APPENDIX L-- CONSCRIPTING MATRICULATES FOR ONE OR TWO YEARS TO SERVE AS TEACHERS ON A SMALL ALLOWANCE IN RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Expansion of Primary education at a rapid pace, particularly in the rural areas, with the object of attaining the directive laid down in Article 45 of the Constitution of providing by 1960 free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years, is essential. The difficulties in the way are mainly financial and secondarily the lack of sufficient personnel. One of the suggestions made to obviate these difficulties, which needs serious consideration, is whether the large number of matriculates who every year pass out cannot be utilised for this purpose by making it obligatory for each one of them to serve as a teacher in a Primary school in a village for a period of one year after they pass the matriculation examination and before they either join the University or accept a job with the Government or a private employer. The proposal would have the additional advantage of giving the young educated men and women experience of village life and thus equip them to be better and more useful citizens. This could be achieved either by extending the course for matriculation from three years as at present to four years and earmarking the fourth year for service which, in the case of a boy, should be in a school, preferably in a rural area, and in the case of a girl, in a hospital or on some other social service work; or, this service could be made a condition precedent for admission to a college or for joining Government service.
2. In case it is not considered feasible immediately to make the one year's service compulsory for all boys and girls going up to matriculation and the other alternative also is not accepted as it would create a year's break in the educational 'career' of a student a start could, perhaps, be made by making the condition of one year's service compulsory for those matriculates who are not eligible to get admission to a university or are not able to do so and wish to join Government service. The number of persons available for service in this case would, of course, be very limited; but, the step if taken would provide experience and may pave the way for the adoption of the more drastic proposals made in the preceding para.
3. Some of the objections raised in this respect are:
(a) The work of teaching children should not be entrusted to young matriculates as the efficiency of schools would suffer thereby.
This objection is not valid, because, even now, most of the teachers appointed for Primary schools are fresh matriculates or even non-matriculates.
(b) It is not advisable to appoint teachers just for one year and to change them after a short period of one year.
In pratice frequent transfers are always being made particularly during the process of expansion. Hence, this consideration should not weigh very much against the proposal.
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(c) The young matriculates are not likely to take to the work seriously and would treat it rather lightly and even be disgruntled.
Steps will have to the taken to evolve some method of evaluation of the work of these teachers and to exercise certain control and supervision over their work.
(d) The proposal would have considerable financial implication because, fresh matriculates when posted to villages would have to be given some salary as stipend during the period of one year service.
Some stipend, say, at the rate of Rs. 30 per month, will have to be given to each teacher. But, this would certainly be lower than what would be payable, to a person employed as a regular-teacher and would thus be comparatively economic. Further, the proposal will also, reduce educated unemployment to a certain extent by providing jobs at least for one year to these matriculates.
4. It should not be necessary that all such teachers should be sent back after one year's service. In fact, those who wish to continue should be absorbed in suitable regular vacancies of teachers.
5. The Universities should also consider if one year's service in a village could be made compulsory-for-each undergraduate to be put in by him during his university career and before he gets a degree.
6. The proposal made may be summarised as follows:
(a) To start with, all matriculates who do not join a university and wish to seek a Government job should be required to serve for: one year as teachers in Primary schools in villages. They should be paid stipend or Rs. 30 per month during this period. They should have the option to give up the teacher's job after one year and seek employment elsewhere or be absorbed in regular vacancies of teachers on the salary of the post.
(b) If the experience proves successful, the proposal should be extended to all matriculates i.e., one year's service in a village school should be a condition precedent for grant of a matriculation certificate.
(c) In the case of matriculates joining the university, the condition of one year's 'Service to be put in soon after matriculation might be waived on condition that this would be put in during the university career and before. a degree is conferred by the university.
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