SUPERVISION AND INSPECTION
Modern Concept of Supervision and
Inspection Supervision and inspection are considered to be the major planks of any strategy to improve the quality and standard of school education. The National Education Commission (1966), while analysing the reasons for the breakdown of super- vision programmes in most states, stressed the need for introducing the new system of supervision in our schools. The commission considered this as one of the main problems in the reform of school education.
The traditional concept of supervision and ins- pection was authoritarian and rigid and did not include the element of professional guidance to teachers. The modern concept of supervision and inspection is more scientific, professional and demo- cratic in character and methods. The term supervision, accordingly, implies professional leadership by the head of the institution and senior teachers of the school in addition to similar guidance from outside supervisors. It is a dynamic function involving and stimulating the teachers while evaluating their performance with an ulti- mate view to improve the entire teaching-learning situation. Supervision, as such, involves demonstra- tion teaching, observation lessons, organisation of seminars, meetings and workshops, guidance in the preparation of institutional plans etc. This is, however, the ideal situation. In fact, it is the inspecting officers who supervise class room instruc- tion by virtue of their position in the educational administrative set-up. This also involves rating and indexing of teachers, finding out whether toe school has the prescribed number of qualified tea- chers, noting the state of the building and mainten- ance of accounts and records, looking into the observance of departmental rules and regulations, following the prescribed curricula and syllabi, proper utilisation of grants by private schools, and protec- tion of the rights of teachers serving in them.
Set-Up of the Inspectorate A brief account of the organisation of inspec- tion machinery in Uttar Pradesh has already been given in chapter III. The state has two directors of education (school and higher), eleven regional deputy directors of education and 54 district inspec- tors of schools. The directors are assisted in their work by joint, deputy and assistant directors. Each regional deputy director gets help from his district inspectors of schools, regional science development officer, regional agricultural supervisor, deputy inspector of urdu medium schools, and assistant inspector of sanskrit pathshalas. The district ins- pector of schools discharges his duties with the help of zila basic shiksha adhikari, deputy inspector of schools, sub-deputy inspectors of schools, assistant inspectress of girls schools, assistant commandant and heads of institutions. Some details concerning the various categories of inspecting personnel and their numbers for a sample of five representative districts, about which a more detailed study has been made in Uttar Pradesh, are given below:-
Pithoragarh
District Inspector of Schools 1
Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari 1
Deputy Inspector of Schools 1
Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools 11
Assistant Inspectress for girls Schools 1
----------
Total 15
-----------
83
Pauri-Garhwal
District Inspector of Schools 1
Associate District Inspector of Schools 1
Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari 1
Additional Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari
(Women) 1
Deputy Inspector of Schools 1
Deputy Inspectress of Schools for Girls 1
Additional Deputy Inspector of Schools 1
Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools 15
Assistant Inspectresses for Girls Schools 4
--------------------
Total 26
---------------------
Rai Bareli
District Inspector of Schools 1
Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari 1
Additional Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari
(Women) 1
Deputy Inspector of Schools 1
Deputy Inspectress of Schools for Girls 1
Additional Deputy Inspector of Schools 1
Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools 16
Assistant Inspectresses of Girls Schools 3
-----------------------
Total 25
------------------------
Gorakhpur
District Inspector of schools 1
Associate District Inspector of schools 1
Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari 1
Additional Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari
(Women) 1
Dy. Inspectress of Schools 1
Additional Dy. Inspector of Schools 1
Asstt. Inspectresses of Girls Schools 6
Superintendent of Education, Nagar Palika
Schools, Gorakhpur 1
Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools 31
----------------
Total 44
------------------
Varanasi
District Inspector of schools 1
Associate District Inspectors of Schools 2
Assistant Commandant 1
Assistant Supervisors 10
Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari 1
Additional Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari
(Women) 1
Deputy Inspector of schools 1
Deputy Inspectress of Girls Schools 1
Additional Deputy Inspector of Schools
(Rural Areas) 1
Deputy Inspector (Urdu Medium Schools) 1
Education Superintendent (for Municipal
Corporation Schools) 1
Assistant Inspectress of Girls Schools 8
Sub-Deputy Inspectors of Schools 27
--------------------
Total 56
--------------------
Responsibility of Inspection and Supervision The regional deputy director is charged with the responsibility for overall supervision of educa- tional activities in the districts comprising the region. His jobs include approval of the appoint- ments of principals of aided intermediate colleges and high schools, grant of scholarships, sanction of grants of different types to the schools, transfer and posting of teachers, clerks etc. when authorised by the director of education, sanction of leave, G.P.F. loans, serving as appellate authority for disputes between managements and teachers, appro- val of schemes of administration of schools under private managements, evaluation of plan work at regional level and coordinating it with other departments above district level. He is also responsible for organising regional sports and rallies. The regional inspectress of girls schools looks after the improvement of teaching work in secondary schools and intermediate colleges in her region. She is also responsible for promotion of co-curricular activities and for the organisation of games, sports, music and art competitions conducted at regional level.
