REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON ELEMENTARY AND TEACHERS EDUCATION (ANNEXURE-VII)
The Group was Chaired by Shri J. N. Das Mohapatra, Hon'ble Minister of Education, Orissa. Shri S. C. Behar Principal Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Education Department and Dr. J. S. Rajput, Joint Educational Adviser,Ministry of H.R.D., acted as Rapporteurs. The list of participants is appended.
The draft report of the Working Group on Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, set up for the, formulation of 8th Plan formed the basis of discussions of the group. we are, therefore, in this report, highlighting major issues on Which the Group feels the need for some modifications, to bring in more emphasis, or bring in new elements not included in the working group report. Our report therefore, has to be considered in addition to and as a supplement to the working group report.
While generally endorsing the major thrust and the broad recommendations, the following points need highlighting :-
1. In the context of universalisation of elementary of edu- cation, the target will not only be the obvious one of enrolment of all children aged 6 into class I, but with equal or more emphasis of their retention and achievements through 8 years of schooling so that they complete elementary education by the time they, are 14 years old. At the same time, acknowledging that it will take some years still before we can bring drop-out rates, under, control, we must include in our target all children dropping out of school before class VIII, and formulate strategies that will reach education to them before, they are, 14 years old. Wherever possible, for the young drop-out (age 8- 11 years) the aim should be to import 8 years of elementry level
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education by re-entry into the formal school or by comparable education with 5 years in the NFE stream. For the older dropouts (11- 13 years), the target should be primary level education and for the child on the threshold of adulthood (13-14 years), functional literacy.
In short, our focus will not only be children of 6 years of age or thereabout, but children in the entire age group from 6 to 14 years to ensure that they receive 8 years' of schooling or the maximum possible, looking to their age, through the formal system or the non- formal system or by a combination of formal and N.F. system by lateral entry into the formal system after attaining necessary level of learning through non-formal system. For those who are at the upper limit of the age group (6-11 ), attempts should be made to give them as much education as possible but at least functional literacy to ensure that they are no longer required to be taken care of by Adult Education system after they reach the age of 15 and above.
2. The implications of this strategy for N.F. education was stressed. Since the approach suggested can succeed only when Non- Formal Education can ensure comparably levels of learning, there is a need to strengthen Non-Formal Education for upper primary and to provide for different models with appropriate facilities.
3. The strategy of micro-level planning is fully endorsed. It is however, suggested that urban areas particularly slums may also be brought within its ambit so that working children and other deprived groups could be taken care of.
4. In micro level planning, the school complex & DIET will have to play a special role. They will provide technopedegogic support. The school complex will be directly involved to ensure proper school mapping survey and micro planning.
5. The need for Village Education Committee was unanimously endorsed. It was suggested that in its composition in addition to the members suggested in the working group report,
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representatives of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and minorities depending upon the demographic composition of the village should be included.
6. It is also emphasised that the Village Education Committee should really be formed for a village or villages depending upon the catchment area of the institution. The group also feels that the Village Education Committee should also be encouraged to organise local financial resources for the institution.
7. The group strongly feels that to enable micro-planning there is need for administrative support and strengthening. The coordinator at the school complex and the Headmasters of the institution were considered necessary for the purpose. In this context, the, Group endorses the recommendations contained in the draft report regarding school complexes and designation of headmasters in primary and upper primary schools.
8. The Group strongly feels that the post of Headmaster should be recognised as crucial, should be given adequate financial and administrative powers and should be trained to provide academic and administrative leadership.
9. The group view is that school complex is an important and natural unit for both academic and administrative requirement of the school system. The school complex can play a very vital role in continuously upgrading the knowledge and skill of the teachers by working as a forum for teachers to meet for periodic discussions of their problems and to get acquainted with the latest trends in their discipline. The utilisation of the mechanism of teachers' centre was stressed as an interim measure to be integrated with school complex system once established even as an alternative a few States having a strong traditional network of teachers' centre.
10. The group feels that at the State Level there should be enough flexibility about administrative arrangements in terms of having different Directors for different stages of education so, that each State depending upon its local conditions may have an arrangement that suits it best. However, the group endorsed
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the suggestion of the working group that at the district level there should be a special officer for elmentary education.
11. After some discussion about the age of entering into primary schools, the consensus was that children should enter into primary school at the age of 5 plus, the reference date being a date around the beg-inning of the session.
