(IV) ANNEXURE IV : RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
 

The items on the agenda were discussed and the following recommendations were unanimously made:

Programme of Compulsory Primary Education in the Third Plan

(As a special case, the Ministry of Education asked for the views of this committee)

(i) The Committee was distressed to note that the target of enrolment in the age-group of 6-11 was set at 76.6 per cent in the finalised State Plans. It strongly felt that the original target of 80 per cent enrolment in this age-group was the very minimum necessary and recommended that it should not be lowered on any account. In particular, it appealed to all the less advanced.States to make every effort to reach the prescribed targets (i.e. an over-all target of 70 per cent and that of 50 per cent for girls).

(ii) With the necessary emphasis on expansion, the Plan does not show an adequate progress of qualitative improvement as inherent in the Basic education system. The Committee, therefore, recommends that three important aspects of the problem must be emphasised in order to adjust the needs of expansion with those of qualitative improvement, viz., (a) all training institutions for primary teachers should become Basic training institutions; (b) an integrated syllabus covering the entire field of primary education should be introduced in all primary schools without any distinction; and (c) all teachers and schools should be oriented to the Basic pattern on the lines of the recommendations of the Allahabad Seminar. The Committee is of opinion that these three programmes should be simultaneously and intensively pursued and completed during the Third Five-Year Plan so that a major step would have been taken to improve the quality of primary schools consistent with the expansion visualised. The Committee further strongly recommends that the funds to implement this vital programme and specially item (c), should be specifically earmarked.

(iii) The Committee desires to point out that the main task of expansion in the Third Plan is the enrolment of girls and recommends that this programme should be emphasised very strongly and that vigorous efforts should be made to popularise co-education and to increase the number of women teachers in rural areas. From this point of view, it would be necessary to earmark the funds meant for the education of the girls in the State sector and, in the Central sector, to run pilot projects of intensive development of girls' education in the less advanced States.

(iv) The Committee recommends that special attention should be paid to the development of education among the tribal people through such measures as intensive propaganda, provision of inducements like free supply of books and writing materials, clothing (where necessary) and mid-day meals. It would also be necessary to develop special types of schools

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like ashram schools for these people. The expansion of peripatetic schools ought also to be tried during the initial stages for the purpose of inculcating in tribal children, the habit of attending schools. The Committee feels that it is of the highest importance that adequate funds for this purpose should be provided in the State and Central Plans and that the targets, programmes, financial provisions and achievements in this field should be shown separately in all Plans.

(v) The Committee recommends that special efforts should be made to enlist the support of the local community for expanding and improving education at this stage and in particular for such programmes as construction of school buildings, provision of equipment, supply of free books, writing materials and clothing and provision of mid-day meals.

(vi) The Committee emphasises the need to work out a concrete programme for the free supply of textbooks and writing materials to children and suggests that a quick national survey should be carried out in this matter as suggested in the working paper and a scheme based on the findings of the survey should be prepared at an early date.

(vii) The Committee also recommends that all State Governments should bring their legislation on compulsory education up- to-date on the lines of the model legislation circulated by the Government of India.

Free Supply of Textbooks to Poor and Needy Children

(As a special case, the Ministry of Education asked for the views of this committee.)

This is already covered by the recommendation (vi) above under "Programme of Compulsory Primary Education in the Third Plan."

ITEM No. 4 OF THE AGENDA

Central and Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Primary and Pre-Primary Education. (Memorandum at Appendix A)

The Committee approves of these schemes subject to the following observations and recommendations:

(i) Paragraphs (a) & (b) on page 3 of the Memorandum should be deleted and replaced by recommendation (ii) above under "Programmes of Compulsory Primary Education in the Third Plan".

(ii) One of the main objects of the Third Plan should be to eliminate the dichotomy between primary and Basic schools by the conversion of all schools into "Basic-oriented schools" through the adoption of the three measures suggested in recommendation (ii) above under "Programme of Compulsory Primary Education in the Third Plan".

