Present Syllabus : Irrelevant and Excessive For a proper appreciation of the multiple suggestions offered to modify the content and curriculum, it would be useful to take note of the grounds on which the present content and curriculum are seen to be deficient : (i) in respect of certain minimum learning competencies, comparable to different parts of the country at each stage, a feature deemed essential for national unity and integration; (ii) its relevance for practical and vocational skills; and (iii) the sheer load on the children, besides its relevance and all other problems related to the delivery methods. The diversities that mark the quality and standard as well ass the essential elements of learning and the degree of proficiency and the effect of all these on national unity and integration have been noted in the previous section. Here, it would be useful to notice the popular resentment against the excessive load of an already irrelevant syllabus on the young children. The brunt of criticism, in this regard, is directed against the schools. What seems to be a common complaint is the following:
Besides early schooling, there is a heavy work-load in schools, nurseries and kindergartens which is injurious to children. Besides carrying the heavy satchels of books on their backs, children are over loaded with so much home work that way hardly leave any time to play or rest. Most of the home work is done by
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the parents every night. Excess of everything is bad and so is being over ambitious.
The memory of the work load to which they were subjected while being students in schools still appear to haunt students even in their college days. A few of them joined to appeal to the Prime Minister to intervene for the reason that :
What is needed is to bring about drastic changes not only in the methods of teaching ... but also in the syllabus. In our schools the number of books and the number of subjects is so high that most of the children are discouraged from going to school just by the sight of them.
It is true that you have to pick up the talents of a child, young and then mould them into careers best suited for them. But all we do is burden small children with so many books and home works that we find them reading or writing 7-8 hours a day which is quite high for primary school children. This in no way encourages youngesters to go to schools but produces ... low attendences and slipping of classes which lead to bad company and bad habits. This is one of the main reasons which make children ruthless and antisocial and later in their life they become anti-national elements.
This, even if exaggerated, is sufficiently adequate a commentary on the overloaded and irrelevant syllabus. One more example, in this case, from a teacher, would complete the popular character of the opinion about syllabus. A University teacher writes :
It is quite apparent that the brains of the boys and girls beginning from primary education to those of secondary or school leaving examination are over-taxed. Syllabi are heavy and cumbersome; too many subjects have got to be taught within a very limited period...A cart-load of books the little children have got to read. Their tender brains cannot digest so many different things of so many different subjects of varied nature. Moreover, they are mostly compulsory subjects.
Core Curriculum or Nationally Comparable Minimum learning Competencies
People's opinion about the essential elements of knowledge to be fostered at each stage of education as noted in the previous section, would also be relevant when we speak of nationally comparable content
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and curriculum as well as standard of attainment. What is variously described as the essential things to be taught at each stage of education reflects essentially the desired nationally comparable minimum learning competencies. This is also the contention behind the national curriculum. The different components that must constitute the national core curriculum, as seen from these communications, differ from person to person. But there is unity in regard to two aspects. One is with regard to certain subjects at each stage and the other is with regard to the need to accommodate the regional components and balance them with the national core curriculum.
While there is a great degree of variety as to what all should be taught at each stage, there also appears to be a certain degree of agreement at least as regards certain subjects and the level of proficiency. Variety is explicit and a minimum unity is only implicit although unmistakable. A school teacher views the package of core curriculum in a systematic fashion.
The whole education system should be broken into four stages (i) Elementary Stage class I-V (ii) Preparatory Stage Class VI-VIII; (iii) Specialisation Stage Class IX-XII; (iv) higher Education Stage - Class XII onwards.
(i) At Elementary stage : The kids would be provided instructions in their mother tongue. The objective would be to train. them to read and write in the state language and national language. The curricula would include short stories and poems on national leaders, scientists, social reformers about the nation, people and culture. There will not be any pass, fail or examination system.
(ii) Preparatory Stage: At this stage he would be given knowledge about different subjects like Political Science. history, biology, Physics, Economics, Commerce. The standard would be introductory. The curriculum will be common, objective would be to test attitude and interest and give elementary knowledge of specific subjects.
