EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON EDUCATION BY PRIME MINISTER WITH THE MEMBERS OF NATIONAL COMMISSIONS ON TEACHERS

 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON EDUCATION BY
 PRIME MINISTER WITH THE MEMBERS 
OF NATIONAL COMMISSIONS ON
 TEACHERS

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE

GOVERNMENT' OF INDIA

1983

The Prime Minister addressed the two National Commissions on Teachers at 12.00 Noon on 26th March, 1983. Apart from the Chairman and Members of the two Commissions, the Minister of State, the Education Secretary, Prof. M.G.K. Menon, Member, Planning Commission, Chairman, University Grants Commission, and Bureau Heads of the Ministry were present.

Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyaya thanked the Prime Minister for the initiative taken in setting up the two National Commissions. He felt that the justification for the constitution of two more commissions was to be found in the changing needs of our society and the necessity to have an in-depth study of the milieu of education especially in the context of national integration and the objectives of education.

The Prime Minister thereupon addressed the members. What follows is a gist of her observations.

While it goes without saying that education is of great importance, we must be clear here about what we mean by "Education". In India we have so far taken a narrow view, narrower than in other countries, identifying it with the formal system of education. We derived our ideas from the British. While the British have been changing their system, we have not. Does our present education fit the Indian society ? While the needs of any society keep on changing our education system does not seem to meet the needs of even our old problems not to speak of the new. There is

talk of centralisation and decentralisation. In the matter of education, the common concern should be to inculcate knowledge of our national principles and national pride. In the international context, we talk of co-existence of countries with different ideologies. India, as a country of considerable diversity in regard to religion, caste, etc. it is even more important in the national context that we learn to live in harmony. Anything that weakens this tendency must be fought. The adverse consequences of communal tensions harm everyone in the long run equally. We are proud of our tradition of tolerance. At the same time there is much intolerance in the country. It is for education to inculcate an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding. If the nation does not survive, education cannot.

Our aim is development. The term "development" has so far been identified with economic development. Because of our poverty and backwardness economic development is important. But economic development by itself does not take a country forward. Even advanced countries face problems which they are not able to tackle. At the top of the tree there are persons producing ideas. But a vast number of people there find the technological world too much. A group of children from India who went to Sweden were stunned by the impact of development there. They felt that the parents were not looking after their children properly and institutional care for the handicapped, retarded, etc. has to some extent led to a domestic neglect or want of feeling. Development means the development of the personality of the individual. In Government, we tend to think in terms of statistics- percentage of literacy or illiteracy and so on. But we must remember that ultimately statistics are made up of individual human beings with different personalities.

While we must emphasise the mother-tongue, which is extremely important, there is need for children to learn other languages to get on in today's world. Communication

with ordinary persons is not possible unless one knows their language. We must somehow get the country back to the three language formula. Even China has started English as a compulsory subject to be learnt from the KG level onwards. The international importance of English is growing. Even if English is banned at the school stage as some States tried to do, it is the poor children who are affected in the long run since those who can afford always manage to give their children a knowledge of English.

Education is concerned with development of personality. How does a child learn ? It is through what he is familiar with. In the old days we were taught pounds, shillings, pence, which we had never seen. The children in our rural areas find a number of subjects taught to them in the school as foreign to them as pounds shillings pence were to us. How do we bring flexibility to the education system so that the children learn what is relevant to them ? And there is an active link between the environment and the subject taught in the class room.

There is also the need to adjust the school hours and holidays to local factors. The children should be available to help their parents in their field or at their home when they are needed.

While nobody favours child labour and exploitation, children helping their parents is not work. The parents should not be deprived of the help they get from their children. If children are useful to parents, parents will be more enthusiastic about education. Of course, children must have full opportunities for education and play.

Some of the school classes have too many children. The teacher has no contact with the children sitting at the back. Teachers gain the respect of children if they combine understanding and firmness. it is necessary that they themselves do their homework. in the case of children, homework is a burden and children can do without it.

Even little children are getting home work. If necessary, the school can be extended by half an hour or 45 minutes so that children do not have to do homework. The teaching of some subjects can be combined. At a very young age it is possible to learn languages through games or any other subject. The language to be learnt can be spoken say at meal times. It may be possible to synthesise Geography and History with other subjects.

