Recommendations of Education commission / Committees in Post Independent India

RECOMMENDATIONS OF EDUCATION COMMISSIONS / COMMITTEES IN POST INDEPENDENT INDIA

There are a number of commissions and committees which addressed themselves to the development of education at different stages, in this country. Some of them which had a bearing on elementary education are the following:

1. Radhakrishnan Commission (1948-49)

2. Mudaliyar Commission (1952)

3. National Committee on Women’s Education (1958)

4. Kothari Commission (1964-66)

5. Yashpal Committee (1992)

Radhakrishanan Commission (1948-1949)

University Education Commission was appointed by Government of India in 1948 under the Chairmanship of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, to look into the problems of university education. This was done, considering the need of young leadership in different fields for the national development, and it was expected that this leadership will come from the educated youngsters.

The Radhakrishnan Commission made significant recommendations regarding the necessary and desirable changes in the aims and objectives of university education and research; in the constitution, control, functions and jurisdiction of universities; their relations with Central and State Govts ; Finance; maintenance of standards of admissions, teaching, examinations, courses of study, duration of courses, unfair discriminations; the medium of instruction, the provision for advanced study in Indian culture, history, literatures, languages, philosophy , fine arts etc. To coordinate higher education in the country, the establishment of the University Grants Commission was recommended by the Commission which was established immediately, thereafter. These recommendations were accepted, implemented which gave direction to higher education in the country.

Though they did not have direct bearing on the elementary education, these recommendations did have impact on the philosophy and the decision making process regarding elementary education as foundation stage for the preparation for secondary and higher education.

Mudaliar Commission (1952-53)

The Secondary Education Commission was appointed by the Government of India in 1952 under the chairmanship of Dr. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar, to examine the prevailing system of secondary education in the country and to suggest measures for its reorganization and improvement with reference to the aims, organization and content of secondary education, its relationship to primary and higher education and the interrelation of secondary schools of different types, etc.

Mudaliyar Commission analyzed the problems of teachers and teacher training programs also, and recommended that there should be two types of institutions for teacher-training:

(i) Primary Teacher Training Institutions under the control of a separate board - to train those who have passed the School Leaving Certificate or Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate for the period of two years; and

(ii) Secondary Teacher Training Institutions to be recognized by and affiliated to universities to train the graduates for the period of one academic year - planned to be extended to two academic years.

Teacher-trainees were expected to receive training in one or more of various extra-curricular activities. Training colleges were expected to, as a normal part of their work, arrange refresher courses, short intensive courses in special subjects, practical training through workshops and professional conferences.

It was also expected that the training college will conduct research work in various important aspects of pedagogy and for this purpose will have an experimental school. The commission strongly recommended free training with residential facilities.

These recommendations had far reaching facilitating effects on the teachers training, especially for the teachers in service, coming for training.

National Committee on Women’s Education, 1958 (Durgabai Deshmukh Committee)

The problems of education of girls and women, almost half of the population in the country, became a priority after independence. But as you know, traditionally, low priority is given to girl education in Indian society. The Educational Panel of the Planning Commission, in July 1957, recommended that “a suitable Committee should be appointed to go into the various aspects of the question relating to the nature of education for girls at the elementary, secondary and adult stages and to examine whether the present system was helping them to lead a happier and more useful life”. The Conference of the State Education Ministers in 1957 also suggested that a special committee should be appointed to examine the whole question of women’s education.

Accordingly, the National Committee on Women’s Education was set up by the Government in May 1958, with Shrimati Durgabai Deshmukh as its Chairperson. The Committee, in its report published in 1959, recommended that the highest priority should be given to establishing parity between the education of boys and girls, and a bold and determined effort should be made by the Centre and the States to face the difficulties and magnitude of the problem. It recommended co- education up to the middle school stage but separate institutions for girls at the high school stage, where more diversified curriculum suited to girls, should be introduced. The Committee desired that adequate provision be made for mothers, crèches, training of women teachers and employment facilities be made for adult women.

Accordingly, many provisions in the policies and practices were made to encourage the education of girl child and the women teachers, particularly at the elementary stage.

Kothari Commission (1964-66)

Despite the recommendations of numerous committees and commissions, and the continuous efforts being made to bring about the changes in education, Govt. of India was not very happy with the progress of education in the country. It was felt necessary to have a comprehensive policy of education covering all the sectors of education. Hence, the Education Commission was set up by the Government of India in 1964 under the chairmanship of Dr. D.S. Kothari, to advise the Government on the national pattern of education and on the general principles and policies for the development of education at all stages and in all aspects.

The Commission set twelve Task Forces for different educational sectors like School Education; Higher Education; Technical Education; Agricultural Education etc. and seven Working Groups to study, in detail, many of specific problems and to report. The Reports of the Task Forces and the Working Groups enabled the Commission to examine some of the important issues in depth and in detail.

The Commission perceived education as the major tool of social reconstruction and making people aware about their partnership with government in nation building and development. The Commission wanted people to participate in national development. This is the base of the report of Kothari Commission.

Following are some of the major goals for education as visualized by the Commission and the recommendations to achieve them:

1) Education for increasing productivity:

• a) Make science a basic component of education and culture.
• b) Introducing S.U.P.W. as an integral part of general education.
• c) Vocationalising education to meet the needs of the industry of agriculture.
• d) Improving scientific and technological research and education in universities

2) Education for accelerating process of modernization:

• a) Adopting new methods of teaching
• b) Development of attitudes, values and essential skills like Self study.
• c) Educating people of all strata of society.
• d) Emphasizing teaching of vocational subjects and science.
• e) Establishing universities of excellence in the country.

