APPENDIX A (n) : REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE ALL-INDIA COUNCIL FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION.
Meetings of the All-India Council for Secondary Education The All-India Council for Secondary Education was set up by the Government of India in August, 1955 in pursuance of their programme of implementing the recommendations of the Secondary Education Commis- sion. It consists of 22 members, with the Educational Adviser to the Government of India as Chairman and the Head of the Secondary Educa- tion Division as Secretary. Its main functions are to review from time to time the progress of Secondary Education throughout the coun- try and serve as an expert body to advise the State Governments and the Central Government regarding the improvement and expansion of Secondary Education in all its phases.
Three meetings of the Council were held during the period under review. The first meeting was on 3rd and 4th October 1955 in the Central Hall, Parliament House, New Delhi. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the Hon'ble Minister for Education inaugurated the meeting and Prof. Humayun Kabir, Chairman of the Council, delivered the Presidential address. The second meeting was held on Wednesday, 11th January, 1956, in Committee Room No. 63, Parliament House, New Delhi with Prof. Humayun Kabir in the Chair. Among the important problems considered at these meetings were the budget of the Council, the duties and functions of the Field Advisory Staff, the programme of activities of the Council, the problems pertaining to the establishment of Higher Secondary Schools and Multi purpose Schools and ways and means of enlisting the cooperation of Secondary Education Boards, Universities and State Governments. A significant decision taken at the second meeting of the Council was with regard to certain amendments in the Scheme of studies suggested by the Secondary Education Commission. The Council resolved that the core subjects of Social Studies and General Science (including Mathematics) should be taught right up to the end of Class XI and that every pupil in the Higher Secondary School should study compulsorily three languages. It was also decided that the syllabus for Class VIII in all types of schools-Middle, Senior Basic and Lower Secondary-should broadly speaking be similar in nature and scope and have more or less the same standard.
In February 1956, Prof. Humayun Kabir, resigned his office as Secretary and Educational Adviser, Ministry of Education, Govern-
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ment of India and ceased to. be ex-officio Chairman of the. Council. Shri K.G. Saiyidain who succeeded Prof. Kabir at the Ministry became the Council's new Chairman.
On 25th July, 1956, the third meeting of the All-India. Council for Secondary Education was held in the Committee Room, North Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi with Shri K.G. Saiyidain in the Chair. The meeting reviewed the work of the Council during the past few months and considered, among other items, the recommendations of the Standing Committee for the inclusion of additional Training Colleges under the Extension Services Project, the problem of the training of teachers for Higher Secondary Schools and Multipurpose Schools, the proposal for the establishment of Regional Boards. or Regional Coun- cils and suggestions regarding the encouragement of worthwhile experi- ments in Secondry Schools. After a discussion of these questions, the meeting caame to certain definite conclusions. which would guide the Council in its future programme of activities.
Standing Conmmittee According to the Regulations governing the Council, there is to, be a Standing Committee of the Council consisting of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Secretary, a representative of the Ministry of Finance, and two other members of the Council. At the first meeting of the Council, Dr. Zakir Husain was unanimously elected Vice- Chairman, and Shri A.N. Basu, Principal, Central' institute of Education, Delhi and Dr. D.M. Sen, Education Secretary, Government of West Bengal, were chosen from among the members to serve on the Standing Committee. After the Council meeting was over, the Standing Committee met on 4th October, 1955 to consider, among other things, the budget, the appointments of the staff, and the functions of the Field Advisory Services. It also framed the rules and bye-laws of the Council. Four more meetings of the Standing Committee were held during the: period under review. The fourth meeting, held on 5th and 6th April, 1956, decided some very important issues referred to it regarding the working of the Extension Services Project and resolved that the three year period, which is to be the duration of the project at each 'Extension Services Centre, was to be calculated from the date of the appointment of the Coordinator or the Assistant Coordinator at that Centre.
Advisory Field Staff Under the Government of India Resolution constituting the Coun- cil, it was laid down that the Council "Will maintain a nucleus of specialists in the various fields of Secondary Education and thus increase the number of Indian educationists who have experience in the analysis and solution of the problems of Secondary Education on all All-India basis." The personnel for the Field Services was to be drawn from amongst the officers working in the State Departments of Educa- tion or from amongst experienced educationists. The proposal was to appoint a Director, a Deputy Director and six Field Advise Shri S. Natarajan, was appointed Director and Shri A.R. Dawood,
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Deputy Director on 30th, September, 1955, while Shri R. S. Senapati joined the staff as Field Adviser on 1st October, 1955. These were the only officers on the Field Advisory Staff till the end of March 19%. Shri R.R. Gupta joined the staff on 31st March, 1956 and Kumari K. Sen Gupta on 16th April, 1956. On the 31st August, 1956 Shri Gupta left the Council to join the Delhi Directorate of Education. Shri Senapati also was relieved of his duties in the Council towards the end of September, because his, services were needed in his native State of Orissa.
