APPENDIX O
STATE CONTROL OF PRIMARY
 EDUCATION
 

Assumption of control of primary education by the State.

The memorandum submitted by the Government of United Provinces, is reproduced below:-

"The Primary and Secondary Education Reorganization Committee appointed by the United Provinces Government in 1938, which reported in February 1939, made the following recommendation:-

"The Committee is of the opinion that vernacular education has suffered a great deal as a result of the present dual control. At the inception of far-reaching reforms in education it is further necessary that the administrative control of primary and secondary education should vest in a central authority."

"The late minister of education drafted a bill which was to give much larger control to Government. This however was not proceeded with owing to various circumstances. The control of primary education by local bodies, however, has shown no improvement and it is becoming recognised everywhere that the time has come for a change. The only arguments for control of education by local authorities are two namely that local interests.

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will be better looked after and, that it is necessary to train local Government bodies by handing over to them control of education. Neither of these arguments will bear examination and the history of primary, education carried out under these conditions is a record of waste, mismanagement and intrigue. The cause of the children cannot be allowed to suffer any longer owing to what at the best is a sentimental belief in decentralisation. There is no doubt that, a central organization of primary education will lead to the spread of literacy by better organisation better use of the money available and avoidance of local intrigues and jealousiec. The experience in the United Provinces of the reorganisation necessary to spread the new curriculum of Basic education has shown that all attempts to improve the recent of education are slowed down and rendered almost nugatory by the delay and misunderstanding and lack of co-operation due to the present system. Further the waste both in efficiency and money caused by this system is enormous and the dual system of government inspection and district board administration leads to frustration and despair of any improvement. Sufficient time has now passed to show that the system is a failure. Literacy increases very slowly owing to non-provision of schools where wanted, frittering away of money on non-essentials and a teaching staff which plays off the district board against the inspectorate and vice versa and which cannot be made responsible for progress. Local control of, primary education may be justified in countries where the population is educated. It cannot be justified in a country where the great majority are entirely illiterate. The Central Advisory Board of Education already ill their Vernacular Education Committee, which met at Simla in 1937, were inclined to demand a more stringent control and in the Educational Commissioner's review of education for 1932-37 the following occurs:-

All are agreed that stagnation and wastage is appalling, that the administration of primary education by local bodies shows no improvement and is thoroughly inefficient'."

2. The problem of primary education was considered by the Board at their meeting held in December, 1936 Inter alia, the nature of the inspectorate the need, of modifying district and municipal Acts in respect to the supervision of primary education and other suggestions to improve the administration were discussed. It was decided to refer the matter to the late Vernacular Education Committee with the following suggestions:-

(i) whether the provincial miinstries of education have sufficient powers of control or not in regard to primary education or whether these powers should be strengthened in any direction.

(ii) flow the inspecting agency should be appointed and controlled;

(iii) whether it is essential or desirable that compulsion should be introduced in order that provincial Governments may be able to enforce efficiency through the grants and

(iv) whether primary education should be controlled by a central board of education in each province of which the minister should be in charge.

The Vernacular Education Committee emphasised the need for more efficient administration and control of primary education, and its main recommendation on the subject are:-

(a) A Board of Vernacular Education consisting of not more than seven members of whom at least one should be a woman, with the Minister of Education as Chairman should be constituted in each province. The members of the Board should be appointed by the Ministry. The Board should have no statutory powers but act in an advisory capacity. All problems concerning the expansion, control and administration of vernacular education find the financial aspect of the questions should come within the purview of this Board.

"(b) The inspectorate should be appointed by Government District inspectors should be members of the Provincial Service . Unless a special administrative officer is appointed, the inspector should act as the administrative officer of the local body in all matters affecting vernacular education. All questions of transfer, appointment, dismissal and increments should he decided by him in consultation with the Divisional Inspector in the case of anglo- vernacular teachers. In all matters concerning women teachers the district inspectress should have the same powers.

"(c) The Provincial Governments should decide whether an administrative officer should he appointed to perform these duties or whether these should be left to the Inspector, if a provincial service officer.

"(d) The appointment at headquarters of a senior officer whose duties should be entirely connected with the administration of primary education. He should also act as Secretary of the proposed Board of Vernacular Education.

