 APPENDIX U--
REPORT OF THE SECONDARY
 EDUCATION COMMISSION TOGETHER
 WITH

(a) the report of the Committee on the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission (Annexure I).

(b) Views expressed by the Post-Basic and Secondary Education discussion group of the Ninth All-India Nai-Talim Conference, Assam, 1953 (Annexure II).

(c) A note by the Director-General Resettlement and Employment (Ministry of Labour) on diversion of young persons at the pre-Matriculation and Matriculation stages from clerical and white collar jobs to other types of work (Annexure III).

On the recommendation of the Board at its 20th Meeting held in New Delhi in November, 1953, the Chairman appointed a committee to consider the recommendations of the Secondary Education Commission Report and to advise on their implementation. The report of the Committee, which met twice, is attached for consideration by the Board (Annexure I).

The following two items, bearing on this subject, have been received and are also placed before the Board for their consideration:

(a) Resolutions from the Post-Basic and Secondary Education discussion group adopted at the Ninth All-India Nai-Talim Conference, Assam (received from Shri E. W. Aryanayakam, a member of the Board) (Annexure II).

(b) A note by the Director-General, Resettlement and Employment (Ministry of Labour), on diversion of young persons at the pre-Matriculation and Matriculation stages from clerical and white collar jobs to other types of work (Annexure III).

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ANNEXURE I TO APPENDIX U

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Recommendations of the Committee on Secondary Education Commission's Report held on 15th, 16th and 17th December, 1953, and 7th and 8th January, 1954, as amended by the Central Advisory Board of Education in their 21st Meeting held from 7th to 9th February, 1954.

The Report of the Secondary Education Commission came up for discussion at the 20th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education held at New Delhi on November 9th, 1953. Recognising the importance of the Report and the far-reaching effect that its recommendations may have on the development of Secondary, Education in India, the Board felt it desirable to set up a committee "to advise on the implementation of its recommendations and to suggest, from time to time, further steps which should be taken by the Governments and the universities in this behalf". At the request of the Board, the Chairman appointed the following committee for this purpose:

1. Shri K. G. Saiyidain (Convener).

2. Professor A, N. Basu, Principal, Central Institute of Education.

3. Dr. V. S. Jha, Chairman, Public Service Commission, Madhya Pradesh.

4. Mr. Kishan Chand, Education Secretary, Uttar Pradesh.

5. Shri J. B. Mallaradhya, Director of Public Instruction, Mysore, Bangalore.

6. Shri J. C. Mathur, Education Secretary, Bihar, Patna.

7. Dr. K. L. Shrimali, Principal, Vidya Bhavan Teachers' Training College, Udaipur.

The Committee held six sittings, one each on the 15th, 16th, 17th December, 1953, and 7th January, 1954, and two on the 8th January, 1954. Dr. Jha was unable to attend the December meetings and Shri Mathur and Mr. Kishan Chand were not able to attend the meeting on the 15th December, 1953 and the evening meeting on the 8th January, 1954, respectively.

The Committee has considered the various aspects of the Report and has formulated its recommendations under three broad categories:

(A) The general pattern of Secondary education.

(B) List of priorities, indicating the items or action-points which should be implemented during the next seven years. (The agencies which should be responsible for initiating action on each item are mentioned at the end of each item.)

(C) A list of recommendations which do not fall under B but for various reasons deserve special attention of the Central and State Governments.

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PART A

The Committee is of the opinion that the eventual pattern of education should be as follows and an educational planning should be oriented in that direction:

(a) eight years of integrated Elementary (Basic) education.

(b) three or four years of Secondary education where there will be a diversification of courses. (The first year should be devoted mainly to orientation and exploration of the students' aptitudes, and diversified courses should be normally taken up during the last two or three years of the Secondary stage.).

In the Secondary course certain core subjects should be common to all students whatever the diversified courses of study they may take. These core subjects should consist of:

(i) Languages

(ii) General Science

(iii) Social Studies

(iv) One of the crafts.

Diversified courses of study may cover the following seven groups of subjects of which each student should select one group:

1. Humanities

2. Sciences

3. Technical subjects

4. Commercial subjects

5. Agricultural subjects

6. Fine Art

7. Home Science.

Shri Mallaradhya expressed the view that the committee should only fix the total duration of 12 years for Primary and Secondary stages of education, leaving it to the States to divide this period according to their needs and that no rigid uniformity of pattern should be stressed.

