(vi) In-service training programme for existing teachers of science and mathematics working in middle schools.- There are at present about 90,000 middle schools where science is taught as an integrated course of general science. In order to train the existing teachers of these schools to teach science course as individual disciplines of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology, a two month in-service training course will be organised through selected teacher training colleges. During the plan period about 40,000 teachers at the rate of two teachers each from a middle school will be trained to handle the new courses in science and mathematics. The cost of this phased programme will be Rs. 89 lakhs.
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(vii) Provision of a science study-room and equipment for senior elementary schools.In order to have the desired effect through a programme of science teaching, it is necessary for children to have first-hand experience of science. To achieve this, it is proposed that 20,000 selected middle schools may be assisted to build a science study-room and equip it fully for showing demonstrations and doing some individual pupils' laboratory work. A sum of Rs. 5,000 per school as building grant on a matching basis and another Rs. 5,060 for purchase of furniture, storage facility and equipment is proposed. The cost of this programme will be Rs. 2 crores (non-recurring).
Incentive payments to teachers 14. Elementary teachers who improve their academic and professional qualifications will be given incentive payments. Teachers at this stage will be encouraged to pass the matriculation or higher academic examinations and/or take their pofessional training through regular, short-term or correspondence courses. An ad hoc provision of Rs. 5.00 crore is made for this purpose. General increase in salary scales of the existing teachers will be met from non-Plan resources. It may also be mentioned that the question of expanding and improving both pre-service and in-service training of teachers has been dealt with in a separate note.
Strengthening of Inspecting staff 15. Regular supervision and guidance are necessary to improve the quality of instruction in primary and middle schools. The general question of improving the quality of inspection etc. has been discussed in a separate note. Here it is necessary to state that in view of the large expansion envisaged in the Fourth Plan, it will be necessary to appoint additional inspecting staff. At present the expenditure on inspection and direction forms about 4% of the total direct cost on education. Assuming the same proportion of expenditure during the Fourth Plan, the cost of additional staff for the inspectorate will be about Rs. 9.40 crore.
Conclusion 16. Statement III gives the details of the outlay required for elementary education in the Fourth Plan in order to achieve the targets suggested in the present note. The total provision for elementary education excluding that for pre-service and in-service traning of teachers, adds up to about Rs. 330 crore. It may be pointed out that the outlay suggested for this sector in the draft Outline of the Fourth Five Year Plan (1966-71) was Rs. 322 crore. Since then salary scales of the teachers have been revised upwards in all the States leading to a steep rise in the per capita cost of education in tan elementary school. Therefore, there is no scope, whatsoever, for further reduction in the allocation for elementary education, suggeted in this paper.
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STATEMENT III
Elementary Education-Government Cost of Programmes in the Fourth Plan
(Rs. crores)
TOTAL COST OF COST OF
NAME OF SCHEME COST BUILDINGS EQUIPMENT
1. Pre-primary education 1.00 0.15 0.15
2. Additional enrolment
(a) classes I-V 151.30
(b) classes VI-VIII 84.85
(c) Part-time literacy classes 10.00
TOTAL (Additional enrolment) 246.15
3. Special programmes for girls 20.00 5.00
4. School meals land free text-books
(a) School meals 10.00
(b) Text-books 3.00
TOTAL (Mid-day meals & text-books) 13.00
5. Reduction of wastage and stagnation 1.00
6. Qualitative improvement
(a) Strengthening of State Institutes of Education 1.50 0.20 0.10
(b) Buildings and equipment
(i) Classes I-V 14.70 12.50 2.20
(ii) Classes VI-VIII 12.00 10.00 2.00
(c) Introduction of work experience 5.00 1.50
TOTAL (Qualitative improvement) 33.20 22.70 5.80
7. Strengthening of teaching of science
(i) Strengthening of existing 1400 teacher training
schools 1.40 1.40
(ii) Provision of science kits to 21,000 primary
schools 0.42 0.42
(iii) In-service training of 21,000 Primary school
teachers 0.41
(iv) Twenty mobile laboratory-cum-training vans 0.17 0.17
(v) Establishing 150 science training centres 16.74 6.00 1.50
(vi) In-service training of 14,000 middle school
teachers 0.89 0.05
(vii) Science study rooms & equipment for 20,000
middle schools 2.00 1.00 1.00
TOTAL (Science Education) 22.03 7.00 4.54
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(Rs. crores)
TOTAL COST OF COST OF
NAME OF SCHEME COST BUILDINGS EQUIPMENT
8. Incentive payments to teachers 5.00
9. Provision of additional inspecting staff 9.40
TOTAL 350.78 34.85 10.49
Since items Nos. 6(a), 7(i), 7(iii), 7(iv), 7(v) and 7(vi) relate to teacher
training, provision for these items is being made in the teacher training sector.
Thus the net provision for Elementary Education will be Rs. 329 - 67 crores of
which Rs. 28.65 crore is for buildings and Rs. 7.27 crore for equipment.
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