HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Human resource development emerged as a major activity of NOS during the year for building up effective manpower resource for open schooling and in different functional areas and activities crucial for open schooling through appropriately designed training programmes. In- service training of both academic and other staff was also pursued as an important demerit of human resource development
During the year, NOS organised 36 training programmes/seminars/ workshops/conference of varying durations. A total of 1,186 function- aries participated for 2,977 programme-person-days. This represented a leap forward over the previous year when about 15 programmes only were organised in which about 200 functionaries participated for less than 700 programme-person-days.
Of 36 programmes organised during the year, most of the programmes were held at Delhi 11 programmes were organised in different parts of the cow" at specialised professional and academic institutions at Pune (4), Calcutta (2) and one each at Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Imphal, Trivendrum and Vadodra.
Two seminars were organised in collaboration, one each with UNESCO and Indira Gandhi National Open University.
The list of the programmes, their duration, the number of participants, programme-person-days and objectives of each programme are given in Appendix IV. Table 10.1 presents the summary of the same.
Some of the important programmes organised during the year in- clude.
i) Orientation Programmes for Coordinators of AIs Four orientation programmes were conducted for the Coordinators of accredited institutions in different regions of the country with the objective of orienting them in the concepts principles and prac- tices of open learning and examining major management issues par- ticularly in respect of delivery of education at the study centres. 157 Coordinators participated in these orientation Programmes.
ii) National Expert Seminar on Open Schooling - Breaking New
Grounds'The national expert seminar on Open `Schooling-Breaking New Grounds' was organised an 9-10th December, 1994 with the main objec- tives of examining the role of open schooling in the context of uni- versalisation of education; introducing open vocational education and working out the management strategies and their inter-structural link- ages for open schooling.
90 experts including senior Administrators, educational technolo- gists, specialists in distance education, teacher educators, experts in women development, rural development and electronic information technology participated in the national seminar.
iii) International Study Visit-cum-Conference on 'Planning and
Management of Open Schooling'The International Study Visit-cum-Conference on 'Planning and Manage-
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* Including participants of the study visit.
ment of Open Schooling' was held from 15th February - 2nd March, 1995 in collaboration with UNESCO. It had the following two components:
a) Thirteen-days study visit for the E-9 delegates alongwith the states delegates; and
b) Three-days follow-up conference with other national and international delegates.
It was for the first time that sharing of experiences in open schooling at the international was initiated through the study visit- cum-conference. Seven delegates from E-9 countries, namely, Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan; two SAARC countries, namely, Nepal and Sri Lanka and some other countries,
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namely, U.K. and France participated in the above programme. One specialist from UNESCO also participated. Delegates from 5 states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu also participated.
The study visit provided an opportunity to the participating countries and the states to visit and have a firsthand understanding of the functioning of the Andhra Pradesh Open School, the National Open School, and the network of study centres in different parts of the country which support NOS in its efforts to impart education to learners in the remotest comers of the country.
The conference provided an understanding of the mechanism of designing curriculum, courses and materials both in print and audio and video and delivery of it to a large population which is typical of E-9 countries and to discuss management strategies and inter- structural linkages.
64 experts including international and state delegates participated in the conference.
iv) Round Table Conference on Continuing Education for Neo-
literates A Round Table Conference on Continuing Education for Neo- literates was held on 10-11th August, 1994 to develop an institutional mechanism for consolidation of literacy and continuing education.
35 experts in adult education, Directors of State Adult Education Centres and State Resource Centres from the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and West Bengal and experts from UNESCO participated in the conference.
v) National Seminar on Vocation Courses in Health and Paramedi-
cal areas A National Seminar was held on 27th September, 1994 to identify vocational courses in health and Paramedical areas through open learning system. 18 experts participates in the seminar.
vi) Regional Languages Workshops Seven regional languages workshops were held in different parts of the country to train people in language teaching through distance education and develop curriculum, learning outcome and learning materials in Gujarati, Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit and Urdu. 120 experts participated in these workshops. Six regional languages workshops had been held during the
Colloquia preceding year in Telgu, Urdu, Bengali and Marathi.
vii) National Seminar on Facilitation A National Seminar on Facilitation was held on 25th November, 1994 to discuss the concept of facilitation, role and functions of the facilitators and to finalise the guide-lines for supervision and feedback mechanism with the objective of establishing a healthy relationship with the study centres and help them and the students in the learning process. 42 experts participated in the seminar.
viii) Regional Conferences for Coordinators of AIs Four regional conferences were held in different parts of the country to orient the coordinators of the accredited institutions of the changes in the rules and procedures in administrative matters and academic programmes; discuss solution of their problems; and measures for effective student support services. 190 coordinators participated in the regional conferences.
Date Topic Expert
Nov.1994 The importance of Dr. (Mrs.) Usha Nayar,
Woman in Indian Head, Department of
Society and their Women Education
role in nation building. NCERT, New Delhi.
Nov.1994 Environmental Sh. T. Venugopal
Protection Sr. Environmental Engineer,
Central Pollution
Control Board, Delhi.
Dec. 13,1994 Open Schooling Mr. Tony Dodds,
Executive Director,
International Extn.
College,
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Date Topic Expert
Cambridge, U.K.
Dec. 14,1994 Integration of Dr. Monica Hale
Environmental educa- Director,
tion in the curriculum London Environment
Centre.
development
Staff Development A one-month in-house training programme was conducted in May, 1994 to 15 academic staff members in the basic computer operations which included DOS, Word-Star, Data-base and law 1-2-3.
The academic and other senior Level officers were trained by National Institute of Information Technology at NOS from 11th to 15th July, 1994 to use various types of computer softwares and develop sample material in the workshop on multi-media. packages;
A one-day Management development programme was held on 8th August, 1994 at NOS in which 20 administrative officers upto the level of section officers participated;
* Shri P.P Singh, Deputy Director (Admn.) participated in the Management Development Programme on 'Communication for Managereial Excellence' from 5th to 7th September, 1994 organised by Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering - Delhi Chapter.
* Sh. Moti Zharotia, Senior Graphic Artist was awarded Senior Fellowship in Graphic Art for two years 1993-95 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. He was sanctioned one year study leave from 1st April, 1994 to 31st Mardi, 1995, during which period, he was engaged in several creative graphic art activities at Lalit Kala Academic, Delhi. He also visited USA, UK and Nepal for international exposure in the area of his work. His graphics were exhibited in overseas exhibitions at Germany, Norway, Cuba and Holland.
* Ms Sushmitra Mitra, Project Fellow, Human Resource Development participated in UNESCO's study visit-cum-international seminar on Distance Education and Open Learning in Australia from 4th- 23rd September, 1994. She was also on study leave from 15.11.93 to 30.6.94 for pursuing her Ph.D Course.
* i) Dr. Rajesh, Project Fellow, Regional Language Programme
ii) Ms Gopa Biswas, Project Fellow, Question Bank
iii) Ms Anita Priyadarshini, Project Fellow, Life Enrichment Studies, and
iv) Ms Mridula Virmani, Tutor (Social Science)
attended the Pre-Conference Workshop on 'Supporting Distance Learner' organised by New Zealand Correspondence School,Wellington from 6-8th May, 1994. They also attended the ICDE Conference on Windows on the Future organised by ICDE at Wellington, New Zealand from 812th May, 1994.
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