Supervision and inspection of all educational activities in the district, so far as high school and intermediate education is concerned is the respon- sibility of the district inspector of schools. His work includes panel inspection of intermediate colleges, implementation of plan schemes, proposals for opening of new schools in consultation with
84
the district development committee, selection of site for school buildings, payment of salaries of employees of aided schools, approval of teachers, acceptance of management committees, counter- signing of scholarships and grant-in-aid bills, serving as a coordinating link with other depart- ments for the plan schemes and any other matters related to high school education. He is also res- ponsible for the conduct of district level sports and rallies. The associate inspector of schools helps the district inspector of schools in his duties and in inspection and panel inspection of 50% of the institutions.
The overall supervision of educational activities of primary and junior high schools in the district is the function of zila basic shiksha adhikari. His duties include the appointment and transfer of teachers of basic schools of the Basic Shiksha Pari- shad with the approval of the district inspector of schools, selection of candidates for B.T.C., drawing salaries of teachers of Basic Shikha Parishad and its other workers from the public ledger account and departmental budget and maintaining monthly abstract of income and expenditure in respect of the parishad at district level. An additional zila basi shiksha adhikari (women) is attached to the office of the zila basic shiksha adhikari to look after girls basic schools in the district. She is also in-charge of the office during the absence of zila basic ahiksha adhikari. All lady inspecting officials for basic schools work under her control and direction.
The deputy inspector of schools looks after the overall work of basic schools in rural areas of the district. He is officer-in-charge of zila parishad unit of the Basic Shiksha Parishad and is secretary of the Basic Shiksha Parishad at district level. He inspects basic schools and supervises the work of sub-deputy inspectors of schools. He is also res- ponsible for the conduct of junior high school and junior high school scholarships examina- tions. The additional deputy inspector of schools assists him in the discharge of his duties. The deputy inspectress of girls schools maintains the records of girls schools and lady teachers posted in them. She also inspects these schools with the help of assistant inspectresses of girls schools and helps the additional zila basic shiksha adhikari (women) in promoting girls' edu- cation in the district.
The sub-deputy inspector of schools assists the deputy inspector of schools in his duties viz. ins- pection of schools, conduct of examinations, selec- tion of teachers, selection for B.T.C., construction of school buildings through the public and the block development officer, distribution of teaching material to the schools and looking after depart- mental programmes in the block such as balahar, balganana, examinations, games, sports and rallies, salary distribution of basic school teachers and other employees. There is an assistant inspectress of girls schools who attends to the duties of sub- deputy inspector except pay distribution and assists the deputy inspectress of girls schools. A statement showing the jurisdiction of inspection authorities at regional, district and block levels may be seen in table I.
