APPENDIX F- ENCOURAGING PRIVATE STUDIES AMONG WOMEN AND THE AFFILIATION OF OUTSIDE NON-OFFICIAL INSTITUTIONS TO THE CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES.
Shrimati G. Durga Bai, Secretary, Andhra Mahila Sabha Trust Board has suggested that special facilities should be provided for the education of women in India and has sent a note on the subject by Mr. Arthur E. Morgan of T. V. A., U. S. A. a member of the University Education Commission (Annexure I).
In the special circumstances of India Shrimati Durga Bai has suggested that private study at home or in coaching institutions should be recognised in so far as the women candidates are concerned. She has also suggested that such institutions should be allowed to send up women candidates for the University examinations. The views of the Central Advisory Board of Education are invited on the suggestions.
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ANNEXURE I
ANDHRA MAHILA SABHA TRUST BOARD Mylapore, Madras-4
Comments on the possibilities of home-study by Arthur E. Morgan, December 29, 1948.
During the visit of the University Commission to the Andhra Mahila Sabha (a women's institute at Madras) the following suggestions were made to the commission:--
"Incentive to women's education may also be given by allowing them to appear privately for the various University Examinations. Arts courses may be studied at home with a little assistance, and women Who cannot afford to pay the fees, or stay in a hostel far away from their home for want of a college in their own place, will be benefited by such a concession. This provision will also be indirectly solving the economic problem for the Government since they need not open new Arts colleges to satisfy the needs of the increasing number of applicants.
This provision will enable a large number of women who, due to existing social and economic conditions, cannot pursue their study in a continuous stretch, but are enthusiastic enough to qualify themselves, in various fields even after long breaks in their education.
This provision will enable a married woman to attend to her domestic duties and employ her leisure to accomplish herself and acquire qualification which may put her on a better economic basis.
Encouraging private study in the present conditions of poverty of the individual as well as of the State, in subjects which do not demand practical training, will bring University education within reach of all."
At one of the hearings at Madras University also, the need was stated of making studies for degrees available to persons who could not attend college, especially to widows. The following remarks about non-resident education were suggested by those comments. I shall discuss not only study for degrees but individual and small group study in general.
Correspondence courses are feasible for persons who cannot attend college or university. Some first class universities in America such as Chicago University, allow a large part of the work for a degree to be done in that way. The armed forces institute of the United States Army by means of correspondence courses, carried opportunity for a wide range of studies to all parts of the world for its soldiers.
Correspondence courses can help group study. Sometimes a person studying alone becomes discouraged. Where from two or three to ten or fifteen can meet for study and discussion, such occasions may be both pleasant and educationally profitable. Where such groups meet together or boxes of books relating to the subject being studied may be sent to them which they can read and passed around among themselves. In one correspondence course which I conducted it aras customary for students to do their work alone; but to meet once a week to read their papers to each other, and to discuss the criticisms of the papers that had been ri read at head quarters and returned to them with written comments.
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The Ohio Farm Bureau, a private cooperative organization provides study materials to about 1500 study groups in Ohio. Each of these groups is made up of about ten families. At regular intervals such a group of about twenty people in addition to their children, gather at the close of a day. After a period of recreation they eat-the evening meal together, each family having brought some food. Then follows an evening of discussion of the subject of study for that period, these groups have developed strong bonds of friendship. Often the subjects of discussion deal with practical matters such an improvement of school or the health of the community, or the development of co- operatives. Sometimes they deal with international relations, national policies, or problems of economics.
In Canada there are several such programmes for home or community study. One of the best of those is the Lift, Training Institute of Since country, Ontario, with headquarters at Barrie Ontario. More than fifty active study groups, each made up of husbands and wives of about ten families, meet once each week in this country of about 50,000 population.
Many of these groups study problems of their own neighbourhood, in education, health and nutrition, food preservation, agricultural improvement, recreation, music, crafts etc. There is also study of national issues international relations, and of ethical and social problems. Frequently there are monthly meetings at which .several of these groups unite, bringing in outside speakers or speakers from among themselves. Once a year there is a ten day meeting for all the groups of the entire country. Usually about one representative from each group is present. The meeting is not in a town or city but in the open country. The days are divided between talks, discussions, singing, worship and recreation. For five years past I and my assistants have led this annual conference and have been encouraged by the steady increase of interest.
