APPENDIX A (a)- (i)
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN BASIC
 (PRIMARY AND MIDDLE EDUCATION)
 1946-47.
 

In accordance with the decision of the Board, the latest information received from Provincial Governments, Local Administrations and Indian States on developments in Basic Education is summarised below :-

A. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS

Assam

Ten men teachers were sent to the Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi for training. Five women were sent to Sevagram. Construction of training schools which had been delayed for want of building material is now progressing satisfactorily. Pro. posals for the 4th Assam Valley training school have been formulated. The location of senior and junior Basic Schools mainly in the neighbourhood of training schools is under construction,

Bombay

The Scheme of Basic Education continued to work during 1946-47 according to the programme chalked out in 1946. The revised syllabus for basic schools was introduced in Standard VII of 1st Grade Basic Schools. T number of Basic Schools rose from 51 to 56 on account of the re-opening of Basic Schools in Surat Compact Area which had been closed some time ba on account of meagre attendance. Out of 56 Basic schools in the Provin 27 are fully developed first grade Basic schools, of which 21 have, weavise and 6 have Agriculture as the Basic craft. The lower classes i.e., Standarn to IV have Spinning as well as Kitchen Gardening as crafts to enabled schools to develop into Weaving or Agricultural basic schools in due courth of the 21 Weaving schools, 3 are wool-weaving and 18 are cotton-weavise schools. Pupils in the wool-weaving schools turn out useful articles such an blankets, carpets, scarves, etc., which are marketable and fetch good pricesg Those in cotton weaving schools make towels, tapes and cloth out of double twisted yarn.

The revised syllabus for Basic schools has also boon introduced in al Agricultural bias " schools, numbering 154. These schools have agriculture as the main craft in the upper classes, but the subject is being treated at present rather as an independent Subject than as a medium of instruction for teaching other subjects as contemplated in Basic schools. These schools will be transformed into regular Basic schools as Basic trained teachers become gradually available.

Children in Basic schools continued those activities which have come to form a distinctive feature of their education the celebration of festivals, the observation of a Health day, a Library day, a Physical Education day and the entertainment of the villagers with recitations, dialogues and exhibitions They have also been trying to render social service to the community at the time of fairs and epidemics and have taken part in the Grow-More-Food Campaign, the community work and the village Safai programme. To prepare the ground for the introduction of Basic Education on a, mass scale, Government have decided to provide the teaching of crafts in as many existing primary schools as possible. The following crafts have been approved for introduction in Primary schools for the time being:-

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(a) Kitchen gardening leading to Agriculture in higher classes.

(b) Spinning leading to Weaving in higher classes.

(c) Paper and Cardboard modelling leading to Woodwork in higher classes.

These crafts are to be introduced in 1947-48 in Standard III and V of selected schools and are later to be gradually extended to all standards within the next three years. To prepare teachers for Spinning and Weaving, short training courses (each lasting for 3 1/2 months) have been organised in almost all the districts of the Province, and nearly 1700 teachers have so far taken advantage of these courses. Similar training courses in Agriculture, covering a period of one year have been started at three Agricultural High Schools (Satara, Jalgaon and Rajapur) in addition to those conducted by the Department of Agriculture. Likewise, a training course of one year's duration has been organised at Rajapur, for the training of primary teachers in Woodwork. It is also proposed to organise with the co-operation of the Department of Industries, another course in wood-work at a suitable centre in the Poona, district, for the training of about 300 teachers coming from different linguistic areas of the Province.

Arrangements are also being made for training primary teachers of all the districts in Paper and Card board work in a short-term course of about 3 months to be conducted with the help of teachers specially trained at Jamia Millia, Delhi in this craft. The teachers trained at these courses will go to primary schools and introduce Cardboard modelling as a craft in the lower classes.

In this way, it is expected that a fairly large number of teachers trained in different crafts will be available who will not only make the ordinary schools more " active " and progressive but also facilitate the successful introduction of Basic education.

As a first step towards the conversion of existing primary training intitutions, into Basic Training Colleges, training in crafts and " community work " has been introduced in them. But the next problem is to find suitably trained teachers for staffing Basic Training Colleges and for this purpose a Basic Training College for graduates has been started at Bolgaum this year where 36 teachers are under training. On their return they will be posted in the ordinary training colleges which will then train primary teachers on Basic lines. It is proposed to convert all the existing Government Primary Training institutions into Basic Training institutions during the course of next two or three years.

Fight short term Courses in Basic Education for the benefit of Assistant Deputy Educational Inspectors and teachers in private and Government Training Institutions were held during the year. Each course was of 5 week's duration and the programme included the following subjects

1. Fundamentals of Basic Education.

2. Method of teaching through craft or activity.

3. Discussion of Activity Programmes.

4. Equipment and Organisation of Basic Schools

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Training was also given in spinning and cardboard modelling. 250 teachers took advantage of these courses. A special two weeks' course was organised for the benefit of the Principals of Training institutions to enable them to discuss their course problems and draw up plans of future work and development.

Government have deputed 8 Graduate teachers from this Province for training in Basic Education at Sewagram this year. Similarly, two Urdu knowing teachers have boon deputed to Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, for complete training in Basic Education for a period of 2 years.

Government have also sanctioned the deputation of 50 primary teachers (who have some knowledge of spinning or have gone through Basic training) to Sewagram for a year's training in craft work. These teachers, after completing their training will be available for appointment either as Craft organisers in Districts or as Craft instructors in Training Institutions.

