APPENDIX C(I)-- DEVELOPMENTS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
The Central Advisory Board of Education has since 1938 endeavoured to collect all the information regarding progress in Primary Education in the country, and at every successive meeting of the Board, reports received from the Provincial Governments, etc., have been submitted to the Board.
At their sixth meeting held in January 1941, the Board desired that detailed reports with regard to Primary (including Basic and Adult) Education schemes should he examined and commented upon by the appropriate Standing Committee of the Board. This was done at the last meeting of the Board held in January 1942.
The information received in respect of primary education during the current year (1941-42) is summarised below.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS. Assam (1940-41).-There has been no change of any importance in the existing curriculum but there is a steady increase in the number of schools in the province. For example, during 1939-41, the number of primary schools increased by 423 and their enrolment by 20,302.
Bengal.-No developments reported.
Bihar The number of primary schools for Indian boys rose from 19,873 to 19,992 but that of their pupils fell from 649,120 to 835,926. The direct expenditure rose from Rs. 48,91,026 to Rs. 49,61,351. The total annual grant for primary education placed at the disposal of the local bodies in the year 1941-42 was Rs. 31,88,196 as against Rs. 30,04,935 in 1940-41. Of this Rs. 28,40,445 was for rural areas and Rs. 3,47,751 for urban areas. The special grant sanctioned for opening 100 Urdu primary schools in the district of Santal Parganas was continued and the -grant given in the previous year for opening separate schools for the education of 'scheduled castes' was also continued. Out of the grant given to urban areas Rs. 1,92,085 was for ordinary grants for municipalities and Rs. 1,54,766 for free and compulsory primary education. A special emergency grant of Rs. 34,500 was made as in 1940-41, to the Belgian Roman Catholic Mission towards the maintenance of its primary school owing to financial difficulties caused by the War.
The number of single-teacher primary schools for boys rose from 12,220 to 12,337 but their enrolment fell from 3,51,841 to 3,46,418. The number of such schools for girls also rote by 20 to 1,797 and of their pupils by 1,066 to 44,014. The increase in the number of these schools was mainly due to the opening of single teacher schools especially for backward tribes, 'scheduled castes' and Muslims in the Santal Parganas.
The percentage distribution of boys in the various classes of primary schools was 34.0 per cent. in Infants, 21.7 per cent. in Class I, 18.18 per cent. in Class II, 15.01 per dent, in Class III, 6.47 per cent. in Class IV and 4.64 per cent. in Class V; these percentages for primary classes of secondary schools were 6.47 per cent. (Infants), 6.1 per cent. (I) 6.56 per cent. (II),7.22 per cent (III), 37.11 per cent (IV) and 36.54 per cent (V) . On the whole out of 100 pupils, 11.11 per cent. reached the upper primary stage. In difference and poverty of parents, inadequacy of qualified staff, inefficient teaching, improper admission, meagre equipment, inadequate accommodation and lack of frequent supervision are some of the causes of stagnation and wastage in the primary schools. The disproportionately large number of pupils in the upper primary classes of secondary schools was due to English being taught at that stage.
The number of trained teachers employed in all primary schools rose by 314 to 20,954 . The district and local bodies very often appoint untrained teachers even when trained teachers are available.
The number of primary schools for Indian girls increased by 31 to 2,279 and the total enrollment by 526 to 71,840. Evidence available shows that co-education is gradually being accepted at the Primary stage. The under-staffing of girls' schools in many cases retards the Progress of girls' education.
All the -district headquarter manicipalities introduced free and compulsory education within their areas. The total number of boys enrolled under the compulsory scheme was 46.831 out of the Possible (of compulsory age) 61,796. The percentage of attendance varied from 52 to 95. The average attendance percentage was low, mostly due to the fact that, the municipal authorities were reluctant to take out summons against parents whose children were irregular in attendance. As a corrective measure, the Government recently introduced the system of calculating the grant to the municipalities of compulsory education on the basis of average attendance of pupils in the schools instead of the number on roll. The majority of the schools were housed in rented buildings.
The policy of concentration and the consolidation of existing schools 44 continued as far as practicable. The general economic depression and the inability of the local bodies for want of adequate funds to provide one-teacher primary schools with adequate Staff and suitable accommodation were the main obstacles in the way. Appointment of untrained teachers and their frequency transfer were still common. In most districts the primary school teachers are paid much below the minimum laid down in the Education Code. In all these matters the local bodies act in utter disregard of the advice of the office Education Department.
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Bombay.- The primary school course leading up to the Primary School Certificate Examination covers a period of 8 years consisting of two stages; elementary (lower primary)-Infants and Standards I-IV, upper primary-Standards V-VII.
