It is, therefore, proposed that evening classes and continuation classes should be organised for about 20 lakhs of children of this age-group so as to raise the percentage of enrolment to 30. The cost would be Rs. 10/- per child per year or Rs. 6 crores for the plan period (recurring). Including overheads, non-recurring, etc. a lump provision of Rs. 10 crores should be made on this account.
Target No. 5. Associating the local community with Primary education.
This is not the place to discuss the importance of associating the local community with the local Primary school. That is generally agreed. What I would like to see ultimately is a state of affairs on the French Model where the teacher would be a servant of the State Government (or local bodies at the District level-as a matter of compromise) and be paid for by it, but all other expenditure would be taken over by the local community on a grantin-aid basis. If we can create this sort of an order, matters would be very much simplified.
Pilot projects for this purpose will have to be worked out. A lump sum provision of Rs. 10 crores should be made for this purpose (which
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would include buildings) and it should be spent after harnessing local effort so that it would go the largest way in providing good buildings and equipment for our schools.
Hence the total requirements during the Second Plan would be as follows :-
Elementary Stage:- Crores of Rs.
1. Opening of schools in school-less villages
(2 lakhs of teachers). 40
2. Compulsory education. in all areas where
schools exist (or if
that is not feasible)
in all rural areas at least. 20
(1 lakh additional teachers)
3. Buildings and Equipment. 10
4. Female education. 10
5. Allowance to teachers under shift machi-
nery for compulsion, etc. 20
Total 100 crores
Middle Stage:
1. For 30 thousand additional teachers. 10
2. For continuation classes, evening classes,
etc. 10
3. For Buildings and Equipment. 5
Total 25 crores
Grand Total Rs.125 crores
We would thus need a total expenditure of Rs. 125 crores as against the provision of Rs. 98 crores made at present. But the results obtained will certainly justify the expenditure (See Appendix IV).
Targets for the Third Plan In the third plan, it would be possible to obtain still better results without incurring proportionately larger expenditure becouse the new system would have come to stay. The following targets are, therefore, suggested:-
Target No. 1: To provide every village with a school.
Assuming that three lakhs of teachers are required for this programme, out of which only two lakhs were provided in the Second Plan, it is suggested that the remaining one lakh should be provided now. This will need a provision of Rs. 20 crores.
The additional enrolment will be 35 lakhs of children. In all, the three lakhs of teachers working under this target will manage about 105 lakhs of children at the end of the Third Plan.
Targent No. 2 : To enrol 90% of the total population of the age group of 6-11.
In 1961-1966, the estimated population will be 43 crores and the number of children to be educated will be 538 lakhs. Ninety per cent of this would
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come to 485 lakhs of children. Of this, 105 lakhs would be cared for under target No. 1. Hence only 980 lakhs will now have to be provided for 45 pupils per teacher, we shall need 8.5 lakhs of teachers. We had eight lakhs already at the end of the Second Plan. So, only 50 thousand additional teachers would be needed and a sum of Rs. 10 crores would be needed for this.
Target No. 3: To enrol 70 per cent of the children of the agegroup of 11-14.
In the Second Plan, the concentration was on the agegroup 6-11 so in the Third Plan, the concentration will be on the agegroup 11-14.
At 6.8 per cent of the population, we will have to educate about 292 of children. Of these, 63 lakhs on a whole-time basis and 20 lakhs on a lakhs part-time basis would have been in schools at the end of the Second Plan. So we must provide now for 150 lakhs of additional children. Of these about 60 lakhs would be on a whole-time basis and 90 lakhs would be on a 'part-time basis. We would therefore need two lakhs of teachers for 60 lakhs of children studying on a whole-time basis i.e. Rs. 40 crores and 45 crores for the 90 lakhs of children on a part-time basis.
Hence the total provision for the Third Plan, would be:Elementary
Stage: Crores of Rs.
1. For school-less villages 20
(1 lakh of teachers)
2. For compulsion 10
3. For Building and Equipment 20
4. For allowance to shift teachers,
machinery for compulsion etc. 20
Total Rs. 70 crores.
