REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL EDN. COMMITTEE OF CABE, 1944

 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL
 EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE
 CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF
 EDUCATION, 1944 AS AMENDED AND
 ADOPTED BY THE BOARD AT THEIR
 ANNUAL MEETING IN JANUARY 1946.

Report of the Agricultural Education Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education, 1944 as amended and adopted by the Board at their annual meeting in January 1945.

At their tenth meeting held at Baroda in January 1944, the Central Advisory Board of Education considered the report of the Committee appointed by them to explore the mode of developing the facilities for technical education (including art and commercial education) in the country as a whole. In view of the great importance for this country of Agricultural Education, the Committee had left it out of their deliberations and had recommended the appointment of a special committee to consider the problem in all its aspects. The Board therefore appointed the following Committee to examine and report on the problem of Agricultural Education :-

W. H. F. Armstrong, Esq., C.I.E., M.A., I.E.S., D.P.I., Punjab.

The Hon'ble Pir Illahi Bakhsh Nawazali, Minister for Education, Sind.

Rao Bajadur Sir V. T. Krishnamachari, K.C.I.E.

Gaganvihari L. Mehta, Esq., M.A. (Ex-President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce).

S. N. Moos, Esq., C.I.E., M.A., I.E.S., D.P.I., Bombay.

John Sargent, Esq., C.I.E., M.A., Educational Adviser to the Government of India.

Sardar Bahudur Sardar Ujjal Singh, M.A., M.L.A. (Punjab).

The Chairman was authorised, to nominate a suitable number of agricultural experts to serve on the Committee.

2. In accordance with the power conferred by the Board, the Chairman of the Board invited the following additional members to serve :-

1. L. K. Elmhirst, Esq., Special Adviser, Agricultural Department, Government of Bengal.

2. Dr. Sam Higginbottom, Principal, Agricultural College, Naini.

3. Sir Pheroze Kharegat, C.I.E., I.C.S., Additional Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Education, Health and Lands.

4. Dr. F. C. Minett, D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., Director, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar- Kumaon.

5. Sir Rao Bahadur G.N. Rangaswami Ayyangar, Madras.

3. The Chairman of the Board appointed Rao Bahadur Sir V. T. Krishnamachari as Chairman of the Committee.

4. The Committee met at Now Delhi on the 11th and 12th December 1944. The following members were present :-

1. Rao Bahadur Sir V. T. Krishnamachari (Chairman).

2. W. H. F., Armstrong, Esq.

4. Sir Pheroze Kharegat.

5. Dr. F. C. Minett.

6. Sri Rao Bahadur G. N. Rangaswami Ayyangar.

7. John Sargent, Esq.

Dr. D. M. Sen, M.A., Ph.D. (London), Secretary, Central - of Education, was Secretary of the Committee.

The following members were unable to be present :-

1. L. K. Elmnirst, Esq.

2. The Hon'ble Pir Illahi Bakhsh Nawazali,

3. Gaganvihari L. Mehta, Esq.

4. S. N. Moos, Esq.

5. Sardar Bahadur Sardar Ujjal Singh.

5. The agenda which the Committee considered is set out in the annexure.

The following additional papers were circulated to the members

(1) A note on the existing facilities for Agricultural Education in India

(2) Note by Dr. Sam Higginbottom, Principal, Allahabad Agricultural Institute.

(3) Report of the Committee on Post-War Agricultural Education in England and Wales.

6. The following papers were laid on the table:-

(1) A statement showing the, facilities available in India for Agricultural Education (including Education in Animal Husbandry and Dairying).

(2) A statement showing the qualifications required of teachers in Agricultural (including Veterinary and Dairy) institutions in India and their scales of pay.

7. The Technical Education Committee (1943), whose Report has been endorsed by the Board and as a result of whose recommendation this Committee came to be appointed, observed that Agricultural Education, which includes Education in Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, " should be regarded as an essential branch of Technical Education, and should be closely linked up with the other branches." The Committee see no logical reason to differ from that -view, but they are of opinion that in view of the special circumstances of India it will be necessary at any rate for some time to come to maintain the existing system and deal with Agricultural Education separately.

8. It is perhaps unnecessary to define here the nature, scope and function of Agricultural Education since they are essentially the same as those of- Technical Education generally. It is therefore suggested that reference should be made to the Report of the Technical Education Committee in which the subject has been adequately discussed. All that need be done here is to point out that -Agricultural Education should not be regarded as a single, uniform type, of instruction. It must necessarily vary according to the needs of the different types of persons who will desire it. Broadly speaking, some will require instruction in an agricultural science and others training in scientific agriculture. A proper system of Agricultural Education should therefore aim at providing (a) general education, combined with practical training in agriculture suited to the needs of future farmers, and (b) special education for persons who will advise farmers its administrators or organisors, and (c) more advanced scientific and practical instruction of different standards for those persons whose object it is to be teachers or research workers.

