 TRAINING

6.1. Training of staff is vital for the development of a system. This is particularly relevant on the field of educational statistics which is yet to find general acceptance and appreciation. The large number of personnel engaged in furnishing/collecting data have very little knowledge of t is job. It is, therefore, necessary to provide for the training of the staff at various levels to improve the quality and reliability of educational data and to ensure better utilisation for planning policy formulation and administration.

6.2. At present, only limited arrangements of training are available both at centre and state level in the field of educational statistics. Further training is limited in the sense that it caters to the needs of only intermediate and primary level. The Ministry of Education conducts annual training courses in the field of educational statistics for the benefit of Statistical Assistants working at the State Headquarters, whereas only a few States organise regional inservice training courses for the statistical personnel working at lower levels, namely, district and block level. Besides, a few States have also been conducting training courses for the statistical/clerical staff employed in universities and colleges with a view to improving the quality of data at institutional level for higher educational institutions.

6.3. Apart from the Ministry of Education, the NCERT also conducts training courses of short-term duration from

time to time, The orientation programme for survey staff conducting All India Educational Surveys covers the explanation of various concepts and definitions both in the work of collection and compilation of data at State Headquarter, district level and block level. Besides, NCERT also conducts workshops of short-term duration in such areas as use of sample surveys methods in education, and use of All India Educational Survey data for planning at district/block levels. At present, UGC does not conduct any kind of training course in the field of educational statistics though such a need has been felt by that organisation also. In training programmes for educational planners and administrators, there should be provision for component for orienting officers in concepts and methodology of educational statistics and their use in planning and administration.

6.4. For the collection of statistics relating to Adult Education Programmes, the Directorate of Adult Education organises special training orientation workshops on monitoring and evaluation for officers incharge of monitoring and evaluation at the State level. The schedules on monitoring and evaluation are also explained in its regular training programmes for State level and District level Officers where the need for relevance of monitoring procedures, types of data required and its frequency is explained. The training of Project staff is organised by State Resource Centres/State Adult Education Officers and of field functionaries where the details of forms for collecting of data and its relevance in planning and improvement of programme are explained.

6.5 On the whole, the existing arrangements for training in respect of professional/semi-professional statisticians in the field of educatioal statistics were noted to be

inadequate. The Committee, therefore, examined in detail the training needs of the different categories staff engaged on this work at the various levels.

6.6. Training for statistical personnel in the field of edu- cational statistics could be broadly at two levels:

(a) Training for Professionals: This will include training in the use of statistical methods for analysis of voluminous data being collected and published by the various central and state organisations. Here also there could be two sub levels-one for which the officers should have sufficient background in statistics and mathematics and another for those officers engaged in statistical work but not having sufficient background in statistics and mathematics. The Committee is of the view that such training is essential for the Statistical Officers incharge of collection of educational statistics in the State Education Departments and their senior subordinates and also for the officers working in Central Organisations viz. Ministry of Education, NCERT, UGC and Directorate of Adult Education.

(b) Training of Intermediate/Primary level Staff: This type of training will be of different nature aiming to give proper exposure to the underlying purpose of data collection, concepts and definitions being used in the process of collection, compilation and techniques of simple analysis of educational data. This training can be organised by the State Education Departments with support from appropriate central organisations. Such type of training would meet the requirements of junior staff like Statistical Assistants,

Investigators, Computers and other clerical staff employed for collection and compilation of statistical data at State headquarter, district level and block level. In addition, the clerical staff employed in university and colleges who are handling the work of statistics also need to be trained by the State Education Departments.

6.7 At the central level, for the officers working in the different organisations like Ministry of Education, NCERT and UGC, there is a need for training in the following type of courses:

(a) Advance training courses in the use of statistical methods like econometric models, operational research, system analysis, simulation, models in the field of educational planning, etc., and computerisation of educational statistics. Such type of training courses will be relevant for those officers who have got sufficient background in mathematics and statistics.

(b) Training courses in the use of simple statistical methods in educational planning and research. Such type of training courses will be relevant to the officers working at the central level who do not have adequate background in the field of mathematics or statistics. Such type of training courses would also be helpful for these Statistical Officers- in-charge of work of collection of educational statistics, in the State Education departments who do not have adequate basic qualifications in statistics.

6.8 Regarding the first category of training course, it has been noted by the Committee that there are not many

training institutions in the country where such type of facilities are available at present. To enhance their competence and update their knowledge, the officers working in the statistical unit at the central agencies may be deputed for short-term and long-term training courses in suitable institutions in India or abroad where such-type of training facilities are available. Besides, national organisations like C.S.O. and I.S.I. may be also requested to develop the expertise in organising such type of training courses in future.

6.9 The staff working in statistical units should be encouraged to attend and participate in meetings and training courses in educational statistics and related subjects. The senior staff in the statistical units should also, be given the opportunity to attend/participate in such regional and international conferences and meetings in order to explore them to the latest developments in the different countries in the, developments of educational statistics systems.

6.10 As far as the other category of officers is concerned, the Committee was of the view that CSO may take the responsibility of organising such type of training courses annually or periodically in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

6.11 At the State level, the statistical staff could be classified into two broad categories, namely, senior staff of the rank of Deputy Director/Assistant Director or Statistical Officer, and the junior staff consisting of Statistical Assistants, Investigators, Computers or clerks doing the statistical work. For the first category of officers, training course of the type of mentioned in para 6.7 may be more useful for the second category, in addition to the training programmes suggested at para 6.6, the Ministry of Education and Culture, NCERT and Directorate of Adult Educa-

tion should also continue to organise such type of training orientation courses as mentioned under para 6.3 and 6.4 above. Besides, UGC should also initiate action in this matter and organise regional inservice training courses in order to improve the quality and reliability of data relating to higher education.

6.12 At the district level, the collection and compilation of educational statistics is limited to primary, middle and secondary/higher secondary schools and, therefore, statistical. staff at this level should be trained regularly on annual basis by the statistical unit of the State Education Department as indicated in para 6.2.

6.13 At the block level of all the Block Education Officers and the Project Officers of the Adult Education should be trained on regular basis about the various concepts and difinitions used in the educational statistics at the block level. Such type of training courses should be organised by the State Education Department and the State Resource Centre for Adult Education respectively on a regular basis.

6.14 The universities and colleges supply a large amount of data to the Ministry of Education and UGC but there is no check on the quality and reliability of data received from them due to inadequate arrangements of training in this respect. There is a need for training in regard to the various definitions and terminologies used for compilation of data in the field of higher education as well as techniques of conducting sample surveys and theme-oriented studies and the maintenance of proper record. Such type of training courses should be the responsibility of the UGC. But keeping in view the large number of colleges, the role of UGC may be limited to only universities where as the statistical units located in

the universities in turn may organise training programme for persons dealing with educational statistics in college. This could be possible as most of the universities are having a planning and statistical cell.

6.15 In training programmes for educational planners and administrators, there should be provision for component for orienting officers in concepts and methodology of educational statistics and their use in planning and administration.

6.16 For the statistical staff in Planning, Monitoring and Statistics Division of the Ministry, NCERT, UGC and other Institutions suitable opportunities should be provided for enhancement of their educational qualifications. They should be encouraged to do Doctorate or other PostGraduate work on such topics which require the use or development of quantitative techniques in education. Where possible, they should make use of the mass of educational data collected annually or through quinquinnial and other educational surveys for their research.