Table I
Jurisdiction of Regional, District and Block Level Officers
Sl. Officer Jurisdiction Category of No. of
No. Institutions Institutions
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
Regional Level
1. Regional Deputy Director of Whole Region Higher Schools, All institutions in the
Education junior High Schools region
and Basic Schools
for Boys
85
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
2. Regional Inspectress of Girls High Schools,
Schools junior High Schools
-do- and Basic Schools
for Girls -do-
3. Asstt. Inspector of Sanskrit Sanskrit Pathshalas
Pathshalas -do- -do-
4. Deputy Inspector of Urdu Urdu Medium
Medium Schools -do- Schools and Arabic
Madrasas -do-
District Level
5. District Inspector of Schools Whole District High Schools for All institutions of the
Boys district (For Associates,
6. Associate Distt. Inspector of if more than one, the
Schools number of institutions is
evenly divided)
7. District Inspectress of Girls High Schools for All institutions in the
Schools -do- Girls district
8. Zila Basic Shiksha Adhikari -do- Junior High Schools
and Primary Schools
for Boys -do-
9. Addl. Basic Shiksha Adhikari Junior High Schools
(Women) -do- and Primary Schools
for Girls -do-
10. Deputy Inspector of Schools Zila Parishad All institutions of the
Schools for Boys district. (In districts
11. Addl. Deputy Inspector of -do- where Addl. Deputy
Schools Inspectors have been
appointed, the number of
institutions is evenly divi-
ded between the Deputy
& Addl. Dy. Inspectors
of Schools)
12. Dy. Inspectress of Girls Zila Parishad All institutions of the
Schools -do- Schools for Girls district
86
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
Block Level
13. Sub-Deputy Inspector of Fixed Conti- Zila Parishad junior Nearly 60 institutions in
Schools guous Area of High Schools and plains and 40 in hills
One Block Primary Schools for
Boys
14. Asstt. Inspectress of Girls Zila Parishad junior -do-
Schools -do- High Schools and
Primary Schools for
Girls
Norms for Inspection It is laid down that each district inspector of schools has to inspect fully every recognised high school and intermediate college in the district at least once in two years. Such an inspec- tion would be for three days. A copy of the inspection report is sent to the regional deputy director of education who, if considered necessary, forwards it with his comments to the director of education. The district inspector of schools also regularly 'visits' these institutions. He has to visit a high school which has not been fully inspected in the year. The inspection report, among other things, contains particulars about teachers quali- fications and suitability, equipment, health, sports, and co-curricular activities, discipline, library, buildings, fees, financial management, attendance, examination results etc.
As for the junior high and primary stages, each sub-deputy inspector of schools or assistant inspectress of girls schools is expected to inspect 60 schools in a year in the plains and 40 schools in the hills. Under the scheme of providing employment to the educated unemployed, the Government of India has prescribed 125 teachers for inspection by a sub-deputy inspector of schools. The inspecting officer for junior high schools has to fully inspect each institution at least twice a year with a minimum interval of three-months. The first inspection is to be completed by the end of December and the second by the end of March of the academic year.
Panel Inspection There is no practice of panel inspection upto junior high school stage in the state. However, at the intermediate college level there is a provision for panel inspection of recognised institutions. The panel consists of 3 to 3 members including chair- man who is the district inspector of schools. The head of the intermediate college to be inspected is a member of the panel by virtue of his office. The panel is constituted by the regional deputy director of education keeping in view the fact that there is at least one specialist for each subject or group of subjects taught. For girls institutions, the regional inspectress of girls schools forms the panel. A copy of the proforma for panel inspection may be seen at appendix Ill. The panel reports give factual information on the institutions inspected and are suggestive in character for their improvement.
There is no rigid proforma for other inspection reports, apart from the one mentioned above. The panel inspection reports are submitted to director of education, secretary of the U.P. Board of High School and Intermediate Education and regional deputy director of education with a brief note on which departmental action regarding sanctioning grants, appointing authorised controller and serious shortcomings etc. are indicated. The principal of the institution is also apprised of the shortcomings and ways of removing them.