BOARD OF BASIC EDUCATION

The Board of Basic Education has boon reconstituted from 1st January 1947. Since the appointment of the new Board, it has discussed several important issues and made recommendations to Government in connection with the syllabus for the Graduates' Training Centre at Belgaum, the Syllabus for Basic Schools, the Syllabus of Short Term course in Weaving for primary school teachers, the basis of grant-in-aid to Private Agencies conducting Basic institutions, and disposal of finished articles and form produce from Basic schools etc.

C. P and Berar

Basic and national education through and based on crafts has been accepted in principle by the Government and it is the policy of the Government to introduce Basic education in all Primary and Indian, Middle Schools in the province gradually,

2. Accordingly the Provincial Government have a scheme of opening of 92 Senior Basic Schools one in each tahsil in the Province- and to develop them into model demonstration centres for other primary and Indian Middle Schools in their respective tahsils. So far i.e., during 1946-47 and 1947-48, 75 Indian Middle and Primary Schools have accordingly been taken over under Government control from local bodies, for conversion into Model Senior Basic and the remaining are in the process of being taken over. While the question of introducing Basic Education in its completeness in all these schools is engaging attention of the Department, spinning has already boon introduced in those schools as a craft.

3. Any scheme, if it has to be a success, presupposes adequately skilled personnel for its implementation. Our Basic Schools are at present very short of Basic trained teachers due to the lack of facilities for training in the art of Basic education. So as to able to cope up with this demand of Basic trained personnel, it has boon decided with the concurrence of the Board of Basic Education, which has been recently constituted to advise Government in the implementation of their declared policy of introducing Basic education in all Primary and Indian Middle Schools, to convert the two Normal Schools

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with immediate effect. Short refresher courses in Basic Education are also proposed to be started to meet the immediate demand and to give some working knowledge of Basic education to the present teaching staff of the Basic Schools and to the Inspecting and Administrative staff.

4. The Board of Basic Education has recommended the adoption of Basic Syllabus prepared by the Hindustani Talimi Sangh, Sevagram, Wardha, for the Basic Schools started by Government,

Madras

At present 27 Basic schools and eight Basic training schools are functioning in this Province. Of the eight Basic training schools five are under Government Management and three under private management. About 320 men and women teachers are getting trained under these institutions. Further Officers are also deputed to Wardha for training in the principles of Basic Education. With the help of these teachers trained in Basic education, Basic schools will be opened on a large scale in 1948-49. In 1948-49 seven ordinary training schools will also be converted Into Basic training schools.

CENTRALLY ADMINISTERED AREAS

Ajmer-Merwara

No regular experiment has so far been tried on Basic Education in Schools in Ajmer-Merwara as the schemes for this education submitted In connection with the Post-War Educational Development have not yet been sanctioned by Government. No now development in Adult Education has been made during the year.

Coorg

The Basic system of education has not been introduced in Coorg.

C. INDIAN STATES

Cochin

Basic Education : There are no Basic schools at present in the State. One such school was opened at Ambalapuram in 1121, but its working was found not effective and the school was, therefore, not recognised. The fact is that there are no properly trained men to Impart instructions on the model of Basic schools. Proposals to got a few men trained in the Basic schools at Sevagram are under consideration.

Primary Education: The revised scheme of Primary Education running a course of 5 years was extended to class 2 during the year and it will be introduced in the remaining classes year after year thus completing the scheme.

The compulsory Education Bill was passed by the Legislative Council and its introduction is under consideration.

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The number of Primary Schools at the close of the year under report stood at 507 against 510 in the previous year. Of the 507 schools 376 were under private management and 131 tinder Government management. The total enrolment of the Primary Classes of all schools together was 1,85,656.

Women's Education has been making phenomena progress in this State! thanks to the generous policy of Government. The percentage of girls in the educational institutions of the State works out to 65% of the school-going population as per statistios collected in 1,121 M. E. (1945-46). Thus literacy among women is definitely much higher in Cochin than in other parts of India.

Jaipur

The experiment in Basic education, which was tried in 10 primary,schools a few years back, did not succeed. The reason was that the teachers who were got trained in Basic technique at the Basic Training Centre, Agra, did not posses sufficiently high academic qualifications and their training also was of a very short duration Government have now arranged for the training of six of our trained and experienced graduate teachers at the Jamia Millia, Delhi, during the session 1948-49. These teachers will be under training for one session and when they come back they will be able to train teachers for primary schools locally in the training institution of the State whose number is 4 at Present.

Mysore

The principles of Basic Education of the Wardha, type have been accepted for adoption find a training centre for teachers has been started. It is located at Huttanahalli where adequate land, buildings, etc. are avilable. The vacant land adjoining can easily be used for vegetable and fruit gardening and agriculture farming. The course extends over a period of 8 months for the first batch of ex- perienced teachers who have already had three years' training in the general principles and methods of education. Intensive training is given in Spinning, weaving and gardening as well as in the ideology of Basic Education and Child Psychology; There is also a practising school. The curriculum for Basic training follows closely the Wardha Scheme.

It is proposed to have three years' training course and to take 80 pupils each car.

Travancore

Cumpulsory Primary Education which was inaugurated in 1946-47, has been roduced now in seven out of the thirty Taluqs of the State and it is proposed to extend the scheme to three more taluqas next year i.e. 1948-49. The strength of the Primary classes has risen by 50% due to the introduction of the Primary Education Act. A sum of Rs. 10,50,000 was budgetted under Post-War re-construction last year (1946-47) for implementing the scheme in the five Taluqas and nearly ten lakhs was actually spent.

Midday meals to poor children and medical inspection as contemplated in the primary Education Act have also been introduced in two Taluqas and the Capital City.

The shift system has been introduced in all Departmental Primary school in the State. There, are in all 3209 Primary schools in the State.

N.B.-Information received up to 13th May, 1948 has been included in this memorandum.

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