APPENDIX `L' MEMORANDUM ON ITEM 14 : TO RECEIVE THE REPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND STATE GOVERNMENTS ABOUT THE ACTION TAKEN ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD MADE AT ITS LAST MEETING
PART I
ACTION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Item No. 3: (i) Statement Issued by the Chief Ministers' Conference (held at Delhi on 10th, 11th and 12th August, 1961) regarding education, medium of instruction and script.
(ii) Memorandum on medium of, Instruction in colleges.
(iii) Steps to be taken to implement the decisions of the Chief Ministers' Conference.
Recommendation Action taken
The Board having considered the
statement issued by the Chief Ministers'
Conference held at New Delhi on August,
10 and 11 and 12, 1961, agreed
generally with the views on the que-
stion of language, textbooks, medium
of instruction and script set out therein
and drew special attention to the
recommendation that both Hindi and
English should be taught at an early
stage.
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS
The Board reaffirmed its previous The State Government have been
recommendations (which were as under) requested to implement the reco-
on the medium of instruction at the mmendation of the Chief Ministers'
school stage: Conference held in August, 1961
in regard to the question of
"The medium of instruction in the medium of instruction at the
junior basic stage must be the mother- secondary stage. So far replies
tongue of the child and that have been
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264
where the mother-tongue was diffe- received from the Governments of
rent from the regional or State Madras, Kerala, Gujarat, Orissa,
language, arrangements must be Himachal Pradesh and they have
made for instruction in the mother- generally accepted this recom-
tongue by appointing at least one mendation.
teacher to teach all the classes,
provided there are at least 40 such
pupils in a school. The regional or
State language where it is different
from the mother-tongue should be
introduced not earlier than class III
or later than the end of the junior
basic stage. In order to facilitate the
switch-over to the regional language
as medium of instruction at the
secondary stage, children should be
given the option of answering ques-
tions in their mother-tongue for the
first two years after the junior basic
stage.
If, however, the number of pupils
speaking a language other than the
regional or State language is sufficient
to justify a separate school in an area,
the medium of instruction in such a
school may be the language. of the
pupils. Such arrangement would, in
particular, be necessary in metropolitan
cities or places where large population
speaking differents languages live or
areas with a floating population of
different languages. Suitable provision
should be made by the provincial (State)
authorities for the recognition of such
schools imparting education through a
medium other than the regional or State
language".
MEDIUM OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
Recommendation Action taken
In regard to the question of the The recommendations of the Board
medium for university education were communicated to all univer-
the Board emphasised the importance sities for information and such
of having a common linguistic link action as may be considered neces-
for inter-communication between sary. A summary of replies received
different States and Universities, so far from 17, universities in
as the regional languages progressively this regard is given Annexure `VI'
become the media of higher education. at page 288.
It was agreed that the 'link' language
and the language which was the medium
ofinstruction need
265
not be the same. The Board re-
commended that if any university
in any faculty changed over to
the regional language as the medium of
instruction, it should continue to
provide facilities for instruction in
the "link" language i.e., English
and or Hindi, either in different sec-
tions in a large college or in different
faculties in order to facilitate the
movement of students and teachers
from one part of the country or the
other and to provide for students
with different media of instruction
At the higher secondary stage.
It also supported the view that the
changeover to the regional language
in all subjects, particularly in scien-
tific and technological subjects
should not be done without adequate
preparation.
TEXTBOOKS
Recommendation Action taken
The Board is in agreement with Considering that suitable textbooks
the recommendation that the and instructional material are
production of textbooks should essential for an effective educat-
normally be taken up by the State ion process and that the production
Governments and that a Central of such material is an important
agency for the improvement of aspect of applied educational res-
textbooks be set up at national earch, the Governing Body of the
level, whose main functions should National Council of Educational re-
be to conduct research, in the solved in terms of Rules 45 and 46
improvement of textbooks, to of the Rules of the Council that a
prepare and circulate model text special Committee called the Centr-
books to be used by State Govern- al Committee on Educational liter-
ments in the preparation of their ature, should be set up to under-
own textbooks and generally to act take this important task of prepa-
as a clearing house agency in ring textbooks and instructional
respect of the preparation, produ- material.
ction and distribution of textbooks.
2. Accordingly the Committee came
into being on 9-1-1962 with the
following members:
1. Dr. K. L. Shrimali (Chairman)
2. Dr. D. S. Kothari
3. Shri P. N. Kirpal
4. Shri P. C. Bhattacharyya
5. Dr. D. C. Pavate
6. * Dr. A. C. Joshi
* Co-opted.