"(e)Compulsory primary education should be regarded not merely as an ideal impossible of fulfilment except in the distant future but as a goal the attainment of which is urgent and immediate."

The report of this Committee was considered by the Board at their meeting held in January 1938. Whilst the recommendation to constitute a Board of Vernacular Education received general approval a difference of opinion in regard to its functions and constitution was expressed. Some members felt that the, influence of such a board without statutory powers might not be sufficiently effective. On the other hand the influence of a Board consisting of representatives of a variety of interests and outlook might well strengthen the hands of the Minister.

The Members of the Board agreed on the desirability of instituting a Board of Vernacular Education in each province, but preferred to leave the functions and the constitutions to each individual province. Again there was not unanimity in regard to the removal of certain powers from the district board to the Inspector or to an administrative officer. The majority

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of the members were strongly in favour of transferring such matters as the appointment and transfer of teachers from the local body to the Inspector. A small minority while admitting the laxity of local body administration preferred not to hand over these powers but to attempt to improve the present system. Ultimately the Board decided to forward the COPY of the report together with their observations' to the Provincial Governments, for consideration and such action as they might consider necessary.

3. The question of the administration of primary education had also been considered in the meanwhile by Messrs. Abbott and Wood in their Report on Vocational Education in India. "We would emphasise," they said, "what has. so frequently been said by other observers; that provincial governments have relinquished too much power in the field of education to municipalities and district boards, and that educational reform is intimately bound up with governments recovering some of that power to themselves or devising ways of insisting upon honest, and efficient administration by local bodies."

4. The recommendations of the Vernacular Committee were generally well received by the provinces, but nowhere have they so far been given effect to wholly, and complaints of laxity, and inefficiency on the part of local bodies have continued [ef. Appendix C (i) of Agenda].

In Assam, relations between the Education Department and the local bodies have not been easy and the Director of Public Instruction has stressed the need for the transference of control over education in the mother tongue from the local bodies to the Minister of Education.

Bihar has also complained of the unsatisfactory working of the dual control; instance, of non-cooperation between the Educational officers and the local bodies have been reported.

The Bombay Government during the year 1938-39 amended their Primary Education Act. The Government resumed fall control of the inspecting staff and took certain powers of control over the School Boards; administrative officers of local bodies became Government servants and consequently more free to exercise the powers vested in them; a Provincial Board of -Primary Education was set up to advise Government. As a result. several improvements were effected. There have, however, been instances of occasional friction between the School Boards and the Administrative officer but a conference of the Chairman of the school Boards and the Inspecting officers of the Department helped to remove some of the misunderstandings. and it is proposed to hold such conferences periodically.

The Government of the Central Provinces and Berar, in a Resolution dated the 14th March 1941, have stated that "while, the local bodies are tenacious of their rights in the matter of control and administration of primary education, comparatively few have as yet evinced a sense of the responsibilities and duties which go with these rights."

The Madras Elementary Education Act of 1920 was amended and the District Educational Councils, which had not worked well, were abolished with effect, from the 1st June 1930. In the place of these Councils there have been formed Advisory Committees for each Taluk with the local Deputy Inspector of Schools as its Secretary. But these Advisory Committees did not take much interest in their work and the question of their continuance was reported to have been under consideration.

In the North-West Frontier Province government control over primary education is effective.

In the Punjab the delegation of powers by local bodies to educational officers has not proved successful. Powers so delegated have been hedged round by so many provisions and restrictions that their exercise has been quite ineffective. Inspectors have complained of harassment caused by undue interest taken by members of Local Boards in matters of recruitment and promotion of teachers.

The Sind Government also agreed during 1938-39 to certain amendments to the Bombay Primary Education Act, operating in Sind as well. The Administrative Officers and Supervisors have, since become Government employees and thus independent of the local Boards Appointments and transfers of teachers are now made, with the sanction of the sanction of the Director Public Instruction, by the Administrative Officers.

The United Provinces have given a detailed statement in the memorandum above.

In Mysore the control of primary education was taken over by the Education Department from the lot July 1941 and a Deputy Director of Public Instruction was appointed to be in administrative charge of all Primary Schools in the State.