(iii) A pilot project for the intensive development of girls' education in the less advanced states should be included in the State sector as suggested in recommendation (iii) above under "Programmes of Compulsory Primary Education in the Third Plan".

(iv) The Committee strongly recommends that some provision should be made in the Third Plan for the development of pre-primary education. In view of the limited finances, the Committee recommends that the organisation of pre-primary schools should be left to private enterprise which should be suitably assisted and that the direct enterprise of the State should

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be to plan and implement appropriate schemes for the training of pre- primary education.

SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

ITEM No. 4 OF THE AGENDA

Central and Centrally Sponsored Schemes

The Standing Committee carefully considered the memorandum on Central and Centrally sponsored schemes of the Ministry of Education and recommend its acceptance subject to the following comments:

(i) RESEARCH PROJECTS.

There should be a larger provision for research projects, by adjustment if necessary, if the requirements of the country as a whole, are to be met.

(ii) PROMOTION OF INTER-STATE UNDERSTANDING,

(a) While approving the programme as detailed under this head, they recommend that camps for teachers and educational officers from different States of India should also be included in the scheme.

(b) The State Governments should take adequate steps to ensure provision of secondary education for children of linguistic minorities through their mother tongue so that they do not feel handicapped in any manner for being outside their own State. Attention in this connection is invited to the Madras formula of 30 pupils for all the five standards of the primary school and 45 pupils for all the three classes of the high school as the minimum enrolment for granting this facility.

(iii) CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE

The Institute should more appropriately be called the Central Institute of Science Education. Similar facilities should also be provided for tackling problems relating to social studies. The provision made in the Third Plan for this Institute also appears to be inadequate.

(iv) ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW EXTENSION SERVICE CENTRES

The target should be to provide every training college in the country with an extension department. If, however, this is not practicable during the Third Plan, at least 50 new centres should be established, and consequently the provision should also be augmented.

(v).EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE PROGRAMMES,

Higher priority should be accorded to the provision of a career master for every secondary school.

(vi) LOANS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HOSTELS

The Committee noted that no provision is being made in the Central sector in this connection. They, however, felt that for the improvement and expansion of secondary education in rural areas, subsidized hostels are essential, especially for girls. It is also recommended that, wherever necessary, adjustments should be made in the State Plan for this purpose.

(vii) STRENGTHENING OF MULTIPURPOSE SCHOOLS

The Committee recognised that in the case of a few States the Plans were finalised on the assumption that the strengthening of multipurpose, schools would be a Central responsibility. Since this is not going to be

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the case, it is felt that the provision of Rupees one crore is not adequate for this purpose.

ITEM No. 7 OF THE AGENDA

Metric System in the Educational Syllabi

The Committee noted that the metric system has already been introduced in the syllabuses and textbooks in most of the States. They recommend that a systematic attempt should be made by State Governments to introduce revised curriculum and revised textbooks in this connection.

ITEM No. 10 OF THE AGENDA

Reform in Examination System

The Committee accept the programme of examination reform as enun- ciated in the note and recommend that State evaluation units, where not yet established, should be set up as quickly as possible.

As for the setting up of a committee consisting of a small group of competent educationists, the Standing Committee recognise the need for setting up such a body to review education at various stages in order to integrate them.

ITEM No. 13 OF THE AGENDA

To Consider the Present Condition and Management of Private Aided Schools

With a view to eliminating the malpractices prevalent in some privately managed schools, it is recommended that the States should take adequate steps to ensure full payment of the salaries due to the teachers, adopting a system of direct payment, if necessary.

Fees should be levied only at approved rates. No other levies should be made without the prior approval of the Director of Education.

HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The recommendations made by the Committee on Higher Education on the items allotted to it are as under:

ITEM No. 4 OF THE AGENDA

Central and Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry of Education

The Committee notes the various Central and Centrally sponsored schemes with the following remarks:

(i) CORRESPONDENCE COURSES AND EVENING COLLEGES

(ii) RURAL HIGHER EDUCATION.

