EDUCATION COMMISSION, 1964-66
 

The Education Commission under the Chairmanship of Dr.D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman, University Grants Commission, began its task on October 2,1964. It consisted of sixteen members, eleven being Indians and five foreign experts. In addition, the Commission had the benefit of discussion with a number of internationally known consultants in the educational as well as scientific field.

The main task of the Commission was to advise the Government on the national pattern of education and on the general policies for the development of education at all stages-ranging from the primary to post-graduate stage and in all its aspects besides examining a host of educational problems in their social and economic context.5

3 "This House is of opinion that a Committee of Members of Parliament be appointed to go into the question on National Policy on education in all its aspects and to prepare a plan accordingly for the next three plan periods, and also to suggest suitable machinery for its implementation." (L.S. Deb. May 1, 1964 c.13989)

4 L.S. Deb. June 5,1964 cc.1441-49.

5 Government Resolution setting up the Education Commission, July 14, 1964

5

The Commission submitted its report to the Government on June 29,1966. It was laid on the Table of the House on August 29, 1966.The principal recommendations of the Commission are given in Appendix I. The main features of the Commission's report were as follows:

(i) Introduction of work-experience which includes manual work, production experience, etc. and social service as integral part of general education at more or less all level of education.

(ii) Stress on moral education and inculcation of a sense of social responsibility. Schools should recognise their responsibility in facilitating the transition of youth from the work of school to the world of work and life.

(iii) Vocationalization of secondary education.

(iv) strengthening of the centres of advance study and setting up of a small number of major universities which would aim at achieving highest international standards.

(v) Special emphasis on the training and quality of teachers for schools

(vi) Education for agriculture and research in agriculture and allied sciences should be given a high priority in the scheme of educational reconstruction. Energetic and imaginative steps are required to draw a reasonable proportion of talent to go in for advance study and research in agriculture science.

(vii) Development of quality or pace-setting institutions at all stages and in all sectors.

The Commission observed that mother-tongue had a pre-eminent claim as the medium of education at the school and college stages. Moreover, the medium of education in school and higher education should generally be the same. The regional languages should, therefore, be adopted as the media of education in higher education.

The Commission further observed that the public demand for secondary and higher education had increased and would continue to increase in future. It was, therefore, necessary to adopt a policy of selective admissions to higher secondary and university education in order to bridge the gap between the public demand and available facilities.

6

The Commission was of the view that the social segregation in schools should be eliminated by the adoption of the neighbourhood social concept at the lower primary stage under which all children in the neighbourhood will be required to attend the school in the locality.