 SECONDARY EDUCATION

11.1 Unlike other areas of education, secondary education was not dealt with by the NPERC Report in a single chapter. The recommendations of NPERC relating to Secondary Education were dispersed in several chapters such as Chapter 8 "Education and Right to Work", Chapter 11 "Languages in Education" and Chapter 12 "Content and Process Education." These recommendations have been dealt with in 3a3 Š this Report in the chapters corresponding to Chapters 8, 11 and 12 of NPERC. This committee also considered Paper No.D-14 entitled "Secondary Education" which was circulated by the Department of Education. This Paper considers the whole gamut of secondary education, calls for greater attention to secondary education and spells out some of the measures needed to expand the coverage and improve the management, content and process of secondary education.

NPE Prescriptions

11.2 The NPE prescriptions in regard to secondary education are briefly as follows:

i) Access to secondary education should be widened to cover unserved areas

ii) In other areas, main emphasis should be on consolidation

iii) conscious internalisation of a healthy work ethos and of the values of a humane and composite culture would be brought through appropriately formulated curricula

iv) Navodaya Vidyalayas for talented children largely from rural areas

v) Vocationalisation of Education.

Expansion of Secondary Education Facilities

11.3 We took note of the impact of total literacy campaigns and efforts so far made in elementary education on the demand for secondary education. While unserved areas, particularly hill and desert districts, remote and inaccessible areas and islands, should continue to have a priority, it would be necessary to bring about a planned expansion of secondary education facilities all over the country in order to cope with new demands for secondary education. Removal of disparities and equalisation of educational opportunities should inform such expansion. The participation of girls, and students of disadvantaged sections, particularly in science and commerce streams, has been lower. Special measures are needed to improve their participation.

Education Structure

11.4 New initiatives are needed to improve the operationalisation and management of secondary education. We also note that the management structures for secondary education are not uniform; in some States the +2 stage is still outside of the school system. Though the 10+2+3 system has become near universal, there are differences among the States in the break up of first ten years of schooling. We 3˜3 Š advocate that efforts should be made to bring about uniformity in the management structure for secondary education in all the States. It is also necessary to ensure that the break up of the first ten years of schooling should be as envisaged in para 3.3 of NPE and is uniform in all States.

Boards of Secondary Education

11.5 Apart from a restructuring of the management system, it is imperative to improve the functioning of the Boards of Secondary Education which are expected to provide the academic inputs. In most States these Boards have been functioning only as bodies for conduct of public examinations and that too not in an optimal manner. Instances are not wanting where non-academic public personalities have been appointed to head the Boards. This practice should be done away with. It is necessary to reorganise the Boards and invest them with autonomy so as to enhance their ability to provide academic inputs to secondary education. The Boards should play an active role in curriculum design and upgradation' updating textbooks and teaching- learning material, and examination reforms.

Heads of Educational Institutions

11.6 Para 10.7 of NPE calls for a very important role to be assigned to the heads of educational institutions. The NPERC also calls for the heads of institutions to be delegated with meaningful authority. We strongly advocate that time-bound measures should be taken by the Central and State Governments to implement these directions and to empower the Headmasters with administrative, academic and financial powers. Training of the heads of institutions requires particular attention.

11.7 We have spelt out our views on examination reforms in the chapter "Content and Process of Education." Here we emphasise the essentiality of examination reforms and call for coordinated efforts by the Central and State Governments on the following lines:

i) Preparation of a status report of Examination Reforms undertaken by various Boards,

ii) Preparation of a National Examination Reform Framework to serve as a set of guidelines to the examining bodies which would have the freedom to innovate and adapt the framework to suit the specific situation,

iii) Introducing Examination Reform in CBSE-affiliated schools for a few years, and

iv) Developing an effective mechanism for co-ordination and monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of examination reforms undertaken by the Boards. 3Ï3 Š

Teacher Training

11.8 Teacher training in secondary education requires no less emphasis than in primary education. The revitalisation of pre-service training needs to be taken up as a major enterprise. Pre-service training should be a pre-condition of recruitment of TGTs. The SIEs and SCERTs should be strengthened and their purview extended to include secondary education. Programmes for in-service training of teachers need to be taken up.

Computer Literacy

11.9 Computer literacy needs to be given special emphasis. In the emerging technological paradigm, computer literacy is as essential as literacy and numeracy. The ongoing programme of CLASS needs to be revamped. The endeavour should be to provide universal access to computer literacy in all secondary and senior secondary schools.

Teaching of Science, Mathematics and Languages

11.10 The scheme of improvement of science education was taken up after NPE and mainly concentrated on expansion of physical facilities such as libraries and laboratories. Mathematics education and teacher training need be given more stress. Language teaching including teaching of English needs greater attention.

Open Learning System

11.11 Considering the resource constraints, the open learning system has an important role in the universalisation of educational opportunities. The flexibility and innovativeness of the open learning system are particularly suited to the diverse requirements of the pluralist clientele. While reducing the pressure on the formal system, it offers facilities for continuing education to those who had to move out of the formal system at various stages, including those who had joined the vocational stream. It thus both broadens the access to education and helps the dropouts to get back to the mainstream. We are, therefore, of the view that the open learning be given utmost encouragement and that the National Open School should play the same lead role within the open school system as IGNOU with open universities.