PROCEEDINGS OF THE EIGHTEENTH
 MEETING
 

At the invitation of the Government of Travancore-Cochin, the Central Advisory Board of Education held their Eighteenth Meeting at Trivandrum on January 12th and 13th, 1951. The Standing. Committees of the Board met on January 12th and the Board in full session on January 13th, 1951.

2. In the absence of the Chairman, Hon'ble Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Minister for Education, Government of India, Hon'ble Shri B.G. Kher, Chief Minister of Bombay, presided.

3. The following members were present

1. Hon'ble Shri B. G. Kher, Acting Chairman.

EX-OFFICIO.

2. Dr. Tara Chand,

Educational Adviser to the Government of India.

NOMINATED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

3. Mrs Zarina Currimbhoy.

4. Smt. Hannah Sen.

5. Shri E. W. Aryanayakam.

6. Mr. Justice Teja Singh.

7. Major-General K. S. Thimayya.

8. Dr. Amaranatha Jha.

9. Pandit Sundar Lal.

10. Smt. Hansa Mehta.

11. Prof. M. S. Thacker.

ELECTED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF INDIA.

12. Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

13. Shri M . Satyanarayana.

NOMINATED BY THE INTER-UNIVERSITY BOARD.

14. Prof. N. K. Sidhanta.

NOMINATED BY THE ALL-INDIA COUNCIL FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

15. Dr. P. S. Deshmukh.

16. Dr. S. R. Sengupta.

REPRESENTATIVES OF STATES.

Assam.

17. Shri Mohendra Mohan Choudhury,

Parliamentary Secretary for Education.

Adviser

Shri Umakanta, Goswami Director of Public Instruction.

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Bihar

18. Shri J. C. Mathur, Secretary, Education Department.

Adviser :

Shri Gorakhnath Sinha, Director of Public Instruction.

Bombay.

19. Hon'ble Shri B. G. Kher, Chief Minister and Minister for Education.

Adviser:

Shri D. C. Pavate, Director of Public Instruction.

Hyderabad.

20. Hon'ble Shri B. Ramkrishna Rao, Education Minister.

Adviser :

Shri T. Suryanarayana, Director of Public Instruction

Madhya Bharat.

21. Hon'ble Shri M. S. Mehta, Education Minister.

Adviser :

1. Shri P. C. Gupta, Deputy Secretary,

2. Shri B. N. Jha, Director of Education.

Madhya Pradesh.

22. Dr. V. S. Jha, Secretary, Education Department.

Adviser :

Mr. E. W. Franklin, Director of Public Instruction.

Madras.

23. Hon'ble Shri K. Madhava Menon, Education Minister.

Advisers :

1. Shri K. M. Unnithan, Secretary, Education Department.

2. Shri D. S. Reddy, Director of Public Instruction.

Mysore.

24. Shri K. Guru Dutt, Director of Public Instruction.

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Orissa.

25. Hon'ble Shri Lingaraj Misra, Education Minister.

Adviser:

Shri M. C. Pradhan, Director of Public Instruction.

PEPSU

26. Hon'ble Sardar Gian Singh Rarewala, Chief Minister.

Punjab.

27. Hon'ble Sardar Narotam Singh, Education Minister.

Adviser :

Dr. K. C. Khanna, Director of Public Instruction. & Seretary, Education Department.

Saurashtra.

28. Hon'ble Shri G. B. Kotak. Education Minister.

Adviser :

Dr. R. K. Yajnik, Director of Education.

Travancore-Cochin.

29. Hon'ble Shri P. Govinda Menon, Educatiion Minister.

Adviser :

Shri V. Sundararaja Naidu, Director of Public Instruction.

West Bengal.

30. Shri A. K. Chanda, Officer on Special Duty.

Adviser:

Dr. Parimal Roy, Director of Public Instruction.

Secretary

31. Syed Ashfaq Husain, Deputy Educational Adviser to the Government India, Ministry of Education.

4. The following members were -unable to attend:-

1. Hon'ble Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, (Chairman).

2. Education Minister, Jammu & Kashmir.

3. Education Minister, Rajasthan.

4. Education Minister Uttar Pradesh.

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5. Shri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar, M.P.

6. Shri Rohini Kumar Choudhury, M.P.

7. Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra, M.P.