One neighbourhood of very poor people in this country had ten such study groups. Among other subjects they studied improvement of their economic condition, especially the raising of potatoes. The result has been that the income of that community of about a thousand persons is now about four timer, as great as it was ten years ago. A small central organisation of these 50 or 75 study groups in Sincoe country maintains a general Director, a recreation Director, four travelling nurses and a travelling librarian.
The growth of cultural interest, of neighbourliness and social consciousness and of economic well being has been marked. Some vigorous and successful cooperatives have developed. A stronger religious and ethical sense has appeared. With a fading of communal stresses, which are great in some parts of Canada even threatening the unity of the country.
Community Service Inc. of which I am President, an organization with headquarters at Yellow Springs, Ohio, to encourage village development has offered a correspondence course. A small charge is made for a syllabus and text book. If criticism of the papers written by students is desired a considerably greater charge is made. Usually about an hour is spent in reading and commenting in writing on each paper submitted. Where a student has spent several weeks or months in preparing a paper, which may be like a short thesis submitted for a graduate degree, several hours may be spent by the reader in reading and commenting on the paper. I have personally more than a hundred such papers in recent years ; and have found some of them to represent good scholarship. Occasionally this course is taken by persons with M. S. or M. A. degrees, who wish to become informed on the subject.
As reference reading for such courses, boxes of books are sent if they are wanted. These are paid for in advance. If they are returned in good order, up to 75 per cent. of this 'cost, less carrying charges is refunded. Sometimes individuals purchase these boxes, and sometimes groups of students do so. Such groups sometimes meet once each week to discuss the papers. and the comments by the reader.
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In some cases arrangements have been made with a college or university for students to be given credit towards a B. A. or B. S. degree for their work in these courses. In such case the college or university involved must be satisfied with the quality of the work done, and make a charge for registering the student.
In America there are many private correspondence schools which offer a very wide variety of subjects. Many of them advertise widely. Some private correspondence schools render excellent service, but some of the largest are profit minded land are said to make most of their profit from students who pay the fees and then fail to complete the work.
Some correspondence schools are on the high school or Intermediate level. The state of North Dakota in the U. S. A. has great areas with less than 15" annual rainfall, where population is sparse. Many isolated families are out of reach of any schools. The Government of North Dakota maintains a high schools course by Correspondence for such boys and girls which, I believe, is quite successful. It was not started by the State Educational system but by an individual. It so proved its worth that the state adopted it leaving it free and independent of the State School System, except as to credit for work done.
The cases described above may be of interest in considering home study programme in India. In many Indian villages and towns there may be few persons who are eager for education but who do not have money to pay for residence at an intermediate school or college. Until the Government has funds to take schools to such persons, or to bring them to schools, education by correspondence may be desirable for individuals or for small groups.
If the Government has little money such a programme might be placed on a nearly self sustaining basis by requiring the courses to be paid for at cost. A small initial grant might be necessary to get the programme started, to employ a Director, and to provide syllabus and text books, When the worth of the project has been proved, the Government could take large interest.
Non-governmental organizations such as Talimi Sangh might initiate and direct such a programme. Several courses of study might be outlined and quite detailed syllabi prepared. In expensive text books might be prepared for some courses, and boxes of reference books might be loaned. Where feasible, study groups might be formed because of the greater interest created where a group can discuss and criti- cise the members work and because of economy in sending materials.
In courses of study by correspondence, as in all Indian education there should be less interest in academic degrees and more in the subjects themselves. The Government must help in this. Appointment to the public service should not depend upon the possession of degrees, but on the actual possession of competence.
Even elementary education could be given by correspondence where there is some literate friend to guide. The calvent school of Baltimore in U. S. A. has long had been a good reputation for helping isolated mothers to educate their children at home.
Even basic education may be aided by correspondence. I know of a correspondence school that has been successful in teaching metal mechanics and wood working by nail.
