 RE-ORGANISATION OF EDUCATION
AT DIFFERENT STAGES

5.1 Education begins from the cradle and is a life-long, process. In terms of the time devoted to it, formal, systematic education comprises only a small part of an individual's education. While it is essential to plan for the careful interlinking of various stages of education, it is also crucial that each stage is differentiated and viewed with reference to its objectives and priorities.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE & EDUCATION :

5.2 The early years of life are crucial for human development. The foundations of education are laid during this stage. This, is also,the most vulnerable period, when neglect can have far-reaching and grave consequences. Investment in the development of the young child is hence already an objective of the National Policy on Children. Special emphasis needs to be laid on sections of the population in which first generation learners predominate.

5.3 At present the Integrated Child Development Scheme is the major programme reaching sections of society deemed most vulnerable in urban slums, tribal and rural areas, with a network of over a lakh centres. Through the infrastructure now

in place, children receive one or more of six basic services which support health and nutrition, and some pre-school education for those in 3-6 age-group. However, the educational input offered to the children is often low. Other programmes such as balwadis, creches, child-care and education centres are run by private agencies. All these services have only a limited coverage at present.

5.4 Recognising that education begins long before the child enters the formal system and keeping in mind the holistic nature of child development, programmes for young children must pay attention to the child's all-round development including nutrition, health, social, mental, physical, moral and emotional development. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) will therefore receive high priority and will be suitably integrated with the ICDS. Day-care centres will be provided as a support service for universalisation of primary education, to enable girls engaged in taking care of siblings to attend school and as a support service for working women belonging to the poorest sections.

5.5 Programmes of ECCE will, be child-centred and focussed on the child's developmental needs. Recognising the active nature of the child's mode of learning, programmes will be focussed around play and discourage formal methods or the early introduction of the 3 R's. The local community will be fully involved in these programmes.

5.6 A full integration of child care and pre-primary education will thus be brought about, both as a feeder and a strengthening factor for primary education and human resource development in general. Training of workers and provision of infrastructure will be attended to accordingly.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

5.7 The new thrust in elementary education will comprise two interrelated and inter-dependent aspects: (i) universal enrolment and universal retention of children up to 14 years of age, and (ii) a substantial improvement in the quality of education.

5.8 A warm and encouraging approach in which all concerned share a solicitude for the needs of the child is the best motivation for the child to attend school and learn. Attitudes of adults go a long way in inspiring the child.

5.9 A natural and relaxed process of learning should be adopted at the Primary stage, supplemented by activity and exploration, comprehension through manipulation of objects and through inter-action with persons and surroundings. First generation learners should be allowed to set their own pace and be given supplemental remedial instruction. As the child grows, the component of cognitive learning would be increased and skills

organised through practice. The policy of non-detention at the Primary stage will be retained, making evaluation as disaggregated as feasible. Corporal punishment would be firmly excluded from the educational system and school timings as well as vacations adjusted to the convenience of children.

5.10 The approach in the teaching process would be holistic and flexible, able to adapt to innovation and experimentation. It should reduce the burden of books.

SCHOOL FACILITIES :

5.11 Provision will be made of essential facilities in primary schools, including at least two reasonably large rooms usable in all weathers, and the necessary toys, black-boards, maps, charts, and other learning material. At least two teachers, one of whom is a woman, should work in every school, the number increasing as early as possible to one teacher per class. This would mean additional recruitment and training of teachers on a massive scale. A phased drive, symbolically called "OPERATION BLACKBOARD" will be undertaken with immediate effect to improve Primary Schools all over the country. Governments, Local Bodies, Voluntary Agencies and individuals will be fully involved.

5.12 The greatest challenge which impinges on our Constitutional obligation under Art. 45 is the very high drop-out in elementary education. The causes of this malady, by and large, are known. The New Education Policy will accept this an area of highest commitment and priority and will adopt an array of meticulously formulated strategies based on micro-planning, and applied at the grass-root levels all over the country to ensure children's retention at school. This effort will be fully coordinated with the network of Non-formal education so as to yield maximum results. It will begin with immediate effect.

NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

5.13 The eventual goal is to ensure that all children receive education in good elementary schools at least upto 14 years of age. However, till this goal can be realised, a large and systematic programme of non-formal education will be launched for school drop- outs, for child-ten of habitations without schools, working children and girls who cannot attend whole-day schools. Keeping in view the importance of enrolment of girls in NFE, this programme should also be viewed as a major programme of women's development.

