\ MAJOR CHANGE

1NISTRY OF EDUCATION A N D SOCIAL WELFARE,

OVERNMENT OF INDIA , NEW DELHI. 1975

NI EP a

'***59

CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. NEW PATTERN OF SCHOOL
EDUCATION
Prof. S. Nurul Hasan
3. THE NEW PATTERN OF
EDUCATIONAN ANALYSIS
4 PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO
WORK EXPERIENCE
5. REVAMPING SCIENCE EDUCATION
Dr. G. L. Bakbshi
6. THE NEW EXAMINATION SYSTEM
Dr. R. P. Singhal
7. WHY & HOW OF THE NEW
10+2 PATTERN OF SCHOOL
EDUCATION
8. THE NEW PATTERN AT A GLANCE
Appendix A
9. WORK EXPERIENCE
PHILOSOPHY & PURPOSES
Appendix B

INTRODUCTION
The system of Education which we inherited
while attaining our independence, had hardly
any relevance to the needs of the life situation
then prevailing in the country. With the
passage of time, the educational system conti
nued to drift away from the realities of life. At
the same time there was a growing all round
realisation of the deficiencies of the system.
N o society, particularly one like ours, which is
passing through an extremely crucial but equally
important phase of economic development, can
allow such a system to continue. Luckily, the
country has designed and accepted a replace
ment for the out-moded system and is currently
engaged in the implementation of the new system
commonly known as the 10 + 2 + 3 pattern. This
pattern has been on the anvil for almost 60
years and carries on it the imprint of the deli
berations of numerous high level academic and
non-academic forums. The Central Board of
Secondary Education has introduced this system,

which has an extremely sound academic base,

with effect from the current session in its thousand
and odd member schools spread all over the
country and outside its borders.
[t is of utmost importance that the three principal
partners in the successful implementation of this
scheme viz., the student, the teacher and the
parent, are fully posted about its content and
the benefits expected to flow there from. In the
following pages various aspects of this revolu
tionary reform in education have been discussed
by eminent educationists. I am therefore parti
cularly happy to place this brochure in the
hands of the reader.
It may, however, be added that the Board is most
keen to introduce further improvements in this
system, based on actual experience, so that it
continues to function as a live wire.
New Delhi

G. L.

Bak h sh i

Chairman

Central Board of Secondary Education

NEW PATTERN OF SCHOOL EDUCATION

Prof. S. Nurul Hasan

The adoption o f the com m on pattern of 10+2 + 3 for school

and college classes has been an important reform whose imple
mentation has long been overdue. The reform was first recom
mended, about 55 years ago, by the Calcutta University Com m is
sion (1917-19). At that time, the M atriculation Examination,
which marked the end of the school course and also constituted
an entrance examination to the universities, was held in different
provinces at the end of 10 12 years o f schooling. But in spite
of this large variation of the duration of the school stage, these
exam inations, though conducted by different agencies, were re
garded as equivalent to each other in all parts o f the country.
The Matriculation Examination was followed by a two-year inter
mediate course at the end o f which another public examination,
the Intermediate Examination was held. Then came a two-year
period o f undergraduate education after which the First Degree
Examination was held. All these three exam inations Matricula
tion, Intermediate and First Degree were held by the universities.
The Comm ission examined in depth the content o f education at
the intermediate and the undergraduate stages and came to the
following conclusions:
(1) That the intermediate stage was really a part o f the
school course and that the students at this stage could be
more effectively taught by school methods than by those
which were appropriate at the university stage; and
(2) That the standard o f undergraduate education was so
poor that the first degree in India was not really comparable
to the first degree in the advanced countries.
The Comm ission, therefore, recommended that:
(1) The dividing line between the university and the secondary
courses is more appropriately drawn at the Intermediate
Examination than at the M atriculation;
(2) That the duration o f undergraduate course for the First
Degree should be increased to three years; and that
5

(3) A Board o f Secondary and Intermediate Education

should be established for the purpose o f reorganising
high school and intermediate education on the lines
recommended by it and for holding the matriculation
and Intermediate Examinations. The universities would
thus be left to their proper sphere, namely, the provision
o f under-graduate and post-graduate education and the
holding o f exam inations for the first, second or research
degrees.
This recommendation made a great impression on Indian
educational thought and, for a time, it appeared to be on the verge
o f universal acceptance. But ultimately it was im plem ented only
in one province, namely, the U.P. and that too, in a mutilated
form. N o steps were taken to increase the duration o f the first
degree course to three years; not were any effective steps taken
to vocationalize the intermediate stage.
The University Education Comm ission (1948-49) under the
Chairmanship o f Radhakrishnan had, therefore, to take up the
discussion of the problem once again. After exam ining the
problem from all points o f view, this Comm ission also came to
the conclusion that it was necessary to adopt the uniform pattern
o f 1 0 + 2 + 3 for school and college classes. The Comm ission
felt that this pattern would make it possible to vocationalize the
secondary stage o f education so as to divert students into different
walks o f life at the end o f secondary school and thus reduce pres
sures on university admissions. It also felt that the lengthening
o f the undergraduate course to three years, preceded by an inten
sive preparation at the earlier stage o f two years, would result
in a considerable improvement o f standards in higher education.
Unfortunately, steps were not taken to implement these recom
mendations.
The problem came up for consideration once again when the
Secondary Education Com m ission under the chairmanship o f
Dr. A. L. M udaliar submitted its report (1952). The stage was
now ripe to re-organise school and university education together,
on the lines recommended by the University Education Com m is
sion and the Secondary Education Comm ission and to adopt
6