266
7. *Dr. B. N. Ganguli
8. *Dr. Tara Chand
9. Shri Raja Roy Singh.
10. Shri T. K. N. Menon
11. *Dr. S. P. Chatterji
12. *Shri Hazari Prasad Dwivedi
3. The objectives of the CCEL :
(a) To assist in the
preparation and publication of
books, manuals and readers
designed as textbooks or
supplementary educational
material for use in educational
institutions, in langugages in
use in such institutions.
(b) To organise conference
and seminars for writers,
artists, illustrators,
publishers, librarians, and
others concerned with the
production of educational
literature for use in
educational insititutions.
(c) To promote and conduct
research in the production of
textbooks and other educational
literature.
(d) To commission writers,
illustrators and other experts
for preparing specific books.
(e) To prepare and bring
out book lists, arrange
exhibitions and organise
effective dissemination of
improved techniques of textbook
production.
(f) On behalf of the
National Council of Educational
Research and Training, to
advise the Government of India,
the State Governments and other
educational organisations and
institutions on matters
relating to the production of
textbooks and educational
literature and collaborate with
them in the furtherance of the
objects for which the Committee
is set up.
*Co-opted.
267
4. To implement its
objectives, the Committee was
vested with full powers to
incur expenditure out of the
funds placed at its disposal by
the Council with prior approval
of its Finance Committee; to
appoint sub-committees or
panels of experts for preparing
instructional material to
commission suitable authors and
illustrators for writing,
editing and revising the
instructional material, to
arrange for printing and
publishing the material
prepared; to fix and pay
remuneration; to create new
post; to arrange for
experimental try-out of the
material prepared and to
delegate special responsibility
to any member of the Committee
when necessary.
5. To carry through its
programme, the Committee has
set up eight subject panels.
The various panels will ensure
that the textbooks prepared by
them are of a standard that can
serve as a model for authors,
foster national integration and
mould the minds of the younger
generation along proper lines.
These textbooks are, therefore,
being prepared as a co-
operative project of eminent
scholars, teachers and
illustrators to ensure high
quality of context, presenta-
tion and production.
6. The names of these panels
and their Chairmen, and the
budget amount sanctioned for
each are given below:
Sl. Subject Chariman Amount
No. sancti
-oned
for each
1 Physic Dr.D.S. Rs.61816.00
Kothari
2 Chemistry Dr. J. C. Amount
Bardhan not yet
approved.
3 Biological Dr. P. Rs.75495.00
Sciences Maheshwari
268
Sl. Subject Chairman Amount
No. Sanctioned
for each
4 Georgraphy De. Geroge Rs. 78532.00
Kuriyan
5 Mathema- Dr. Ram Rs. 65602.50
tics Behari
6 History Dr. Tara Rs. 55657.50
Chand
7 General Dr. A.C.Joshi Amount
Science not yet
approved.
8. Hindi Dr. Nagendra Rs. 19962.30
7. The progress of work done by each
panel is given below:
Physics : The draft syllabus has been
circulated to the members of the Panel
for their comments. The work of writing
individual chapters of the textbook has
been assigned to professors eminent in
each area of specialisation. Each
professor will associate with himself one
school teacher selected out of those
recommended by the DPI's. They will
be Jointly responsible for writing the
chapter assigned to them. After the
first draft is completed by May 20, 1963,
the whole group will assemble for a
summer workshop to prepare the final
draft.
(ii) Chemistry : The Panel has been
constituted and the first meeting will be
held shortly.
(iii) Biological Sciences: The draft
syllabus has been prepared and sent to
professors for comments and suggestions.
(iv) Geography: The Panel has met twice
and allotted the work of writing
textbooks for the higher secondary
classes to different authors who have
been instructed to prepare the preli-
minary draft by September, 1, 1963.
269
(v) Mathematics : The Panel has drafted syllabuses for the primary and middle stages and begun its, work on the syllabus for the: higher secondary classes. Manusscripts of books for primary classes. have been invited through an open competition which provides for prizes to the four or five best books for each class. The members of the Panel will then meet in a workshop to finalise one book for each of the five primary classes from among the books selected as the best. For the middle classes, a board of four authors has been constituted which will start writing in April 1963.
(vi) History : The Panel has worked out syllabuses and budget estimates for all the three school stages. It has also worked out class-wise content for textbooks. and specifications for authors. A list of illustrations and a bibliography for the primary class. textbooks have also been prepared. The Chairman has explained and allotted the work to the selected writers of textbooks and the manuscripts are expected to be ready by August next.