5.14 Modern technological aids would be used to improve the learning environment of NFE centres. Talented and dedicated young men, and women from the local community will be identified to serve as instructors and learning material of high quality developed, taking into account the fact that working children have several assets on which their education could be built.

Particular attention would be paid to training of NFE instructors and steps will be taken to facilitate their entry into the formal system in deserving cases.

5.15 To improve the quality of NFE, effective measures will be taken to provide a framework of curriculum, with the core envisaged in the National System of Education, and to reorganise the system enhance its effectiveness, give it the necessary infrastructural support and provide for its supervision and systematic monitoring.

5.16 NFE programmes should be joyful activities for children and provide participatory learning environment which should include cultural activities, games and sports, excursions, etc. Involvement and understanding of the parents and other members of the community are also critical for the success of NFE.

5.17 Much of the work of running NFE centres will have to be done through voluntary agencies and panchayati raj institutions. Provision of funds to these agencies will be adequate and timely. Keeping in view the large size of the NFE programmes Government will take the principal responsibility for its implementation. For this purpose, it will be necessary to create decentralised and semi-autonomous agencies within the Government system.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

5.18 Secondary Education begins to expose the students to the differentiated roles of science, humanities and social sciences. This is also an appropriate stage for providing the children with a sense of history and national perspective and giving them opportunities for understanding their Constitutional duties and rights as citizens. Conscious internalisation of a healthy work ethos and of the values of a humane and composite culture will be brought about through appropriately formulated curricula. Vocationalisation through specialised institutions or through the refashioning of secondary education can at this stage provide valuable manpower for economic growth. Access to secondary education will be widened on a large scale by. establishment of new schools in areas unserved at present and by other measures meant mainly for women and other sections who are, comparatively speaking, deprived of secondary education at present.

PACE-SETTING SCHOOLS

5.19 It is well accepted that children with special talent or aptidue should be provided opportunities to proceed at a faster pace. But institutions which facilitate this process are

few. Besides, good quality education has been available only to well- to-do sections of the society so far.

5.20 Keeping in view these considerations, the Education Commission (1964-66) had recommended selection of a certain percentage of schools as pace-setter institutions. It has, however, not been found feasible to provide school within the existing system for a pace-setter improvement programme :

-Selection of the most suitable institutions becomes difficult;

-Transferability of principals and teachers makes it difficult to concentrate attention on selected schools; and

-Funds for the programme of selective improvement are often not available.

5.22 There is genuine need, therefore, to set up such pacesetting institutions all over the country on a given pattern but with full scope for innovation and experimentation. Their broad aims should be to serve the objective of excellence coupled with equity and social justice, promote national integration, provide opportunities to talented children from different parts of the country, to a large extent rural, to live and learn together and to develop their full potential, and most importantly, to become catalysts of a nation-wide programme of school improvement. Within this broad framework, it is intended to set up residential and free-of-charge schools under the New Education Policy. These Navodaya Vidyalayas will be distinct from the Kendriya Vidyalayas.

VOCATIONALISATION

5.23 Work experience, viewed as purposive and meaningful manual work, organised as an integral part of the learning process and resulting in either goods or services which are useful to the community, is considered as an essential component at all stages of education, to be provided through well-structured and graded programmes. It would comprise activities in accord with the interests, abilities and needs of students, the level of skills and knowledge to be upgraded with the stages of education. This experience would be helpful on his entry into the work force. Pre-vocational programmes provided at the lower secondary stage will also facilitate the choice of the vocational courses at the secondary stage.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE SECONDARY STAGE :

5.24 Introduction of systematic, well-planned and rigorously implemented programmes of vocational education are critical to

the proposed educational reorganisation. These programmes are viewed as a part of the strategy to improve employability, to reduce the mis- match between demand and supply of skilled manpower, and to provide an alternative to those pursuing higher education without purpose.

5.25 Vocational education shall be a distinct stream, to prepare students for identified occupations spanning several, areas of activity. These courses would ordinarily be provided after the secondary stage, but keeping the scheme flexible, opportunities may also be made available for such courses after the VIII standard, In the interest of better integration of vocational education at all levels, the Industraial Training Institutes will also conform to the larger vocational pattern. An emphasis in vocational education would also be on development of attitudes, knowledge and skills for entrepreneurship and self-employment. The duration of vocational programmes taken up at the post-secondary stage would vary from one to three years, depending on the requirement of the courses.