a com m on pattern for school and college classes. At this time,

throughout India, the duration o f the post-M atriculation course
leading to the first degree was uniformly four years and it was
uniformly divided into two stages ------two years o f Intermediate
and two years o f undergraduate education. The simplest reform
would, therefore, have been to add one year to the degree course
and to transfer the two years of the Intermediate course to the
school stage. But for various reasons, and mainly for financial
considerations, this was not done. Instead the recommendation
o f the Sargent Report o f an eleven-year higher secondary school
followed by a three-year course for first degree was revived and the
pattern o f 8 + 3 + 3 was adopted. The Intermediate course was
therefore broken up into two parts and the first year was either
added to the school stage or converted into a pre-university course
o f one year and the second year was added to the two-year under
graduate course for the first degree to create the three-year degree
course. This was an unfortunate decision dictated by the com
pulsion o f econom y rather than the logic o f academic reform.
The entire position was reviewed once again by the Educa
tion Comm ission (1964-66). It found that, as a result o f the
decisions taken after the Report o f the Secondary Education
Comm ission, there were at least four different patterns o f schools
and colleges in the country which may be stated as follows:
(1) Kerala was the only State where the pattern o f 1Q+2+3
had been adopted, with the two-year stage being located
in junior colleges;
(2) The pattern o f 1 0 + 2 + 2 prevailed only in Uttar Pradesh
where a ten-year school was followed by a two-year
intermediate course and a two-year course for first degree;
(3) The pattern o f 11+3 prevailed in the Delhi Union Terri
tory and the State o f M adhya Pradesh where an elevenyear higher secondary school was followed by a threeyear course for the first degree; and
(4) The pattern o f 10 (or 11 or even 12 in som e cases) + 1 + 3
was follow ed in the other States where a school stage
o f 10 to 12 years was followed by a year o f pre-university
7

course and a three-year course for the first degree (alter

natively, the pre-university year was often added to
secondary schools which were then designated as higher
secondary).
The Comm ission examined this situation from all points of
view and came to the conclusion that, on sound academic consi
derations detailed in its report, it would be highly desirable to
adopt the uniform pattern o f 1 0 + 2 + 3 for school and college
classes in all parts o f the country. The Comm ission was also
definitely o f the view that the school stage should consist o f 12
years (10+2) and that every effort should be made to vocationalize the higher secondary stage so that, ultimately, 30^, of the
enrolments at this stage would be in the vocational courses. The
Comm ission also recommended a detailed programme for bringing
about these important changes.1
These proposals o f the Education Com m ission have found
general support in the country. Even before the Report o f the
Commission was submitted, the National Integration Com m ittee
appointed by the Ministry o f Education under the chairmanship
of the late Dr. Sampurnanand recommended that, from the point
of view o f national integration, the uniform pattern o f 1 0 + 2 + 3
should be adopted for school and college classes in all parts o f the
country. This recommendation was also, supported by the
Committee o f Educationists and student leaders appointed under
the directive o f the National Integration Comm ittee and also by
several conferences o f students organizations. The Central
Advisory Board o f Education has also unanimously supported
the proposal and expressed the view that it should be implemented
on a priority basis and that, at any rate, the programme should be
completed in all parts o f the country by the end o f the Fifth FiveYear Plan. The Resolution o f the Government o f India on the
National Policy o f Education also supports the uniform adoption
o f this pattern.
The pattern has since been introduced in the States of
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Steps have been initiated to
introduce the pattern in the States o f M aharashtra, Gujarat and
West Bengal. Several other States have set up committees to
1 Chapter II- Report of the Commission

exam ine the issue and it is hoped that they will also follow suit
in the near future.

Basic Academic Considerations

While due weight must be attached to this series of weighty

recommendations o f important Com m issions and Committees
and the steps already taken to implement them, it is also necessary
to examine these proposals on academic grounds and to satisfy
ourselves that they are in the best interests of the country. This
is what I shall now proceed to do.
The first point to be decided, on academic grounds, is the
stage or age at which a student should be deemed to be fit to
enter the university system. In all the advanced countries o f the
world, a student entering the universities is expected to be 18 years
o f age or more. It is only then that he can be adequately prepared
for entering upon a course o f higher education and also be mature
enough to study on his own and to profit by the methods o f teach
ing which are appropriate to the university stage. This neces
sarily implies a total duration o f at least 12 years for the school
stage (including elementary and secondary education), because
the age of admission to the school system is generally six years.
A t present, when the total duration o f the school stage is som e
times only 10 or 11 years, and the age o f admission to the school
system is five years or even less, very young students aged 14-17,
often enter the university system. They are really children who
deserve to remain at school and continue to be taught by methods
appropriate to the school stage rather than young persons who
are mature enough to profit by a course o f higher education.
This is bad for the schools that lose in their stature by a cut in
their total duration. It is bad for the universities because it
adversely affects their standards. W hat is even more important,
it is not good for the students themselves. If this situation is to
be improved, it follows that the total duration o f the school stage
(including elementary and secondary education) should be not
less than twelve years. This was the recom mendation o f the
Education Com m ission and I am sure it will find general support
in this gathering.
The next question to be discussed refers to the duration o f the
secondary education course. The duration of elementary educa
9

tion is eight years in some States such as Uttar Pradesh, an d seven

years in others such as M ahara shtra . If the total duration of
school stage is to be twelve years, it follows that the dur atio n of
the secondary course would be four years in some States and
five years in others. The Education C om mission had an open
mind on (his issue an d did not insist on a uniform pattern o f seven
or eight years for elementary education. It was, however, very
em phatic on one point: secondary education should not form an
integrated continuous course, but should preferably be broken
up into two sub-stages: the lower secondary and the higher se
condary. It further recommended that the elementary and lower
secondary stage should cover the first ten years o f school an d that
the higher secondary stage should cover the last two years. It is
necessary to understand the reasons which led the Education
Com mission to make these recommendations.
The Education C om mission found that whenever the course
of secondary education is m ade continuous an d unbroken, as in
the higher secondary schools of Delhi or M adh ya Pradesh, two
undesirable consequences follow. The first is that the expansion
of secondary education is much larger than necessary or desirable.
This is because the principle of selective admissions cannot bt
introduced at the beginning of the stage (Class IX) when the
students are too you ng and because every student who enters the
stage has to continue till the very end because of the continuous
character of the course. Such a system therefore prevents the
students from leaving the school at the end of Class X, although
they would be eligible for admission to many vocational courses
at this point. Secondly, the continuous character of the course
compels the student to decide upon his future career at a very
pr em ature stage when he is entering Class IX and is ab out 13 or
14 years old. This is academically undesirable and in fact.
Dr. D. S. Kothari has condem ned it as a system of child marriage".
The Education Commission was therefore strongly of the view
that the secondary stage should be broken into two parts at the
end of Class X, that the students should continue to receive
general education till the end of this stage, and that in the next
higher secondary stage of two years, two distinct streams should
be introduced, one stream preparing the students for admission to
universities and the other preparing them for different vocational
10