3) Educating for promoting social and national integration:

• a) Introducing common school system of public education.
• b) Developing all modern Indian languages.
• c) Taking steps to enrich Hindi as quickly as possible.
• d) Encouraging and enabling students to participate in community living.

4) Education for inculcation of national values:

• a) Introducing moral, social and spiritual values.
• b) Providing syllabus giving information about religions of the world.
• c) Encouraging students to meet in groups for silent meditation.
• d) Presenting before students high ideas of social justice and social service.

Kothari Commission Report is a learned critique of Indian education, and even today, after half a century of years, is still regarded as the most in-depth study of primary and secondary education in Indian history.

The commission advocated a common school system (CSS), providing free education to all, without discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or status. The Kothari Commission also suggested some essential measures to implement CSS effectively, such as:

• increased national outlay for elementary education to build required infrastructure to provide quality education, thereby transforming government, local and aided schools into genuine neighborhood schools,

• free instruction for all in the mother tongue at the primary level , in regional languages at the secondary level, and discontinuance of state aid to schools imparting education other than in the medium of mother tongue/ regional language,

• phased implementation of the common school system within a ten year time frame, and essential minimum legislation, particularly to dispense with early selection processes, tuition fees, capitation fees etc. quality teacher education through

- content course for clarification of basic concepts

- integrated course of general / professional education

- refreshing professional studies and conducting research

- effective methods of teaching and evaluation

- practice teaching as a part of internship programme, and

- Revising the teacher education suitable for all stages of education.

For last more than 50 years, this country is trying its best to design such a system of education with some success. But the process is very slow.

Yashpal Committee (1992)

Much later, in 1992, National Advisory Committee was set up by the Government of India under the chairmanship of Prof. Yashpal to suggest ways and means to reduce academic burden on school children. After studying the problem of curriculum load in detail, Yashpal Committee came to the conclusion that the problem of the load on school children does not arise only from faulty curriculum design, or poorly equipped teachers, or school administrators or text books but from our valuing qualifications more than real competence for doing useful things. It is connected with the notions of ‘knowledge explosion’ and the’ catching up’ syndrome.

The Committee felt that the process of curriculum-framing and preparation of textbooks has to be decentralized to increase involvement of teachers, educators and experts in these tasks with greater autonomy. Scientists and experts in various disciplines can be associated with the preparation of textbooks as consultants, and not as writers of the books.

The committee discouraged the competitions, rewarding individual achievement- since they deprive children of joyful learning- and encouraged collaboration, group activities and group achievements to give a boost to cooperative learning in schools. The Committee did not want any tests and interviews for admission to early childhood education institutions.

The Committee strongly felt that the young children should not be compelled to carry very heavy bags of books everyday to schools. Textbooks should be treated as school property and thus, there should be no need for children to purchase the books individually and carry them daily to homes. The committee was of the opinion that in the primary classes, children should not be burdened with homework excepting for extension of explorations in the home environment. In the upper primary and secondary classes, homework, where necessary, should be non-textual, and textbooks, when needed for work at home, should be made available on a rotation basis.

The concept based curriculum and text books for all subjects in primary classes is suggested by the committee. The committee has made observations regarding the syllabi and textbooks for all the subjects in primary classes. The committee observed that Language textbooks should adequately reflect the spoken idiom and give adequate representation to children’s life experiences, imaginary stories and poems, and stories reflecting the lives of ordinary people in different parts of the country. Science should provide for experimentation and analytical reflection on real-life situations. Besides imparting knowledge of history and geography, the Social Sciences curriculum should convey the philosophy and methodology of the functions of our socio-political and economic systems to enable the students to analyze understand and reflect on the problems and the priorities of socio- economic development. The History syllabus for classes VI-VIII should focus on the freedom struggle and post-independence developments. The contents of Civics be replaced by contemporary studies. The study of Geography be related to contemporary reality.

The Yashpal Committee wanted stringent norms for granting recognition to private schools for improving the quality of learning. The committee appreciated the idea of setting up education committees at village, block and district level to undertake planning and supervision of schools under their jurisdiction.

Yashpal Committee suggested the following quality criteria for Primary Education–

• 1) Rank attained in school grading,
• 2) Participation of the society,
• 3) Percentage of attendance
• 4) Quality standard of education could be determined on the basis of the criteria which include:

Preparation of Teachers, Method of teaching, Usage of Educational material, Action and participation of the students, Achievement of students in school tests, Class Management, Proceeding of Teaching, Arts, Work experience and Physical Education, Study of environment, Surrounding, Activities to give students various experiences and opportunities etc.

The Yashpal Committee desired a rigorous, thorough and intensive teacher preparation programme, resulting in satisfactory quality of learning in schools and enabling the trainee teachers to acquire the ability for self learning and independent thinking. The duration of the programme recommended was one year after graduation or three-four years after higher secondary. The content of the programme should be restructured to ensure its relevance to the changing needs of school education and to make it more practicum-centered. The continuing education of teachers must be institutionalized through a systematically designed and imaginatively conducted in service program.

These recommendations had far reaching impact on the decisions regarding educational policies. Several new  practices were introduced. These recommendations were particularly significant for the elementary education.