GENERAL COMMENTS
 

Shri Chitta Basu, MP, General Secretary, All India Forward Block, 28, Gurudwara Rakabganj Road, New Delhi (15.10.90)

- The recommendations made by the Education Commission, 1964-66 are quite enough and only thing necessary is the determination to implement these recommendations and to provide adequate money for it.

- The real challenge of education, in the present context, is to remove illiteracy from the country and to strengthen the base of elementary education for it.

- Unless the poverty of the masses, particularly in rural areas is removed to some extent, it Is not possible to bring most of the children to primary schools, and even if they join schools they will drop out soon. In order to remove poverty in the rural areas, land reforms should be effected. Programmes for removal of poverty in urban areas, particularly in slums, should also be undertaken.

- University and college students should be involved in the literacy programmes.

- Education should aim at necessary social changes in the country. It mist motivate our students to work for socialist reorientation of our society.

- Education should be secular in its approach.

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- Union Government should take immediate steps to drop the word `Hindu' from the name of the Banaras Hindu University and the word `Muslim' from the name of the Aligarh Muslim University.

- Education should be democratic in its approach and in its management too. Students of all disciplines should be taught the basic principles of democracy.

- In the management of educational institutions of all variety the principle of democracy should be maintained. There should be a majority of elective elements in boards of management of educational institutions, including universities and boards/councils of education. Teachers, students and non-teaching employees should be associated with management of educational institutions, though their elected representatives.

- In a country like India with diversity of culture in different regions education can not remain with the Centre, even in an indirect manner. The Centre should prepare only general guidelines for education which should be followed throughout the country. The details of educational policy its implementation should be left to the States.

- Education should be nationalised Government should run all educational institutions and there should be no scope for private management in it.

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Prof. S. Guha Ray, Population Studies Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, Calcutta

- An overall view of education should be taken without dichotomies (e.g. formal/non-formal, etc.).

- Education is to be built-up as a people's movement.

- The major issue is not the policy formulation, but the policy implementation, which is not given much focus in the Perspective Paper.

- Any programme on education should be integrated with developmental programmes to make the NPE truly effective.

Prof. K. Chattopadhyay, Socialogical Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, Calcutta.

- In a country, where about 70% are illiterate and live in rural and tribal areas depending on the locally available resources for their life and living, education should adopt an ecosystemic approach. It must develop a symbiotic relationship between the locally available natural resources and human resources.

- Education must have an applied/operational value in terms of helping "each according to his/her needs". For instance, a rural/tribal mother, instead of learning 3RS, would be benefited more if she is taught the best way to care her children within the available means.

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Shri G. Prabhakar, General Secretary, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Ram Naresh Bhawan, Tilak Gali, Pahar Ganj, New Delhi (8.10.90).

- The major thrust in the Educational Policy should be for a system which will foster love and admiration for our cultural heritage. And this system should be common to all schools whether run by government or private bodies.

Dr. K. Bakta Vatsal Rao, 2-2-1144/1/B, PO Lane, new Nallankunta, Hyderabad (6.10.90)

- A national debate should be held every ten years with a view to improving upon the system of education prevailing in our country.

Shri S.P. Patil, Headmaster, Z.P. Primary School, Pune (30.9.90)

- Schools, particularly middle schools, should be opened near villages. Wherever it is necessary, hostel facilities should be provided.

- Uniform pattern (10+2+3) be adopted and every citizen of India should have access to education.

Shri Sita Ram Singh, Lecturer, H.N.K. +2 School, Arrah, Bhojpur, (Bihar).

- Primary and secondary schools should be administered by public bodies. Education should be given without any discrimination. Emphasis should be given to education of girls and weaker sections of rural areas.

- In every public body there should be a full-time education officer and he should be assisted by local MLAs, educationists and officers of education departments.

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- Education should be included in the central list to eliminate inequality. Education Policy cannot be implemented at State level.

Shri Ram Krishan Shastri, Lecturer, Shri Hari Ramram Gopal Sanatan Dharam Sanskrit College, 216 Uncha Mandi, Allahabad.

- Our education system be based on the ancient Indian System of education with necessary modifications.

