RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT
The year marked the completion of 5 years of the existence of NOS in November, 1994 in the service of the nation. So far, NOS has primarily worked in the area of open secondary and senior secondary education. Bridge course has been on a low key. Vocational stream was added in 1992.
Students enrolment in NOS programmes has grown over the years in academic courses.
A number of vocational courses have been started but the enrolment in these courses has not yet picked up. However, a large number of students in academic courses are choosing vocational subjects as part of academic courses.
Currently, the NOS has a cumulative active enrolment of more than 2.0 lakhs students belonging predominantly to educationally and socio- economically backward sections and other marginalised groups literally from each state and UT of India - a testimony to the fact that Open Learning is increasingly serving the real life needs of the society.
The NOS network of study centres has steadily spread over to the different parts of the country. As against 161 accredited institutions 'only as on 31st March, 1991, the NOS network of study centres consisted of 400 accredited institutions including vocational and Bengali medium study centres as on 31st March, 1995.
35,000 students took the first secondary and senior secondary examinations conducted by NOS in January, 1991. Since 1991-92, two public examinations are being conducted every year. The number of certified students in these examinations has risen to 34,026 in 1994- 95 from 17,250 only in 1991-92 almost doubling in a short span of 3 years.
NOS courses are increasingly getting recognised all over the country by various Boards of Education/Universities. By 31st March, 1995, 85 Boards/ Universities have already recognised NOS courses.
From 1993 onwards, the National Open School shifted from 'a school and board combined' to 'a' national institution of open schooling'. The National Open School envisioned itself as a state instrument providing education for all through open learning. To that end, this period is characterised by a search for a new identity as a national institution of open schooling.
The National Open School has broad based and diversified its academic activities and taken a number of measures for quality improvement, better learning and supervision.
An innovative project on bask education has been undertaken to provide a learning continum in basic education through graded three level courses.
Some new courses in life enrichment and continuing education programmes are also being developed.
A perspective document on vocational education through open learning was prepared. A large number of agricultural, technology related, paramedical and home science courses have been developed.
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NOS has taken up rendering of its curriculum, courses and instructional material in regional languages.
A number of other important areas crucial for the growth of open school system including student support services and human resource development were identified and projects developed for fast and effective implementation.
On the basis of the project reports prepared by NOS, Haryana Open School has already been started and a decision has been taken by the respective state governments to establish Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal State Open Schools.
NOS performs the functions of examining and certifying authority like the Boards of Secondary Education; production of learning material and academic inputs to the students at the school level like National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) and serves distant learners upto the pre-degree level through distance education mode like Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
Policy directions for the NOS are embodied in the -
i) CABE Committee (Janardhan Reddy Committee) Report on Policy (Jan 1992);
ii) National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 (as reformulated in 1992);
iii) Programme of Action (POA), 1992;
iv) Planning Commission's Core Group (Chitra Naik Committee) Report on Open Learning (February, 1992);
v) Eighth Five Year Plan;
vi) EFA Summit Framework for Action 1993; and
vii) CABE Committee (G. Ram Reddy Committee) Report on Distance Education (February, 1994).
The role and charter of NOS were redefined and elaborated by by the Consultative Committee on Perspective Review of NOS constituted under the Chairpersonship of Dr. (Mrs.) Chitra Naik, Member, Planning Commission in the context of the mission and objectives of NOS and the directions, strategies and thrusts emanating from the Eighth Five Year Plan and other policy documents cited above.
Under the policy perspective, the NOS has to
* play a major role in open basic education for the neo-literate and early-school-drop outs, open vocational education and confirming and life en- richment programmes for teachers, instructors and other general public in addition to open secondary and senior secondary education;
* steadily move from a primarily programme delivery institution to a research and development institution alongwith its delivery role for promoting open schooling; and
* play the nodal and lead role in developing a net-work of state open school in the country.
A comprehensive view of the charter emerging for NOS is presented in Figure 13.1.
During the first half decade of its existence, NOS has consolidated its base and witnessed multi-dimensional growth and diversification of its activities side by side with significant improvement in the quality of its existing programmes and student support service. With the new perspective, initiatives and thrusts, NOS is on the threshold of emerging as a national institution of open schooling to reach out to the educationally and socio-economically backward sections and other marginalised groups with a sharp focus on India's commitment to the goal of Education for All by 2000 A.D.
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* Facilitating setting up State
Open Schools
* Exploring the possibility, of setting
up a National Consortium on Open
Schooling
* Providing Resource Support to State
Open Schools
NATIONAL. * Planning Coordination and Maintenance
of Standards in Open Schooling
LEAD ROLE
* Establishing a National Database on
Distance Education at the school level
* Pursuing an Integrated System of
Distance Education embracing the
entire range of education at the
school level.
BASIC EDUCATION VOCATIONAL SCHOOL CONTINUING
Graded learning EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION
Programme for Agricultural, Secondary Training of
personnel
INSTITU- Neo-literates and Technological Education connected
TIONAL with Open
early school Paramedical, Senior Learning System
dropouts Home Science Secondary
Business and education Primary/
PROGRAMME Elementary
DELIVERY Training Pro- Commerce. in academic, Teacher
Education
gramme for AE vocational and Programmes
on Music,
NFE Instructors, mixed groups. Graphics
and Arts,
NGO Activists and Information
Science,
Panchayat Women's
Development
Members and Health
Management
INTERNA- * Programme Delivery to International Students
TIONAL * Consultancy and HRD for International Client
Groups
ROLE * Educational Products Marketing
Figure 13.1 Policy Thrusts and Workspace Definition for National Open School
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