courses which would be terminal in character. The C om mission

also felt that the enrolment in courses of a vocational or terminal
ch aracter should be as high as 50 per cent of the total.
It must also be pointed out that the Education Commission
was not ha ppy with the existing higher secondary pattern of 8 + 3
which provides seven different streams Humanities, Science,
Technical, Commercial, Agriculture, Fine Arts and H o m e Science
and requires every student to join one stream of his choice. The
vocational courses provided in this pattern have one major w e ak
ness: their vocational content necessarily remains weak because
the total time available is limited. These courses, therefore, do
not become terminal and do not prepare the students for the
pursuit o f a vocation at the end o f the secondary stage. In fact,
they d o no t even prepare them for admission to the co rres p o n d
ing vocational courses at the university stage. The vocational
courses in this stream have therefore never become either popular
or terminal. Since the p r o g r am m e of vocationalization of se
co ndary education is extremely im po rtant and since it is obviously
urgent to divert a fair propo rtio n of students into different walks
o f life at the end of the secondary stage and thus reduce the pres
sures on university admissions, the Education Com mission rightly
ca m e to the conclusion that the existing higher secondary pattern
o f 8 + 3 should be replaced by the proposed higher secondary
pattern o f 10+ 2.
T w o im po rtant points must be mentioned in regard to the
proposed reorganisation of school education:
(I) In the old days, and even in the multipurpose system
introduced by the Secondary Education Commission,
science and mathematics tended to be neglected. They were
studied only till the end of Class VIII, and thereafter the
student had the option to omit them if he so desired.
In many secondary schools, even the provision for the
teaching o f these subjects did not exist. The net result
was that more than 50 per cent of the students at the
secondary stage were deprived of basic education in
science and mathematics. A dequate teaching o f science
an d mathematics is essential in the m od er n world based
11

on science and technology. It is equally necessary to

improve the quality o f ed ucation and to avoid the dangers
resulting from a dic hotom y o f the two cultures of
science and o f humanities. Ab ove all, a society like
ours, which is committe d to the ideals o f socialism, has
to ensure vertical mobility to the m anual workers, whether
engaged in industry or agriculture. F o r this purpose, it
must provide the necessary grounding in science a n d m a t h e
matics to every person as a part of his school education
because, without this, vertical mobility is not attain
able. The Education C ommission, therefore, rightly
r ecom m ended that the teaching of science and m a the
matics should be obligatory till the en d of Class X.
(2) While a student should ordinarily be expected to decide
whether he will go in for a vocational course or into
the university stream at the end o f Class X (when he is
a b o u t 16 years o f age), it goes without saying tha t such
decisions would be tentative a n d that som e y o u ng persons
m a y like to ch ange from one stream to the other at a
later stage. T he Central Advisory B oard o f Education,
therefore, specifically reco m m en ded that such later
transfers from one stream to the other should not only
be permitted bu t also facilitated by due provision for
transfer o f credits on this account. The im portance
o f this r eco m m en datio n is obvious.
! have already pointed out that, even as early as 1919, the
Calcutta University Com mission had reco m m en ded that the
course leading to the first degree should have a duratio n o f three
years. With the passage o f time, the opinion on the subject has
now become even stronger for three main reasons. Firstly, there
is no w a much greater d e m and for specialization on accoun t of
the explosion of knowledge and, at the same time, there is also a
d e m a n d for greater general education to enable the y o u ng persons
to face successfully the complex societies o f the m od ern period.
Secondly, there is now a muc h greater d e m and for inter-discipli
nary courses (including inter-Faculty ones) and for the provision
of greater elasticity to the students to choose subjects o f study
12

to match their individual capacities and interests. Thirdly, there

is also a greater emphasis on providing practical experience, op
portunities for field work and project-oriented studies at the under
graduate stage to improve the standards o f education and to
bring the system o f higher education in close contact with the
comm unity around, through programmes of social and national
service. If these important purposes are to be satisfactorily
achieved, it goes without saying that a two-year duration is ex
tremely inadequate for the undergraduate stage and that the new
courses for the first degree will need a minimum duration o f three
years.
The foregoing discussion will show that the new pattern o f
10+2 + 3 for school and college classes is an educational reform
o f great significance, that it is based on several important academic
considerations, and is vastly superior to the alternative patterns
that now prevail and that its universal adoption in all parts o f
the country will bring in several advantages among which the
following may be mentioned:
(1) The school stage will be strengthened and its standards
will improve because o f its lengthening to twelve years
and because o f the inclusion, within it, o f the intermediate
stage which will bring in better teachers and better
facilities.
(2) The two-year higher secondary stage will have several
advantages. It will enable us to control expansion to
some extent because an element o f selective adm ission
can be introduced at this point. The students will also
be mature enough, when they enter Class XI to make
a tentative decision about their future career and to
embark upon some programmes o f prespecializations.
It will enable the schools to prepare their gifted students
intensively for the University and also to provide reme
dial action for any shortcomings arising from weaknesses
in earlier education. Above all, it will be possible to
vocationalise this stage intensively so that a fair pro
portion o f students (ultimately as large as 50 per cent)
can be diverted into different walks o f life, thus reducing
13

the pressures on university admissions. An im p o rt a n t

and necessary innovation at this stage would be to provide
for transfer o f credits to a student who may desire to
change from one stream to another.
(3) The standard s in higher education will also improve
as the students going into the university stream will
now be better prepared and more mature.
(4) The three-year degree course would be a definite im prov e
ment on the existing two-year course for the first degree.
With this longer duration, it will be possible to meet
the d e m and s of specialization as well as of a broadbased general and interdisciplinary education and to m ake
ad equa te provision for practical experience, field w ork
a n d project-oriented studies. The introduction o f problem-oriented interdisciplinary courses at the M a s te r s
degree level would also be greatly facilitated with the
ad o p tio n of 10+ 2 + 3 formula.