9. The existing facilities in this country for Agricultural Education can at best be described as meagre. There are at present in British India, in addition to (a) the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute, the only institution of its kind, (b) seven Agricultural Colleges, (c) two Arts and Science Colleges which have a Department of Agriculture and (d) 19 Agricultural Schools. On the Animal Husbandry side there are besides (a) the Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar, the only post-graduate institution, (b) five Veterinary Colleges. For education in Dairying there is only the Imperial Dairy Institute, Bangalore, though the Allahabad Agricultural Institute also provides

training for the Indian Dairy Diploma. While no stage of Agricultural Education is adequately provided for one is particularly struck by the niggardly provision for research and by perhaps an even greater neglect of the needs of practical farmers, including cattle farmers and dairymen.

Nor can the existing provision be considered satisfactory in regard to the quality of instruction. With a few notable exceptions, the instruction given in the existing institutions tends to be somewhat too theoretical or at best, too idealistic and unrelated to the actual conditions of the country. It would perhaps not be an unfair comment to say that a graduate in Agriculture who is placed on a farm is likely to find that he must unlearn a great deal before he can utilise properly the useful knowledge of certain fundamental principles which he has acquired. If, therefore, the Agricultural branch of education is to play its proper role in the impending development of the country, it must be improved very considerably and at once.

10. Apart from the needs of private farmers and teachers in agriculture institutions, increased and improved facilities are required to meet the requirements of the development programmes of the Agriculture Departments of the Central and Provincial Governments. It is estimated that during the next 10-15 years the personnel required by Government Departments for development of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry will be as follows :-

Agriculture :

20,000 Field Assistants (Kamdars).

10,000 Non-graduate Assistants.

1,500 Graduate Assistants.

300 Gazetted Officers (Class I and Class II).

Animal Husbandry :

20,000 Stockmen.

4,000 Inspectors. (Graduates, of the rank of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons).

550 Gazetted Officers (Class I and Class II).

To enable one to consider the full implications of the above Programme, so far as institutions of Agricultural Education are concerned, the nature and length of the training required, for the different grades of personnel may also be stated here.

Agriculture :

Field Assistants.-One year's course at a Farm Institute which will be located on a model Farm.

Non-graduate Assistant:- 2years' course at a special Agricultural

School or the normal course at an Agricultural High School.

Graduate Assistants.-4 years' course at an Agricultural College or University.

Gazetted Officers.-A suitable post-graduate course of at least 2-3 years duration.

Animal Husbandry

Stockmen and Compounders.-One year's course partly at a Departmental laboratory and partly at a Farm Institute, which, is equipped for training, in Animal Husbandry.

Inspectors (or Veterinary Assistant Surgeons)-4 years' course at a Veterinary College.

Gazetted officers.-A suitable post-graduate course.

It is obvious that in order to meet these demands it is necessary to bring into existence as early as possible a comprehensive and planned system of Agricultural Education.

11. " Education from the earliest stages observed the Technical Education Committee, " should aim at making boys and girls familiar with practical as well as academic subjects." From the point of view of agriculture, it may be added that adequate provision should be made in Junior Basic (Primary) Schools for Nature Study and practical gardening of an elementary character, A small garden is in any case a very desirable adjunct to a Junior Basic school. Apart from this, however, it is unnecessary to include Agricultural Education as such in the curriculum of any Junior Basic School.

12. (i) It can be assumed that a very large number of Senior Basic (Middle) Schools will adopt Agriculture as the basic craft which will integrate the entire curriculum. It will be in these schools that a boy or girl will obtain the first introduction to the regular study of Agriculture, and it will be these schools which will produce the bulk of farm hands and the lowest grade personnel of the Government Departments of agriculture. In view of the practical character of the instruction to be given in there schools it is perhaps unnecessary to mention that, they should also encourage their pupils to keep a few animal pets. The schools themselves will no doubt keep some for instructional purposes.

(ii) It is contemplated that there will be two main types of High' School. (a) academic 'High Schools, and (b) those of a more practical type, called Technical High Schools. A variation of the latter will be the Agricultural High Schools, which will give the same standard of education as academic High Schools, except that its instruction will be more practical and will have a strong agricultural bins. It is to be expected that Agricultural High Schools will be mostly in rural areas, but there is no reason why such a school should not be located in a small country town or just outside what may technically be an urban area. Indeed, if the town and country are not to form two separate worlds, it is to be hoped that a large number of urban students will go into Agricultural High Schools -and that Technical High schools will contain a fair number of students from rural areas.

(iii) The lowest type, of a professional institution for Agricultural Education will be the Farm Institute, which will be located on a Model Farm. It will in fact be rather the instructional side of a Model Farm. The Farm Institute will provide training for Kamdars and Stockmen.

