SECTION F : PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
The entire gamut of education is manned through the mechanism of planning and management. Therefore, a whole range of issues, pertaining to every aspect of education falls within the purview of educational planning and management. Such planning and management dimensions which fail under each stage or sphere have been dealt with in respective sections. Only certain crucial issues which cut across the entire system of education have been considered here. These include :
I. Decentralisation of Education
II. Community Participation
III. School Complexes
IV. Linkages with Developmental Sectors
V. Profesionalisation of Administrative Cadre
VI. Accountability in Education
VII. Indian Education service
VIII. State/District Resource Centres
I. Decentralisation of Education
Assam - Boards of elementary education in every state to deal with the academic aspects of the elementary education so as to derive better results in the field of elementary education. Such boards should enjoy greater amount of autonomy for better functioning.
- Autonomy of the universities should not be interfered with.
- Autonomous status may be given to certain colleges of excellence.
- Educational planning at the block, district, state, and national level for different stages of education may be undertaken.
- There should be decentralised and democractic planning, policy formulation and implementation.
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Bihar - For the smooth functioning of the UGC, the regional offices should be set up and thus UGC may be decentalised.
Gujarat - All University level institutions should be vested with autonomy both financial and administrative on the basis of per student cost.
Haryana - In view of the quantitative expansion, management by one central authority is just not possible. The centralisation has not only led to mismanagement but also sapped the initiative of the community. Decentralisation of adminisatration is perhaps the only way out to cope with the present unwielding situation.
- Adequate powers should be delegated at the district, sub- division, block, village and institutional level. The heads of the schools should be strengthened to enable them to develop the entity of the school.
- The criteria for decentralising power should be that the maximum business is disposed of at the institutional level.
- In formulation of educational plans and policies education committee upto the village level must be taken into confidence.
- The voluntary organisation who are managing/running a number of school should be authorised to act as independent examining bodies for their schools. They should be giver, autonomy in all academic and administrative matters.
- Promptness is the hall-mark of efficiency in administration and this could be ensured through judicious decentralization and delegation of administration and supervisory powers to the field level.
- All the financial and administrative powers should be decentralised.
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Jammu & Kashmir - State level co-ordination committee for planning and monetoring the programmes and performed of universities and colleges be constituted which should be responsible for looking after the financial and academic needs of the college and universities.
- J & K has the unique distinction of having D.I.E at district level. The working of these can be strengthened.
- The institutions are to be encouraged to prepare their own plans for the optimum utilisation of the available resources is necessary. With the introduction of single line administration in the state, the district has been taken as the basic unit and and each district has its own district, development board consisting of the elected representative (MPs and MLAs) and the district officer with District Development Commissioner as its Chairman. The Board considers and guides in the formulation of the development programmes and fixes up priorities.
- The institution with defined and properly demarcated catchment areas is to be accepted for all educational activities.
- The second unit for planning, administration, and supervision should be at the school complex level. The leader of the school complex is to be accepted as a guide and educational supervisor for the institutions within the complex. The supervision of non-formal education centres, sharing of the resources and uniform system of evaluation need to be brought within the purview of the complex.
- A comprehensive action plan needs to be drawn at the block level indicating year-wise enrolment targets and monitoring of achievements thereof.
- It is necessary to have adequate, timely and reliable data for its utilisation the formulation of plan schemes. The management information system introducted in the State for the last few years is an innovative practice. Unit needs to be further strengthened and improved. The main feature of this system is that the information is being collected at different levels i.e. institutional, tehsil and district level.
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- Computerization should be introduced at least at the State level in the first ins-Lance and then in a phased manner in the districts as well.
Madhya Pradesh - The control of supervision of the system must be vested in the local bodies i.e., village/janpad and panchayatas.
- Block should be the first agency for monitoring of the system at the elementary level.
- District should be the major unit of educational planning and administration at the school level.
- University autonomy should be respected and autonomous colleges encouraged.
Manipur - Overall management of the five stages of education shall be carried out at three levels - National Level, State Level and District level.
- Role of district should be to administer the educational system for the fulfilment of the aims and objectives of the New Education Policy.
Meghalaya - Board of Primary Education should be constituted which should look after all aspects of primary education.
- Inspectors of schools in the District and Sub-Divisions may brought under the Board to serve as its district and Sub- divisional Units.
- Autonomous college should be encouraged if they are viable.
Nagaland - Institution may be given autonomy and financial support.
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- UGC should have offices in different regions for closer understanding of regional needs and for smooth and effective process or financial flow to Institution.
- Though Education is in concurrent list, the centre should Play its role only in those areas of education, where a national uniformity is desired and financial support is needed.
Orissa - Long term perspective plans should be prepared for educational development at the district and at the state levels.
- Educational mapping should be done for all areas for different sectors of education.
Rajasthan - Keeping in view the number of educational institutions, requirement of teachers and enrolment of students at all level there is a need for decentralisation. More financial, administrative and executive power should be delegated to the District and Block level Education Officers.
