CONTENT AND CURRICULUM
 

Dr. H.S. Singha, Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi - (24th September, 1990)

- School curriculum should be constantly reviewed with the possibility of adding newly emerging concepts and weeding out dead wood. It is, however, felt that the impression about curriculum load which seems to be symbolised many a time by the load of the school bag seems to have been generated by recent changes in curriculum and the emphasis on textbooks as the main tool of teaching. The CBSE faculty, therefore, feels that it is only one of the educational myths based on the banking concepts of education. The student's mind is very flexible and can absorb any curriculum provided it is properly planned and taught. The Committee, should therefore, lay greater emphasis on Improvements in teaching and on enhancing professionalism among teachers.

Dr. Ramjee Singh, Professor & Head, Department of Gandhian Thought, Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur - letter dated 29.9.90

- As a practical measure, the empowering people for work must start at the pre-primary level and at the Secondary level, the student should be made to acquire atleast one skill so that he can earn his livelihood. At the University level, education of arts must be discouraged and engineering, medical and other technical students should be tagged with concerned industries, workshops and hospitals as far as possible to lessen the financial burden of the Government as well as to make their education practically more perfect.

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- As a starting measure, I would suggest introduction of half-half system as practised in Mao's China or on a small scale at Acharya Rama Murti's Shram-Bharati. The practice of the method of correction may also be combined as far as possible. But the course must contain half of theory and half of work.

- From the point of view of making education rooted in our culture and for the unity and integrity of the nation, the committee must emphasise the need of greater appreciation of the need of synthetic culture of India. Students should know the basic and common elements of all religions. In a multi-religious and multi-racial country, the knowledge of synthesis of different strands of Culture is necessary. Indian culture is a culture of peace. The perspective paper should have thrown light on the role of Education for Peace. There is a great need of directing our efforts to generate and strengthen forces of understanding, harmony and peace.

Dr. U.C. Upadhyay, Vice-Chancellor, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Faizabad (Uttar Pradesh), Letter No. 10480/N-11/PA-VC, dated 20.9.90

- Regarding maintenance of quality of education, it would be necessary to re-orient our education system on need base. In doing so, probably we may have to think about vocationalisation in all the types of education so that middle level technicians are produced to be employed by the different agencies and also such students getting self-employed.

- To make education and specially agricultural education, relevant to life, the courses need to be re-framed. Such courses which do not

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have much relevance to the present day need may be withdrawn and new courses which have great relevance to the needs of the society and the need of the employers may have to be included.

Shri V. Kanjayan, Headmaster, Panchyat Union Primary School, Tamil Nadu - Letter dated 1.10.90

- At the Secondary and Higher Education stages much more importance than is given at present should be given to Physical Education and Moral Education. This is necessary to build a healthy generation with men of character.

Prof. G.S. Mudambadithaya, Senior Assistant Director, Department of Pre-University Education, Technology Education Buildings, Bangalore - Letter dated 1.10.90

- The suggestion regarding replacing prescribed textbooks by lists reading is not very practicable.

Shri Tarun Kumar Raha, General Secretary, Calcutta University Teachers' Association, Calcutta, Letter dated (1.10.90)

- Letting users, Government agencies etc. to conduct tests might have a serious negative effect on the course material itself. They might try to influence the contents of the course material towards their needs ignoring the need of the society.

- Instead of delinking of degrees from jobs, a reverse approach will be in keeping with the spirit of the review paper. Agencies will inform the educational institutions their needs so far as the job is concerned. The institutes will suggest the type of personnel (that is students with a certain combination of modular courses) they need. If a particular user feels that special training

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programmes are needed for the required job, it will ask the educational institute to introduce such training programmes.

Dr. H.S. Srivastava, Prof. and Head, NCERT, New Delhi, Letter dated 25th September, 1990

- The suggestion about the replacement of textbooks by a list of 'readings' is something which will require a closer examination from the practical point of view. At present even one single book for a course is sometimes not available to the students and as libraries are almost non-existent in many schools the implementation of this suggestion without adequate preparation may create many problems.

Dr. (MS.) L.S. Saraswathi, 118, Usman Road, Madras - Letter dated (26th September, 1990)

- Educational research or the research related to learning and teaching should be examined carefully. The present position of over- emphasis on identifying and exaggerating defiencies in the tradition and culture that is Indian should give way to a position of emphasizing identification of assets of the tradition and culture and finding ways of integration of these in the teaching/learning process in the system. Studies on the teaching and learning processes in oral culture especially in the process of socialisation could help to lay the foundation.