Some Misconceptions
In spite o f all these academic considerations in favou r o f the
uniform ad optio n of the c o m m o n pattern o f 10+ 2 + 3 for school
an d college classes, it is really unfortunate that there are several
misconceptions on the subject which interfere with a p r o p e r
im plemen tation o f the program me. It is necessary to clear these
misconceptions if the p r o g r a m m e is to succeed.
There is an unfortunate tendency, in certain quarters, to re
gard the arithmetic o f the pattern (whether it is 11 -H2 +- 2 o r 11 +
1 + 3 or any other combination) as far more im p o rta n t than the
substance o f the reform which consists of the vocationalization
o f the higher secondary stage an d im provem en t o f standards,
both in school and university education. I would like to state
it categorically that the arithmetic o f the structure is of no c o n
sequence whatsoever and that even the structure o f the ed ucational
system is o f little importance. We should not, therefore, look
at this pr oposal of ad opting a new pattern of school an d college
classes on a uniform basis thro u g h o u t the countr y either as an
arithmetical problem or even as a purely structural pr oblem. We
14

must regard it as a funda mental educational reform for strengthen

ing both the school and university stages of education and of
m a k in g the secondary stage terminal through a p r o g r am m e of
vocationalization. If these basic objectives are not emphasised
and achieved, a mere ad option of some other arithmetic or a
different structure will not serve any useful purpose.
A n o th er c o m m o n misconception is that, in ad opting a c o m
mon pattern of school and college classes, we must look elsewhere
for precedents and support ou r argum en t with illustrations from
other countries. This is hardly necessary and in fact would be
an incorrect procedure. 1 have had the oppor tu nit y to study
the pattern of education in many friendly countries. 1 have found
that there is no uniform pattern o f school and college classes in
the different countries of the world, an d not even in the socialist
countries whose educational systems tend to be uniform. Each
country has evolved its own pattern in accordance with its own
peculiar circumstances. It is therefore, not desirable to change
o ur pattern o f school and college classes on the basis o f the patterns
prevailing in other countries. The Education Com mission rightly
emphasised that we must outg ro w this imitative attitude and
should introduce changes in o ur pattern slowly on the basis of
ou r own indigenous thinkin g after taking into accoun t what is
happen ing outside, but without being do m inated by it .2
Yet an other misunderstanding, which is often propagated
by certain vested interests is that the ad option o f the new pattern
will adversely affect the interests o f school and college teachers.
N o thing can be farther from truth. The school teachers have
everything to gain by the ad optio n of the pattern because more
posts will be created at the school stage at higher levels. Even
the college teachers have nothing to lose because we have insisted
that in spite of a tem porary setback in enrolments, there should be
no retrenchment. The setback in enrolments also will be more
than made up in three or four years by the natural increase in
enro lm en ts tha t will necessarily take place from year to year.
W h a t is even more impo rtant, the teachers in higher education
will have much better j o b satisfaction because o f the qualitatively
better students that will now be entering the university system.
R e p o rt o f the Education C om m ission, Para 2.05

15

There is also a misunderstanding that the new pattern can be

implemented quickly in a year or two. This can only be disastrous.
The Education Commission pointed out that a good deal o f
careful preparation is needed for the adopton o f the new pattern
and that the programme will have to be phased over a few years.
That is why, in the Delhi Union Territory, it is proposed to intro
duce the new syllabus in Class IX in the first instance and then
to revise the syllabus for subsequent standards year after year.
A good deal o f preparatory work is also needed to identify voca
tional openings appropriate to this stage, to prepare fairly re
liable estimates of manpower needs or em ploym ent opportunities,
to prepare the curricula and to set up the essential institutional
structure for vocationalization. The preparation o f teachers for
the higher secondary stage is also important and will consum e
considerable time and resources. Due attention will have to be
paid to all this preparation if the programme is to succeed and
result in improvement o f standards.

16

THE NEW PATTERN OF EDUCATION

AN ANALYSIS

Dr. G. L. Bakhshi

The Central Board o f Secondary Education has introduced the

new pattern o f education, com m only known as 10 + 2 in all its
schools beginning with IX class, with effect from May 1975. The
first course leading to the exam ination at the end o f X class
(corresponding to the present M atriculation exam ination) will
include three languages, M athem atics, Physical Sciences, Life
Sciences and Social Sciences, also work experience and Health
and Physical Education a general undiversified education for all.
The second stage to end with the 12th year is an improved
Higher Secondary course with more accent on vocationalization,
involving diversification and specialization in subjects best suited
to the genius o f the pupil. For most students, this will be the
terminal stage o f education and stepping-stone to careers in
life. After that the academically disposed scholars could go in
for the three-year degree course.
A radical feature of this scheme is that it makes work ex
perience or comm unity service compulsory. The pupil can
choose from a long list o f subjects like electric gadgets their
servicing and repairs, electronics, agriculture, photography, leather
work, typing and tailoring. This part will consist o f practicals
only, no theory or written paper, and the assessment will be
internal and cumulative at school. The traditional system of
evaluation will also be reformed. There will be no pass or failure
as such. There will be Grades for each subject 5 Grades in all:
G -l, Outstanding; G -2, Very Good; G -3, Good; G -4, Fair and
G -5, Poor; and this will be a surer guide for employers who look
for special proficiency in their one special trade and also for
adm issions to higher professional or technical courses.
Forty years ago, Mahatma Gandhi advocated Basic educa
tion or work-centred education or learning through doing. He
said that in a poor country like India, where 80 per cent o f the
population is agricultural and another 10 per cent industrial, it
is a sin to give a purely literary or liberal education. The tradi
17
3

tional education has a negative role, it makes pupils more u n e m p l o y

able: a f a r m e r s son who passes B.A. and M.A. becomes unfit
for unsophisticated farming; the housewifes da ughter w h o passes
M.A. looks dow n on housewifery and is all for a white collar
jo b , which is in such short supply. It is anti-national to continue
such a system.
The work-centred educatio n will develop self-reliance and
self-confidence through ea rning capacity instead of a feeling of
helplessness without a routine job. It will instil dignity o f labour
found in all ad vanced countries but absent in India; it will produce
the spirit o f initiative and enterprise that will create openings and
opp ortunities where there are seemingly none. O f course, mere
ed ucation will not end unem ploy m ent; that depends on ec onomic
developm en t an d m any other factors. But it will m ake o ur young
men an d you n g women fit to face new challenges in life an d to
trans form both ou r society and its econom y through innovations
and unsuspected adventures.

