CONTENT AND PROCESS OF EDUCATION
(IN SCHOOL)
 

The Argument

1.1 The NPERC has stated that in addition to the national core curriculum, full scope should be provided for diversity in content and pedagogy according to the socio-cultural milieu of the school, While central coordination would be meaningful, the process of preparation of curriculum should be decentralised through the involvement of State agencies.

1.2 The need for decentralisation is accepted. The NPE also (para 3.4) recommends that the National System of Education will be based on a national curricular framework which contains a common core along with other components that are flexible.Even now the National Curricular Framework merely provides the guidelines but the actual preparation of the curriculum is done by the State agencies for their schools.

1.3 The NPERC states that apart from the common cultural heritage, diversities of the cultural traditions in the content of education are as important.

1.4 The above view implies that there is a dichotomy between 'common elements' and elements of 'diversity'; that there are two kinds of heritage, one common and the other non-common, and that the diversities of culture are not a part of common culture. India's culture is best described in the school curriculum/text books as a composite one. Moreover, cultural diversities in India being very wide, it will hardly be possible to have a wide range of text books each depicting the cultural uniqueness of the Socio-cultural milieu of each school. However, the

250

NPE in para 4,6 has stressed the need for the curriculum at all stages of education to create awareness of the rich cultural identity of tribal people.

1.5 The NPERC has opined that the modality of imparting Value Education cannot be confined to transaction of the core curriculum into instructional packages.

1.6 The NPE has directed that value education should be imparted through curriculum transaction. Consciousness of essential values should permeate the whole curriculum and programme of activities in the school, This approach is considered effective. The schools are free to take up co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and the central scheme of Value Education encourages voluntary organisations to undertake such projects with central assistance.

1.7 In respect of Examinations, the NPERC is of the view that the system of examination is dictating the character and quality of education itself. The schools have become some kind of a giant conveyor belt transferring students from stage to stage rather than equipping them for life.

1.8 The NPE (Para 8.24) has also recommended the elimination of excessive element of chance and subjectivity# de-emphasis of memorisation and continuous comprehensive evaluation. As such, the logic behind NPERC's recommendations for Examination Reform is no different from that of the NPE, However, in some of the recommendations for implementation of examination reform the Department has certain observations to rake. These find a place later in this Note.

1.9 The NPERC views with concern the 'load of the School Bag', The NPE has envisaged the adoption of

251

a child-centred approach to education which, if implemented in its true spirit, will succeed in reducing the burden on school students.

CULTURAL CONTENT

Recommendations 248 and 249

2.1 The recommendations imply that there are two kinds of heritage, one common and the other non-common, and that the diversities of culture are not a part of the common culture. India's culture is best described as a composite one, as has been done in school text books brought out on the basis of the National Curricular Framework. However, the NPE in para 4.6 has stressed the need for the curriculum at all stages of education to create awareness of the rich cultural identity of tribal people. Culture of any society is not a static but a dynamic entity. In the process of historical development, many elements become obsolete and are given up while some others undergo change and modification. Therefore, culture should be viewed as a process, and not something which was created at any fixed time in the past in its final form, which is either to be revered or denigrated. It would not be advisable to include conflicting cultural diversities in the country in the school text books. The impact of such a prescription on impressive young minds would be negative and adverse to national integration.

SUMMARY

- India's culture should be described as a composite one, as in the new text books developed on the basis of National Curricular Framework,

- Culture should be viewed as a dynamic entity, the "old yielding place to the new."

252

Recommendation No.250

2.2 This is not a recommendation relating to policy but concerns assignment of departmental responsibilities. In paras 8.1 , 8.2 and 8.3, the NPE refers to the place of culture in education. The University system incorporates art and culture in the curriculum and syllabus and also has positive interaction with institutions in art and culture outside the university System. There are many universities which have Departments of Fine Arts, Music, History of Art and Culture, etc., which do interact with the non-university institutions in various ways, such as organisation of national seminars/conferences; research projects; exchange of material; and involvement of students, etc. The National Museum has already been declared as an institution Deemed to be University under the UGC Act. The institutions and departments concerned with the subject would take note of the recommendation.

- Not relating to Education Policy.

