APPENDIX `J' MEMORANDUM ON ITEM 12 : WORKING DAYS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN INDIA
The question of holidays in educational institutions in India was considered by the Central Advisory Board of Education for the first time in 1943. The Board observed that "it would not be possible to lay down at this stage any rules which could be of universal applica- tion". They considered "it desirable that there should be complete flexibility in determining such matters". Later in 1952 the All India Secondary Education Commission also examined this and stated that no country, perhaps, enjoys as many holidays as India and with the innumerable holidays given for various religious functions, the work of the school is seriously handicapped and it recommended that "the total number of working days in a school should not be less than 200".
2. The present position is that working days in a year in schools in India range from 200 to 210. Such days in many other countries of the world are much higher in number as is clear from the following table:
No. of working days
Country in a year in Se-
condary schools
Australia 240
Byelorussia S. S. R 234
China (Republic of) 240
Czechoslovakia 240
Denmark 236
Germany (Federal Republic of) 233
Korea (Republic of) 230
Moraco 240
Netherlands 240
Norway 228
Peru 270
Poland 220
Rumania 222
Saudi Arabia 228
U. S. S. R. 234
U. A. R. 220
Viet-Nam (Republic of) 216
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3. Apart from the fact that in many notable countries of the world, e.g., Australia, Republic of China, Netherlands, U.S.S.R., etc. the academic session is already longer than in India, it has to be emphasized that the requirements of newer educational programmes and activities in the schools also necessitate an increase in the working days. With the object of catching up with the progress in science and other fields of knowledge in the world, we are trying to strengthen our syllabus at the school level. Something has been done in this direction and more has yet to be done. By the appointment of teachers with better qualifications and training and by the adoption of improved techniques of teaching, should be possible for us to introduce in our secondary schools some of the things which have been taught previously at the earlier stages of collegiate education. To some extent this is already being done with success in some countries abroad and has been attempted in some of the better schools in India too. There is also an increasing emphasis on broadening the base of education and introducing more of cocurricular and extra-curricular activities. Further, under the recent emergency, a number of additional activities have been introduced which have increased daily work in schools. The introduction of intensive programmes of physical education for secondary school pupils, the emphasis on teachers and grown-up students to receive training in first-aid etc. and do social service, and the unavoidable necessity in many cases either to use the same building for two schools running in two shifts or to use it for organising short courses in technical and other types of training connected with . Defence effort have tended to reduce the school-time available for academic work.
4. It is therefore recommended that the existing working days in lower secondary and secondary schools (i.e., classes VI to XI/XII) all over the country should be raised to 240 in a year which will in- clude examination days, and that the additional time thus made available should be utilised to (i) strengthen the teaching of various subjects, (ii) lay emphasis on self study and use of library resources by pupils, and (iii) increase written work and home assignment and improve their correction by teachers.
5. The total number of holidays in a year may generally be made up as under:
(I) National or common holidays (Republic Day, Holi, 10
Muharram, Janam Ashtami, Independence Day, Dussehra,
Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday, Diwali, Guru Nanik's
Birthday and X-Mas Day)
(ii) State or local holidays 10
(iii) Two terminal holidays 16
(iv) Sundays 52
(v) Summer/Winter vacation 34
TOTAL 122
Therefore the balance of working days available is 365-122=243.
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6. The main saving in the holidays in the above scheme is in summer/winter vacations. The result will be that the schools will now remain open for about a month more during summer or winter when previously they have remained closed. This period of one month may be made up by further continuing the schools for about a fortnight before the commencement of vacation and opening them after the vacation about a fortnight earlier.
7. Only two arguments may possibly be raised against the proposal. It may be expressed that holidays and vacations are useful for students to make up their arears in studies and have extra reading. Every teacher and parent undoubtedly knows the serious limitations of this argument. It is only the few best students who really make good use of the holidays and in the case of the rest, which constitutes the largest majority, the holidays are idled away and are not put to any significant use. From the side of the school teachers it may be expressed that their holidays, particularly the summer vacation, are being curtailed without any compensation. This argument should not arise because the above proposal in any case provides for 1/11th of the year as vacation, and normally in Government service and other well-established organisations the earned leave is only 1/11th of the continuous period of duty. In other vacation departments also, e.g., civil courts, the vacation period is for one month only and the employees do not have the privilege of any earned leave. The proposal should, therefore, be acceptable to everybody.
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