APPENDIX `O' SUPPLEMENTARY ITEM (iii) EXTENT AND MANNER OF TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY IN THE SCHEME OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TO PANCHAYATI RAJ INSTITUTIONS AT N.E.S. BLOCK LEVELS IN RURAL AREAS
With the establishment of Panchayati Raj institutions in diffe- rent parts of the country a question which has to be considered is the extent to which authority in the matter of elementary education is to be delegated to such bodies.
2. Decentralised authority in this sphere implies (a) authority over the elementary school teachers including the power for transfer, punishment and recording of entries and (b) authority over the supervisory staff of such teachers. Government of India in the Ministry of Community Development, it is understood, view that in both these matters authority should be transferred to a large extent to Panchayati Committees at the N. E. S. Block levels. While there are bound to be local adaptations it is necessary that there should be a broad general uniformity in the approach to this question in all the States. Since in some States, a decision may have to be taken without waiting for the report of the Primary Education Sub-Committee of CABE which is seized of this issue, it is necessary that this question be considered at this session of the CABE. It would, therefore, be useful if (a) the position prevailing at present in different States in this respect, (b) the changes, if any, which are contemplated in the near future, are taken into account and an all India objective laid down for guidance of the State Education Departments.
3. The position in Uttar Pradesh may be given as an illustra- tion. Elementary education in rural areas had so far been entrusted to elected District Boards. These bodies invested a certain quantum of their revenues for provision of primary education. This was supplemented by grants given to the Boards from the Government which varied according to the financial condition, of different Boards. The Chairman of the Board was a non-official. He had under him a gazetted officer of the Education Department designated as Deputy Inspector of Schools who assisted and advised the Board in all matters pertaining to organisation,inspection and maintenance of proper standards, in the elementary schools. The Chairman had appointing and punishing authority over the teachers. The District Boards have now been reconstituted and designated as Zila Parishads (District Councils). The Deputy Inspector of Schools, aided by a number of Sub-Deputy Inspectors, assists the President of the Zila Parishad in carrying out the responsibility of the Board in respect of elementary education. There have now
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been constituted Panchayati Committees in charge of the area Com- prising one N. E. S. Block below the district level. These Block Committees function through a non-official Block Pramukh and Block Development Officer working as the executive officer of the Committee. These N. E. S. Blocks are run at the State level under the charge of the Community Development Department. It is being' Pressed that the entire working of elementary education should-be transferred to these Block Committees for administrative purposes.
4. The proposal, inter alia, has the following implication
(1) Power of transfer of teachers of' elementary schools which so far vested in the Zila Parishads at the district level, be delegated to the Block Committees.
(2) The authority for making entries in the character rolls of the teachers and the headmasters be delegated to the Block Committees.
(3) The Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools, who have so far been working under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector of Schools attached to the Zila Parishad at the district headquarters be shifted to the Block Headquartes. These officers should work under the supervision of the Block Development Officers who will have the power to regulate their programme and to make entries in the character rolls.
5. This proposal appears to have some advantages. These may be recapitulated :
(1) The Block Committees are in close touch with the needs and requirements of the village population, They would be able to mobilise greater support and raise resources for educational purposes.
(2) The Committee will be in a better position to which the working of the elementary schools. Immediate action would be taken by the Committee if any teacher is found negligent in work.
(3) The Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools would be able to do more effective touring and keep in closer touch with the villages if their headquarters are shifted from the district level to the Block level.
6. On the other hand, the proposal has disadvantages, e.g.,
(a) Board policy decisions in respect of elementary education will have to be taken at the level of the Government of India in the Ministry of Education for coordinating the quantitative and qualitative progress all over the country. These are at present communicated to the State Government in the Education Department. After such processing, as may be necessary these are conveyed to the district levels and from this level to the remotest village school through the agency of these inspecting officers functioning at the district headquarters under the control of a senior officer of the Education Department. When these inspecting officers are shifted to the Block Headquarters and are placed under the control of the Block Development Officer, this channel of transmission
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of directional policy matters from the district Headquarters to the village schools is likely to 'be hampered. The Block Development Officer is pre-occupied with matters other than education and is not in a position to appreciate the detailed execution of educational instructions. The effect of this may be that at the block level, the educational administration may not be fully responsive to the required policy directions in this sphere of education. A pilot experiment carried out in one Revenue Division of the State showed that once the inspecting officers of the education department are placed under the charge of the Block Development Organization there is a strong temptation on their part to divert the services of these officers for purposes other than that of education.
(b) Against the advantage of a local authority close to the teacher being empowered to take disciplinary or semi-disciplinary action promptly as in the case of a transfer there would be greater disadvantage if local considerations which colour village functionalism and personal prejudices of members of Panchayati Committees determine such transfers. It has been urged that the distant authority exercised at present by the Adhyaksh of Zila Parishads in the matters of transfer is necessary for the morale and status of the teacher. In Uttar Pradesh the power of the President itself has been limited to transfers within 15% of the total cadre of the teachers. Further, even these orders are to be passed after consultation with the District Inspector of Schools. In short, it appears necessary to ensure that the teachers have a certain degree of freedom from fear of being transferred or punished on account of extraneous considerations if they are to discharge their duties properly.
(c) It is agreed on all hands that village communities should be actively associated with such schools and that they should have a positive role in the provision and improvement of facilities for elementary education.
This association can, however, be secured by establishment of village advisory committees which may be associated with the schools for mobilising local enthusiasm and resources for promotion of school activities including provision for midday meals. This, by and large, is already being done. This association has not, however, necessarily implied decentralization of administrative authority to such bodies for the running of the schools. As regards the association of the Panchayati Committees at the block level, one view is that 'the character of their association may, as far as possible, be one of the advice and assistance with administrative authority limited to coordination.
7. The Conference is requested to consider these and other aspects and decide as to what should be the guiding trend in dele- gation of atuhority in the sphere of elementary education to Pancha- yati Raj institutions.