Dr. R.G. Prabhune, Head Master, Tilak High School, Karad, Pune Letter dated 5th October, 1990

- We must create proper atmosphere to solve the educational problems. For that three terms are very important - Attitude, Approach, Atmosphere. Our thinkers and administrators must administer with proper approach so that the proper atmosphere will be created.

- Rural education is not given proper consideration. It must be a separate stream. The educational system should be flexible to cater to the separate needs to urban and rural population.

- The suggestions of providing "Hidden Curriculum" and "Value based Education" at various stages of Education require still more emphasis. The fast inflow of western consumerism be checked and Gandhian Philosophy be sprouted through curricula.

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- "Award and Punishment Method" should be adhered to, at all stages of Education, without prejudice and partiality.

Prof. D.P. Barooah, Vice-Chancellor, Gauhati University, Guwahati Letter dated 2nd October, 1990

- Degrees cannot be delinked; for different types of jobs in Government, Industries, Banks, etc., a national or regional test service minus conventional degrees may be provided for.

Shri N. Satyanarayana, President Constructive Forum, 39, Babar Road, New Delhi-110001, Letter dated 8.10.90.

- Free residential schools for all is the best way of giving equal education from root level.

- Education for all can easily be given on cheap lands i.e. in outskirts by gradually disposing of the urban educational properties. The process will fetch thousands of crores of rupees, which can be utilised for free residential schools in outskirts.

Dr. D.A. Ghanchi, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, North Gujarat University, Patna-384265 - Letter dated 5th October, 1990.

- The school hours need not be reduced. What is needed is to make every moment educative. This can be done by reducing the class size, by enriching the school climate, and by frequent retraining of the teachers.

- It is possible to involve the community and alumni in formal teaching as well as building up links between the school and community in a number of ways. School-adoption by corporate bodies, industries and business is an untapped resource.

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Professor Dr. Omkar N. Wakhlu, Consulting Engineering, Buchwara, Old Gangribal Road, Srinagar-190001 - Letter dated 30.9.90

- Our programmes or systems of formal schooling should truely concentrate on educating people i.e. helping people to bring their best potential to fruition. This will necessarily involve imparting of productive skills; focussing on values and self development; and bringing national and universal concerns of man including aesthetics, civic sense and environmental harmony.

- To make such education a people's movement will need very bold action. The one year school and college closure for mass literacy and education action proposed by the group led by Prof. Yash Pal could become a good start. The present bureaucratic stranglehold on all education has to be removed.

- The Incorporation of traditional knowledge and wisdom is an excellent suggestion. But before we even talk about it, let steps be taken to prepare and select proper reading material in these areas. This is most important.

- The idea of "Local Area Planning" and cluster of educational institutions is excellent. Detailed procedure and management style must be specified by concrete examples for each geographical region. These concepts of management and planning have to be made permanent features of the education system. Too frequent changes in management styles must be avoided.

- Night school system prevailing in United Kingdom for hundreds of vocational skills must be introduced in India.

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Shri M.C. Nanavatty, Consultant, Social Welfare and Development, S- 173, Greater Kailash-II, New Delhi-110048 - Letter dated 1.10.90

- It would be desirable to reflect on the concept of a Growth- centred education through teachers' training centres. Each Primary Teachers' Training Institute in Tehsil can be placed incharge of developing primary schools in its area of jurisdiction. Each Primary Teachers' Training Institute will look after 30 to 40 primary schools in the Tehsil. It will help the schools, through training of teachers, academic and field training, refresher courses and seminars, research and studies of field practices, guidance and supervision and creation of educational atmosphere in village through educational "melas" and festivals.

- Each village school should be developed as a community school, under the Panchyati Raj system of democratic decentralisation, giving responsibility of spreading education in the village community. The School Education Committee under the guidance of school head master and teachers should be entrusted with the responsibility of promoting education for children, youth, women and illiterate adults.

- The Secondary Teachers Training College in each district could be developed as a third tier of growth for education, giving responsibilities of helping Primary Teachers Institutes in the district for their development.

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Dr. M.A. Gode, Coordinator, M.P.F.L. Unit, University of Bombay, Letter - dated 28th September, 1990.

- In our country there is no dearth of creative ideas and innovative approaches as regards education. Every report for that matter aims at revolutionalising education with a view to making education an effective 'Change Agent'. However, the whole difficulty seems to be creeping up when it comes to the implementation of the creative ideas and the translation of innovative approaches into actual programmes. The creativity and innovative urges fizzle out due to various factors such as (a) resource constraints, (b) attitudinal barriers as regards teacher and parent communities, and (c) lack of political will.

Prof. S.P. Mukherjee, Dean, Faculty of-Science, University College of Science, Calcutta, Letter dated the 1st October, 1990.