8. Dr. Zakir Husain.

9. Dr. Mata Prasad.

10. Smt. Ammu. Swaminadhan.

11. Mr. Humayun Kabir.

12. Mr. K. Zachariah.

13. Dr. H. J. Bhabha

14. Dr. A. L. Mudaliar.

5. The Hon'ble Shri P. Govinda Menon, Minister for Education. Travancore-Cochin welcoming the members of the Board said:-

MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF EDUCATION

I have great pleasure to welcome you all to this ancient city and capital of Travancore-Cochin, Most of you come from distant parts of our large motherland and having travelled long distances must be in need of some rest and peace. This city, I hope, will give you the needed atmosphere to restore you to your normal health and Mental peace. Kerala has always been a place of some attraction to visitors from all parts. Situated on the gentle slopes of the Western Ghats and lashed by the waves of the Arabian Sea, Trivandrum has many attractive features of appearance, artistic grace and climatic comforts to keep inviting visitors. Besides, to provide variety there are various places in and around this charming city which have import- ances of their own. The lands-end of India, Cape Comorin, is close by Sucheendram, a temple of grace and fame, is still. closer by; Padma- nabhapuram and Udaya Giri associated with the adventures of European Sailors of the 16th century are in proximity-Kelady the. birth place of Sankara Acharia, is nit -far off. The -natural harbour of Cochin is hardly 130 miles away. The high ranges with their graceful hills and dales, and rivers and rivulets, and health resorts, are a rich pasture of even the most fastidious of tourists. The game sanctuary at Edapalyam is a treat indeed even to the torpid. You are welcome to the repast. I know that you are not here to rest or to enjoy. Work and sacrifice are the lot of patriotic Indians of the day, and I realise well the put-pose for which you have travelled this long distance and assembled in this city, But there are, places where the pressure of work will be lightened by the pleasure of the atmosphere, and you will presently find that the tasks that face you will sit very lightly on you during the days of your sojourn in the place because of the natural pleasantness of the environment.

It is in the fitness of things that this distinguised gathering should be assembled in this capital of Travancore-Cochin. Delhi, the capital of India, is far away from here. India is a continent and these outlying parts are only like specks, when day to day activities of Our

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country are taken into consideration. Loyalty, love and respect function properly only in known circles, and it is the duty. of those in the front rank of our country to keep themselves in touch with even the remotest, by constant contacts and consultations.

There are also matters of pure educational interest which call the gathering to this place. Travancore-Cochin is in the front rank of States in the Educational activities of our motherland. The State has a population of over 75 lakhs, and 15 lakhs of these are school- going children. Within the 5-10 age range about 70 per cent. of the children attend schools. There is an efficient system here for the education of these children. There is over another quarter of a lakh of youth, receiving instruction in the colleges. There are 29 colleges, about 500 high schools with middle schools attached, about 700 middle schools without the high schools, about 4000 primary schools and about 120 special schools meeting different interests in this small State of Travancore-Cochin. The special schools are for communities variously handicapped like Certain sections of the Brahmins, the Muslims, the Backward Classes, and the physically and mentally handicapped. The school to give training in the basic system, schools for Sanskrit and schools for training teachers also Come under this, category.

We are spending about two crores and sixty-five lakhs of rupees besides the grant to the University of Travancore, on Education.

It is indeed a privilege to meet you all, such distinguished practical men who are at grips with the actual problems of the day. We are ourselves at the grips with several of them. It is a help and a prop to have bore other minds at- grips with similar problems.

One of the major problems we have taken up for tackling in the State is the problem of the " Private School Teachers ". Private schools in this region have a long and glorious history of service behind them- Recently a rush for quantity at the risk of quality has taken place, and the country has been covered with a number of institutions which have created problems difficult of solution. These are further complicated by the present economic situation in the country. When money had greater value than today and when people could have lived on small income. it was not difficult for the teachers to get on with the incomes they were receiving. But that Position has changed. The growth of the schools has increased the number of teachers in the profession, and the number of families dependent on the profession,has also increased consequently. Their problem has now become the problem of major section of the population of the country. It could therefore be put Off no longer. The Government examined the question from the Various sides, and prepared a scheme in consultation with all interested in the matter. The scheme requires private managements to remit 80 per sent of the fee collection of their schools into the Treasury towards the salary of teachers. The remaining 20 per cent. is left with the managements for contingent expenses. The teachers are given a satisfactory scale of pay uniformly in all the institutions and a Provident Fund benefit. The teacher is to receive his pay from the managements,

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who, in their turn, have to draw the same from the Treasury by means of bills countersigned by the Inspector, under whom the schools function. The money required to pay the teachers over and above the 80 per cent. of the fee collections will be met by the Government. This amount will be about 30 lakhs a year. To stabilise the appointment and recruitment of duly qualified teachers, it was also announced that the Director of Public Instruction and the Public Service Com mission would annually call for applications, select qualified hands and publish a list of all eligible persons from which the managements will choose and appoint their teachers. The scheme was well meant and well thought out. Over 500 schools, have already come into the scheme and it is hoped that the remaining would soon follow.