Shri D.R. Bhose, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Poona

- The number of students in any class should not exceed 40.

Shri Jaganath Verma, 869, Dariyapur, Sultanpur

- Review Committee has suggested compulsory education of 6-14 age group. But basic necessities of life should be provided to all. Then only it will become a reality.

- Review Committee has linked education with employment. But in the absence of avenues for employment it is meaningless.

Shri Hari Balu Kausal, General Secretary, Hindi Vyawahar Sangathan, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi (27.09.1990)

- Upto higher secondary level, education should be imparted through Indian languages.

Shri A.R. Khan, Headmaster, Basic Primary School Khananlampura, Saharanpur (UP).

- `Right to work' should be co-related to 'duty to work'. Courses should be modified accordingly. Burden of books should be reduced. Training in occupations must be an integral part of syllabus.

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Shri T.B. Gobinda Rao, General Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshana Mandala, Karnataka, 21, 6th Cross Road, Chamarajpet, Bangalore (9.10.1990)

- An independent and autonomous machinery in the form of a National Educational Authority representing the different sections of the educational community and government should be created for the purpose of formulating and implementing the educational policy.

- The system of public schools which is leading to a duality in education must be abolished. They should be replaced by schools of excellence, admission to which should be based entirely on merit. The system of capitation fees should be abolished.

- Educational objectives must be linked with the overall strategy of national development.

Shri B.K. Srivastava, Retd. Professor, IIT Kharagpur, 27-A, Church Lane, Allahabad (11th October, 1990)

- The entire education period should be divided into the following stages.

        
             Stage                         Age (in years)     Duration (Years)
        
             Pre-Primary                        5 & 6               2
        
             Primary:
             Lower Primary                      7 & 8               2
             Upper Primary                      9 & 10              2
                                                               ----------
                                                                    4
        
             Post Primary                       11 - 14             4
             Secondary or Vocational            15 - 18             4
        
             University:
             Under graduate                     19 - 21             3
             Post graduate                      22 & 23             2
        
                                          

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Shri Gujraj Singh Sikarwar, MLA, Madhya Pradesh Janta Dal, Lalitpur Colony, Gwalior (5.10.1990)

- Library-oriented teaching should be given due importance so that the students could learn as to how knowledge is obtained from different sources and documents, besides learning from the class teaching. In order to adopt this system well equipped libraries at all the levels with enthusiastic and qualified library staff are required.

- Primary education and girls education should be given more importance.

Shri Vimal Mittal, Advocate, 26, Yashwant Niwas Road, Indore (8th October, 1990)

- Feasible suggestions only be made and they be Implemented in a time-bound manner.

- Schools and colleges which have outlived their contribution to the cause of education should be closed at once. All available resources and efforts should be directed to improving the lot of existing institutions.

- A common calendar for schools/colleges for the whole country (without regional and sectional holidays) may help indirectly in generating a sense of national integration.

Shri M.R.N. Gaonekar, Headmaster, Smt. Hirabai Talaulikar High School, Sancordem-Goa.

- A proper manpower requirement survey should be done in various trades and occupations and accordingly the manpower should be trained.

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The Principal, Adarsh Inter College, Shambhuganj, Jonpur (6.10.90)

- The educational system should be nationalised.

- The structure of education system should remain in three divisions viz. Primary (Junior and Senior Basic), Intermediate and Higher education. The system of 11+2+2 should be adopted instead of 10+2+3 and the primary education should be extended up to six years.

Shri G.S. Sharma, President, Karnataka Unaided Schools' Management Association., 9 Vanivilas Road, V.V. Puram, Bangalore (15.10.1990)

- Removing the dichotomy between the formal and non- formal system and non-formalising the formal education with ungraded classes are excellent ideas worth trying. But the modalities have to be worked out in great detail and pilot projects should be undertaken in selected schools and from the experience gained the scheme can be improved upon and extended to other schools in a phased manner throughout the country.

- Rural women are mostly working women and are normally engaged in agricultural activities from morning till evening. Their children badly need baby-sitting centres and pre- schools to socialize them and prepare them for schooling. Immediate steps should be taken to start pre-schools or Anganvadis in all Villages.

