PERCEPTIONS OF THE TEACHERS, PARENTS & MANAGERS
3.1 A reference has been made earlier in this Report to the effort made by the Review Committee to ascertain the views and perceptions of the teachers, parents and managers of the KVS system. These views were ascertained in one part through replies to Questionnaires and in the second part through meetings with the various groups. The views and perceptions as they have emerged are quite revealing.
3.2 A Questionnaire was addressed to 145 Chairmen of the Vidyalaya Management Committees and 104 of them responded. They were requested to grade the Kendriya Vidyalayas as excellent, very good, good or fair in regard to a number of attributes. Their responses are as indicated in Table 3.2. (next page).
3.3 The responses of the Chairmen of the VMCs indicate the need of improvement in the following areas:-
i. Posting of regular teaching staff particularly in remote schools.
ii. Enhanced local powers in disciplinary cases.
iii. Regular academic inspection and appraisal of school functioning
iv. Difficulty in supply of textbooks at the beginning of academic session particularly in North East.
V. Too many schools are without buildings. Maintenance of buildings needs urgent improvement.
Vi. Teacher accountability is very weak.
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Table 3.2
The perceptions of the Chairmen of VMCs
about facilities in Kendriya Vidyalayas
Grading (Percentage)
Attributes Excellent/ Good Fair
Very Good
Teaching-learning 50 26 24
programme
Co-curricular programmess 44 36 20
Physical Education Sports 39 33 28
Hobby clubs 20 36 44
Infrastructural facilities 35 24 41
Community service 22 27 51
Supervision by Principal 52 28 20
Teaching aids 41 28 -
Laboratories 35 49 -
Libraries 53 26 -
School Staff 60 31 -
Personnel matters
i. timely postings 45%
ii. timely transfers 33%
iii. timely confirmation 83%
iv. timely disposal at 35%
regional/headquarters
v. regular inspection 88%
3.4 Another Questionnaire was sent to 145 principals of whom 97 responded. The degree of responses is indicative to some extent of the level of motivation among the Principals. The Principals who responded
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included 10 where enrolment is more than 2000 and 15 where enrolment is below 500. Their responses in regard to various attributes are summarised in table 3.4 below :
Table 3.4
Perceptions of the Principals
about Kendriya Vidyalayas facilities
Grading (Percentage)
Attributes Excellent/ Good Fair
Very Good
Building facility 28 28 41
Staff quarters 41 8 -
Playgrounds 21 19 57
School garden 23 21 53
Lavatories 31 30 36
Laboratories 44 12 -
Games facility 27 26 44
Teaching aids 33 36 28
In-service training 39 32 26
3.5 The responses of the Principals highlight the following areas :-
i) The building programme including teachers' quarters needs considerable strengthening.
ii) Teaching aids in the school are inadequate.
iii) In-service training arrangement requires strengthening.
iv) Use of library facility is presently inadequate.
V) Postings of teachers particularly in the North East and smaller towns need considerable improvement.
vi) More effective powers need to be given to the Principal and the VMC.
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3.6 Discussion of the Review Committee with the groups of Principals, Teachers Associations, Chairmen of VMCs, educationists and others was very fruitful and covered the whole range of issues concerning KVS. These groups which have a vital stake in the KVS projected the following main points :-
i) There should be adequate representation of defence officers on the BOG.
ii) Instead of representatives of Teachers' Associations there should be representation of teachers on the BOG.
iii) There is overcentralisation of powers in the KVS (HQ) resulting in delays in decisions and settlement of personnel matters. There is an immediate need of decentralisation and delegation of powers to lower formation such as Principals, Chairmen, VMC & Assistant Commissioners.
iv) The KVS is presently being funded through the Non- Plan Funds. Some of the special projects and construction works could be funded through the M/HRD.
V) The VMCs need to be strengthened to make them more effective and functional in the running of Kendriya Vidyalayas.
vi) The fees both tuition fees as well as Pupils' Fund need to be enhanced.
vii) The Kendriya Vidyalayas should be opened only in areas where there are sufficient children belonging to category I and II, i.e. Central Govt. employees and Public Sector Undertakings. The Land for new Kendriya Vidyalayas should also be transferred to KVS immediately.
viii) It could also be considered if the KVS can be bifurcated into two units, one looking after the defence Kendriya Vidyalayas and the other for Civil and Project Kendriya Vidyalayas. At least a defence cell could be established in KVS to coordinate the affairs
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of defence sector Kendriya Vidyalayas.
ix) Admission under special dispensation could be curbed and in any case they should not be granted to children belonging to the lower priority categories. Double shift in Kendriya Vidyalayas should be discontinued.
X) There is a need to set up a Recruitment Board for selection and recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff of all categories.
xi) Teaching in primary classes needs to be strengthened by adopting activity oriented teaching methods and also by implementing recommendations of the NPE, Yashpal Committee etc.
xii) The Laboratories and Libraries in Kendriya Vidyalayas need to be strengthened. Junior Science Lab. should also be provided.
xiii) Hobby clubs and vocation based activities should be provided in all Kendriya Vidyalayas if complete vocationalisation cannot be implemented.
xiv) Guiding and Counselling services should be introduced in all Kendriya Vidyalayas.
xv) Maintenance and repairs works of school buildings and staff quarters should be given top priority, the backlog of school buildings should also be cleared in the next five years by making provision of special grant out of Plan Funds.
xvi) The play grounds are a must for all schools; as such provision may be made for providing play grounds and their maintenance.
xvii) With a view to ensuring effective and regular inservice orientation of teachers, five zonal training centres be set up without any further delay. These training centres should also take up the task of preparing instructional materials for teachers as well as action research programmes for Kendriya Vidyalayas.
xviii) Introduction of grading system instead of marks could be considered upto Class VIII.
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xix) A Management Information system should be introduced through computerisation in the KVS Headquar- ters as well as Regional Offices to add to the efficien- cy of KVS.
xx) The posts of C.V.O., P.R.O., Supdtg. Engineer should be created in KVS Headquarters.
3.7 In addition, the Review Committee was able to observe some of the Kendriya Vidyalayas it visited, Extensive information desired by it was also made available by the KVS. These inputs have provided the Review Committee the basis on which many of the recommendations have been made in succeeding chapters.
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