APPENDIX A (k)
REPORT OF THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF EDUCATION ON BASIC EDUCATION

The proceedings of the 6th meeting of the Standing Committee on Basic Education held on 27th and 28th August, 1957, that follow, are submitted for consideration by the Central Advisory Board of Education.

PROCEEDINGS

A meeting of the Standing Committee on Basic Education of the Central Advisory, Board of Education was held on 27th and 28th August, 1957 in room No.. 48-A, North Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi. The following were present: 

        1.   Shri Shriman Narayan
        
        2.  Shri Avinashilingam Chettiar          from the Standing Committee
        
        3.   Dr. P. D. Shukla
        
        
        4.   Shri K. G. Saiyidain
        
        5.   Shri L. R. Sethi
        
        P.   Shri Sham Narayan
        
        7.  Shri Veda Prakasha                    Ministry of Education
        
        8.   Shri J. C. Bose Shri J. K. Shukla
        
        10.  Shri D. I. Lall
        
        
        11. Shri B. R. Bowry                     Ministry of Information and
                                                 Broadcasting

Shri Shriman Narayan presided over the meeting.

2. The report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Standing Committee on the report of the Assessment Committee on Basic Education was considered and it was noted that the extent of implementation of the recommendations was very satisfactory. The following observations were also made in this connection:-

(i) Recommendation I-Elucidation of the Concept

As the Government of Madhya Pradesh has not yet given any comments on the concept of Basic education, Deputy Educational Adviser (B..& S.), Ministry of Education was requested to wake a reference to Dr. S. D. Sharma, Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

(ii) Recommendation III-Declaration of Policies

It was felt that a mere declaration of policy will not be enough. it was suggested that State Governments should be asked to maintain a first-rate Basic school in every city as a model for other schools.

The proposal of locating a Model Basic School in Delhi was also commended and it was suggested that in order to achieve the objectives for which it has been proposed, it should be organized on somewhat ambitious lines but it would

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also be necessary to take up another ordinary school and convert it into a completely Basic one so as, to serve as a model of what could be achieved under ordinary circumstances.

(iii) Recomemndation VIII-Setting up of a Permanent Committee

It was felt that, it would not be, practicable to setup a permanent Committee of Specialists to evaluate the achievements and progress of pupils in Basic schools institutions. It was instead suggested that the work should be entrusted to the National Institute of Basic Education and to the post-graduate Basic Training college, in various States.

(iv) Recommendation XIV-Recognition of Post-Basic Education

It was pointed out that the matter should be pursued vigorously and the parity of the post-Basic schools with the existing system should be established. It was also emphasized that the eligibility of the products of post-Basic schools with the existing system should be established. It was also emphasized that the eligibility of the products of post-Basic schools should be recognised both for purposes of employment and for Higher education. It was also suggested that a query should be sent to State Governments to find out if the students going out of Senior Basic schools were still facing some difficulties in securing admission to High schools.

3. The setting up of the All-India Council of Elementary Education was noted. It was also noted that the Standing Committee on Basic Education will continue so as to advise on matters pertaining to Basic education. at all levels-Elementary, Secondary etc.

4. The progress of the National Institute of Basic Education was noted and the following suggestions were made:

(i) The Institute should not only do research work, but it should also serve as a coordinating agency for other researches on Basic education which are being carried on in different places.

(ii) Efforts should be made to find early a permanent home for the Institute.

(iii) The Institute should become instrumental in bringing together the higher level Basic education personnel to give them opportunities for exchange of ideas and experiences.

5. The status of post-Basic schools, and their relationship with the multilateral schools was discussed at some length. It was felt that the aims of Basic education as defined in the "Concept of Basic Education" would apply equally to the post-Basic stage of education. As regards self-sufficiency, the concensus of opinion was that even at the post-Basic stage the schools could not be completely self-sufficient; but the productive aspect of work in post Basic schools has to be stressed and the technique of correlation has to be made use of as far as possible. It was pointed out that correlation should not be interpreted narrowly as correlation with craft only, but should include correlation with physical and social environments also.

It war, also felt that the multilateral schools and post-Basic schools should not be regarded as two parallel systems, but each should be regarded as an

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integral part of the, other. It was also pointed out that there should not be much difference in the content of curriculum-though the approach may be somewhat different in both the cases. The Committee also expressed the view that transfers from one to the other should not only be permissible, but also, feasible.

The idea that post-Basic, schools would lead to, Higher Rural Institutes only was wrong and would do incalculable harm to the cause of Basic education. The Committee was also of the opinion that some further study and investigation of the problem was necessary to put the ideas expressed above into practice. Education Secretary (Shri K. G. Saiyidain) was, therefore, requested to set up a small committee of experts from the Ministry of Education and the local Education units, if need be, to undertake a comparative study of the syllabi of the multilateral and the existing post-Basic schools and find out common points with a view to bringing the two types nearer to each other. This Committee, it was felt, should be given enough time to study the problem carefully and submit its findings to the next meeting of the Standing Committee.

6. The question of recognition by Government of teacher- training diplomas for the Elementary stage of education other than those of Basic education was considered. If such a recognition is given, a number of complications and difficulties are bound to arise in view of the fact that Basic education is the accepted pattern of national School education for the country and all the State Govern- ments have unanimously agreed to have no other kind of teacher- training, excepting on Basic lines and are working towards that end. At the same time, it, was felt that it would not be advisable to move to a totalitarian system of education and efforts to experiment and try modifications should be permitted. After some discussion it was decided by the Committee that recognition to a non-Basic teacher- training diploma for Elementary education may be given for employment in non-Basic schools. It was, however, emphasized that before, such a recognition is given, the standard of achievement of the trainees may have to be carefully evaluated through a Board of Inspectors, if necessary.

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