New System of Evaluation

The new system o f evaluation reflects also the new' needs of
a fast changing society. T o declare a pupil as a failure in any
class at so early an age will give him an inferiority complex for
life and stunt his growth. G a ndhi, Tagore, Edison, Einstein
an d R a m a n u j a m all did poorly at school exam inations but later
became world figures. W hy d u b a child as a failure if he does
badly in one or two subjects that he is compelled to study with or
without his will? His interests may lie elsewhere. Give him
a p o o r G r a d e in that a n d a good G r a d e in subjects in which he
shines. T h a t is simple justice to the young.
The new system is the first step towards revolutionary changes
in the ed ucational scene. A n d there is the rub. Everyone cla
mou rs for a wholesale change in the system of ed ucation and
examination. There are no two opinions that the present
system ha^ outlived whatever limited utility it once had.
It pr oduces neither em plo ym ent nor character no r discipline.
Laymen look on schools and colleges as time-filling institutions.
The experts express their dissatisfaction with it. Yet as soon as
IK

19
there is a real prospect of a radical change som e me mbers of the
intelligentsia fiercely rally to the support of the system of which
they themselves have been critics. O u r main problem seems
to be that ou r radical thinking is not matched by radical action.

Soundness of New System

The new system has got overwhelming support from expert
educational opinion. It was reco mmen ded by the Kothari C o m
mission, it conforms to the National Policy Resolution on E d u ca
tion (1968). it has been ap proved by the Central Advisory Board
of Education and by various all-India forums and seminars. If
such massive co m m en dation is not enough to launch it into practice,
nothing can be. Let the dissenters not wince before the ohaUenge
of change which they have been advocating so frequently. The
new system seems to be the best under the circumstances and
deserves an honest and sincere trial.

Unfounded Fears
The no-changers warn us that the new system will en coun ter
many difficulties. Nothin g great was ever achieved without sur
mou nting huge difficulties. But that is no reason for not making
Education for self-reliance

a beginning in the right direction. If men remained confined

within the safe familiar limits, there would have been no aeroplane,
no space travel, no adventurous inventions. A verse in the
Panchtantra says, Low men do not start any venture for fear
o f m eeting obstacles; the middling ones do make a start but
leave off when there are obstacles but the high-minded persist in
the right course, though again and again beset with difficulties.
The prophets o f doom warn us that the new scheme will
founder on the rock o f finance. Where from will com e the huge
funds and local expertise to teach many odd items o f work experi
ence in a thousand schools? Where there is a will, there is a way.
M oney is never any bar to real progress. U is on record that the
total equipment used by Sir C. V. Raman, the first Indian scien
tist to win the Nobel Prize, was hardly valued at Rs. 300.
India has over-abundance o f human resources and acute
scarcity o f finance. Our policies should be man-power centred
and not money-centred. Human effort and human ingenuity
work wonders, while mere money power proves a non-starter.
Indian education would have been in a far happier position today,
if G andhijis ideas o f developing education around work experience
had been adopted 2 to 4 decades ago. But then the no-changers
had their day and Gandhiji was too busy with more urgent pro
grammes to secure independence for India, to devote his whole
time and attention to educational reform.

PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO
W ORK EXPERIENCE

Dr. G. L. Bakhshi

O f all the clanges contemplated under the new 10 + 2 + 3 pattern

o f education recently adopted by the Central Board o f Secondary
Education ir its member-schools, the introduction o f work ex
perience as , compulsory part o f the school curriculum is the
m ost vital.
T his ho\ever, has raised doubts and misgivings in the minds
o f som e pecple, which is not unnatural, considering that this
chapge envisiges a drastic departure from the age-old concep
tion o f eduction which kept learning and earning strictly apart.
In all societi's, when education was first started in an organised
manner, it vas confined to a selected few. We have travelled
far from thoe days and we are in an era when education is not
for the seleced few but is sought to be made universal. It is
now universaly agreed that education should be relevant to *ife
and should lot only train the mind, refine the intellect, and
culture the enotions, but it should also improve the productive
capacities o f the individuals.
T he chaige has been received very enthusiastically by most
people w ho have hailed it as a reform long overdue. There are
however, son? isolated voices o f resistance which mainly arise
because o f lak of proper awareness about the nature and scope
o f work expeience at the school level.
The first ibvious question is, what is work experience? This
seems to be a 'ery simple question but if not handled pragmatically
it can result in a lot of academic discussion and hair-splitting
which can onl' result in thwarting the starting o f this programme.