Children develop at different Paces. This is why it is necessary for the teacher to devote individual attention to the children. Teacher training should take care of this aspect. Teachers should learn to handle children properly. it has been said, "There are no delinquent children. Only delinquent parents". And this applies to teachers as well. If teachers (and parents) knew how to handle students, we would not have so much of student trouble.

There is too much emphasis on examinations. I would prefer a system without examinatioNs but we have examinations to obviate chances of favouritism. There is at any rate need for a system which does not encourage cheating. May be there is a case for examinations which allow the looking up of books, so that the tendency to cram in the last week is discouraged. Education is training of the mind, which will 'help us to continue ]earning and not mere acquisition of information. A person must go on learning as long as he is alive. Teaching through local circumstances and inculcation of the habit of observation are a must. We must give a great deal of importance to environment. Children must get to know their area. They must not merely be able to appreciate the beauty of environment but must also become aware how damage to environment would damage the earth and the future of the human race. This must form part of education in various subjects. Children manage to learn a lot more these davs than earlier, and learning many things at a much lower age. There was a recent magazine item of

how toddlers were being taught to use computers. The burden on children are becoming greater. But while they work, they learn in a more concentrated way. They have a tremendous capacity to be absorbed in anything that interest them. Learning should not be a painful obligatory duty but must be enjoyed.

Tolerance for various points of view and for feelings of others need to be inculcated in children. We in this country give a great deal of importance to ranking. Children should be prevented from thinking that anyone is high or low. They must be taught to respect the thinking of others. That is the only way we can combat the feeling of communalism and casteism. Although children are generally more liberal and understanding, sometimes children tend to be cruel to animals or to other children with handicaps largely because they are not aware that it causes pain. They should learn to accept difference.

Mental fitness is linked to physical fitness for a normal child. Sports and games are important both for the individual andand for the health of the nation as a whole. Unfortunately, sport itself is ceasing to be fun and games are becoming an industry that is too competitive with resultant tensions.

Inculcation of fundamental values is necessary. This is fundamental. All religions accept certain basic values. We have done nothing in education to inculcate this thinking. People should practise what they preach. Young people are idealistic. If the need for observing certain values is put to them properly, it is bound to have effect.

It is undesirable to have too many "dont's" for children. As parents and as teachers we have to create an atmosphere of tolerance and self-respect in children. They must also develop sympathy for weaker sections.

Far greater attention has to be paid to primary education than to higher education. We are losing whole generations of people. Why should everyone go to University ?

Can we have a special test for recruitment to services without insisting on University qualifications ? If a person does not want to do research, why can't he take to some vocational education or trade etc. It should also be possible for people who have taken to vocational courses to go in for higher education.

People say that standards are falling particularly in higher education. In our efforts to help the weakest, we have made people somewhat caste-conscious. While we should not compromise on standards, the weaker sections should be helped suitably to catch up. We stress achievement. But education is not what you know but what you are. Good education should make people adaptable.

We cannot turn ourselves away from modern technology. I am sorry that we have people who are resisting computers. Computers may initially make a few people unemployed but by making things more efficient different types of jobs are created.

Education is not just for the elite but it must go down to every boy and girl.

When people see that they stand to gain by change, they will adopt it and go forward. It is not true that tradition stops progress. We must be able to use traditions for our purposes as Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave did. Vinobaji used to draw on mythology for ideas on family planning. Sometimes rural children who are educated tend to feel that their uneducated parents are inferior. This should not happen.

The reading habit needs to be inculcated. Sometimes programmes on television help in this. The 'Gandhi' film led a number of children wanting to read everything on Gandhi. Some films tend to glorify violence and to show women as inferior. I regard it as the biggest insult to me when I am called the only man in the Cabinet. In films the good are

shown somehow as not being very intelligent. Even if they win in the end, it is not because of their own qualities. I should like a small group from among you to go into the question of how to use the media for education. There is tremendous scope for utilisation of radio and other mass media which reach out to rural areas for educational pur- poses.

History books should not spread casteism etc. For instance while writing about Shivaji, emphasis can be placed on Shivaji's tolerance. As Dr. Radhakrishnan said, 'Indian' does not mean merely being born in the geographical area called India, but in adhering to certain values and ideas that India stands for.

The quality of education needs to be improved. You cannot have half the population educated at a lower level. There should be no sense of inferiority. Every citizen should have the opportunity to grow to his or her full stature or potential.