To some it appears essential that :
While it would be necessary to restrict areas of academic learning at the elementary stage to include mother tongue, Arithmetic and Environment study, it would be necessary to
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incorporate science in its various aspects throughout the stage of school education, with gradual emphasis on specialisation in its different branches. In standards I to IV/V, it may constitute the component of the Environment study, from standards V/VI to VIII.... in the form of a general course in science and may lead to specialisation from Standard IX. The study of science as well as Mathematics, however, should have a direct bearing on practical needs of the learner till standard X. The utility values of education system would not be established unless and until the learner gains self-confidence through a multiplicity of productive and creative activities. These activities in the form of Work Experience, as they are known today, need to be spelt out clearly.
To some others, the essential content and curriculum appears as under:
Elementary general education will last for seven years, 4-11. For basic knowledge of regional language, Hindi as Link and National language, science, mathematics, history, geography, social science, seven years studies are quite sufficient. Physical exercise, sports and discipline and character building, social habits and responsibilities are essential subjects at this stage.
Even those not directly involved in education, seem to have a clear idea about the stagewise content. It was noted above how science, mathematics, creative activities work experience, were seen as the core subjects. he could also adduce another example, and in this case, sufficiently illustrative of the desire to blend certain diversity oriented features within the core curriculum.
The existing passivity of the students must give way to a more active learning approach through projects, field work experience, group study as also by ensuring that the students are taught the skills of study and acquire motivation to become continuous learners. Children should also be taught thinking skills and be helped to develop intellectual curiosity and the culture and discipline of the mind and heart. Social awareness and development of social responsibility have remained largely neglected. hence SUPW should be given much greater prominence. Properly understood and executed, SUPW will thus add a third or depth dimension to education. Study of science and mathematics must be part of the core national curriculum till the end of secondary stage (Class X). The basic and essential values
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underlying our Constitution Preamble as well as those contained in the four national goals referred to above, should form the basic syllabus for value education, which should find an important place in school curriculum and be given the necessary attention and time.
To these, one could also add compulsory NCC, NSS, value education, character building, etc. A good deal becomes evident about not merely the common components within the core curriculum, but also about the variety, on the hand, and the practical/vocational bias on the other. One explicit plea for making content and curriculum about the variety, on the one hand, and the practical/vocational bias on the other. One explicit plea for making content and curriculum relevant would suffice. An educationist who appears to have given sufficient thinking to this aspect writes :
Introduction of current and recent developments in technologies, can convert our institutions into "Learning" rather than "Teaching". Hence during the syllabus preparation much attention should be given for recent developments and current advancements in -Science and Arts subjects. The restructured syllabus should contain at least one fourth of the life oriented or job oriented or application oriented subject related to main. academic subjects. Project work in life oriented subject should be introduced. Syllabus in all levels (from primary to college) should be revised all over the country.
The new pattern of education should be responsive to the challenging needs of the society. The main objective in the new pattern of education are education for production, education for culture.
As said earlier, for revamping education to enable it to play a vital role in integrating knowledge with development activities in society, besides promoting national unity itself, re-structuring of the content and curriculum is seen to be the most crucial task. It is for this reason, there is so much emphasis to invest it with minimum learning skills, not merely comparable, but closely related to nation's unity on the one hand and her multifarious developmental endeavours on the other. Restructuring content and curriculum relevant to the country's needs appears to be the major slogan of the people to revamp the education system.
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Language
Introduction Language is central to the social, emotional and cognitive development of the child. While designing the curriculum and different content and activity areas, centrality of -the language in the total educational process needs to be kept in view. Communicability of ideas in other subjects depends ends on the communicability of the language used in the text. Quality of life and quality of education are closely linked to mastery of language. Student must be helped to acquire mastery in the mother tongue/regional language.
In the case of a multi-lingual country like India, the medium of instruction becomes a significant attribute of national integration. Issue of language has political implication because of the linguistic basis of states. Languages can prove to be a devisive factor if it is not tackled in a healthy way. The anti-Hindi riots in Tamil Nadu is a case in hand.