New Conceit
A new oncept like work experience would offer obvious
difficulties if i is sought to be reduced to a one sentence defini
tion. It is essntial that this new discipline is taught on the basis
o f certain comnonly accepted concepts which will get refined as
we go alon g 01 the road o f implementation.
21

W o rk experience has been introduced to provide a co rrec

tive to some o f the deficiencies of the present system of e ducation,
and to make it more relevant to life. In fact, it provides one o f
the most essential dimensions to education which has been missing
so far and which has been acutely felt by all right thinking persons.
The present system of education, except for a few go od excep
tions, has been producing young people who are not found easily
employable and what is worse, who themselves are lacking in self
confidence because they have not been trained in any skill or
creative activity which could enable them to face the challenges of
life. The introduction of work experience is a step to remov e
this handicap, no t because it will create jobs for everybody (that
depends upon ec onom ic factors) but because it will m a ke the
products of education relatively more employable and it will
imbue them with greater self-confidence because o f their experience
of having produced something.
It has, therefore been decided to ad opt a very simple concept
of work experience meaning thereby inculcation of skills and
knowledge through creative and productive activities which may
result in the students acquiring ability to produce goo ds and
services which are marketable. A creative activity and its p r o
ductivity in terms of its market value are the two essential c h a r a c
teristics o f the concept of work experience. It is hoped that some
im po rtant values will be inculcated as autom atic by-products.
The courses have been so designed as to accelerate the realization
of educational values, like inculcation o f dignity of labour, c a p a
city to work hard, love of aesthetics, innovation and ex perimenta
tion a n d greater confidence to face challenges.

Inflexibility
The concept o f work experience will in future be more and
more sharply defined and the curriculum and courses will be re
designed to realize the educational values in a much more direct
and explicit manner.
Long years of teaching-learning process have more or less
fixed the co ntours at various levels of most traditional subjects
und the instructional ritual has almost got fixed with little incen

tive o r encouragem ent to explore unchartered areas. This has

generated a rigidity and inflexibility ab out the whole process which
makes routine practices safer and more acceptable to all concerned
because o f their familiarity. There is left not much scope for
inno vation on the part of the teachers although some imaginative
persons have tried experiments and innovated ideas even in these
areas with very fruitful results.
Routinism in any sphere is harmful to real progress, but
in education it is more so because it leads to sterility of thinking
and offers no way out of the dreary desert sands of dead-habit.
Fortunately work experience at least does not suffer from this
h andicap a n d otVers to teachers S'uU scope V t h e \ T imaginative
ex perimentation and innovation.
ot

It is hoped that the teachers, while actually implementing

the program m e, will enrich this simple concept of work experience
through their dynam ic thinking and practical efforts. They will
bear in m in d that they are pioneers in this field and can legitimately
feel p roud tha t it has fallen to their lot to w ork out this revolu
tion in educational thinking which seeks to liberate us from cen
turies o f inertia which has kept earning an d learning delinked
from each other.
This does not, however, mean that the teacher is left entirely
on his own without any directions or guidelines. After a good
deal of deliberations, a list o f ab out 40 work experiences has been
suggested by way of illustration and a student is free to choose
|any one out o f these in accordance with his own aptitude and
facilities provided by the school. For most of these suggested
work experiences, broad syllabi have also been prepared to make
the level o f proficiency in each work experience as unam bigu ous
as possible.

No Blind Alley
T he teacher has also been given a four-week training in va
rious areas of w o rk experience during the s um m e r recess. A b o u t
1,000 teachers, at the rate of one teacher for each affiliated school,
have been put throug h this practical training. For this purpose
the facilities and expertise available in o ur Engineering Colleges.

Technical Teachers Training Institutes, Polytechnics and Regional

Colleges of Education have been utilized.
W ork experience will be no blind alley for the students be
cause it will be followed by vocational stream in the XI and XII
classes. The students doing very well in work experience will
have the choice of joining the vocational stream, which will be an
integrated program m e of academics and vocations. Even at the
University level, some Universities are already thinking of s t a r l
ing some vocational courses.
There are obviously two ways of implementing the p r o g r am m e
of work experience,either by taking the w o rk shop to the school
or by taking the school to the workshop. T o begin with, we
start with the alternative where most o f the factors are und er
the control of the educational institutions, i.e. work experience
Teachers acquiring workshop skill

will be mostly done in the school itself and that obviously would
restrict to some extent the choice of work experience on the part
of the schools. The use of co m m unity facilities in the neigh
b o u r h o o d or making arrangemen ts with a factory or work shop
or productive centre in the neig hbourh ood is not precluded. In
fact the latter has to be encouraged and large scale co-ordination
will have to be developed with other agencies concerned with
productive activities. This will be a real brea kthrough and we
shall then be able to take up more sophisticated and more relined
w o r k experiences. This may take a little time but this arrange
m e n t will have to be worked out because it will not be possible
to set up all the necessary wo rkshops in the schools them-

sel'ves.

As the program m e develops, it is certain that such co-ordination will be forthcoming. The success of all educational enter
prises depends upon the joint efforts o f parents and teachers and
w o r k experience needs this joint effort much more than any other
project.

REVAM PING SCIENCE EDUCATION

Dr. G. L. Bakhshi

In an age when education is sought to be m ade universal it

wouid be incongruous to continue with the legacies of the elitist
traditions of education evolved mostly in the context o f the
require ments of leisured classes. Education cannot co ntinue with
its ivory tower approach and cannot go on merrily oblivious of
the changes in the social and ec onom ic scene. Education h a s to
assume a dy namic role and has to become meaningful, purposeful,
useful and relevant to life. This necessarily involves a p p r o
priate changes in the curricula and content o f courses as also
meth ods of teaching, apart from the overall change in the general
a p pro ach which has to permeate thro u g h o u t under the new
pattern of education. It is a pity that in the pop ular m in d the
structural aspect o f change as reflected in the years to be spent
for various stages of education under the new pattern, has received
great attention to the almost exclusion of the very great changes
in contents and methods of instruction. In the new appro ach,
the gap between the world of work and the world of learning is
sought to be bridged. Education is not only to stimulate thou ght
but also to inculcate skills for improved action. This c o o rd i n a
tion between thought and action is sure to generate a two-way
process resulting in improvem en t in both. Whereas work will
be improved with the application of knowledge, knowledge itself
will benefit and become more purposeful and realistic when put
to use in relining and improving action.