PART B

1. Preliminary.-(a) The Central and State Governments should declare their general acceptance of the pattern set out in Part 'A' above and formulate their plans in such a way as to bring the system into conformity with it within a specified number of years. They should draw up, in accordance with this policy, a programme of seven years in two phases, the first phase consisting of the remaining two years of the first Five-Year Plan and the second phase to cover the period of the following five years-Second Five-Year Plan (Government of India and State Governments).

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(b) The acceptance of this policy will involve amendment to the Universities Act and in some States also the enactment of Secondary Education Acts. This should be taken up immediately (State Gov- ernments).

2. Introduction of diversified courses.-(a) The highest priority should be given to the introduction of diversified courses in -existing and new High schools. All States, while providing diversified courses in schools in all regions according to their needs and the aptitude of students, should provide special facilities for agricultural education in rural schools. Such courses should include horticulture, animal husbandry and cottage industries (State Governments).

(b) Within the next two years all Government Secondary schools should be converted into multi-purpose High schools providing courses in some of the practical groups enumerated in Chapter VI of the Commission's Report (State Governments).

(c) Of the remaining High schools, semi-Government or private, at least five per cent should be enabled to provide for the teching of at least one practical group of subjects (in addition to the existing subjects). During the period of the Second Five-Year Plan ten per cent more of the remaining High schools should be enabled to introduce diversified practical courses. Since the number of High schools is nearly 10,000, the proposal would mean the introduction of diversified courses to some extent in 500 schools in the first two years and in 1,000 schools in subsequent five years (State Governments).

(d) The State and Central Governments should give financial assistance to High schools to enable them to run diversified courses. In this connection the following alternative types of financial assistance by the Government of India were discussed by the Committee:

(i) Subject to funds being available, the Government of India to bear non-recurring expenditure and the State Government to be responsible for the recurring expenditure.

(ii) 50 per cent of the total non-recurring expenditure and 50 per cent of the expenditure on teachers' salaries in practical subjects only to be borne by the Government of India and the rest by the State Governments. In both cases the Government of India's contribution will be only on improvements made on the lines formulated (Government of India).

(e) As recommended in Chapter XIII (para 35 of the Chapter on summary recommendations), expert committees should prepare clear-cut statements giving the amount and the kind of equipment required for various types of diversified courses and also the cost of workshops to be utilised for the purpose. Self-contained brochures on various types of courses to be introduced in the new type of schools, should be prepared or sponsored by the Ministry of Education and should be made available to the State Governments and High schools all over the country (Government of India).

(f) As recommended in Chapter IV (para 12 of the summary recommedation) where feasible, the Central Technical Institutes

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should be utilised for training students who follow diversified courses of studies in the neighbouring High schools. This may require some expansion of such technical institutions but this would be the most effective and economic arrangement until such time as multi- purpose High schools can be developed in the country on a large scale. Such a Central Technical Institute should also be utilised for part- time training in industrial courses and for further apprenticeship training of those who have completed their Secondary education (State Governments).

(g) No State Government should ordinarily recognise a new High school unless it provides for instruction in at least one practical group in addition to the academic group.

(h) In view of the extreme shortage of teachers in technical (engineering) subjects, provision should be made where necessary for the payment to them of special pay over the prescribed scale. (State Governments.)

3. Revision of curriculum and introduction of the new curriculum in High schools.-(a) Every High school in the country should be enabled during the next seven years to make provision for effective teaching of General Science, Social Studies and Crafts (State Governments).

As recommended in Chapter VI, an initial grant at the rate of about Rs. 15,000 should be sanctioned for equipping each school for this purpose. The grant should cover the cost of setting up (or improving) the laboratory for General Science, for producing equipment for crafts and charts, posters and audio-visual aids etc., and for teaching social studies. So far as recurring expenditure is concerned, an attempt should be made to meet a part of it from the sale of articles made by the students. The scheme should be spread over seven years, in which case it would involve an expenditure of about rupees two crores per annum for the whole country. This cost should be shared by the Central and State Governments in the pro- portion of one to two, the balance being found by the schools con- cerned from other sources (Government of India and State Governments).

(b) The Central Government should set up small panels of experts drawn from all over the country and ask them to prepare detailed model syllabuses for various subjects, incorporating the essential items of subject matter and suitable instructions to teachers for its integration with other subjects, and so far as possible, with the activity programme envisaged in the report. Such work should be first taken up with reference to the new subjects included in the curriculum recommended in Chapter VI (Government of India).