- While rightly recognising the present age as one 'of science and democracy', the paper does not give much emphasis on science education (particularly at college/university levels) in terms of modalities and does not caution us on the possible abuse of a decentralised management of the educational system by unscrupulous but vocal representatives of our public life.

- While existing books have been branded as unreadable, no steps have been suggested for preparation of suitable learning materials (including non-book materials) for different levels of education in different regional languages.

- Reduction of school hours (with the majority of children having no facilities for learning outside schools), ungraded class rooms (to

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be looked after by few heavily loaded teachers), flexible school timings, relating content and process of learning with community life (not always in consonance with scientific temper, democratic values and secular ideas) etc. may be easier said than done.

- Decentralised school management seems to be a confusing and vague idea. The educational complex will be managed by the community while management of education will be the job of teachers. The flexibility in syllabi and curricula, content and process, evaluation and monitoring envisaged in the paper may defeat the objective of imparting school education of comparable standards throughout the country. It is apprehended that involvement of too many agencies in running the educational complex may complicate matters. The relationship of colleges and any university in the area/region with an educational complex has been left vague.

- The paper should suggest some concrete steps (not like the STEP) to link education (in technical schools/colleges/universities) with employment. The BITS, Pilani model may be examined for this purpose.

Shri G.D. Sharma, Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Orissa, Letter dated 2.10.90

- The education policy should be such that the interference by politicians of ruling party is nil in affairs of educational institutions. The local people should be entrusted with the management of institution.

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- The planning of entire education in a district should be done at district level. The recruitment of teachers in schools should be done by district recruitment board and preference be given to people of the locality in employment as teachers. This will solve most of the problems in development of schools education.

Dr. R.P. Singhal, Executive Director (Retd.), NIEPA, Former Chairman, CBSE and Consultant (Education), Asian Development Bank and Ed. CIL, letter dated 5.10.90.

- The paper is titled as "Perspective paper on Education" but perspective seems to be missing from it. Neither does the paper give any future educational scenario which may emerge after a certain length of time, nor does it indicate any specific goals to be achieved. It states that it is desired to build an enlightened and humane society, but that is only one of the important objectives of education. Any education which does not achieve this objective is no education.

- Instead of only local area planning, we should have multi-level planning of which local area planning is an important element.

Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai, Director, Centre for Adult Education & Extension, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Campus, Thiruvanathapuram (8.10.1990)

- The operational style of College/University campuses has to change considerably so that both teachers and students actively engage themselves in developmental activities of local priority and needs. Extension function at the appropriate levels has to be clearly chalked out and implemented.

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Dr. A.C. Banerjee, Professor of Chemistry & Head, Department of Science, Regional College of Education, Mysore (26th September, 1990)

- The concept of comparable quality of education to be provided to all students cannot be feasible for a country of our size with very high illiteracy and different socioeconomic and cultural background. Even the most developed countries have not ventured into this proposition. Then what should perhaps be attempted is a minimum standard of education which would be specified and efforts should be made to have the minimum standard in all our educational system. The Government should have political will and sufficient financial resources to provide minimum acceptable standard of education to all sectors particularly for school education.

- Genuine efforts should be made to identify institutions of excellence (not pockets of excellence), to provide all facilities to these institutions, nurture talents and provide enough educational facilities and finance for projects like 'research for excellence'.

Prof. R.S. Trivedi, Chairman, Higher Secondary Education Board, Gujarat State, Ahmedabad (19th Sept., 1990)

- The main points yet to be stressed are: (a) the relevance of the curriculum and its actual modus operandi; (b) balancing of the curriculum in respect to liberal education and vocational education and the quality to be achieved. Detailed clarifications are also required on a number of suggestions made in the paper.

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Shri Kshetna Mohan Giri, At&PO Mayurbhanj, Orissa (2.10.90)

- Higher educational institutions in India should be managed by the Government of India - so that national integration is promoted.

- Government of India should create Indian Education Service (IES) for implementation of National Education Policy.

Shri P.N.V. Narayan, Principal, Jnanodaya School, 135, I Block East, Jayanagar, Bangalore (27.9.90)

- Avoiding dichotomies is not practicable. There can be certain amount of blending between Formal and Non-formal and Academic and Vocational. But separate Non-formal and Vocational units are to be maintained, if any significant level of achievement is to be attained in the objectives of the two factors.

- Improving the quality of Government Schools, Reservation Policy in appointment and stringent economy measures are contradictory factors. If quality is to be improved teachers should be appointed purely on merit basis. There can be five years contract. Renewal of appointment should be on merit and performance. Teacher-student ratio should be kept at 1:40 and 1:50 at primary and secondary levels respectively.

- The process of recognition by the Government is a big hindrance to build up Education as People's movement. This can be achieved only when the concept of permission and recognition by the Government is removed.