Emphasis On Applicability
Teaching of science in this country has been becoming more
and more theoretical and getting away from the realities of
or dinary life resulting in loss of popularity. It is essential to
evolve a new methodology of teaching science which will make
the subject more interesting, more readily assimilable by the
students and also restore to various science disciplines their fading
vitality and popularity. Any subject which is not constantly
reviewed in the matter of its contents as w>ell as m eth odology of
instruction in order to retain its relevance to the changing life
situation, is likely to get fossilised and suffer the fate of the
classics. Science can be a discipline for specialised an d sophisti26

cated action, or its applicability to life situations can be underlined

for the benefit of the citizens. Science, if it is to help any
co untry in ushering in an era of science and technology, cannot
ignore the needs of the citizens and has to be reoriented to help
in solving problems o f daily life.
The new change sought to be introduced in the m ethod of
teaching science through the scheme o f project technology seeks
to give a more practical bias to science teaching, pointing out
at every step the relevance of science to various life situations
and the way it can help to solve various problems. T he whole
idea is to develop science teaching a r o u n d some chosen projects
allied to technology. This will stimulate innovative thinking
a m o n g students and will inculcate a m o n g them the scientific
temper, originality, creative and improvisational abilities, which
are so necessary in a society, which is trying to become increasingly
technological. It also involves doing things with the ha nds by

the student and this naturally develops greater interest a n d elimi

nates some of the passivity and bored om which are associated
with the class-room situation.
Science education which is really mean! to train students
to observe, to analyse, to inter and to generalise, has not been
having its full impact. Following the new method of project
technology, it is hoped that proper scientific attitudes and creative'
abilities will be stimulated and quite a few young students will be
launched on voyages of discovery on their own.

Inter-disciplinary Approach
A n o th er advantage of the project technology is that it very
often encourages the interdisciplinary appro ach which develops
a wider understanding o f the unity underlying all knowledge and
also brings people from various disciplines together fostering a
team spirit which in these days is most essential for any significant
achieve ment in any field. This method also eliminates the isola
tion o f science from the co m m unity by creating an awareness of
the social, economic an d moral problems.
Recently the method of project technology was tried by the
Central Board of Secondary Education in a W o r k s h o p at Lawrence
School, Sanawar, which was attended by 21 teachers from schools
in different parts of the country and was guided by experts from
India and ab road. This quiet w o rk shop away from the m a d d e n
ing crowds, generated trem endous interest am o n g the participants.
As a matter of fact their absorption in their work all the day long
was to be seen to be believed. Their complete concen tra tion
throug h long hours indicated the strong motivating effect of
project tec hnolo gy If the introduction of this p r o g r am m e in
schools results in the same motivation and the development of
the same interest a m o n g students, it will be a brea k-thro ugh in
solving m any of the ills of the present-day education. This small
w o rk sho p has thrown up very fruitful ideas and has show n the
great potentialities o f the project technology for more purposeful
teaching of science.
It has been decided that suitable follow-up action will be
initiated w ith the help of these 21 teachers and it would be possible
to generate a snow-ball movement in order to cover all the t h o u
28

sand schools affiliated to the Central Board of' Secondary E duca

tion in ab out a couple of years. Some of the projects designed
and completed at Sanaw ar were very interesting and useful. The
chief characteristic o f these projects was that very cheap and
improvised material had been used. It is hoped that the habit of
improvisation, experimentation and innovation when properly
developed and emphasized would become a life-long asset and for
our socio-economic development this type of asset is most urgently
needed.

29

THE NEW EXAMINATION SYSTEM

Dr. R. P. Singhal

Whether the existing exam ination system serves our present day
needs or whether it requires to be changed, are questions which
are uppermost today in the minds o f not only those who are
responsible for improvement of education in our country but also
those whose children are studying in educational institutions.
Professor Nurul Hasan, Union Education Minister, recently
in his address on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee o f the A s s o
ciation of Indian Universities observed that the existing system
o f ex amination began giving negative returns some years ago
and has now become highly counter-productive. He went on to
say that unless we make a major effort to overhaul the existing
system o f examinations, it will not be possible to carrry out any
major reform or qualitative improvement, such as revision of
curricula, improvement of teaching and learning materials, or
adoption of im po rtant and dynamic methods of learning.

ExaminationThe Dominant Factor

It is c o m m o n knowledge that examinations have dom inated
education. The curriculum framers keep the ex amination as the
ultimate aim while draw ing up courses. The time-table of the
school is prepared in such a way that the students can be best
prepared for the examination. The quality of the school is judged
on the basis of the Board's results. Not only that, even the teacher's
assessment is based upon the performance of his students in the
B oards examinations.
We used to say that examination acts as motivation for pupils
and teachers. When the Oxford University held the first external
ex amination for schools in 1958, it said that the ex amination
would give a definite aim to the school masters and a great stim u
lus to scholars; and would afford an evidence to the public how
far the exertions of both had been successful. It is a pity that
in the name o f motivation and stimulation the examinations be
ca me indispensable; instead of becoming a means to provide the
right type of education they have become an end in t h e m
selves.
30

Accordi ng U) the Seconda ry E duca tion C ommission of India,

the educational system in o ur country was exam ination-ridden
an d tha t the dead weight o f the exam ina tion (at the top level as
well as t h r o u g h o u t the school system) tended to cu rb the teachers
initiative, to stereotype the curriculum, to prom o te mechanical
a n d lifeless methods o f teaching, to discourage all spirit of experi
m enta tion and to place stress on wrong or un im p o r tan t things in
education. It is, therefore, not surprising that any move for a
change in the curriculum, teaching methods and evaluation
practices should be met with resistance
T o d a y passing an ex amination is considered more im po rta nt
tha n acquiring education. That is the reason why we read daily
in newspapers aboitt exam inations being conduc ted under police
protection. Incidents of malpractices in the exam inations are
on the increase all over the country. Nearly twenty thou sand
students boys and girls -are reported to have been ca ught or
found copying this year in the exam inations conduc ted by the
High School and Intermediate Education Board, U ttar Pradesh.
O n e does not know how m any more escaped being caught.
W hethe r it is a Board's public exam ination or wh ether it is an
ex am ination of the University, or whether it is an internal ex am i
nation o f a school, the situation does not change. Invigilators
d o not com e forward to invigilate because they are threatened
with dire consequences. Passing the exam ination has be com e
as if a matter of fundamental right. A new p h e n o m e n o n is lately
being noticed and that is, the students who fail in an exam ina tion
d e m a n d and, if necessary, ad opt all kinds of agitational methods,
tha t they should be pro m o ted to the next class. Some time back
on e of the State Legislatures too reco m m en ded grace m arks to be
given to failed candidates in a public examination.
G u n n a r Myrdal in his b o o k on The Challenge o f W orld
Pov er ty has described it as a legacy of the colonial rule where
im po rtance was placed on passing exam inations and acquiring
status, while practical training for life an d w ork was ignored.
This spirit dominated, above all, the teaching and learning in
tertiary institutions. But it was transmitted to the secondary
schools where the main objective was to m ake certain that the
students would be equipped to pass their en trance examinations
for colleges. The primary schools, in turn, were imbu ed with the
31