Scope of Inspection During the formal (panel and full) inspection of the institution, the inspecting officer with the
the help of his secretarial staff mainly deals with the following points:
- qualifications and fitness of the teaching staff
- provision and appliances for instruction
- health, recreation and co-curricular activities
- discipline among the students
- state of library
- state of school buildings and hostels
- scale of fees
- financial stability of the institution
- constitution of the managing body
- registers
- accounts and correspondence files
- attendance
- subjects taught and examination results
- temperance
- matters relating to services of the staff
In case of panel inspection, co-members of the panel submit their individual reports covering the above points with special reference to academic work to the district inspector of schools immediately after the inspection is over. The inspecting authority, with the help of these reports and on the, basis of his own observations coupled with statistical records of the institution inspected, pro- cesses, edits and compiles a comprehensive report. A salient point to be mentioned is that during the inspection the district inspector of schools and his co-members give model lessons to the students in the presence of other members of the staff. They also hold group discussions among the subject teachers and at the end of the inspection, a meeting of the whole staff, available members of the managing committee and of the inspectors is held where observations made during the inspection are discussed at length. These discussions find place in the body of the report. Another point worth mentioning is that during inspection outstanding teachers and students are identified and given special mention in the report so that the regional deputy director may bear these persons in mind for nomination on the panel boards and other relevant bodies.
The inspection report thus prepared, processed and compiled is sent to the principal/manager of the institution within 30 days of the inspection for its immediate compliance. Copies of the same are forwarded to the director of education, regional deputy director of education and secretary of the U.P. Board of High Schools and Intermediate Education. If any thing of a very serious nature is found during the inspection, a confidential report is also sent to the regional deputy director with suggestions and recommendations for immediate action. It is not necessary to cover all the above- mentioned points during a 'visit' to the institution. Moreover, the visit notes are sent only to the institution concerned for compliance unless there is something grave which needs to be brought to the notice of higher authorities.
Inspectional Charge of D.I.O.S. and Other
Staff Tables II and III give information about the number of institutions in the charge of various district inspectors of schools and their associated functionaries with respect to the 5 representative districts of Uttar Pradesh. It will be noted that the number of institutions under the charge of these officials appear to vary considerably among different districts in the state. The variation is from 50 to 131 in case of district inspectors of schools and front 817 to 2,147 in case of zila basic shiksha adhikaris. Size of the district, uneven growth of education, pattern of population, nature of physical features and economic and social development may be responsible for this variation. It will further be rioted that the average number of intermediate colleges and high schools under the charge of a D I.O.S. and his associate in Uttar Pradesh is 51 each, whereas the average number of middle and primary schools under the charge of a zila basic shiksha adhikari and his associate is 750 each.
88
Table II
District Educational Authorities and Number of Institution in Their Charge
(High Schools & Intermediate Colleges)
Sl. Name of Designation of Number of Institutions in the charge of Authority of Col. (3)
No. District District Educational ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authority Colleges High Schools All Institutions
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
1. Pithoragarh D. I. O. S. 15 35 50
2. Pauri-Garhwal D.I.O.S.
Associate D.I.O.S. 28 48 76
3. Rai Bareli D.I.O S. 22 18 40
4. Gorakhpur D. I. O. S.
Associate D.I.O.S. 73 58 131
5. Varanasi D.I.O.S.
Associate D.I.O.S. 68 47 115
Total 8 206 206 412
Table III
District Educational Authorities and Number of Institution in Their Charge
(Primary & Middle Schools)
Sl. Name of Designation of No. of Institutions in the charge of Authority of Column (3)
No. District District Educational --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authority Jr. High Junior Basic Pre-Primary Other All
Schools Schools Schools Institu- Institu-
tions tions
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
1. Pithoragarh B.S.A. 105 694 15 3 817
2. Pauri-Garhwal B.S.A.
A.B.S.A. 90 807 - 3 900
(Women)
3. Rai Bareli B.S.A.
A.B.S.A. 167 821 - - 988
(Women
4. Gorakhpur B.S.A. 1834 - 4 2,147
A.B. S. A. 309
(Women)
5. Varanasi B.S.A.
A. B. S. A. 331 1,547 - 13 1,891
(Women)
Total 9 1,002 5703 15 23 6,743