The question of languages has exercised the mind of policy makers ever since independence. An attempt was made by the Education Commission to deal comprehensively with the language issue in education. Based on the recommendations of the Commission, the National Policy on Education suggested the adoption of regional languages as the media of instruction not only at primary and secondary levels but also at the university stage.
At the secondary stage, the policy suggested vigorous implementation of the Three Language Formula which includes "the study of a modern Indian language preferably one of the southern languages, apart from English and Hindi in the Northern states, and of Hindi along with regional language and English in the non-Hindi speaking states. Suitable courses in English and Hindi should also be available in universities and colleges".
The 1968 policy also laid down that efforts should be made to develop Hindi "as link language, and facilities for teaching of Sanskrit be on a more liberal scale. Special emphasis should be laid on the study of English and other international languages. The formula was broadly acceptable to the states. however, even after 18 years the formula is implemented more in "violation than in observance".
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This issue of language has been a subject of great concern and debate as the communications on languages represent.
The issues that have figured in the communications relate broadly to three main aspects :
1. Medium of instruction in schools and colleges
2. Implementation of three language formula as given by NPE.
3. Anxiety to promote Hindi and Sanskrit.
Medium of instruction is an important question with important bearing on quality of instruction. There is a complete unanimity that education should be imparted in mother tongue which should be a natural medium of instruction. In the case of children where mother tongue is different from regional language, for first two years the instruction should be imparted in mother tongue.
In the communications received there is a great deal of dissatisfaction among the respondents regarding the lack of serious efforts in linking mother tongue with regional language. An eminent linguist from Karnataka observes :
In the context of universalisation there is no decision yet to link, home language with school language. Further, though 66 per cent of the population is illiterate there has been no decision about language of literacy.
He strongly feels
it is not possible to herald a technological age and promote scientific temper unless people's language is used for dissemination of science. Without peoples language technology continues to be borrowed one, in appropriate to the needs and aspirations of the people.
An eminent person from Tamil Nadu observes : The starting point for any reform in education policy should be introduction of only mother tongue as the medium of instruction Upto highest level by making mandatory through the amendment of the constitution.
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An educational administrator from Rajasthan suggests and an educational administrator from West Bengal also supports the plea of having mother tongue as the medium of instruction at elementary level and for educating the adults.
Correspondents from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal have strongly opposed English as the medium of instruction. A respondent from Madhya Pradesh suggests :
At the elementary level instruction should be in mother tongue. The influence of English should be abolished by 1990. Curriculum should be in Devanagari.
A college lecturer from Karnataka asserts : The English medium schools are notorious breeding, centres of exploitation and promotion of foreign culture, psychological and economic remnants of colonialism.
He suggests "Education should be in mother tongue". In a similar tone a citizen from West Bengal demands :
Complete doing away with English from the primary schools and the policy maker must see that the growth of English medium schools are completely discouraged.
A general demand is to close down English medium school which have psychological, administrative, social and economic drawbacks and are unnecessary burden on the treasury. All education should be imparted in the language of region only.
An administrator from Maharashtra is more specific regarding the issue of mother tongue. He argues :
Not only the teaching of mother tongue is important. It should be the medium of instruction.
The government must see that individuals who have graduated through medium of mother tongue are not denied employment opportunity.
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There are however some who feel that at the college stage, the "Medium of instruction should be either. English or Hindi... This will ensure that language does not become a barrier to mobility in India".
While there is complete unanimity regarding mother tongue/regional language as the medium of instruction at all levels of education, the views on the Three Language Formula as suggested by the NPE (1968) are devided.
The Communications broadly agree with the Three Language. Formula which they feel "in our multi-lingual society gives substance to national integration". In fact, what they lament is the non- implementation of the three language formula. A school teacher reflects the general feeling in this regard :
Except in a very few states three language formula is not implemented to the defined expectations. For more than three decades we have been speaking about the said system only in lips but no practical goal is achieved.
Aware of the failure of non-implementation of three language formula and at the same time being convinced of the need to have two- three languages in schools, a number of communicators -have suggested some modifications in the present policy.