Organisation.-Under the Primary Education Act the administration of primary education is entrusted to a School Board consisting of 12 to 16 members elected by the Local Authority, Municipality or District Local Board. These members may not necessarily be members of the Local Authority, but amongst those elected, there must be persons experienced in education and representatives of women and of minority and backward communites. The School Board exercises all the power and performs all the duties of the Local Authority in respect of primary education, subject to the general control of the Local Authority which is responsible for the provision of funds. The administrative Officer of the School Board controls the administrative and teaching staff of the Local Authority.
The inspection of all primary schools is , however in the hands of the Education Department. There is generally one inspecting officer for every 100 schools. The inspecting staff is recruited from among trained and experienced graduate teachers or from trained primary teachers with adequate teaching experience.
Compulsory Education.- The Primary Education Act enables Local Authorities to introduce compulsion with the sanction of Government, who have power to compel Local Authorities to submit schemes of compulsion. When the scheme is sanctioned, Government is liable under the Act to bear half the recurring and non-recurring extra cost in the case of Municipalities and 2/3rds of the cost in the case of District Local Boards. 10 Local Authority Municipalities and 2 District Local Boards have so far introduced compulsory primary education.
Expansion on a voluntary basis-Government have made a special provision of Rs. 1 lakh for grants to Local Authorities to enable them to open schools in villages in which there are no schools. As a result, new schools have been opened in villages with a population of 700 or over. Government also aid private individuals and associations for schools opened in small villages with a population of less than 700. The voluntary agencies have thus opened 6,000 such schools brining 1,20,000 children under instruction.
Of the 21,700 towns and villages in the province some 640 have schools and there are practically no villages with a population over 1,000 without schools The area served by a primary school is about 4 square miles.
Training of primary teachers.-There are 33 training schools for, men teachers and 24 for women teachers which prepare teachers for primary schools. Some 4,200 teachers receive training annually. The course of training extends over a period of 2 years in the case of men and 3 years in the case of women. Permanent teachers under training receive their full pay instead of stipends. Fully trained teachers are appointed on the scale of Rs. 25-1/2-30-1-40.
Number of primary schools and pupils .-The number of primary schools increased by 664 to 19,779 during the year 1940-41, and of pupils by 59,638 to 15,60,094. The percentage of pupils in primary schools to total population was 8.7.
Expenditure.-The total direct expenditure on primary schools during 1940-41 amounted to Rs. 2,07,25,121 and was met by Government (57.6 per cent.), Boards (30.7 per cent.), Fees (4.2 per cent,) and other sources (7.5 per cent ).
General.-The main changes that took Place during the year were the payment of duty pay to teachers under training and the revision of the scale of pay of trained teachers. The general scheme of training at least 75 per cent. of the teachers within a period of 10 years was continued. The Government continued to make a special provision in the budget for compulsory education and the opening of schools in small villages.
Central Provinces and Berar.-No report submitted, as the preparation of reports by the Director of Public Instruction has been postponed with a view to enabling officers of the Department to concentrate on war work.
During the year 1941-42, the number of primary schools for boys was 4,678, with 3,44,1543 pupils, and of those for girls was 487 with 24,512 pupils.
Orissa- During 1941-42, the Government accepted the policy of encouraging co-education in the primary stage and it was laid down that no separate girls' primary schools should be started in a village unless the population consisted of at,least 2,000 persons. It was further decided that in future unless a sufficient number of girls join a school, at least 25 per cent, of the total strength, no new primary school should be recognised and that the authorities of the existing schools should be allowed a period of 3 years to attain that proportion for girls. This rule is subject to being relaxed by the Director of Public Instruction for adequate reasons.
Sind (1940-41) The Re-organisation Committee appointed by the Government submitted its report in-March 1940. With regard to primary education, the following principles were recommended:-
(1) Six plus should be fixed as the age of admission to standard I of the new primary course
(2) The present infant class should be abolished and the lower primary course should be four years' duration- standards I to IV.
(3) The course should be uniform for all children, boys and girls--both in rural and urban areas-except, that in girls' schools domestic arts and crafts should be attended to.
(4) The new syllabus should be vivid and realistic. It should be predominantly an Activity Programme centering round the interests of the child and related to, his environment.
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(5) The time devoted to the acquisition of the 3 R's and activity part of the curriculum should roughly be 3 : 2."
Subsequently in May 1941, the Government appointed a Syllabus Committee for preparing a curriculum suitable to primary schools in Sind. The Committee proposed the following curriculum :-
"(1) Teaching of three R's--Reading, Writing and Arithmetic-to secure permanent literacy through satisfying activities.
(2)Teaching of Social Subjects like Geography, History and Civics to develop in the child a prior understanding of his geographical and social environment and a sense of a love and pride for his country.