(c) The State Governments should take steps to have their pre- scribed curricula, for the Middle and Higher stage, examined by expert committees in the light of the recommendations of the Commission (State Governments).

(d) In the Training colleges and/or the University Departments of Education, research in curriculum and assessment of the results of introduction, of the new curricula should be instituted (State Gov- ernments).

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(e) As good and effective school libraries are essential for proper education and for the successful implementation of the new curricula and progressive teaching methods recommended by the Commission,. every school must build up a good library under a librarian who has received training for the purpose. In order to equip the libraries properly and improve their stock of books, an initial grant of Rs. 5,000 should be made to each school shared in the ratio of one to two by Government of India and State Governments. The total financial implications of this proposal which may be spread over five years, will be about rupees five crores. (Government of India and State Governments).

4. Examination System.-(a) Remodelling of the examination system in so far as it is possible within the existing pattern, on the lines recommended in Chapter XI should be immediately taken up in every State. This will involve abolishing public examinations (if any) before the end of the High schools shifting the emphasis from the annual examinations to periodical tests, giving consideration to the results of these tests and the day to day progress of the pupils at the final examination, liberalising the system of compartmental examinations and including in the school leaving certificates a summary of the results of the school tests as well as that of the school records in the various social and co-curricular activities. (State Governments.)

(b) The Training colleges should take up research on examination techniques.

(c) Seminars and training camps of selected headmasters and teachers should be organised under suitable experts on a regional basis for discussing and popularising new examination techniques. If necessary, competent foreign experts who have specialised in this field should also be invited for this purpose. Introduction of objec- tive tests, adoption of the system of symbolic marking, evaluation and grading of school records etc., should form some of the subjects of study at these Seminars. (State Governments.)

5. Training of Teachers.-(a) Workshops should be attached to Training colleges for training teachers for teaching crafts under Group C. Short-term training courses may also be organised for this purpose for teachers in service either at Training colleges or at special centres set up for the purpose or at technical institutions. (State Governments.)

(b) For practical subjects under Group D, until such time as properly equipped workshops can be established, short courses for training craft teachers should be organised in centres attached to technical institutions or in centres set up for the purpose. (State Governments.)

(c) Specialists in technical subjects, willing to join the teaching profession, may be appointed as teachers in subjects under Group D after being given three months' intensive course in teaching methods in the Training colleges. As a further encouragement to them to join the teaching profession they should be given full salary during this period of intensive training. A small committee of experts. should draw up a detailed syllabus for these courses. (State Governments.)

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(d) State Governments and universities should take steps to revise their syllabuses of training in the light of the recommenda- tions of the Secondary Education Commission Report.

(e) In order to attract larger number of well qualified and suitable candidates to Training colleges and to save them from financial worries, the following measures should be adopted:-

(i) No tuition fees should be charged in any Training college, (State Governments and Government of India).

(ii) In the case of trainees serving in any private schools, it should be the responsibility of the managements (and in the case of Government schools of the Government) to pay them a full salary for the period of training. Other trainees, who are not in receipt of salaries from the management or Government should be given stipends for the period of training. (State Governments.)

(f) A large number of Refresher courses, Seminars and confer- ences of headmasters, teachers and inspectors of schools should be organised both on All-India and State basis every year in order to create an effective climate of opinion for educational reform and reconstruction. (Government of India and State Governments.)

(g) Suitable literature for improving the efficiency and for the inspiration of teachers should be produced by the Education Depart- ments of all States and either the office of the Director of Education or one of the Training colleges should be adequately equipped for the purpose. (State Governments.)

6. Administrative Reorganisation.-(a) In the Central Ministry of Education there should be a unit, assisted if necessary, by a Standing Advisory Committee, to watch over the progress of the implementation of the recommendations of the Report and to advise the Ministry in this behalf. The section should be headed by an officer who should occasionally visit the States and discuss with the ,state officers and Secondary Education Boards the problems and :difficulties encountered by them in the implementation of the programme. (Government of India.)

(b) In every State there should be, as recommended in Chapter XIII (para two of the Chapter on summary of recommendations) a committee consisting of the Ministers concerned with the various grades and types of education in order to discuss how best the resources of the departments could be pooled for the furtherance of education of all types. There should be a similar committee at the Centre. (Government of India and State Governments),

(c) In every State a small implementation committee consisting say of three persons should be set up to watch the progress of the implementation of the recommendation of the Commission. (State Governments.)

