that this recommendation could be considered for implementation in tribal areas. She felt that community participation in management of schools was essential and that private tuitions by school teachers should be abolished. She opined that financial limitations should not come in the way of the Government's efforts in reducing curriculum load. She called for immediate introduction of `Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (ECE) `and expressed her full agreement with Yash Pal Com- mittee recommendation for giving encouragement to group activities in schools. She felt that steps should be taken to stop the practice adopted by private booksellers to increase prices of every NCERT textbook by Rs. 5-6 by binding them in hard covers.

40. Smt. Swain was of the view that the 40 minute period for Physical Education is not practicable in the morning. She suggested that it should be kept in the afternoon or in the evening. She also stated it is not proper to charge sports fee from the students as we are committed to provide free education. She mentioned that there are about 500 residential schools with large playgrounds and enough facilities for the students and if fund are provided by the Government of India, these schools can be developed as Sports Schools.

41. Shri K. P. Singh Deo, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting observed that the CABE Committee's report had been adopted substantially in almost all the States. Giving the background of the Committee and its report, be pointed out that the Committee had taken into consideration two aspects, namely, the aim and the aim plus. The aim is mass participation - involvement of not only the students but along with the teachers and the parents, the entire community is involved. The aim

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parents, the entire community is involved. The aim plus is the pursuit of excellence through the Sports Authority of India and the various schemes implemented by Government of India.

42. Shri Singh Deo also stated that in various countries, especially in the erstwhile Soviet Union, Cuba, China and GDR (East Germany) sports and physical education is taken as to symbolise national health, national discipline, national fitness national character buliding, national pride, and national unity and integration. He was of the view that excellence in sports cannot be achieved by zero investments. He stated that local self government will have to be involved. Infrastructure exists but is not being utilized to the optimal level. Reacting to the suggestion to have the period of 40 minutes drill in the evening, he stated that the 40 minutes in the morning had been Suggested as is practiced in the armed forces. He, however, left it to the CABE to take a decision in the matter. As regards the suggestion to introduce Yoga from Primary level, he Stated it was not recommended due to lack of teachers and necessary infrastructure.

43. Dr. P. V. Ranga Rao, Minister of Education, Andhra Pradesh intervened to say that though we have enough infrastructure and institutions for sports we are not making full use of them. Though the Indian contingents participate in all international meets/ competions like Olympic, Asian and Commonwealth Games, the representation of students is very little. It is necessary to catch the children at a young age for nurturing their talents to obtain good results. He also added that due to lack of teachers, it is not possible for impart training of Yoga from primary level. He was of the view that minimum expenses be incurred and once the institutions which have the facilities are utilised to the full, it will have a spread effect. In the meantime, sharing the equipment cost, sharing the infrastructure cost, providing play field and other could be institutionalised and therefore, would not be difficult to do in phases. Dr. Ranga Rao agreed with the view expressed by Shri K. P. Sing Deo that without the active participation of parents, and teachers, it is not possible to inspire young people especially school going children to take sports and physical activities.