(iv) It is contemplated that the existing type of a special Agricultural School will continue for the present but that it will be possible to do away with it when Agricultural High Schools have developed sufficiently.

(v) Students of Agricultural High Schools, and some perhaps of other High Schools also, will pass on to Agricultural Colleges or Agriculture Departments of 'Universities if they desire to proceed to higher studies; and are fit to do so These institutions will prepare students for the degree course which, will be of at least of 3 years' duration in the case of candidates proceeding from an Agricultural High School and four years' duration in the case of those who join after completing their course in an academic High School. These institutions will also prepare students for post-graduate courses of varying duration.

(vi) The top branch of the educational tree. Will be central institutes of advanced research such as the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute and the imperial Veterinary research Institute. These institutes will provide facilities for the invest type of instruction and research and will be the principal recruiting ground for the highest class of experts and research worker.

In addition to the regular full-time courses which will be provided in the institutions detailed above adequate facilities should also be provided for those who are already engaged in agriculture in one capacity or another and desire to improve their knowledge, and also for High School leavers and such others as may intend to take up farming and wish to have a short course of practical.

training. It is, therefore, expected that Agricultural Colleges as well as special Agricultural Schools and Farm Institutes will also arrange short term extension or refresher courses in particular branches of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, including Veterinary Science, Dairying, Poultry Farming, state Management etc. The nature, content and duration of tag different types will be determined, from time to time according to actual needs and in the light of experience.

13. It has been stated above that post-school Agricultural Education, except the most advanced types of research, Will be provided in Agricultural Colleges or Agriculture Departments (or Faculties) of Universities. The latter have no doubt several advantages arising, from the close association of their students and teachers with those engaged in other studied. It should however be emphasised that, not withstanding such advantages, if these Depart- ments (or faculties) of Universities are to serve as real alternatives to Agricultural Colleges, it is necessary that they should be adequately equipped 'and staffed.

14. The value of educational tours generally needs no emphasis. It is perhaps even greater for a practical subject like Agriculture. Indeed where students of Agriculture have once experienced the benefits of all educational Our they have almost always asked for more, even at considerable expense and inconvenience to themselves. It is therefore hoped that educational tours will Tic a regular and important activity of Agricultural Colleges and similar institution.

15. Another extra curricular activity, the need for which in agricultural institutional 'appears to be considerable is the art of public speaking. This is particularly important for those who desire to serve as advisers to farmers. It is not an infrequent experience to find a field worker otherwise knowledgeable and efficient, Who is quite unable to express himself clearly and make farmers understand that he is trying to tell them.

16. All school examinations will be conducted by appropriate educational authorities, and there, will be no difference in this respect between schools with an agricultural character and other schools. In the post-school stages, however,the question of the examining authority arises, because in addition to agricultural Departments, attached to Arts and Science Colleges and Agricultural Departments (or Faculties) of Universities, there will also be independent Agricultural colleges. The committee, are however, of the opinion that,in order to maintain uniform standards and to secure a wide, recognition for the students of Agricultural Colleges all examinations for the Bachelor's and higher degrees should be conducted by Universities. Diplomas and certificates for short courses as well as for courses of advanced research will, however, be awarded by the institutions concerned.

Where degrees or diplomas are awarded on the basis of an examination, it is suggested that there should be Iwo external examinations in a four-year course-one at the end of the first two years and the other at the end of the course. In the case of a three year course, however, there Should be only one external examination at the end of the course. If it is considered necessary or desirable to hold one or more tests at earlier stages they should be conducted internally and should cause as little disturbance as possible to the progress of the course.

17. With the growth of a large and comprehensive system of Agricultural Education it will be still more necessary to ensure that the institutions concerned maintain proper standards of instruction and training. It is therefore suggested that the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research should set up a Council of Agricultural Education (including as understood throughout this report, education in Animal Husbandry Paid Dairying). The functions

of this Council will be mainly advisory, but it will be one of its most important duties to keep itself acquainted with the standards of instruction prevailing in the higher agricultural institutions. It should also be able to make its voice heard and thus ensure proper standards if it is given the power to endorse diplomas and certificates issued by higher institutions, of agricultural education and also to wake recommendations to the appropriate authorities in regard to the standards of agricultural instruction and examinations in Universities.

With regards to the composition of the Council it is obviously desirable that it should consist of persons who are regarded as experts in their own subject and whose word will therefore carry weight. It is also necessary that the Education Department should be represented on the Council so that proper coordination may be secured in the administrative field between the lower and higher stages of instruction.

REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF EDUCATION, 1944 AS AMENDED AND ADOPTED BY THE BOARD AT THEIR ANNUAL MEETING IN JANUARY 1946.