(d) the Boards of Secondary Education should be reorganised (or set up as the case may be) in the different States in the light of the recommendations of the Commission in Chapter XIII (para four of summary of chapter XIII) and other consequential administrative

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arrangements should be made including the creation, where necessary, of a separate post of a Deputy Director of Secondary Education. (State Governments.)

(e) In each district there should be a Class I District Education Officer directly in charge of Secondary education in the district, and having supervising authority over the whole field of pre-university education. This should be in addition to the existing District Inspectors or District Superintendents who are usually in Class II of the Education Service. He should coordinate and stimulate all educational work within his jurisdiction. (State Governments.)

(f) The Inspectors of Schools should study carefully the special problems of each school in their charge and learn to view them in the context of educational objectives as outlined in the Report. (State Governments.)

7. Conditions of Service of Teachers.-(a) The Central Govern- ment should set up a committee which should examine the existing scales of salaries in the different States in the context of their ,economic conditions and recommend the minimum salary to be paid to teachers of different qualifications. (Government of India.)

(b) Every State Government should set up a committee to examine the revision of salary scales of teachers of different categories in the light of the recommendations' of the committee to be set up by the Central Government referred to in para. (a) above. (State Governments.)

(c) The principal consideration in fixing the minimum salary and in the revision of scales of pay should be that teachers may be brought on par with personnel in other walks of life with similar qualifications and responsibilities.

(d) The system of triple benefit schemes for teachers, namely, pension-cum-provident fund-cum-insurance, as recommended in Chapter XII should be introduced in all States as early as possible. (State Governments.)

8. Institution of Detailed Records of Every Student in the Secondary Stage-As recommended in Chapter XI (para two of summary of Chapter XI) a school record presenting a continuous and clear statement of attainments-intellectual pursuits, behaviour pattern, interests an aptitudes, practical and social activities etc.-of every pupil should be progressively introduced in all schools. Specimens of cumulative record forms given in Appendix VII of the Commission's Report may be adopted with suitable variations for this purpose. Where such records cannot be introduced in all the classes, a beginning may be made in the lowest class at the Higher Secondary stage or at a stage where the pupils have yet to put in at least two years' of schooling at the Higher Secondary stage. Teachers should be trained to understand and maintain these records properly, which may be done at seminars, Training colleges etc. At least one teacher in every school should be given training in the technique of maintaining their cumulative record forms. (State Governments).

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9. Production of Teaching Material.-I.-Textbooks.-(a) The State Government or the educational authorities concerned should take up gradually the production of textbooks and/or source books. of good standard in some subjects, in the light of the recommendations made by the Commission in Chapter VI (paras seven, eight, nine and ten of the summary of Chapter VI). In the first instance, it may consider the production of books in new subjects proposed to be introduced in the curricula. (State Governments.)

(b) The State Governments should appoint Textbook Committees as envisaged in the Report. However, in selecting High Court Judges, and Members of the Public Service Commissions to serve on these committees, care should be taken to see that they have the requisite educational background and experience. (State Governments.)

(c) In order to improve the standard of book illustration, the Central and State Governments should maintain libraries of blocks of good illustrations which could be lent to textbook committees and publishers. (Government of India and State Governments.)

(d) The Central Ministry of Education should build up a compre- hensive library of good textbooks, both Indian and foreign.

II Films.-Films should be prepared for schools showing the different types of work and processes involved in the various indus- tries. These Film shows should be supplemented by actual visits to industries etc., wherever possible. (State Governments and Government of India.)

10. Vocational Guidance.-(a) As recommended in Chapter IX (para four of the summary of recommendations of the Chapter) the Ministry of Education should assist in the opening of regional centres of training for guidance officers or career masters to which the State Governments may send a number of teachers or other suitable persons for training. (Government of India.)

(b) In every State suitable machinery should be set up to enable High school students to seek employment of a kind for which they may be suited by training and aptitude. Such a machinery should

(i) conduct periodical surveys of the likely requirements of personnel of different kinds and the number of school leavers who could be absorbed in these opportunities.

(ii) compile lists of institutions, offices, factories and establishments where apprenticeships for school leavers might be arranged, and

(iii) furnish such other information to the headmasters of the schools and the Departments of Education as may be useful to them in planning the expansion of diversified courses. (State Governments.)