Another scheme we have taken in hand is the introduction of the Basic System of Education in the State. There are already a few basic schools. They are private institutions and none of them has enough number on its staff. We have, therefore, started a school for training teachers for the basic schools. The Headmaster and teachers of this school are trained at Sevagram, and we expect to open a number of Basic Schools as qualified teachers come out of this institution.

Social Education has been taken up in all earnestness. In these days of adult franchise, the problem has become one of pressing necessity. The printed word is the main method of enlightened con- tact. Platform, radio, film etc., are all means, but they are tempo- rary means and no lasting, contact can be established by them. Present-day Governments I've on the voice of the people. All sorts and conditions are, making their demands on this voice, and no live Government can afford to ignore this voice. The word and the printed and readable word at that. should be the instrument that keep,,, a people and their Government in contact. We are starting very soon a Research, Demonstration and Training Centre, and teacher, trained in the technique of imparting instruction to adults, will soon come, out of this institution fitted to take up this task. We have further been able to establish a net work of libraries and night schools all over the State.

A scheme of compulsory education is well on the move. Our idea is to make the scheme State-wide within ten years. This scheme is now working in nine taluks in the State, and its further extension is being held up for want of funds. Preliminary statistics are being collected in the two taluks of Chittoor and Shencotta and it is hoped that the, scheme will be extended there in the coming year.

A large problem facing us is the provision of noon meals at least for the poor school-going children. In Cochin area a very successful scheme is under work, and the Poor school children are being given their free mid-meal. In the Travancore area, in seven out of nine taluks under compulsory system, free noon meals to the necessitous are being supplied. The problem. however, is large, and is perhaps the largest Problem that faces the scheme of introduction of compulsory education.

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It is our aim to see that in due course every boy and girl receives education up to the age of 11. We have already taken a step in this direction by making the rate of fee in the middle school exceedingly low.

We have a scheme for the education of the Backward Classes in the State. It is happily progressing and we expect very measurable fruits from our endeavour in this line in the near future.

The State is keenly conscious of the importance of technical education and we shall very soon be having a Central Polytechnic.

In the field of University Education we have taken long strides. The University College, Trivandrum and the Maharaja's College, Ernakulam are just two of our larger institutions offering instruction in a variety of subjects and. coaching students for the higher degrees. The Central Research Institute of the University is doing very useful work. We have an efficiently run Engineering College in Trivandrum, and we hope to start a Medical College early next year.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have perhaps, tried your patience by giving a catalogue of our efforts, hopes, and fears.

In the wake of the attainment of freedom has come the demand and need for a truly national system of education. With the fervent hope that your deliberations here will take us a long way towards this goal, let me once again accord to you a hearty welcome.

6. His Highness the Rajpramukh of Travancore-Cochin inaugurated the session of the Board. He said :-

MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

It is a matter of sincere gratification to me to inaugurate this Session of the Central Advisory Board of Education which is being held in Trivandrum. From the point of view of education, this State must have its attractions to educationists from all over India on account of the very high degree of literacy of the Population of this State- perhaps the highest in India.

We are now at a turning point in the progress of education in our country and educationists had been for some years feeling the need for the re-orientation of the system of education, and as far as University Education is concerned, the " Radhakrishnan Committee " has, been able to formulate definite proposals. I find that at the last meeting of the Board, this report was considered in detail and the Board substantially accepted the Committee's far-reaching recom- mendations. Now that the recommendations of the Committee have been accepted, let us hope that they will immediately be implemented and we will be able to achieve the results envisaged therein very soon.

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I am glad to see that all other aspects of education are also "being rightly brought under the review of the Board ; for instance, the -system of Basic Education, which to a great extent we owe to Gandhiji, is being pushed forward with renewed vigour. I also find that recently a large number of great National Laboratories have been organised in different parts of the country for research on scientific, lines and that Higher and Lower Technical institutions are also being set up. But if I might say so, definite and substantial benefits and steady progress in any field of useful activity can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. At the game time, I have no doubt that care will be taken. to prevent the likely dangers of quick expansion and overlapping and that waste of money and energy will be prevented by proper planning effected as a result of free exchange of ideas.