12. In addition to the continuous and comprehensive internal evaluation by the teachers there will be testing of minimum levels of learning at the end of classes III, V and VIII. However, there are two opinions as to whether the testing be done at the end of class II or III. The testing at the end of class III would primarily be for diagnostic and remedial purpose, and not for detention. The testing at the end of class V and VIII would serve both purposes diagnostic as well as evaluative. Hence, those who do not come up to the determined minimum levels of learning will be given remedial coaching to enable them to achieve the levels. Those who are not able to achieve the minimum levels even after a retest may have to repeat the class. This testing at the end of class V and VIII would also involve the staff from the school complex.
13. The group also endorses the suggestion of a National Programme of Evaluation in which a national level sample testing would be conducted for students of classes 5 and 8 only in order to enable the teachers, students and institutions compare their standard and performance to the national level as also to enable an assessment of programmes and policies initiated for improvement of quality. This will be in addition to the teacher constructed tests which will be administered internally unitwise and at other times.
14. The group also endorses the view that in elementary schools, the system of assignment of marks should be done away with and only grades be given because the marking system creates avoidable strain and tensions and frustrations in the life of young children.
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15. The need to test non-scholastic achievements is stressed. In order to have a continuous and comprehensive evaluation of such abilities as social and personal, the involvement of village level education committee and school complex was considered useful. It was also suggested that the school complex may have surprise test in order to ensure steady progress towards attainment of minimum levels of learning.
16. The problem of unbridled proliferation of pre-school institutions in the private sector particularly in the urban areas was viewed with concern and the group feels that there is a need to evolve a system of regulating and controlling, if necessary in stages.The alternatives of registration, redefining primary education; to include pre-primary education institutions were suggested. The consensus was that since it is a new area it will require consideration and examination in-depth in view of varying conditions in different parts of the country.
17. The suggestions regarding expansion of Operation Black-board of upper primary schools, provision of additional teachers, and moving towards a norm of one teacher to every class were endorsed. However, great concern was shown regarding the financial burden and cost on the State Government for construction of classrooms and buildings. The group very strongly feels that a strong case should be submitted to the Finance Commission to provide full support to the State Gov- ernments in this important and difficult area.
18. The group very strongly and emphatically recommends that all the centrally sponsored schemes started in the 7th Plan must be not only continued in the 8th Five Year Plan but should also be provided with substantial resources and are expanded. In this context, concern was also expressed about the burden on the State Government of the recurring cost of the centrally sponsored schemes taken up during the 7th Five Year Plan. The group strongly recommends that this burden must be taken care of either by appropriate recommendations of the Finance Commission or in the plan sector of the 8th Five Year Plan.
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19. Recognizing the highly complex nature of socio-economic and psychological problems which have made the constitutional objective of universal elementary education so far elusive as also the massive financial and human resources required to achieve without further delays, the objective, as also the need for harnessing in an integrated fashion, the fun potential of the variety of technologies, the group recommends that the possibility of adopting the mode, spirit and culture of a mission for universalization of elementary education be explored, so that a technology mission on universal elementary education could be initiated in the Eighth Five Year Plan.
TEACHER EDUCATION
Recommendations (1) The proposal to confer statutory status on the NCTE was unanimously endorsed and it was urged that this process be completed at the earliest. The composition of the statutory NCTE should be so laid down that it has adequate representation not only from the Central Government/organisations but also of State Governments/organisations and experts.
(2) The approach spelt out in the Chapter on Teacher Education in the Draft Report prepared by the 8th Plan Working Group on Elementary Education was endorsed with the observation that in the 8th Plan, an adequate programme must be taken up for developing professionally competent and motivated teacher educators and their continuing education, including periodic stints in schools for remaining in touch with reality.
(3) The system of posting and transfer of teachers is crucial to streamlinging the educational delivery system specially at the school level. Therefore, norms for transfers of teachers should be finalised by the concerned CADE Committee.
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(4) In States and UTs which have a substantial backlog of untrained teachers, Governments concerned should take steps to eliminate such backlog in a time-bound fashion.
(5) Once the NCTE acquires statutory status, it should take up the question of correspondence teacher education courses on `top priority' and should take urgent steps in regard to such courses in the interest of maintenance of quality of teacher education.
