The Education Commission (1964-66)

The Education Commission (1964-66)

Drawing on Nehru’s Mission and articulating most of his key themes, the Kothari

Commission (1964-66) was set up under the Chairmanship of Dr. D. S. Kothari

to formulate a coherent education policy for India. The Commission was most

comprehensive in nature, it reviewed almost all aspects of the education system

without limiting itself to any one particular aspect, unlike the Commissions that

came before and after it.

Two of the unique features of the Report are:

i) Its comprehensive approach to educational reconstruction; and

ii) Its attempt to project a blueprint of a national system of education for India.

According to the Commission, education was intended to increase productivity,

develop social and national unity, consolidate democracy, modernise the country

and develop social, moral and spiritual values. The crucial role of education in

national development appears in all its vividness throughout in the report,

appropriately titled “Education and National Development”.

The Commission identified the three important facets that would bring about the

desired educational resolution, they are:

· internal transformation so as to relate it to the life needs and aspirations of

the Nation;

· qualitative improvement so that the standards achieved are adequate and

become internationally comparable; and

· expansion of educational facilities broadly on the basis of manpower needs

with emphasis on equalisation of education opportunities.

It suggested the restructuring of education into a uniform pattern of 10+2+3. It

adopted a “manpower approach” to the enrolment issue and declared that the

principal purpose of higher education was to cater to the needs of industrial and

other sectors, even as it acknowledged its role in promoting social transformation.

The Commission sought to reorient educational system to the masses to help

people come into their own. It sought to end the dichotomy between work and

education to make the products good workers as well as educated individuals.

It recommended a minimum of 10 years of common curriculum for building

citizenship in a democracy and for linking the “work of knowledge” with the

“world of work”. In this concept, diversifies courses would be introduced only at

the +2 stage.

Major recommendations of the Commission included emphasis on Science and

Mathematics, introduction of work experience as an integral part of school

curriculum, introduction of common school system, educational structure with 12

years of schooling, free text-books at primary stage, provision of mid-day-meals,

promotion of education of handicapped and special measures for ensuring equality

of educational opportunities (regional, tribal and gender imbalances to be

addressed), establishment of school complexes, neighborhood school, three

language formula etc.

The Commission emphasized the need of alternative channels of education to

eradicate illiteracy and provide adult education. By laying more focus on

Mathematics and Science rather than Social Science or Arts, the Commission

reinforced the notion that India’s development needs are better met by scientists

than social scientists.

For improving the quality of education, the Commission focused on institutional

planning for improving standards nationwide, promotion of new work ethic,

improved teaching and learning materials and methods of teaching and evaluation,

and selective development of schools.

Teacher Status

The Commission emphasized that the most urgent need was to upgrade the

remuneration of teachers substantially, particularly at the school stages. It

recommended that the government should lay down minimum scales of pay for

teachers and assist States and Union territories to adopt equivalent or higher

scales.

Teacher Education

The Commission urged that professional preparation of teachers was the key for

qualitative improvement of education and recommended measures like:

· qualitative improvement in teacher education programmes;

· introduction of new courses for headmasters/teacher educators and

educational administrators; and

· expansion of teacher education institutions and recommendations of the training

facilities.