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Shri Deepak Kumar Barua, Dean, Faculty Council for P.G. Studies in Education, Journalism & Library Science, University of Calcutta, Calcutta (26th September, 1990)

- The two words used in the title are significant - the first one enlightened meaning "elevated by knowledge and free from prejudice as well as superstition", while the second word humane signifying having the feelings proper to man; tender; merciful, humanising, as human letters, i.e. classical, elegant and polite". In short, both these terms appeal to and refine the head and heart of a human being who is expected to become a "total being" with his education in traditional subject as well as in fine arts including performing arts. But the perspective paper does not reflect these aspects of the enlightened and humane society of the future.

- The idea of a school which will "open-up and non-formalise in creative ways", though conceptually an ideal one, but it is very difficult to achieve because of the need for maintaining a uniform standard of school education throughout the country.

- It cannot be expected that all the people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes, other backward communities and minorities should always live in the so-called "educationally and socially backward areas". Such groups of people may reside in the sophisticated cities for livelihood, of course with all sorts of deprivations. The discussion paper has not dealt with the problems of the urban people belonging to these groups.

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The Chairman, Consumer Protection Council, 1/38, Housing Unit (Old), Thanjavur (5.10.1990)

- Consumer education should be recognised as a right. Lessons on consumerism at various levels of regular educational system may help the consumers to be knowledgeable. It will lead to consumer cautiousness and protection of their rights.

Shri B.N. Raghurama, Organising Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshana Mandals, Kaveri No. 21, 6th Cross Chamarajpet, Bangalore

- An autonomous National Education Authority should be established. It should be manned by educationists and educators without any sort of governmental interference. State and district units of the same authority will decentralise its functions. The Government will have the responsibility of financing the Authority only.

Shri M. Shatrugna, HIG/B-1/F13, Housing Board Flats, Bagh Lingampalli, Hyderabad (9th October, 1990)

- The Perspective Paper fails to locate the social, economic and political reasons that inhibit the weaker sections to enter the portals of the school, whether it is formal or non-formal. Experience has shown that even token incentives like mid-day meals, supply of dresses etc. had attracted the weaker sections into the school. An all India plan of such nature to attract the weaker sections be recommended.

- The concept of "De-linking degrees from jobs" is unworkable. In a society where caste, kinship relations, gender and parochialism are so dominant, the lower castes and the vulnerable sections like the women will be the worst sufferers in the proposed setting. In fact

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that will be the best way to prepetuate the upper class-upper caste hegemony in all spheres of activity. On the other hand we should aim towards "better quality degrees" which in turn should lead to the abolition of all sorts of "entrance tests".

- Academic autonomy combined with administrative autonomy should be tried at the school level as it is assumed that finances are provided by the State in Government and Aided Institutions. But egalitarianism is possible only when we do away with private schools.

Prof. A.M. Paramasivandam, Flounder President, Valliammal Education Trust, E-9, Anna Nagar, East, Madras-102 (7.10.90)

- Degrees must be given to the candidates, only after rendering one year social service in Villages. They may be asked to select some villages in groups and they must to stay there and do services in the field of education, sanitation, co-operation, national integration, unity and in other local level needs.

- In the matter of establishment of non-formal education centres, each village or slum is to be taken as unit since most of the illiterates are living in those places. The aim of the centre should not only be for teaching the three. 'R's, but should be improving the capability work. The basic aim should be to establish effective linkage between the world of school and the world of work.

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Shri Shridhar Vereker, near Goa, State Co-operative Bank-403401, Ponda-Goa (30.9.90)

- Education should be free and compulsory only upto age 14. After that it should be free only to the talented and not for all. Those who are not talented should after the age of 14 be compelled to join the vocational courses of their own choice.

- No job should be given to any person in private or public sector until and unless he makes minimum three illiterates, literate (of the age group from 15 to 45 years). This will solve the problem of illiteracy. Literacy missions, classes and centres in many places appear to be a farce. Those who are in service should not be allowed to cross the efficiency bar until and unless they make minimum three illiterates literates.

- Small residential schools with less than 500 students in each should be encouraged. It should be compulsory for the students and teachers of these schools to do manual labour for two hours every day.

Shri M. Srinivasa, Hony. Secretary, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Educational Trust, No. 37, 9th Cross, Sampangi Ramanagar, Bangalore - 560027 (4.10.90)

- The Education Policy should ensure the equal employment opportunities without any discrimination for all.

Dr. N.K. Oberoi, Director, Centre for Professional Development in Higher Education, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, (8.10.90)

- There is no mention of the role of politicians in educational system, politicisation of education teachers unions and students

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unions. Unless the role of politics and politicians in the educational system is clearly defined, no NPE or its review will serve any purpose.

Shri V.G. Hegde, Secretary, BNDSS HM'S and COMP PUC P's Association and Principal, D.V.V. Gujarati Shala, N.K.S. English High School, Majestic Circle, Bangalore-9