11. Introduction of Crafts at the Middle Stage.-As a preliminary to the recasting of courses of study at the High school stage, it is necessary that changes should be immediately effected in the courses (if studies at the middle stage. Where crafts have not been already

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introduced, steps should be taken to do so immediately at the middle stage and funds provided for the purpose. (State Governments and Government of India.).

12. Management and Conditions of Recognition of Schools and Distribution of Grants.-Every State Government should take steps to revise the existing rules and regulations regarding

(a) Constitution and functions of Managing Committees.

(b) Conditions of recognition of schools.

In taking up such revision, the recommendations contained in Chapter XIII, especially recommendations 17 and 27 of the summary of recommendations of the Chapter, should be carefully considered. Every Managing Committee should be a registered body.

(d) Before a Managing Committee is allowed to set up a school, it should at least have a reserve fund equivalent to the working expenditure on the school for one academic year. The constitution of the Managing Committees of aided schools, prepared by the Bihar Government, is given in the Appendix as an illustration.

PART C

While all recommendations made by the Commission deserve careful consideration, some of them have been spotlighted below either because have a special importance or because there is a danger that their significance may be overlooked for one reason another:

1. The State Governments should give publicity to the contem- plated reforms in Secondary education through well produced pamphlets in local languages and thus with public cooperation.

2. The Government of India should institute studies on the various recommendations of the Commission which require legislation and prepare Model Acts wherever necessary.

3. Textbooks.-(a) A fund should be maintained from the amount realised from the sale of textbooks published by the Government which may be utilised for awarding scholarships, and/or providing books and other amenities for school children.

(b) The Textbook Committee should lay down clear criteria for the type of paper, illustration, printing and format of the books to be submitted for adoption.

(c) The Central Government should set up a new institution or help some existing Art schools, to develop special courses of training in the technique of book illustration.

4. Methods of teaching.-In order to popularise progressive teaching methods and facilitate their introduction, "Experimental" and "Demonstration" schools should be established and given special

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encouragement where they exist, so that they may try out new methods freely without being fettered by too many departmental restrictions.

5. Extra-curricular Activities.-(a) The State should give ade- quate financial assistance to the Scout Movement and should help to secure suitable sites for scout camps. Schools should, as far as possible, afford an opportunity for groups of their students to spend a few days every year at such camps.

(b) The N.C.C. should be brought under the Central Government which should take the responsibility for its proper maintenance, improvement and expansion.

6. Students Welfare.-(a) A properly organised school meals and medical service should be established in all States. Managing Com- mittees should be encouraged to provide facilities to enable students and teachers to grow their own food produce as far as possible.

(b) Each school should have at least one specialist in Physical education and one or more teachers to assist him.

7. Teachers' Welfare.-(a) The teachers possessing the same qualifications and performing the same type of work, should be treated on par in the matter of grades of salary, irrespective of the type of institution in which they are working.

(b) Special committees should be set up to review the scales of pay of teachers of all grades and recommend such scales of pay that will meet in a fair and just manner the varying cost of living.

(d) Teachers wishing to go to health resorts or holiday camps or to attend educational conferences, seminars, etc., should be given travel concession and leave facilities.

(e) In order to attract persons of the right type to the responsible position of the headmaster, the emoluments of the post should be made sufficiently attractive.

8. Training of Teachers.-(a) The Government of India should start a monthly bulletin which should contain suggestions for the improvement of Secondary schools and related matters of interest to Secondary school teachers. The bulletin should be sent to every Secondary school in the country.

(b) There should be a Teachers' Training Board for supervising and laying down the conditions necessary for the proper training of undergraduates and for suggesting, for the consideration of the universities, improvements that may be needed in the training of graduates.

9. Inspection of schools.-In order to evaluate thoroughly the academic side of activities of every school, there should be a panel of experts, with the Inspector as Chairman, to inspect the schools thoroughly once in three or four years.

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10. School Premises and Equipment.-(a) The open spaces available in cities must be conserved to be utilised as playgrounds by groups of schools and the State and Central Governments should prevent through legislation, encroachment on them for industrial or commercial purposes or by housing societies.

(b) In the type, design, furniture and other requirements of schools, research should be carried on to improve efficiency and to adjust them to Indian conditions.