(3)Practical Hygiene and Physical Training to create in the child habits of health and various physical activity.
(4) Hand-work to provide the child with a concrete and pleasant means of self-expression and lay the foundation of some practical art or occupation to be learnt in later life.
(5) Religious education. on a broad basis may be given to influence the moral development of the child."
The Provincial Government intend to give immediate effect to these recommendations.
United Provinces (1941-42).-Administration.-Primary Education is the concern of the local bodies who continue to administer it in rural and urban areas financed by provincial revenues to a large extent. The district inspecting staff consists of the Deputy Inspector of Schools and a number of Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools. While under the direct control of the Circle Inspectors; they assist the Chairman of the Education Committee in matters relating to administration of vernacular education and are subject to the latter's general control. The Deputy Inspector of Schools, who is a Government servant is ex- officio Secretary of the Education Committee.
The system of administration cannot be said to be efficient it is defective and needs overhauling.
Schools and Enrolment.-The number of primary schools increased by 18 to 18,262 and enrolment by 1,210 to 12,89,767 during 1941-42. An encouraging feature was the increase in the number of girls reading in boys' schools from 93,081 to 96,190. The Government maintained only 25 schools most of the others were managed by Local Boards. There was a decline of 139 District Board schools, due to the policy of closing uneconomical ones with an enrolment of less than 30 pupils. It is reported that the District Boards close uneconomical schools under departmental instruction but encourage similar aided institutions in unserved or partially served rural areas.
Expenditure-The total expenditure on primary education increased by Rs. 1,30,304 to Rs 91,96,499; contributions under all heads showing increases except Municipal Board funds which recorded a decrease of Rs. 18,233. The, cost per pupil per annum came to Rs. 7-2-1:
Buildings and equipment.-The condition of buildings remained deplorable and the problem of housing the primary schools was acute; there are hardly any funds available for repairs, much less for new construction. A large number of schools are without any building. The construction of a cheap type of Basic school building, more or less on the lines of the model demonstrated in the Basic Training College, Allahabad is reported to have not yet been taken up by all the Boards. Further, primary schools have very poor equipment,
Tuition.-The introduction of the Basic system has considerably improved the tone of education in the primary schools. The Basic system is less bookish and more practical and schools of this type are found to be places of healthy and joyful activity among the children.
Pay of teachers.-In aided schools the condition of teachers' pay was most unsatisfactory while in respect of District Board Schools complaints about late payments of safaries continued.
Compulsory Primary Education.-Compulsion remained in force for boys between the ages of 6 and 11 in 1,224 villages, town areas and notified areas and, in 36 municipalites, and for girls in selected wards of three municipalities and in selected areas of two district boards.
Physical training and, games.-Physical education in primary schools has progressed satisfactorily. Almost every school has its troop of scouts or cubs, but it is reported that the scouts of the primary schools seldom rose above the initial stage and a great majority of them remained Tender Foot.
Basic education has created a keener interest in extracurricular activities, which generally take the form of crafts like spinning, weaving and making of ropes, baskets, mats, toys etc. The Junior Red Cross has-also,made satisfactory progress.
LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS. Ajmer Merwara (1940-41).-The number of primary schools for boys decreased by 3 to 235, and of pupils by 9.51 to 13,699 during 1940-41. 143 of these schools were under direct Government control. The decrease was mainly due to the fact that some of the schools which were temporarily opened in famine camps had to be closed as most of the children left school as soon as their parents were discharged.
With increased Government grant, single-teacher schools were converted into two-teacher schools. As a result enrolment in these schools increased from 1,425 to 1,963 within a few months. In the rural areas primary education is free but voluntary. The voluntary system has now reached the height of its usefulness and the time is ripe for the introduction of compulsion.
Primary Education under Local Boards.-Local bodies and private agencies who control about half the number of educational institutions in the province have not shown much
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interest and education in their charge has made no substantial progress. The number of scholars in these schools has gone down and their expenditure has also decreased.
Training Institutions-There are two vernacular 'Teachers' Training Schools, training about 40 teachers in two years. This meets the ordinary requirements of the district for such teachers.
Baluchistan.-The number of primary schools for boys was 85 and for girls 5. The enrolment of boys' schools increased by 88 to 3,389, but that of girls' schools decreased by 8 to 443. Though the number completing the primary school course has shown steady improvement the position is not satisfactory. Unless there is a radical change in the attitude of the parents, a long time must elapse before we shall have touched the fringe of the illiterate population.
Where people are keen and development is possible, lack of accommodation and lack of teachers have prevented increase in enrolment.
Coorg.-Three primary schools in which attendance was less than 25 were closed.
Delhi (1941-42)-A comprehensive scheme for reorganization of primary education is still under the consideration of the Central Government.