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Shri Mandhusudan Mishra, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Delhi Letter dated 2.10.90

- At the middle school stage we must introduce some of our items of traditional learning. They should be introduced in an integrated form with modern learning.

Shri B.V. Moghe, Adarsh College, Shivajinagar, Hingoli-431513 Letter dated 28th September, 1990

- 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.

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

- Stress should be made in the policy on the human values by effectively incorporating the histories and stories of our great leaders (especially Indian) in the text books of the students so that they can learn and imitate their great leaders.

- Burden of curriculum in school should be lessened. For this histories of foreign nations and individuals may be introduced mainly in higher classes only.

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

- The present school curricula should be revised and infrastructures be provided to make W.E./S.U.P.W. a genuine educational component in place of the present token, ritual and sham place given to it.

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The curricula of higher education must also have an integral component of productive work, particularly in "soft" faculties.

- At both secondary and tertiary stages the curriculum should be automatically supported by schemes of funding by corporate financial institutions to graduating students to launch self-employing ventures In agriculture, business industry, services, etc. Every school/college must have guidance-cum-placement-cum-coordination services for the purpose.

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

- School activities should comprise Curricular, Co-curricular and Extra-curricular activities. Co-curricular activities (CCA) should be specially designed teacher-student interaction programmes to achieve the goal of creative thinking, innovation, and inculcation of moral and ethical values'.

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

- 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.

Dr. Khem Singh Gill, Vice-chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (1.10.90)

- There is a need to make drastic changes in the curriculum. It should be more practical-oriented. The students should be taught about the richness of our culture so as to develop an attraction

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towards the motherland rather than teaching them about the far away countries.

Shri Kalayanbhai T. Shah, 18 New Brahma-Kshatriya Society Ellis bridge, Ahmedabad (26th September, 1990)

- In primary education curriculum, insertions about some basic values of life could be included in the form of stories, poems etc. in the text books. This will serve as seeds for the development in total growth. It should also be desirable to include imparting of Indian cultural values by adding lives of saints, seers, great national leaders, poets, musicians, artists etc.

- In view of the change in national, political, economic and social policies, it would be advisable to impart basic knowledge of democracy and decentralisation of power to students and also to make them aware of their role as citizens, their rights, responsibilities and duties in the holistic perspective.

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

- Too much importance is given to science and technology, and the study of humanities, arts and classics is being ignored and even neglected. There ought to be balance between the two areas of knowledge. Serious thought has to be given to popularise the study of these subjects i.e. humanities, etc.

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Shri Kondapaka Kishan Rao, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Pramukh Andhra & Tamilnadu, 17-1-391/V52, Saraswathinagar, Saidabad, Bhagyanagar, Andhra Pradesh-500659 (5.10.1990)

- Physical Education should be treated as a part of overall education. Environmental education should be made an integral part of syllabi right from the pre-primary stage.

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

- Lessons pertaining to the living personalities, however, great they may be, should not find a place in the text books. The language text book must deal only with the languages, their importance, their history, their literary works, their explanations and the purpose of them to the mankind.

Shri Prabhakar Singh, Rtd., Field Advisor (NCERT), 574 Mumfordganj, Allahabad - 211002 (October 1, 1990)

- The proposal regarding special emphasis on the study of classics appears to be an anachronism - a hang over of the old order. Their study as objects of past is to be advocated but the suggestions to disseminate their value system will lead to perpetuation of old social order and privileges which can no longer be encouraged.

Shri Amar S. Pandey, Bhusawar, Bharatpur, 321406 (28.9.1990)

The subjects, agriculture and commerce be included in secondary school curricula.

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Shri Pabitra Kumar Sarma, Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781014, (5.10.1990)

- NCERT, SCERT and other publication departments of the State Governments should publish model text-books and other reference materials. There should not be any compulsion on using text books by the teachers. Teachers should be encouraged to write text books of their own. No centrally sponsored machinery should have any Influence in recommending text books for block level educational institutions.

Shri A.K. Panda, Harijan Adibbasi Dina Daridra Nari Seba Sangh, Vill/PO Bachhipur, Via Brahmangaon, Distt. Balasore, Orissa (29th September, 1990).

- The curriculum should include topics of operational history like the political-social and economic conditions prevailing in the community which cause social unrest. This sort of social engineering is necessary to acquaint future citizens with the intricacies of statecraft and governance.

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