Dr. Jyoti Shankar, Secretary, Teachers Association., K.A.D. College, Allahabad (5th October, 1990)

- The number of working days in schools and colleges should be increased. The timings also should be changed to morning hours.

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The Principal, Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Karad, 415110 (11.10.1990)

- Make the educational goals personalized for the students, parents and community. Make the education a free system. The licensing system presently in force must be done away with.

- A consultancy service in education be organized at the national and State levels. The, consultancy service should identify the aspirations of the students, teachers and the community and suggest the regional modifications needed in education.

Prof. V.N. Wanchoo, Director, Centre for Educational Development, A-55, Ashok Vihar-II, Delhi-110053 (22nd October, 1990)

- The Committee has not made any significant analysis of the reasons why we failed in the past to achieve our objectives and what should be done to succeed now.

Justice C.S. Dhamadhikari (Retd.), 343 'Gharkul' West Park Road, Dhantoli, Nagpur-12 (6th October, 1990)

- Educational Policies should be guided by the Centre.

Shri Ashok K. Angurana, Director School Education, J&K State, Jammu (25th October, 1990)

- The problem is one not only of bad education but also of inadequate and deficient education and lack of access to education.

- The Paper talks about encouraging non-competitive environment. It is true that competition in the negative sense should be discouraged in our educational institutions but, healthy competition should be encouraged so that students are motivated to put in greater efforts and bring out their best.

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Director, Pre-University Education and Ex-Officio Secretary to the Board of Pre-University Education, Government of Karnataka, Palace Road., Bangalore-560001 (16th October, 1990)

- The proposal to have a holistic view of education is idealistic. It may not be possible in the existing set up. It requires more resources, better planning, professionalism and commitment on the part of all those who are engaged in the task of nation building through education.

Dr. R. Bandyopadhyay, Director, Centre for Applied Systems Analysis in Development, D-5/8, Salunke Vihar, Pune-411022 (19.10.90)

- Particular stress should be laid on:

i) Research efforts to document innovative methods of training (both successful and unsuccessful) and the widest dissemination of such research findings.

ii) Reorienting teachers training to make it more relevant to our situations. Open university system should play a positive role in constantly updating the teachers knowledge and practice at all levels of education hierarchy.

iii) Research and information collection regarding traditional wisdom and knowledge in diverse areas and making them parts of school education.

iv) Significant improvements in teaching and educational processes practised generally and specifically in rural and semi-urban areas and in illequipped schools in urban metropolitan areas.

- Strengthening of educational infrastructure and resource base of schools of backward areas of the country are absolutely necessary and therefore more attention should be given to that. This will

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involve 'District by District' identification of substandard resource base and poorly endowed schools, and programmes for their strengthening should be drawn up and implemented on a priority basis. Resource allocation for such programmes should also receive priority.

- The committee should lay down time-bound programmes of tasks to be accomplished by the relevant agencies of the District/State/Central educational authorities. The manner of involvement of the local community should be clearly specified by the committee.

- Changing the role of universities and institutions of higher learning in response to the needs of the regional development is highly desirable, but may not be easy. A small task force of experts be appointed to look into this aspect and submit concrete suggestions for achieving this without sacrificing academic rigour and excellence. In fact, such linkages will improve the academic quality of the programmes of the higher education in all areas.

Prof. R.K. Kakade, Nehru Institute of Social Studies, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune-411037 (28.9.90)

- Education is not an independent variable. Education is to be ably supported by social, economic and political programmes.

Shri R.S. Bharadwaj, General Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, K- 30, Green Park Main, New Delhi-110016 (9.10.90)

- The entire education system to be truly Indian should be based on Bharatiya culture and values.

- There should be liberal provision for research in Idiology.

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- The entire education is an integrated unit. All stages of education should be treated as equally important.

Shri Y.K. Gupta, Reader in English, Regional College of Education, Mysore-570006 (8th October, 1990)

- The focus of teaching-learning process should be on the development of thinking, feeling and acting abilities of students and their achievements should be evaluated in terms of the development of these abilities, rather than teaching the subjects, and conducting the activities and evaluating students' performance in relation to experiences (subject matter) only. Only then human resource development is possible.