5.26 Vocational courses would be started in higher secondary schools, in secondary schools in which post-secondary courses can be located, and in new institutions specially set up to give fillip to vocational education. Establishment of these institutions would be the responsibility of the Government as well as employers, in the public and private sector; Government would, however, take special steps to cater to the needs of women, rural and tribal students and deprived sections of society. Appropriate programmes will also be started for the handicapped.

5.27 Opportunities will be provided, under pre-determined conditions, to the graduates of vocational courses to continue their education for professional growth and career improvement. Arrangements may also be made for these persons to laterally enter courses of general, technical and professional education through appropriate bridge courses. An adequate infrastructure for planning, administration, management and monitoring of vocational education will be created.

NON-FORMAL PROGRAMMES:

5.28 Non-formal, flexible and need-based vocational programmes will also be made available, to neoliterates, youth who have completed primary education, school dropouts, persons engaged in work and unemployed or partially employed persons. Special attention in this regard will be given to women. Existing institutions of technical and vocational education, as well as the various government and non- government agencies, will be harnessed for this purpose.

TERTIARY LEVEL:

5.29 A large number of young persons who graduate from the

higher secondary courses of the academic stream may also require vocational courses. Tertiary level vocational courses will be organised on the basis of manpower needs and suitability for the relevant age-group.

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION:

5.30 In planning of vocational education programmes reliance will have to be placed on correlation with development plans and on "labour market signals". It is proposed to cover 10 per cent of the higher secondary students by vocational courses by 1990 and 25 per cent by 1995. Steps will be taken to see that a substantial majority of the products of vocational courses get employed or self-employed. Review of the courses offered would be regularly undertaken. Government will also review its recruitment policy to encourage diversification at the secondary level. Adequate provision will be made to equip vocational education institutions, to train teachers and to give technical and management support.

MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE:

5.31 As far as one can visualise, the coming decades will bring in new technologies in management systems themselves. The coming generations will have to be equipped with the ability to gather new knowledge and skills so as to cope with continued change. To develop individuals with such dynamic versatility is the unprecedented challenge of the education system. In order to meet it, Education too will have to develop effective mechanisms to understand the nature and direction of change per se and to develop management of change as an important skill. The new Policy will keep this in view.

HIGHER EDUCATION

5.32 Higher education opens up the world of knowledge and provides an opportunity to reflect on the critical social, economic, cultural, moral and spiritual issues facing humanity. By promoting the search for truth and the adventure of ideas it contributes to intellectual growth as much as to national development through dissemination of specialized knowledge and skills. It is therefore a crucial factor for survival in a competitive world where matching technologies are essential for economic growth; national security and defence. Higher education, being at the apex of the educational pyramid, has also a key role in producing teachers for the education system.

5.33 From another viewpoint, intensive cultivation of reflective, critical and creative intelligence as also pursuit of professional expertise, scholarship and excellence are the

distinct objectives of higher education. Promotion of the study of Man and his relationship with the universe should be the area of special emphasis at this stage for which sciences, arts, crafts and technologies are utilised as essential means and instruments.

5.34 In the context of the unprecedented explosion of knowledge, youths will be required to adopt an array of methodologies to perfect the art of learning to learn. Higher education has therefore to become dynamic as never before, constantly entering uncharted areas.

5.35 We have today around 150 universities and about 5,000 colleges. Still there is bound to be increasing pressure for opening new universities and colleges to provide higher enrolment, However, in the near future, the main emphasis would be on consolidation of, and expansion of facilities in, the existing institutions.

5.36 The first and foremost task here is of protecting the system from degradation. This brooks no delay nor complacency.

5.37 The universities have scores and sometimes more than one or even two hundred affiliated colleges. This has proved to be counter- productive for both, in every way. Over the next decade, therefore, autonomous colleges will be helped to develop in large numbers until the affiliating system is replaced by a freer and more creative association of the universities with the colleges. Similarly, creation of autonomous departments within universities on a selective basis will be encouraged so that centres of research and innovative teaching can grow. Autonomy and freedom will be accompanied by accountability of all concerned and of institutions as a whole. A five yearly academic audit of institutions will be developed, so that all resources are optimally utilized.

5.38 Courses and programmes will be redesigned to meet the demands of specialisation better. special emphasis will be laid on linguistic competence. There will be increasing flexibility in the combination of courses. This change is long over-due.

RE-ORGANISATION OF EDUCATION AT DIFFERENT STAGES