Middle Stage
1. For two lakhs of teachers
(Whole-time basic) 40
2. For 90 lakhs of children on
a part-time basis 45
3. Building and Equipment 15
Total Rs. 100 crores
Grand Total Rs.170 crores.
It should be quite possible to provide this amount in the Third Plan and if that is done, 'the constitutional directive would be realised.
Other Programmes I am quite conscious of the fact that I have touched upon no qualitative programme so far. So, I would now like to state those qualitative programmes which must be undertaken simultaneously but separately if proper results are to be obtained. These are three (1) Improvement of Salaries.(2) Training of teachers. (3) Expansion of Basic Education.
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The first of these is of the highest importance. I understand that Rs. 40 crores are needed for this purpose. These should be sanctioned at once. No single measure of reform would go far to improve the quality of education as this.
Similarly the percentage of trained teachers should be raised to at least 80 by adopting emergency measures. About Rs. 25 crores would be needed for this. All training institutions should be converted to Basic in the Second Plan.
Lastly, Rs. 10 crores should be provided for Basic education (instead of the provision of Rs. 7 crores made at presant).
In all, therefore, these programmes would require Rs. 75 crores in in the Second plan.
In the Third Plan, the allocations would be
(1) Improvement of Salaries 40
(2) Training of Teachers 25
(3) Basic Education 15
Total 80
Thus the total requirement -of Primary education in the Second Plan is Rs. 200 crores. I feel that if proper allocations are done, Primary education must get Rs. 200 crores out of a total of Rs 320 crores. If such re-allocations are not possible, the deficit should be found by increasing the assignment to education.
In the Third Plan, the allocation required would be about Rs. 250 crores (see appendix III) and I do not think that it would be difficult to get it. I personally feel that it would even be larger. If so, all excess should go to Basic education.
In the Fourth Plan, the allocation may be Rs. 300 crores or so and all of it should go to qualitative' improvement. If the targets stated above are once reached, all further quantitative progress would be incidental and the emphasis in planning may be shifted to quality almost exclusively.
Administrative Arrangements I am aware that in executing plans of this type, a very large number of adminstrative difficulties are going to arise. For instance:-
(1) There are great disparities in the development of education in the States. It appears from the allocations made at present that these disparities would increase rather than diminish at the end of the Second Plan. But in the scheme proposed above, it is assumed that these inequalities would be removed as far as possible. This would, therefore, imply a review of all allocations made and also a reform in the system of Centeral grants to the States.
(2) just as the Centre makes grants to the States, the States in their turn make grants to the local bodies. There are great inequalities of development between one local area and another in the same State. Hence the entire system of State grants to local bodies I will also have to be reviewed
(3) The States do not often accept the grants offered by the Centre and hence even the provision made in the plan is not fully utilised; so most of the local bodies who are responsible for opening new Primary
190
schools or strengthening the staff of existing ones may not be willing (or may even be unable) to accept the grants offered by the State. Hence the role of local bodies in financing of education will have to be reviewed and refixed.
(4) Authority to introduce compulsion is often rested in local bodies alone and a State Government may often be baffled by an obstinate local body in this respect. The structure of most Acts on compulsory education is defective in this as well as in several other particulars. Steps to amend the legislation suitably will also have to be taken.
(5) A simplified curriculum will have to be adopted in view of the decision to introduce the shift system.
(6) Careful measures will have to be adopted to make the shift system a success.
(7) Public opinion will have to be educated so as to get full results from the scheme.
(8) Administration of Primary education is still in its infancy. Literature on the -subject will have to be produced and officials trained in the improved methods of administration.
(9) A considerable amount of research is required on important practical problems like wastage, stagnation, lapse into illiteracy, single-teacher schools, etc.
(10) Year to year plans of development will have to be Prepared throughout the period of ten years. The programmes will have to be modified in the light of experience gained.
These are only a few of the things that will need attention. It is not necessary either to discuss these manifold and complicated problems here nor to suggest remedies. It would be enough if I indicate the lines on which a machinery to deal with them will have to be immediately organised.
