Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

EDUCATION

INDIAN EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE - 2001 A.D.

Population : As per the 1991 census, the population is 84.63 crores. The growth trend of the last 30 years would project an average 20% growth, with all the inputs of family planning and education of women. An expert body has projected the population in 2000 A.D. as a few thousands less than one billion. For the purpose of forecasting in the field of education we may take the rounded off figure of 100 crores at the beginning of the 21st century. SCHOOL-GOING CHILDREN It is estimated that the number of children in the age group of 6- 14 will be about 17% of the population which means that it will be 17 crores in 2001 A.D. The Programme of Action (POA) document and the CABE (Central Advisory Board of Education) have recommended that enrolment of children in the 6-14 age group should reach 100% by 2000 A.D. In 1991 -92 the enrolment in this age group (6-14) or stds I to VIII was 7.73 crores (6-11) plus 4.66 crores in the age group of (12-14), the total works out to 12.39 crores. Provision has to be made for the additional enrolment of 4.61 crores. TEACHER PUPIL RATIO It is recommended that the teacher: pupil (TP) ratio be reduced to 1:40 which means that the total number of teachers required will be 17 crores/40 i.e. 42,50,000. The present strength of teachers is 27,64,315. So the elementary education sector (std I-VIII) will need 14,85,685 more teachers. The existing number of schools is 7,26,432 which works out to a rough figure of 165 students per school. We should note that about 40% of schools are single teacher schools with an average strength of 45 per school. Keeping the same average strength, we will need more than 10 lakh schools. SECONDARY SCHOOLS The enrolment ratio of secondary to primary schools is now only 25% . With the 'Education for AH' campaign implementation this ratio is expected to go up to 30% which means, we will have 30% of 17 crores, i.e. 5.66 crores in secondary schools. Now the enrolment in High Schools (stds IX and X) is 1.58 crores only. This will necessitate a quan- tum jump of more than 3 times. Not all this extra enrolment should be in the pure academic line which now results in unemployment. It is therefore proposed to diversify secondary education by shifting about 50% of students to vocationalised courses leading to generic skills for employment or self-employment, the rest continuing in the academic line in which there will be 2.83 crores. The number of High Schools will have to be increased by 50%. The pass percentage of std X is roughly around 50%. Hence this number will be eligible to enter the +2 stage. It is estimated that about 80% of this number i.e. 40% of 2.83 crores, which amounts to 1.13 crores will enter std XI. The POA document has revised the diversion to vocational courses as 10% by 1995 and 25% by 2000 A.D. So, the actual number to be diverted to the vocational stream will be l/4th of 1.13 crores, i.e. 28.75 lakhs. The remaining will have to be permitted to continue in the academic stream. This works out to 86.25 lakhs. FIRST DEGREE COLLEGES The pass percentage at the +2 stage is 40% at the maximum. This means 40% of 86.25 lakhs which amounts to 34.50 lakhs. Ten percent discontinue due to various reasons. From among the rest 31.05 lakhs,

about 20% go into professional courses. (Agricultural, Medical Engi- neering and Law). That is 6.17 lakhs. The remaining 24.38 lakhs will have to be provided for in the B.A. B.Sc and B.Com courses. In order to attack the problem of unemployment of this vast number of graduates in General Education, the UGC has suggested restructuring of curriculum giving a substantial weightage to subject- related occupational skills or vocational based courses. Only about 10% should remain in the purely academic courses. This number should have the potential to benefit from University education and thereafter be fit for research and teaching at the Post-graduate level. UNIVERSITIES The number of Universities has now gone upto 211 including 27 deemed universities and institutions of National Importance. The development towards 2000 A.D. will be a shift in the direction of Technological Universities geared to the needs of profes- sional courses. Development of Autonomous colleges to reduce the burden on Affiliating Universities and to encourage institutions of excellence to come up. A closer link between universities and research organizations and industrial and commercial establishments for making Research and Teaching relevant and need-based. Restructuring of Post-graduate courses linked to emerging developmental needs of society and to advancement of Sci- ence and Technology which is growing at a galloping speed. The specific new areas will be Electronics, Computer Educa- tion, Environmental Science, Marine Engineering, Fishery, Micro-biology, Social-engineering, Health-Sciences, Space Science and Space Technology, Food Technology, Mass Media and Communication, International Relationship Stud- ies, Women's Studies, Mining and Geological Research, Inter-disciplinary and Inter-cultural studies and a host of other emerging areas like Market Research, International Trade and Banking etc. (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

Budget: (1991-92) in crores

Plan

Nonplan Total

% of

Per

capita

total budget

3482

17488 20970

244

13.33%

Education budget is 13.33 % of the total budget which is too low and must be enhanced to 20 % by reducing expenditure on Defence.

VII Plan- Approved Outlay ed- (1992-97) in Crores

Item

States

Centre

Total

1. Gen. Edn.

10194.35

6619.00

16819.35

2. Tech. Edn.

1962.38

824.00

2786.38

3. Sports & Youth

350.00

727.68

Activities 539.60

4. Art & Culture

342.68

385.00

727.68

Total

13039.02

8178.00

21217.02