The postgraduate, courses should be started only in selected subjects to avoid duplication with universities.

(iii) EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES, EXCHANGE OF PROFESSORS AND EDUCATIONAL DELEGATIONS

The Committee hopes that the provision of Rupees three lakhs is only a token provision and would be increased in accordance with the requirements.

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(iv) ASSISTANCE FOR PUBLICATION OF UNIVERSITY TEXTBOOKS.

The Committee strongly approves the progress already made in the Scheme to make available to Indian students at cheaper prices the English and American books on higher education. It, however, emphasizes the need for sufficient funds being placed with the universities for building up adequate libraries for teachers and students including textbook libraries containing sufficient number of copies of each textbook.

(v) NATIONAL INSTITUTES FOR WOMEN

The Committee feels that it may be better to encourage the existing universities to afford facilities for higher education of the type proposed in these Institutes. It is feared that otherwise these Institutes may be only duplicating the work already being done by the various universities and institutes and that if they are set up as independent institutions they may be weaker centres of education than the universities.

(vi) SCHEME OF LOANS TO AFFILIATED COLLEGES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOSTELS

The Committee emphasizes the need for providing more residential facilities, particularly for girls, and welcomes the present scheme of loans to supplement the scheme of grants of the University Grants Commission for the same purpose.

(vii) SCHEME OF LOANS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOSTELS IN BIG CITIES

The Committee appreciates the need for starting the proposed scheme, but recommends that the available money should be used to give grants instead of loans and that the basis of these grants should be the same as the U.G.C. scheme of grants to affiliated colleges for their hostels. The Committee further hopes that the funds provided under the Scheme will be increased if more requests are received from accredited voluntary organisations which propose to provide hostel service on no-profit basis. The Committee further recommends the need for encouraging, particularly in big cities, day hostels on the same basis as has been done in the city of Calcutta on a limited scale.

ITEm No. 5 OF THE AGENDA

Scheme of, Correspondence Courses and Evening Colleges

(Memorandum at Appendix B)

EVENING COLLEGES

The Committee appreciates the Scheme as formulated by the Education Ministry and emphasizes the following elements for its implementation:

(i) Quality and standard of education should be the same as in the day colleges.

(ii) The cost per capita (running expenses) should be provided in each evening college on par with that in the corresponding day college.

(iii) The duration of the degree course in an evening college should be longer than that in a day college and for science courses it should be longer than that for arts students.

(iv) The students of evening colleges should sit in the same examination as those of the day colleges and be awarded the same degree.

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CORRESPONDENCE COURSES

The Committee welcomes the proposal, but recommends that these courses should be treated at this stage as an experiment in higher education. As such, the Committee emphasizes a cautious approach in the matter. It also recommends exchange of experiences between the Ministry of Education under this scheme with the Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs under their scheme of correspondence courses for technical education if they also start such a scheme.

ITEM No. 6 OF THE AGENDA

Institution of Diplomas In Modern Indian Languages in Indian Universities

The Committee approves the proposal.

ITEM No. 8 OF THE AGENDA

Medium of Instruction in Universities

With the objective of changing the medium of instruction from English to regional languages in Indian universities without adversely affecting the standards of higher education, the Committee reiterates the need for necessary preparations by each university and State Government before introducing the change. These preparations should include producing textbooks and other literature of a high standard and of sufficient variety in the regional languages concerned as also the preparation of university and college teachers to be able to teach through the regional languages.

ITEM No. 11 OF THE AGENDA

Exchange of Professors and Lecturers amongst Universities and Colleges.

The Committee finds it desirable to encourage the exchange of professors and other members of teaching staff amongst the universities and colleges, but feels that there are practical difficulties which have so far stood in the way. The Committee understands that the U.G.C. is already taking steps to promote this idea.