In this respect-
(1) I welcome the proposal to form an All-India Council of Primary Education on the same lines as the Secondary Education Council. It should be brought into existence without delay.
(2) It will also be necessary to create a special section in the Education Ministry to deal with the problems of Primary education.
(3) Each State should be asked to create a special Board for Primary Education and a special section in the office of the Director of Education to deal with this schemes.
(4) Each State should be required to prepare a ten year programme of development on the general lines laid down by the Centre and these should then be considered in the Central Plan.
Concluding Remarks I suggest that this brief note should be passed on to the Ministry of Education and a conference should be arranged towards the end of January between the officials of the Ministry and the Commission to discuss it in detail and to reach a decision on major policy questions.
In the light of these decisions, a fresh and probably a more detailed note will have to be prepared and circulated to the States. Their representatives should be invited and it should be discussed in detail in a two or three day session at Delhi, sometime in February.
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The ground would thus be prepared to take action on the new policy by 1956-57. The reforms can be introduced from June 1956 when the new academic year will open.
I am aware that, like Oliver Twist, I have asked for more and behave like a bad boy to the Planning Commission. But I could not help it. I hope that some additional, money would somehow be found. But if it cannot come forth to the extent envisaged by me, further economies may be made by taking the shift to standard IV. in the last resort, even if the provision were not to be increased in any way, I would still recommend the adoption of these new methods. They would certainly take us much nearer to the goal than any of the methods used so far. I feel certain that even this meagre amount will enable us, if utilised properly, to enrol about 60% of the children in the age group of 6-11 and 20% of those in the age group of 11-14 (see appendix 11-A for details).
J. P. NAIK,
Member
New Delhi Panel on Education
1st January 1956.
APPENDIX I
Progress of Primary Education (1956-61)
Figures in lakhs
1950-51 1955-56 1960-61
Item Actual Estimates Estimates
1 2 3 4
1. Population (in crores) 36.20 38.50 40.80
2, No. of children in 6-11
agegroup (12.5% of total
population) 452 481 510
3. No. of children in 11
- 14 age group (6.8%
of total population) 246 262 278
4. No. of children in the
6-11 agegroup actually
enrolled at primary stage. 144(96%) 176.6 225.6
at other stages 6 (4%) 7.4 9.4
Total 150 184 235.0
5. No of children in the 11-14
age group actually enrolled:
at primary stage 25.5(56.8%) 37.5 44.3
at middle stage 16.8(37.3%) 24.6 29.1
at other stages 2.7( 5.9%) 3.9 4.6
Total 45.0 66.0 78.0
6. Percentage of children of 6-1 1
enrolled to total population in
the age-group (Row 4 to Row 2) 33.1 38.2 46.2
7. Percentage of children of 11-14
enrolled to total population
in the age- group
(Row 5 to Row 3) 18.3 25.2 28.1
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APPENDIX II A Economies possible at the elementary stage with different bases of development.
Alternative I
Duration of the course 5 years
Teacher-pupil ratio (without shift) 34
Total Population 1965-66 43 crores
No. of children to be educated (6-11) @ 12.5
per cent 538 lakhs
No. of children to be enrolled @ 90 per cent of
the above 484 lakhs
Teachers required.
2 lakhs of teachers in small schools @ 30
pupils each 60
12.5 lakhs of teacher in bigger villages
@ 34 pupils each 425
Total 485 lakhs.
Hence we shall need 14.5 lakhs of teachers in total i. e, 7.5 lakhs of additional teachers. Of these 5 lakhs may be provided in the Second Plan and 2.5 lakhs in the Third Plan.
Alternative II
Duration of the course 5 years
Teacher-pupil Ratio (with shift in Stds. I & II) 45
This is the basis adopted in this note. It was shown that we
shall need 11.4 lakhs of teachers in all i. e. 4.5 lakhs extra. Of
these 3 lakhs may be provided in the Second Plan and 1.5 lakhs in the
Third Plan.