(c) So far as possible, quarters should be provided for teachers in rural as well as urban areas to attract suitable persons to the profession and to facilitate development of a corporate community life in the schools.

(d) The State Governments should assist schools in setting up hostels for Secondary schools in rural areas.

11. Recruitment to Public Service.-The suggestion made by the Commission for lowering the maximum age for recruitment to Public Service and for making the High school examination as the normal qualification for entering into Government service should be examined by every State Government and its practical implications worked out.

12. Special Assistance to Weaker States.-It was agreed that States which are financially weak should be given special assistance in speeding up their programmes of Secondary education.

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APPENDIX

Resolution No. 12 of the Board of Secondary Education Bihar, adopted at its meeting held on the 14th December, 1953

Resolution No. 12

Considered the new rules regarding formation of Managing Com- mittee of High schools. Resolved that the following rules are approved. It was resolved further that these rules should not apply to the Managing Committees of old schools except in cases where the Managing Committees are not working smoothly and in the best interests of the institutions concerned.

1. The Managing Committee of non-Government High schools shall consist of about 11 members, as follows:-

(a) Not more than two donors, viz. persons who might have donated either in cash or kind Rs. 5,000 or more to the school. The donors shall be appointed by rotation in the manner determined by the Inspector of Schools. If only one donor is available, the vacant seat shall be filled by appointing an additional subscriber mentioned in (b). If no donor is available, the second seat shall go to a representative of the guardians mentioned in (c).

(b) Not more than two persons elected from amongst subscribers to the school, viz. persons who have for a period of three years continuously paid not less than Rs. 12 each per annum in cash towards the fund of the school. For the present, however, those who want to enrol themselves as subscribers have to pay Rs. 36 i.e. Rs. 12 for the current year, Rs. 12 in arrears and Rs. 12 in advance. If no subscribers are forthcoming the two seats will remain vacant. Any persons can become a subscriber for ten years by paying an amount of Rs. 100 only.

(c) Not more than two representatives of the guardians of the students of the school, to be selected by the rest of the Managing Committee (the donors, the subscribers, the nominees of the Department, the Headmaster and the teacher's representative) from the list of guardians actually borne on the admission register. (N.B. the Board of Secondary Education was emphatically opposed to any principle of election of the guardians from amongst themselves, which was calculated to vitiate the atmosphere and lead to no end of trouble.)

(d) Not more than three nominees of the President, Board of Secondary Education to be selected on the recommendations of the Headmaster, the District Inspector of Schools and the S.D.O. In these nominations the special representation and needs of Harijans aboriginal and other minority communities shall be kept in view.

(e) Headmaster.

(f) One teachers' representative elected in a manner laid down by the Board.

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2. All those who donate Rs. 10,000 or more to the school fund in cash or property shall be treated as life members of the committee and shall be in addition to the 11 members.

3. The term of the School Managing Committee shall be for three years.

4. The Secretary of the Managing Committee shall be elected from amongst the members of the Managing Committee. All withdrawals from the Bank for the purpose of expenditure or transfer of school funds shall be under the signature jointly of the Secretary and the Headmaster. If the Headmaster is the Secretary, the accounts shall be operated by the Headmaster and the President or a member of the Managing Committee duly nominated by the Managing Committee for the purpose.

5. The election of the Secretary and the appointment of the Head- master of the school shall be subject to the approval of the President, Board of Secondary Education. If the Headmaster is elected as Secretary, he shall not attend the meeting of the Managing Com- mittee for the period that his personal case is under consideration.

6. The President, Board of Secondary Education, shall have powers to remove the Secretary or any member of the Managing Committee of the School after giving him a reasonable opportunity to explain. The vacancies may be filled up by the President, Board of Secondary Education, pending their being filled up in the usual course. All such action taken by the President, Board of Secondary Education, shall be reported to the Board of Secondary Education for approval.

7. The composition of the Managing Committee of subsidised High schools will also be on the same lines.

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ANNEXURE II TO APPENDIX U

NINTH ALL-INDIA NAI-TALIM CONFERENCE, ASSAM, 1953

Resolutions from the Post-Basic and Secondary Education Discus- sion Group:-

1. What is the Secondary stage?-This conference reiterates its considered opinion that the foundation of national education should be an integrated eight-year course of universal Basic education. Education for all the children of the nation at this stage should be on one pattern (Basic education) and should be treated as one unit. No school catering for this age-group should be treated as a Secondary school. The term "secondary Education" should be restricted to the stage which follows after the eight-year course is completed. It should be one integrated course complete in itself, of three or four years with three years as the minimum length.

