Table 2
Education Technology
Staff in Position in SIETs
Posts sanctio- Posts Posts
ned by Govt. filled lying
of India up vacant
A) CIET (Central Institute of Educational Technology)
1. Academic and 135 103 32
Production
2. Engineering 86 64 22
3. Administrative 114 97 17
---------------------------------
335 264 71
B) SIET, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)
1. Academic and 55 40 15
Production
2. Engineering 38 19 19
3. Administrative 35 30 5
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128 89 39
C) SIET, Patna (Bihar)
1. Academic and 52 39 13
Production
2. Engineering 38 29 9
3. Administrative 30 20 10
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120 88 32
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Posts sanctio- Posts Posts
ned by Govt. filled lying
of India up vacant
D) SIET, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
1. Academic and 59 37 22
Production
2. Engineering 39 28 11
3. Administrative 28 19 9
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126 84 42
E) SIET, Pune (Maharashtra)
1. Academic and 52 43 9
Production
2. Engineering 38 33 5
3. Administrative 30 28 2
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120 104 16
F) SIET, Bhubaneswar (Orissa)
1. Academic and 52 37 15
Production
2. Engineering 38 31 7
3. Administrative 28 19 9
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118 87 31
G) SIET, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
1. Academic and 61 47 14
Production
2. Engineering 38 30 8
3. Administrative 28 28 -
-----------------------------------
107 105 22
12.6.9 As of now, Doordarshan is making time available for Education Programmes as follows:-
* Three hours 45 minutes per day in five regional languages (Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya and Telugu) on a time sharing basis (45 minutes for each language). This is meant for children in the age group of 6-8 and 9-11. The programme is telecast on five days in a week Monday to Friday.
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* Two hours per day for five days in a week for the programme of UGC.
* Telecasting of children's film once in a month.
12.6.10 A group on use of satellite services for education headed by Shri Kiran Karnik (consisting of representatives of the Department of Education, Department of Space and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has given a comprehensive report on the requirements of TV time for educational purposes. The group has advised creation of 85 production centres in the country with 13 training institutes. The estimated outlay is of the order of Rs.1200 crores required over two plan periods. According to the group, with this size of outlay, one channel of the Doordarshan dedicated exclusively to education could be provided.
Recommendations: 12.6.11 The Educational Technology Programme as a whole should be reviewed by the Government in the light of the above experience. specifically
(i) Status of utilisation of the RCCPs and TVs already provided to the various States should be quickly studied in detail, closely involving the States themselves so that their proper utilisation is ensured. Where it is obvious that these equipment cannot be used on account of difficulties in providing the required infrastructure, they should be transferred to schools where such infrastructure exists. In the class room situations obtaining in the majority of the schools which are indifferently provided with infrastructure, there are serious problems in using TV. The TV programmes cannot also be a substitute for normal teaching. (The printed material used by the teacher still remains the most potent tool for imparting of instruction). Priority should rather be for use of audio and video cassettes for educational purposes. The reason is that the teachers will have the facility of playing them in a regulated way at the time they consider suitable for the students.
(ii) Within the Education Department, in the monitoring of the implementation of this programme, there should be very close coordination between the Schools Bureau which handles the scheme and the Elementary Education Bureau which deals with the problems of the children of the relevant age group. In fact, use of education technology hardware as well as software should be made part of monitoring of UEE.
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(iii) Teacher training in the use of these equipment should be organised. The emphasis in teacher training should be on instructional designs suitable to local needs. Techno aids should be made available to the teachers only if and when needed.
(iv) Already, infrastructure and capability are available in existing institutions in the country for the production of educational software. The UGC, NCERT, the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Central Institute of Indian Languages, and the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan are the organisations which have facilities and experience in this area. While the creation of education media foundation may be worthwhile, simultaneously with this, the modalities of utilising the existing institutions should be laid down by the Government. These Institutions themselves could tap talents from the open market for production of educational software.
(v) Immediate steps should be taken for properly manning the technical and professional posts in the State Institutes of Educational Technology so that their capacities are fully utilised and the present situation of their apparent under utilization altered.
(vi) Early steps should be taken for implementing the programmes to have a channel of the Doordarshan dedicated for education, care being taken to ensure that distance learning at all levels is facilitated. (It is worthy of mention here that the Indira Gandhi National Open University has been pressing for separate TV time for its programmes) . Reportedly, Doordarshan has been demanding commercial rates for telecasting education programmes. In the context of educational development which is the basic minimum human need, it is not appropriate to apply commercial rates for education programmes particularly, as they are designed for providing access to education for the disadvantaged sections of the society. The Government should fund the costs involved - I & B Ministry meeting the capital cost, and the running costs being met by the Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development on no loss, no profit basis.
Computer Education 12.7.0 The programme for computer education in the secondary and senior secondary schools (CLASS Project) was originally meant to be funded by the Department of Electronics. From the year 1987-88, funding from that Department has come to be rather nominal. With serious resource constraint faced by the Department
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of Education even to meet its commitments on priority areas, not much progress has been made in the area of implementing this scheme for providing computer learning for the school students. Some of the major problems in the implementation of this scheme have been the following:
* Virtually, no software is available in regional languages.