- Linkages already exist between universities and cultural institutions.

253

VALVE EDUCATION

Recommendation 251 to 253

2.3 Most of the values included in recommendation 251 are taken from the NPE, The NPERC and the NPE are in agreement that the content and process of education should be all pervasively informed by these basic values. The National Curricular Framework, 1988 (para 1.2.1) said that the content and process of education should be carefully planned so as to develop in the learners appropriate knowledge, skills, attitudes and values relevant in the context of social, economic, political and environmental goals in the local, national and global perspectives. The core components cutting across the subject-areas in the revised text books for all stages of school education designed on the basis of the guidelines of the National Curricular Framework emphasize the instilling of nationally shared perceptions and values in which a common Indian identity could be strengthened. The National Curricular Framework will continue to guide curricular development in the country.

2.4 The establishment of linkages between the school and the community is desirable and can be left to the initiative of the individual schools, The suggestion that schools should take up programmes in States other than their own is impractical.

2.5 The intention behind Recommendation No.253 which is that education should develop the total personality of the individual is appreciated. The NPE also presupposes the profoundly positive content of Value Education while giving its directives.

SUMMARY

- School-community linkages can be tried

254

- out by individual schools

- Encouraging schools to take up programmer, in other States/regions may not be practicable.

- The NPE also presupposes the profoundly positive content of value education while giving its directives.

LANGUAGES

Recommendation No.254

2.6 The NPERC itself states that all the measures suggested in this recommendation are more elaborately dealt with in Chapter on Languages in Education. The comments of this Department on these recommendations were furnished in document No.D.5.

2.7 One of the measures listed in the recommendation is universalisation of imparting instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage including for minorities and tribals. The NPERC makes it very clear that the Committee is not in favour of re-framing the policy in respect of languages enunciated in 1968 and 1986, a policy which has come to be stabilized and generally accepted all over the country.

2.8 However, recommendation No.254 as it stands can be given two interpretations: (i) a narrow interpretation equating universalisation with universal access, i.e., provision of facilities for children learning through their mother tongue in primary schools; (ii) a broader interpretation to mean that instructions at the primary stage should be only in the mother tongue of the child,such an interpretation goes far beyond the policy prescription so far.

255

2.9 It may be mentioned that Article 350-A of the Constitution enjoins upon every State and local authority within the State to endeavour to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups.Implicit in this, Constitutional provision is the assumption that facilities would exist in all States for instruction in mother tongue at the primary stage of education for all children other than those belonging to linguistic minority groups. The 1968 policy noted that languages were already in use as media of instruction at primary stage and that urgent steps should be taken to adopt them as media of instruction at the university stage. NPE re- iterates the 1968 policy in respect of languages in respect of Scheduled Tribes. Para 4.6(ii) of NPE-1986 underlines the need to develop curricula and devise instructional materials in tribal languages at the initial stages, with arrangements for switching over to the regional languages medium. It is a matter for debate and discussion whether instruction in mother tongue at primary stage of education should be made compulsory. Among the factors to be taken into account are: (i) the consensus among pedagogists that mother tongue is the best medium of instruction at primary stage of education, (ii) the socioeconomic reality.

Recommendation elaborated in the Chapter on Languages.

Universalisation of imparting instruction in mother tongue at primary stage has far reaching implications

EDUCATIONAL -TECHNOLOGY

Recommendation No.255

2.10.NPERC has generally endorsed the formulations regarding Educational Technology in NPE. The recommendations made by the NPERC are in the nature of suggestions for improving the

256

implementation of the scheme of Educational Technology.

2.11 Recommendation No.255(i) suggests that steps should be taken: (i) to assess the status of utilisation of the RCCPs and TVs already provided to the various State Governments, (ii) to remove the infrastructural bottlenecks which come in the way of using the electronic hardware.

2.12 Recommendation No.255(ii) suggests that there should be close coordination between the Schools Bureau and the Elementary Education Bureau so that the scheme of Educational Technology is better monitored. This suggestion again is a matter of implementation.