Alternative III
Duration of the course 5 years
Teacher-pupil ratio (shift in Stds I-IV) 50
Total population 1965-66 43 crores
No. of-children to be educated (6-11) 538 lakhs
No. of children to be enrolled at 90 per cent of
the above 484 lakhs
Teachers required
2 lakhs of teachers in small villages at 35 pupils 70 lakhs
8.31 lakhs of teachers in bigger places at 50 pupils
per teacher 414 lakhs
Total 484 lakhs
That is to say, we shall need 10.31 lakhs of teachers i. e. 3.31
lakhs of additional teachers.
Of these two lakhs may be provided in the Second Plan and 1.31
lakhs in the Third Plan.
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Alternative IV
Duration of the course-shift in Stds. I & II only 4 years
On this basis, the calculation would be as follows:-
Total population 1965-66 43 crores
No. of children to be educated (7-11) @ 10 percent 430 lakhs
No. of children to be enrolled @ 90 per cent of
the above 387 lakhs
Teachers required
2 lakhs of teachers in small villages
@ 35 pupils 70
7.1 lakhs of teachers in bigger villages @ 45
pupils each 319
Total 389 lakhs
Alternative III
Duration of the course 5 years
Teacher-pupil ratio (shift in Stds I-IV) 50
Total population 1965-66 43 crores
No. of children to be educated (6-1 1) 538 lakhs
No. of children to be enrolled at 90 per
cent of the above 484 lakhs
Teachers required
2 lakhs of teachers in small villages
at 35 pupils 70 lakhs
8.31 lakhs of teachers in bigger
places at 50 pupils per teacher 414 lakhs
Total 484 lakhs
This is to say, we shall need 10.31 lakhs of teachers i.e. 3.81 lakhs of additional teachers.
Of these 2 lakhs may be provided in the Second Plan and 1.31 lakhs in the Third Plan.
Alternative IV
Duration of the course-shift in Stds. I & II only 4 years
On this basis, the calculation would be as follows:-
Total population 1965-66 43 crores
No. of children to be educated (7-11) @ 10 percent 430 lakhs
No. of children to be enrolled the above 387 lakhs
Teachers required
2 lakhs of teachers in villages @ 35 pupils 70
7.1 lakhs of teachers in bigger villages @ 45
pupils each 319
Total 389 lakhs
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That is to say, we shall need only 9.1 lakhs of teachers in all i.e. 2.1 lakhs of additional teachers only.
Of these 1.5 lakhs may be provided in. the Second Plan and .6 lakhs in the Third Plan.
Alternative V.
Duration of the course shift in stds. I & IV. 4 years
On this basis, the calculations would be as follows:-
Total population 1965-66 43 crores
No. of children to be educated (7-11) @ 10 per cent 430 lakhs
No. of children to be enrolled 387 lakhs
Teachers required.
2 lakhs of teachers in small villages @ 35 pupils 70 lakhs
6.3 lakhs of teachers in bigger villages @ 50 315 lakhs
pupils each
Total 385 lakhs
That is, we shall need 8.3 lakhs of teachers in all. Only 1.3 lakhs of additional teachers.
A provision for 1.5 lakhs of teachers already exists in the. Plan. That will meet all the requirements of the situation. But extra amounts would be needed for allowance to teachers under the shift system, machinery for compulsion, etc.
It will be seen that the total number of teachers required will vary from lakhs to 14.5 lakhs, depending on the basis adopted.
APPENDIX III Financal implications of Shri J. P. Naik's suggestions regarding Emergency. Scheme of Elementary Education.
Figures in crores.
Financial allo- Financial allo-
S. No. Age Description of the cations to be cation to be
Group Schemes provided in II made in III
Plan(1936-61) Plan(1961-66)
1 2 3 4 5
1 6-11 Opening Schools in
school-less villages. 40@ 20@@
2 7-11 Compulsory Education"
in all areas where
schools exist (if not
feasible) in rural
areas at least. 20 10
3 Buildings & Equipment. 10 20
4 Female Education. 10 ...
5 Allowance to teachers
under shift, machinery
for compulsion etc. 20 20
Total 100 70