APPENDIX G : FORMATION OF THE ALL-INDIA COUNCIL FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION AND CONSIDERATION OF THE REPORT ON THE WORK DONE SO FAR.
As announced in the 22nd Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education the Government of India set up the All-India Council for Secondary Education to review the progress of the Secondary Education throughout the country, to advise the State and Central Governments about the improvement and expansion of the Secondary Education in all its phases and to assist the Government in the implementation of the approved programmes and to encourage research in problems relating to Secondary Education. The Ford Foundation, U. S. A. has allotted an amount of $2,25,000 spread over three years and has already placed at the disposal of the Government of India the sum of $75,000 for the current year for the establishment of the Council.
A copy of this Ministry Resolution No. F. 18-2/55-D.1 dated 1st Aug., 1955 giving the details of the Constitution, function etc. of the Council is placed below.
The Council held its first meeting on 3rd and 4th October,' 1955. It considered the progress so far made in the reconstruction of the Secondary Education and made the following suggestions :_
(a) That the Government may recommend to State Governments that in matters of recruitment of teachers for Primary schools, preference should be given to those who qualify from Higher Secondary Schools;
(b) That the pace of effecting new reforms in Secondary Education may be accelerated;
(c) That institutions should be helped in matters of providing steel and cement for construction of school buildings;
(d) that methods may be evolved for the utilization of Central grants meant for the construction of buildings by cutting short the present cumbersome procedures;
(e) that the recommendations of the Coordination Committee and the preparation of syllabi for the new scheme of course may be generally accepted.
(f) The University Grants Commission may also be requested to take up this matter with universities.
(g) The Examination Committee should be set up to advise the Government on the subject etc.
The recommendations have been communicated to the State Govern- ments, University Grants Commission and other authorities concerned for implementation. The examination committee mentioned at item (g) above will be appointed by the Council in its forthcoming second meeting.
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The Council also has set up a Standing Committee to consider the budget of the All-India Council to make appointments of the Advisory staff and the staff of the All-India Council for Secondary Education and to function as an executive body for the implementation of the decisions of the Council. It has also passed rules, regulations and bye-laws. The Council has also discussed various points raised by several members.
The Standing Committee of the Council has already met twice, once on 4th Oct., 1955 and then on 12th Nov., 1955.
The second Meeting of the Council is scheduled to be held on the 11 th January, 1956 and the Standing Committee will again meet before that on 10th Jan., 1956.
TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA PART I SECTION I.
No. F. 18-2/55-D1 Government of India,
Ministry of Education.
New Delhi, the 1st August, 1955.
RESOLUTION Subject: All-India Council For Secondary Education
The improvement and reconstruction of Secondary education is perhaps the biggest educational programme facing the country to-day. While addressing the Central Advisory Board of Education at its last (22nd meeting), the Chairman (Minister of Education) observed:
"I think you will all agree that this (Secondary Education) has till now been the weakest link in the Indian Educational chain. It is yet in a sense decisive in determining the quality of education both at the elementary and the collegiate levels. Secondary schools supply teachers for Elementary schools and students for colleges and other institutions of higher learning. An unsatisfactory system of Secondary education undermines the entire system of education in the country."
The Commission appointed by the Government in October, 1953 to enquire into and report on, the present position of Secondary education in India in all its aspects and to suggest measures for its reorganisation and improvement has made a number of organisational and other recommendation the basis of which a number of educational schemes directed towards the improvement of Secondary education have been drawn up and are now under implementation in collaboration with the State Governments. However, as the implementation of the Ministry's programme of reforming Secondary education has progressed, many organisations, educational and administrative problems have been identified and the need for setting up a small body of experts to tackle these problems and to review from time to time progress made in this field has become increasingly urgent. The Government have therefore decided to set up immediately an All-India Council for Secondary Education to discharge the functions specified below:--
2. Functions (a) The Council will review the progress of Secondary education throughout the country and serve as an expert body to advise the State and Central Governments about improvement and expansion of Secondary education in all its phases.
(b) It will examine and appraise proposals in this behalf referred to it by the Government of India and the State Governments and assist in the implementation of approved programmes.
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(c) It will initiate proposals for the improvment of Secondary education in the light of the experience gained and within the ambit of the decisions taken by the Government of India from time to time.
(d) The Council may encourage research in problems relating to Secondary education in all its aspects.
(e) It may appoint ad-hoc committees to assist it in the attainment of any of its objectives.
(f) The Council will take all necessary executive action in the matter deciding on the grants to be made to institutions participating in its projects and making funds available for the purpose.
3 (a) The Government of India may from time to time make grants to All-India Council for Secondary Education on requests made by the Council for carrying out its functions and activitities as aforesaid.
(b) The Council may, for the purpose of enabling it to discharge its functions efficiently or exercise its powers, appoint such number of officers and other employees on such terms and conditions of service as may be determined by it but not more liberal than those obtaining in the Government of India for similar officers subject to the general financial limits in the budget imposed by the Central Government.
(c) It will also maintain a nucleus of specialists in various fields of Secondary Education and thus increase through memberships of its staff the number of Indian educationists who have had experience in the analysis and solution of problems of Secondary education on all India basis.
4. Constitution The Council shall consist of :--
(a) Chairman-Educational Adviser to the Government of India.
(b) Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education.
(c) Three members of the Cental Advisory Board of Education.
(d) Six members of the State Education Departments.
(e) Six educationists to be nominated by the Chairman.
(f) One representative of the Principals of Training Colleges.
(g) One member of the All-India Council of Technical Education to be nominated by the Council. (h) One member of the Inter-University Board (India) to be nominated by the Board from amongst the representatives of Universities in India.
(i) One representative of the Community Projects Administration.
The Head of the Secondary Education Division will act as Secretary to the Council.
5. Tenure of Office The tenure of office of all non-official members nominated to the Council for the first time shall be three years reckoned from the first day of first meeting of the Council and the term of office of all non-official members subseqently nominated shall be three years reckoned from appropriate anniversary of the day; provided that a member nominated under sub-clause (c) , (g) and (h) above shall cease to be a member of the Council if he ceases to be a member of the Central Advisory Board of Education, All-India Council for Technical Education and Inter-University Board as the case may be. The official members of the Council will continue until they are replaced by others. All casual vacancies among than the members (other than ex- officio members) shall be filled by the authority or body who nominated the number whose
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place falls vacant and the person appointed to a casual vacancy shall be a member of the council for the residue of the term for which the person whose place he fills would have seen a member.
6. No groceedings of the Council shall be invalidated merely by reason of the existence of a vacancy or vacancies among the members.
7. It will submit annually a report of its word to the Central Advisory Board of Education through the Ministry of Education.
3. This supersedes Ministry of Education Resolutions Nos. F. 18- 2/55 D. 1 dated 2nd March, 1955 and 31st May, 1955.