2.13 Recommendation No.255(iii) emphasises the need to organise the teacher training in the use of equipment and in integrating the use of equipment with classroom instruction. It needs be stated that Para 8.11 of NPE envisaged training and re-training of teachers in the use of educational technology. Manuals for use of CTVs and RCCPs have been prepared in Hindi and English and are being distributed to the States/ Union Territories. It is proposed to include the media component in the training for teachers to be conducted by DIETs.

2.14 Recommendation No.255(iv) suggests that while the Education Media Foundation is being created , the existing institutions like UGC, Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) , Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) and Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, which have facilities in the areas, of educational technology should be better utilised. This point is well taken. Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore and Rasthriya Sanskrit Sansthan have been provided assistance for production of a series of audio-cassettes for language learning. The NCERT has also set up a committee to evolve modalities for involving outside producers to produce video films for Central Institute of Educational Technology. The

257

Educational Media Foundation is expected to act as a catalyst for enhanced production of quality programmes by outside agencies, while simultaneously acting as a clearing house for educational software in the country. It will not, in itself, be a production centre.

2.15 Recommendation No.255(v) calls for better utilisation of the technical and professional posts in the State Institutes of Educational Technolgy (SIETs). A Working Group was set up to suggest ways and means of improving the functioning of SIETs. Inter-alia, this Group suggested autonomy being given to the SIETs so that they have flexibility in their operations. It is suggested to convert SIETs, which are in the nature of Government department into autonomous organisations under the aegis of the State Governments. The State Government, the Central Government and eminent experts in the field of educational technology will be represented on various bodies of SIETs so that there is professionalisation of management. Such bodies have already been set up in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

2.16 Recommendation No.255(vi) suggests that early steps should be taken for setting tip a separate channel of Doordarshan dedicated to education. The recommendation also suggests subsidisation of costs in telecasting education programmes by the Government. A Group with Dr. Kiran Karnik as Convenor was set up in August, 1987 to study and make recommendations on the use of satellite services for education and the media time requirement of various sectors of education. The recommendations of the Group is under consideration of the Government. The Department of Education also took up the matter for additional time requirement for the educational sector as a whole with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Recently separate TV time was provided to the IGNOU to telcast its programmes.

258

- Recommendations do not relate to Policy

- Agencies concerned can be expected to act on this recommendation

COMPUTER EDUCATION

Recommendations No.256 & 257

2.17 These recommendations relating to Computer Education have no policy implications but relate to implementation of the scheme of Computer Education. The Committee strikes a note of caution in regard to expansion of Computer Education, having regard to a serious resource constraint and the higher priority that has to be given for funding universalisation of elementary education. The Committee also suggests that computer learning should be an integral part of learning process, emergent and meaningful steps be taken for production of computer software in regional languages and that the Government should not limit itself to the CMC for providing the resource support or to BBC Micros. While strengthening and consolidating the utilisation of hardware, wherever provided, the scheme is simultaneously taken up for review.

- No Policy implications

- The scheme of Computer Education is under review.

259

WORK EXPERIENCF, ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS AND MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION

Recommendation No. 258

2.18 (i) The recommendation forms part of the recommendations relating to Education and Right to Work in Charter 8 and will be considered while examining the recommendations in that Chapter.

2.19 (ii) Under the Centrally sponsored Scheme of Environmental Orientation to school Education, 100% assistance is provided to States/UTs and voluntary agencies. States/ UTs are provided assistance for taking up the various programmes/activities aimed at creating environmental consciousness amongst children and the community belonging to a compact area having homogeneous ecological conditions on project basis. Apart from review and development of instructional material and orientation of teachers, the project activities include a number of work-experience activities such as adoption of monuments for upkeep and maintenance; nature study visits to nearby sites for study of flora and, fauna of the area, writing essays and reports; study of ecological problems of a village, educating people on hazards of environmental pollution; advocating construction of sanitary toilets; participation in the conservation efforts of the community; adoption of a municipal ward or locality -for study of the social and ecological environment history and culture of the area; Organisation of seminars for creating environmental consciousness; setting up of nurseries visits to zoos/ wildlife sanctuaries, trekking/nature walks for educating children about the causes of soil erosion and measures for ,soil protection/social forestry and measurement of environmental erosion of soil, leaves, wood, etc. involving thereby the children on a day-to- day basis, in project work on ground as well as creating a positive interface between the human being and environment.