- Planning should be micro-level for identification of caste and communities which are more backward in this respect.
Sikkim - At elementary level there should be decentralisation of education administration. It should be ensured that not only the administrative machinery explands but community participation too should be promoted.
- Block level development committee should be constituted consisting of village heads having interest in education. This committee should be entrusted with periodic evaluation of primary education.
- An Education Committee should be constituted at the level of Nyaya Panchayat. This committee should be entrusted with responsibility of building construction and maintenance, awards to good teachers and students.
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- At the district level, District Education Aduthroty should constituted which should llook into all problems related to education.
West Bengal - The aim of the State Govt. is to democratice educational administration and would firmly oppose any attempt to introduce authoritarianism in the name of depoliticisation.
Arunachal Pradesh - Due to highly centralised and distant control of the government nobody is accountable for proper functioning of the schools. So, the school management committee, should be actively involved and made responsible for establishment, maintenance, functioning and development of the schools of their locality.
Pondicherry - There must be a separate Board of elementary education in every state.
- A National School Education Commission on the Model of UGC may be estalihed to coordinate the standard between different State Boards. State may set up their own Education Commission.
- College and University Administration should be decentralised.
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II. Community Participation
Assam - The programme of adult education should assume the character of a peoples' movement in which the entire community should participate spontaneously.
- There should be centralized and democratic planning, policy formulation and implementation besides involving the local people in the process with a view to debureaucratizing the existing system.
Bihar - The community should be encouraged to come forward to extend physical facilities to the schools.
- Community be involved in female and adult education.
- Periodic meetings of the parents and the teachers will generate a sense of community involvement in the management of elementary education that will go a long way in exercising a sort of control over the schools of the area to make it an academic success.
- Every section of the community living in the location of the school should be made a party to the management of the schools together with the teachers' representatives to regulate its activities in the interest of the society. Such members will be accountable to the Government and the guardians for all activities of the school. A Public Grievance Cell should be opened in the office of the District Education Officer to receive complaints and forward the same to the Management of the school and the Government. The managing Committees should be given more power for the proper management and development of the school.
- Missionaries and charitable trust can play an effective role inraising fund for resource mobilisation.
Gujarat - Popular contribution for school buildings or for financing of elementlary education can at best be marginal. Setting up of
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local committees can therefore only be looking after the intermediate needs by way of facilities for schools.
- So far as voluntary agencies in the field of education are concerned, the state govt. has been operating through voluntary agencies. It is however, a fact that the contribution of the voluntary agencies in terms of additional resources for the sectors has been negligible. In fact, even when the institutions are being founded cent per cent by the government it has been found difficult to even enforce the minimum reservation percentage for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and in some private institutions. We have had to take necessary action to ensure that employees who are paid from State Government funds are not subjected to whims and fancies of such voluntary agencies. As regards the role of voluntary agencies, looking to the total cost involved, their contribution can only be marginal and limited to specific functions within they system.
Haryana - Parent Teacher Association will bring community and school closer to each other.
- Educational institutions should identify themselves with the community as whole, rather than any political party or sect. Education committees at village, block, sub division and district level should be formed. Such committees should comprise of representatives from educationstis, teachers, philanthropists, representatives of agriculture, industry, trade and commerce etc., elected bodies, parent teacher associations, social workers, school management and voluntary social organisations. They should be responsible for rasing, and maintenance of school buildings, making provisions for the required physcial, faclities help in enrolment drives and in the retention of students in schools till the completion of compulsory schooling.
- Voluntary organisation have done a commendable task in field of education in the past. Efforts should be made to give all encouragement to these in the shape of liberal grants. They should be given autonomy in all academic and administrative matters.
- Cooperation of voluntary organisation, should be enlisted in promoting adult and non-formal education. The state govt.
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should guide them occasionally to regulate their activity. Probing into mismanagement in working of voluntary organisation without obtaining a report from the departmental officers is against the principle of justice which may deprive the country of their significant contribution.
Himachal Pradesh - There should be a greater contact between the parents and teachers so that the community feels grater confidence in the teacher.
- There should be active participation of the local community both in getting maximum enrolment and also in propogating the need for education at elementary level. There should be parent teacher association which should help in process.
- The local community should be approached to help in arranging mid day meals to school going children and the panchayats should be allowed to levy acess for this purpose.
Jammu & Kashmir - For opening and upgrading of a school, preference may be given to a place where the community provides free housing and play ground provided it is in conformity with the norms.
- A substantial portion of the NREP funds must be earmarked for the construction of school buildings through local initiative till the target of UEE is achieved.
- Students in college and at university level, must be involved to increase the enrolment and render assistance in other school activities on compulsory basis as a part of their NSS Programme.
- Voluntary organisations and public-spirited individuals must also be encouraged or helped to open useful institutions of higher learning and no constraints be put in their way if these institutions go with the broad ethos of the country and an helpful in imparting quality education.