The office of the Council was located for some time in the `I' Block of the Secretariat. On 1st December, 1955, an entire floor of a new building on Asaf Ali Road, consisting of two big halls, was ac- quired as premises for the office. The formal opening of the new ,office was performed on 23rd. December, '55 by Dr. Shrimali, Deputy Minister of Education, Government of India.
ACTIVITIES OF THE COUNCIL
1. Extension Services Project Twenty-four Training Colleges were selected by the Ministry of Education' for a three-year Extension Services Project Commencing in 1955-56. One of the tasks of the Council is to attend to the imple- mentation of this project. The selected colleges have been divided into four zones : Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern. The North- ern one has seven Training Colleges, the Eastern Zone five, the West- ern Zone five and the Southern Zone seven.
On account of various administrative difficulties, all these institutions were not able to start the project at the same time. Prior to the inaugural session of the All India Council, nine Training Colleges had appointed Coordinators or Assistant Coordinators and some of them have already launched their programme of activities. Nine more colleges began to work on the project between October 1955 and December, 1955. Of the remaining that were included in the Scheme, two could make arrangements for Extension Services only in February 1956, a third one could not appoint Co-ordinator till 25th February 1956, and a fourth was able to do on 20th March, 1956. Thus twenty- two Extension 'Services Centres were in operation before the close of the financial year. The two that could not fall into line with the others were Sarvodaya Mahavidyalaya, Turki and the Teachers Training College, Trivandrum. Sarvodaya Mahavidyalaya informed the Council that a Coordinator was appointed on 2nd June, 1956 ; but as the Government of Bihar have not yet allowed the Principal to open an Extension Services account in his name, no major activity has. so far been undertaken at this Centre. As regards the Teachers' Training College, Trivandrum it was expected that the Extension Services would be started there from April, 1956, but unfortunately, the College has so far. not been able to do anything more than send in tentative programmes and estimates of expenditure.
At the Srinagar Seminar of the 24 selected Training Colleges,
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organised by the Ministry of Education in June-July, 1955, the differ- ent types of activities proposed for the Extension Services Centres were grouped under the following heads: (a) Week-end, short-term and long-term courses , (b) Workshops, Seminars and Group Discussions; (c) Education Weeks and Exhibitions; (d) Advisory and Guidance Services, (e) Library Services; (f) AudioVisual Aids Services and (g) Publica- tions On account of the delay in the supply of the library books, the mobile van and the audio-visual aids equipment which are to be re- ceived through the Technical Cooperation, services (e) and (f) men- tioned above have not been started anywhere on a satisfactory basis. But most of the Centres have undertaken all the other activities and those that had a flying start offer a crowded programme of courses, seminars, school visits and publications.
The Directors and the Coordinators of the Extension Services Departments in each of the four Zones met to review the progress made and discuss certain common problems arising out of the working of the project. The Southern Zone had its meeting at Madras on the 27th and 28th January, 1956. The conference of the Northern Zone was held at Delhi on the 3rd and 4th March, and that of the Eastern Zone took place at Calcutta on the 10th and 11th March, while the Director and the Coordinators of the Western Zone met at Bombay on the 16th March. Certain organisational difficulties experienced by the Extension Services Centres were discussed at these Zonal Conferences. These were referred to the Standing Committee of the Council, and the deci- sions of the Committee helped in the clarification of many important issues.
The members of the field Advisory Staff visited during this period the different Extension Services Centres and bad discussions, with the Director and the Co-ordinator or the Assistant Coordinator on various organisational problems. At some of the centres there was a marked tendency in the beginning towards excessive lecturing activity; but this has now been curtailed under the Council's advice and guid- ance. The Secretary of the Council paid a visit to the Vinaya Bhavan Training College at Shantiniketan to deal with certain" difficulties that had arisen there is connection with the working out, of the project. The St. Xavier's Institute of Education, Bombay, withdrew from the project from' the beginning of June, 1956, because it wanted to run its Extension Services on independent lines, free from all outside control.
Mr. Phillip Coombs, Secretary of the Fund for the Advancement of Education came to India in February 1956 at the invitation of the Ford Foundation to study and report on the Extension Services Project and the programme of in-service education. He visited several Extension Services Centres in the country, had discussions with the Advisory Field Staff and the officials of the Ministry and prepared a memoran- dum containing useful suggestions in connection with the Council's programme of work. This memorandum was considered by the Council at its third meeting.
Three American teacher grantees, Miss M.L. Anderzhon, Miss
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R.M. Wilcox and Mr. F.L. Jackson, who are now in India under the Fulbright scheme, helped the Extension Services Centres at Delhi, Lucknow, Bombay, Madras and Udaipur in organising programmes, for the teaching of Social Studies and Crafts. From the beginning of August, 1956, consignments of library books and other articles supplied by the T.C.M. for the use of the, Extension Departments are being delivered from time to time to the Council. More than. 200 books covering several titles have already been despatched to each of the 22 Training Colleges where Extension Services are in operation.