2. Pattern of Secondary Education.-Education at the Secondary stage should be on the same pattern as at the Basic stage, namely work-centred and given through crafts and activities of economic and educational value. There should be no break between Basic and Secondary education, only development and gradual specialisation on the same principles.

This conference regards the full and whole-hearted implementation of this principle as essential to the success of any scheme for relating Secondary education to fundamental national needs. It notes with regret that recommendations of the Secondary Education Commission, while recognizing the importance of handicrafts and central importance of agriculture, omit any mention either of integ- ration of education through craft, or of the productive and economic aspects of Secondary education.

3. Cost of Secondary Education.-There is a common fear which finds expression in the Prime Minister's message to this conference, that the cost to the nation of Secondary education on the Basic pattern would be quite prohibitive. This fear must be analysed. It appears to rest on the following assumptions:

(a) It is assumed that the top-heavy, centralised management of funds and resources which is now practised must continue. The genius of Nai Talim demands wholesale decentralisation and local village responsibility for managing and financing the schools of the locality.

(b) It ignores the productive capacity of students of this level who have completed a full Basic school course and that the whole course is based on productive crafts and activities.

(c) It ignores the direct savings to the Government in the, fields of health, agricultural extension, building and housing etc., which results from organising all education on the Basic pattern.

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(d) It ignores the indirect savings to the Government of expenditure now incurred in costly education resulting in the production of "unemployables" and in dealing with the unrest and frustration among students and others which are the fruits of the present system.

(e) It ignores the direct gain to the people and the increased revenue to the Government which results from the increase of the productive capacity of the people, through the training in self-reliance and cooperation which Basic education gives.

This conference recognizes that these contentions should be supported by full facts and figures with regard to existing experi- ments in Post-Basic education at the Secondary level. It requests the Hindustani Talimi Sangh to collect the necessary data and place them before the public and the education authorities.

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ANNEXURE III TO APPENDIX U

A NOTE FROM DIRECTOR GENERAL RESETTLEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT (MINISTRY OF LABOUR) ON DIVERSION OF YOUNG PERSONS AT THE PRE-MATRICULATION AND MATRICULATION STAGES FROM CLERICAL AND WHITE COLLAR JOBS TO OTHER TYPES OF WORK.

It has been estimated that about 2,50,000 matriculates, under- graduates and graduates enter the employment market every year, seeking jobs in different fields of work. A large proportion of them are applicants for clerical and allied jobs either-because they have not been trained for other employment or because they prefer white collar" occupations to others.

2. Complete information is not available regarding the total volume of "white collar" jobs that become available in the country every year as against the large number of applicants mentioned above. Statistics of Employment Exchanges show, however, that on an average, 3,000 vacancies for clerks are notified to the Employment Exchanges every month. As against this volume of demand, nearly 30,000 applicants register themselves for these jobs every month. Thus there are about ten applicants for each clerical vacancy. At the end of August 1953, there were over 1,43,800 applicants on the Live Registers of Employment Exchanges for clerical and allied jobs alone.

3. The situation reflected by these figures is bad, and it is likely to get worse unless planned efforts are made to arrest the rush for clerical employment. This is an urgent task because, while the number of educated persons seeking clerical employment increases every year, the number of jobs available for them is not likely to increase proportionately. As a result, the gulf between applicants and the jobs available will tend to become wider and wider.

4. While there is no doubt that employment is not the sole aim of education and that training for citizenship and for cultural pursuits should be given its rightful place, we cannot ignore the employment aspect. A system under which young men passing out from schools and colleges expect and took forward, automatically to office jobs seems to need modification. A possible answer to this problem might be the diversion of young persons at the pre-matriculation and matriculation stages into other fruitful channels. Such diversion should perhaps aim not only at the balanced output of the country's educated manpower but also ensure that individual talents and aptitudes, are the pre-requisite of selection for various types of training in education.

5. A policy directed towards this purpose appears to be urgently called for. The Central Advisory Board of Education may like to give consideration to this question.

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CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Addendum to Item 5 of the Agenda (Appendix C)

"To consider the Report of the Secondary Education Commission"

APPENDIX U-- REPORT OF THE SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMISSION TOGETHER WITH