In case the Government or some such organization as Talimi Sangh should be interested, a collection of American material on the subject could be made.
Study groups may be successful even where there is no supervision. The social awakening of Sweden has been ascribed to the organization of temperance societies throughout the nation a century ago. These extended raise the general cultural level.
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In Czechoslovakia a century ago there was a village named Samy, of very poor farmers living on rented farms of four or five acres. They formed a study group, and for ten years studied their problems without any apparent success. They then organized a small loan society and helped their members one after another to pay their debts and buy their small farms. They then organized cooperatives. When electric power became feasible they electrified their village. In the course of time the village became prosperous, beginning with study group, and all over that region other villages began to initiate it.
If personal reference may be pardoned, I shall outline a course of study which took a different direction than any of these described, and which I think is worth consideration. In my private study of Engineering many years ago I did not use the services of a correspondence school. One reason was the cost of such a course; also the text books supplied by correspondence schools in any subject were seldom the best treatment of the subject, and might be ten or fifteen years old. I preferred to buy the best books available in any given field. I could find what they were by noting which were mentioned in the published curricula of several good engineering schools. Finally the correspondence courses offered were as standardized as in any engineering school, and I wanted to make a curriculum for my own needs.
At that time civil engineering courses required the student to study too many applied subjects, such as highway engineering, roofs and bridges, railroad engineering, etc. Not enough time was given to fundamental science, and also not enough time was given to any one special field to make the student competent in it. I spent much time on the fundamental sciences, and then omitted all applied courses except one in which I tried to become thoroughly proficient. That subject was river control, and the reclamation of wet land. Much of this study was done while I was carrying through small and simple projects in that field. Thus I was in effect applying the principles of Gandhiji's basic education at the university level.
A university engineering course would have given me almost nothing but engineering. I observed that projects often failed, not because of poor engineering but because no lawyer who was available happened to have any experience or special skill in that particular specialized subject. Similar difficulties appeared in the fields of financing, administrative, organization and elsewhere. My aim was not just to make good plans, but to get the projects well planned, well built, and paid for.
Therefore I undertook a study of the laws of waters and of court decisions under them. For years I spent as much time studying law as methods, especially a method common in America of a sort of co- operative financing, money being borrowed, with the lands concerned as security for the loan. In this way many projects were completed without Government grant or subsidy. Of course I never acted as lawyer, but able to advise in that one small, highly specialised field.
Thus it was possible to assemble the various subjects which for my particular purpose would constitute well balanced preparation. To- day university schools of engineering are moving in that direction. My course was not thought through as clearly as appears here. Rather I stumbled into it step by step.
That this process of study was not wholly inefficient is implied by the fact that after a competitive examination covering the entire United States I was one of four to receive appointments as " Supervising engineer " to have charge of staffs of engineers in the field of river control and reclamation of wet lands. In my case I combined with professional study reading in literature, science, philosophy and sociology. I had seen too many men who were engineers only.
In the freedom of opportunity then existing in America this course was possible. But would it be generally possible to-day in India ? Would a person in my position be allowed to take an examination for such an appointment, if he did not have
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an M. S. or a D. Sc. degree. If he should ask to be examined for a degree would, he be refused opportunity because he had not gone through the regular process. of examinations and courses ? If Almost the highest professional honour that can be paid to an American Civil Engineer is to be chosen as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Such election is always for distinguished achievement, and is for one year. About 30 years ago I made a study of all the living ex-presidents and found that less than a quarter of them had any formal education beyond. high schools. The rest educated themselves while at work, somewhat after the basic education pattern.
It may be said that such cases are too few to be troubled about. Yet the Government and the University Commission are considering large schemes to make free research possible to able men. It is probable that masters like Raman or Saha or Mahalanobis will not be very numerous. The programme of research will be justified largely by the more modes achievement of many men. The same, may be the results of the course I suggest. Such a programme of freedom of opportunity does not call for great appropriations, but chiefly for the removal of obsolete barriers and encumberances from the educational system. In view of the passion for education which seems to exist among some Indians, and the limited funds available for education, should not such obstacles be removed ?