In recent months the Extension Services activities at the var- ious. Centres have increased in scope and intensity. With a year's completed programme behind them, it can be said that many of the Extension Departments, which moved slowly and cautiously in the early state of the experiment, have now developed greater self-confidence and a quickened tempo as a result of more mature experience. The programme of the Centres are now being planned with more and more active co-operation from the associated. schools.
Proposed Extension of Project The third meeting of the Council endorsed the recommendations of the Standing Committee to include in the current year in the second flight of the Extension Services Project 13 more Training. Colleges which had been visited and recommended by the Advisory Field Staff. It was also resolved that the Chairman be authorised to decide about the inclusion of four more colleges after the Field Staff had visited the institutions and submitted their reports. It was thus contemplat- ed to extend the project to 17 more Training Colleges in. the current year.
As intimation regarding the exact amount of the Ford Foundation grant necessary for financing the -extension of the project was not received in time, no new college could be brought into the experiment during the period under review. The Council has prepared a scheme for proceeding with this extension, even if the financial resources are curtailed. The State Governments have been approached with a request that they should associate themselves. actively with the extension project by bearing a portion of the financial liabilities. The reactions of the State Governments to the new proposal are now await- ed.
2. Regional Seminars The Organisation of Regional Seminars for Headmasters and Educa- tional Officers is another activity which the Council has. now taken over from the Ministry of Education. For the autumn of 1955, the Ministry had made arrangements for four Regional Seminars to be held at Ajmer, Baroda, Chandigarh and Mysore.
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Particulars of these Seminars are given below
Place Date Participating Number of Director
States Partici-
pants
Baroda Sept. 23 to Bombay, 35 Dean T.K.N.
Oct. 14, Kutch & Menon Faculty
1955 Saurashtra of Education
and Psycho-
logy,Baroda.
Chandi- Oct. 3 to Punjab, 34 Dr. A.C. Joshi,
garh Oct. 29, 1955 Pepsu & Director of
Himachal Public Instruc-
Pradesh tion, Punjab.
Ajmer Oct. 6 to Ajmer, Delhi 35 Shri B.S. Sial,
Nov. 9, 1955 & Madhya Director of
Bharat, Public Instru-
ction, Ajmer.
Mysore Oct. 7 to Mysore, 45 Shri A.C.
Nov. 5, 1955 Coorg, Deve Gowde,
Travancore- Principal
Cochin & Teachers'
Pondicherry College,
Mysore.
The Seminars were attended by selected Headmasters and a few Inspecting Officers from each of the participating States. The dele- gates discussed in small groups and in the general assembly a number of problems connected with Secondary education. The following were the main topics of their discussions :-
(i) The diversified curriculum ; (ii) Problems of the Multipur- pose schools ; (iii) Methods of teaching ; (iv) Co-curricular activi- ties ; (v) Examination and Evaluation ; (vi) Administration and Supervision ; (vii) Inspection of schools. Besides these, specific educational problems pertaining to particular States were also taken up for consideration. Where the Seminar was well planned and orga- nised, library facilities were available to the delegates, and a programme of social and cultural activities provided the necessary relaxation and recreation.
Certain defects in the Organisation and the programme of activi- ties of these seminars were noticed by the members of the Advisory Field Staff who attended these gatherings. The Standing Committee and the All-India Council at its second meeting accepted the suggestions made for removing these defects. The most important recommendations were that the Director of a Regional Seminar should preferably be the Principal of a Training College and that he should be relieved of his regular duties during the seminar period so that he might be able to devote his undivided attention to his temporary assignment,
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Five Regional Seminars for Headmasters and Educational Officers were organised by the Council during May-June, 1956 at Mussoorie, Shillong, Pachmarhi, Mysore and Coimbatore. Detailed information about these seminars is given below :
Place Date Participating No. of Director
States Partici-
pants
Mysore May 1, to Mysore. 32 Shri S.C.
May 23 Travancore Rangachar,
Cochin & Prof. Teachers'
Coorg College,
Mysore
Pachmarhi May 5 to Madhya 35 Shri A.N.
May 29 Pradesh & Misra, Princi-
Hyderabad pal, P.S. Maha-
vidyalaya
Jubbulpore.
Shillong May 14 to Assam, West 39 Shri S.C.
June 7 Bengal Rajkhowa, Dy.
Manipur, Director of
Tripura Public Ins-
truction,
Assam.
Coimbatore May 15 to Madras, Shri V.T.
June 8 Andhra & Titus, Dist.
Pondicherry Inspector of
Schools.
Mussoorie May 16 to U.P. & Ajmer 34 Dr. S.S.
June 9 Srivastava
Prof. Bureau
of Psychology,
Allahabad.