(6) The NCTE should also accord high priority to devising a structure and content for Teacher Education programmes to be conducted in DIETs, the status of the qualification to be awarded at the end of them and of candidates passing out with such qualifications. It was felt that the NCTE could be urged to make an annual report on the subject to the CABE.
(7) In various in-service training programmes and particularly PMOST, duration should be kept flexible depending upon the objectives of particular programmes. Pedagogy of multi-grade teaching and other matters of immediate relevance to the teachers must form part of such in-service training programmes.
(8) The group strongly feels that for providing leadership at the State level to this sector of teacher education as also for improvement in quality of school education, the SCERT has a very crucial role to play. Hence, the centrally sponsored programme of assistance for strengthening SCERT required to be scaled-up substantially and operationalized urgently.
(9) The working group endorses the approach spelt out in the report of CABE Committee on Housing Facilities for women teachers and commended it for approval by the Board and subsequent implementation.
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PARTICIPANTS IN THE GROUP ON ELEMENTARY/
TEACHER EDUCATION
6-7 July, 1989
IIT, New Delhi
1.Shri Jadunath Mohapatra Chairman
Education Minister
Government of Orissa
2.Shri S. C. Behar Rapporteur
Education Secretary
Government of Madhya Pradesh
3.Shri Jagdish Sagar Rapporteur
Joint Educational Advisor
Department of Education
4.Mrs. Kiran Dhingra
Director (EE)
Department of Education
5.Shri K. M. Acharya
Director (TE)
Department of Education
6.Shri A. K. Mehra
Deputy Secretary
Department of Education
7.Shri A. Mukhopadhayay
Deputy Secretary (VA)
Department of Education
8.Shri S. Mohapatra
Under Secretary
Department of Education
9.Shri T. V. Reddy
Director (Sch. Edn.)
Government of Andhra Pradesh
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10.Shri Ashok Saikia
Commissioner Education
Government of Assam
11. Shri Madan Mohan Jha
Director (I. Edn.)
Government of Bihar
12.Shri V. M. Dessai
Director
Government of Goa
13.Dr. Susheela K. Sheth
Education Minister
Government of Gujarat
14.Shri A. I. Vohora
Director (P. Edn.)
Government of Gujarat
15.Ms. Chandra Bhan
Director (P. Edn.)
Government of Haryana
16.Shri S. K. Bhal
Director (P. Edn.)
Government of Himachal Pradesh
17.Shri K. Shantaiah
DPI (Primary Education)
Government of Karnataka
18.Shri P. S. Sundaraj
Secretary, General Education
Government of Kerala
19.Shri V. R. Nagpure
Director, SCERT
Government of Maharashtra
20.Shri Y. Erabot
Education Minister
Government of Manipur
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21.Shri R. N. Datta
Additional Director Public Instruction
Government of Meghalaya
22.Shri I. Moasosang
Director (Sch. Edn.)
Government of Nagaland
23.Shri Talitsuba
Additional Director, SCERT
Government of Nagaland
24.Shri R. K. Kar
Director, SCERT
Government of Orissa
25.Ms. Asha Attar
Secretary, Primary Education
Government of Punjab
26.Shri Pritham Singh
Director
Public Instruction (Primary)
Government of Punjab
27.Dr. M. L. Sachdeva
Deputy Director, SCERT
Government of Punjab
28.Shri S. K. Bachlaus
Officer on Special Duty
Government of Rajasthan
29.Shri T. Natchimuthu
Director (EE)
Government of Tamil Nadu
30.Shri Arun Kumar Kar
Minister of Education
Government of Tripura
31.Shri Govind Narayan Mishra
Consultant (Education)
Government of Uttar Pradesh
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32.Shri L. P. Pandey
Director (Education)
Government of Uttar Pradesh
33.Shri A. P. Basu
Director (S)
Government of West Bengal
34.Shri K. Kandaswamy
Councillor
Government of Andaman & Nicobar Islands
35.Dr. K. S. Bhandari
Director, SCERT
Delhi Administration
36.Shri P. Mathew Sameul
Director (Education)
Government of Pondicherry
37.Prof. Satya Bhushan
Director, NIEPA
New Delhi
38.Shri A. K. Sharma
Head, DTESE & ES
NCERT, New Delhi
39.Shri P. N. Dave
Head, DISEE
NCERT, New Delhi
40.Shri N. K. Ambasht
Professor
Department of NFE
NCERT, New Delhi