* The Computer Maintenance Corporation (CMC) has not been able to supply the hardware requirements though an amount of Rs.4 crores has been provided to it.
* Institutions of higher learning in the country which have been brought into the picture as resource centres (there are sixty such centres in the country) have not been able to show much results. There has been a provision of Rs.1,500/- per resource centre for meeting the expenses on project fellows. The fellows have often failed to undertake visits to the schools with the result that feed back has not always been available on the Status of use of computer.
* Training of teachers in the use of computers has been rather inadequate. In the Hindi speaking States, lack of knowledge of English has bee a serious impediment for the teachers in getting trained in the application of computers. Largely, under the programme, BBC micros were acquired. The CMC has not been able to make additions to these equipment for giving them capability to use regional languages.
* Often, there have been inordinate delays in the supply of computer hardware after imparting of training in their use. (The delays have been of the order one-and-a- half years between the time of training and supply of hardware.)
* Computer learning is not reflected in the time tables of the students. It is linked to SUPW for which generally two periods in a week are provided in the school system. This is inadequate for meaningfully imparting computer education.
Recommendations: (i) Computer education, of course, is important because computerisation has become part and parcel of technologies contributing to development in every sphere. However, a cautious approach should be followed in the expansion of computer education. The simple reason is the serious resource constraint and the need for priority being given in the deployment of available resources for universalisation
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of elementary education. (The Committee itself recognises that at school stage computer awareness is necessary but computer aided learning requirements (CAL) as such is to be carefully evaluated before introduction.)
(ii) Computer learning should be made an integral part of the time table. Emergent and meaningful steps for the production of computer software in regional languages should be taken. The resource centres which are expected to train teachers and provide necessary support should be streamlined. The time gap between teacher training and computer hardware supplies should be minimised. The project not having been very successful consequent on having been tied down to CMC, the Government should bring about involvement of diverse agencies, at the same time going in for computers other than BBC micros, apart from these equipment being improved for facility of operating software in regional languages.
Work experience. environment awareness and mathematics and science
education 12.8.0 While the Committee agrees with the emphasis given by NPE in regard to work-experience, environment orientation to education, mathematics teaching and science education, differs in regard to Implementation modalities. Specifically -
(i) Work experience/SUPW has remained a largely marginalised activity and this should become an integral part of the curriculum. Work has to be construed as a medium of education as 'senses are the window to our minds' (already brought out in the Chapter on 'Education and Right to Work').
(ii) Appreciation of environment should be inculcated amongst children through their participation, on a day-to-day basis, in project work on ground. (This will also be one of the incidental outcomes of implementation of the new model of vocational education recommended by the Committee). One of the basic objectives of environment orientation to education should be creation of a positive interface between the human being and environment.
(iii)Traditional wisdom and knowledge should be integrated in the teaching and learning of mathematics and science. (Already much enthusiasm has been generated in using the sutras of vedic mathematics as enrichment material for school education. This, for example, could be followed up).
(iv) In the teaching of science, conscious deviation has to be made from the practice of imposing on the students
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standardised terminologies and nomenclatures. They should be encouraged to build up their own perceptions about natural and physical phenomena through the discovery method which will help them understand the underlying principles first on their own. In other words, the approach to science teaching-learning should be deduction method as well, and not induction method alone. For bringing about significant changes in terms of this style of science teaching, appropriate orientation of the teachers and the functionaries of Boards of Education should be organised. A whole range of new books should be brought out and simple experiments devised for the purpose.
(v) The objective of science teaching itself should be inculcation of a scientific temper. Emphasis should be not on mere acquisition of scientific knowledge but use of scientific method as a tool of acquiring knowledge. 'How' is as important as 'what'.
Sports, Physical education and youth activities 12.9.0 Consistent with para 8.22 of NPE, 1986, for providing opportunities for the youth to involve themselves in national and social development through National Service Scheme (NSS), National Cadet Corps (NCC) etc., the Department of Youth Affairs & Sports took up the matter with the Planning Commission at the time of formulation of Eighth Five Year Plan i.e. for larger coverage of students under these programmes, apart from Bharat Scouts and Guides. However, that Department has not been able to secure any significantly favourable response.
Recommendations: (i) As in the case of implementing programmes relating to synthesis of culture and education, in the matter of provision of opportunities for the youth to involve themselves in national and social development through educational institutions and outside them, the primary responsibility should be with the Department of Education.
(ii) Dr. Amrik Singh Committee has recommended widening the base for sports in educational institutions; laying down sports syllabus for students at different levels; orientation of teachers for sports and games; close coordination between Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) and educational authorities at different levels for drawing up a plan for reorientation of teachers etc. This package of measures should be implemented.
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(iii) Provision of specific slots during schooling hours for physical education; stipulation of acquisition of specific grades in Physical Education to qualify students for particular classes, incentives for Physical Education teachers; and regular courses in sports and physical education for students who want to choose this field as a career option are other important measures which should be brought under implementation.