necessity o f p r e p a r in g p u p ils for e n t r a n c e to th e s e c o n d a r y sc ho ols.

T h is is p a r t o f th e e x p l a n a t i o n w hy e d u c a t io n at all levels b e cam e
general a n d a c a d e m ic in c h a r a c t e r r a t h e r t h a n v o c a tio n a l o r re
le vant to th e needs o f society. T h is also a c c o u n t s for th e r e c r u it
m e n t rules th a t exist t o d a y for v a rio u s jo bs a n d services w h ere
stress is laid m o r e on e x a m i n a t i o n re s u lts First. S e c o n d o r T h ird
D ivision, r a t h e r th a n o n th e to tal p e rs o n a lity o f the in d iv id u a l.

Examination ReformA Must

U n d o u b t e d l y , a n ew loo k to th e ex istin g e x a m i n a ti o n system
is re q u ire d . C h a rle s C o l t o n said, " T o d a y e x a m i n a t i o n s a r e fo r
m id a b le even to the best p re p a r e d , for the greatest fo ol m ay
ask m o r e t h a n th e wisest m a n c a n a n s w e r " .

The exam iner so m e

tim es forgets t h a t he h as to e v a lu a te th e p u p il's a b ility : in stead

he tries to s h o w his o w n skill a n d k n o w le d g e in th e q u e s t io n p a p e r
he sets. T h e N a tio n a l Policy on E d u c a ti o n , issued by th e G o v e r n
m e n t o f In d ia in 1968, m e n t io n e d th a t the m a j o r goal o f e x a m i n a
tion re f o r m s h o u ld be t o im p ro v e th e reliability a n d v alid ity o f
e x a m i n a t i o n s a n d to m a k e e v a lu a tio n a c o n t i n u o u s process, a im e d
at h e lp in g the s t u d e n t t o im p ro v e his level o f a c h ie v e m e n t r a t h e r
t h a n " c e r ti f y in g " th e q u a li ty o f his p e r f o r m a n c e at a given m o m e n t
o f tim e.
E arlier, th e E d u c a ti o n C o m m is s io n to o had s t a te d th a t
th e c rip p lin g effect o f e x te r n a l e x a m i n a t i o n on q u a lity o f w o rk
was so g re a t th a t e x a m i n a t i o n re f o rm h a d b e c o m e cru cial to all
p ro g r e ss a n d h as to g o h a n d in h a n d w ith th e im p r o v e m e n ts in
teach in g.
T w o m a in th in g s have, th e re fo re , to be d o n e if th e e xistin g
e x a m i n a t i o n system h as to be re f o rm e d .
First, its d o m i n a t i o n
o v e r the e d u c a t io n a l sy s te m h as to be m in im is e d a n d seco nd ly ,
the q u ality o f e x a m i n a t i o n h a s to be im p ro v e d so as to m a k e it
m o r e valid a n d reliable.
In b o th these d ir e c tio n s th e C e n tra l
B o ard o f S e c o n d a r y E d u c a ti o n h as t a k e n a p p r o p r i a t e step s while
in t r o d u c i n g the new p a t t e r n o f e d u c a t io n fr o m the c u r r e n t a c a d e m ic
session in its m e m b e r schools.

CBSE Launches The Reforms

O n e rad ical c h a n g e th a t has c o m e a b o u t , is the in t r o d u c t i o n
o f th e sy stem o f G r a d e s in stead o f m a rk s.
U n d e r the ex istin g
system , the result is d e c la re d on a 101 p o in t scale o f m a r k in g .
T h e m a r k s o b ta i n e d by a c a n d id a te in d ifferen t subjects ( a l th o u g h

32

th e r e m a y n o t b e a n y p a r i ty b e tw e e n t h o s e s u b je c ts b e c a u s e so m e
m a y be h ig h s c o r in g a n d o th e r s less sc o r in g ) a r e to t a ll e d u p a n d
th e re s u lt w o r k e d o u t o n th e basis o f th e a g g re g a te . T h e r e is
h a r d l y a case w h e re a s t u d e n t offerin g su b je c ts w h ich a re c o n
s id e re d to be less s c o r in g is a b le to get h ig h e r a g g r e g a t e m a r k s
t h a n th e o n e w h o offers s u b je c ts like S a n s k r it a n d M a t h e m a t i c s
for h ig h e r S e c o n d a r y E x a m i n a t i o n . T h e c o n c e p t o f hig h s c o r in g
a n d low s c o r in g su b je c ts h a s th e r e fo re , to be given up. It only
lead s t o a n o m a l o u s s i tu a t io n s . A c a n d i d a t e g e tt in g 5 6 % a g
g re g a te m a r k s is r e g a r d e d t o d a y as s u p e r i o r to a c a n d i d a t e g e tt in g
5 5 . 9 % m a r k s irre sp e c tiv e o f th e n a t u r e o f th e su b je c t o ffered a n d
gets a d m i s s i o n to e i t h e r h ig h e r c o u rs e s o f s tu d y o r gets a c h a n c e
fo r b e in g in te rv ie w e d fo r a p o st. T h e P lan o f A c tio n o n E x a m i n a
t i o n R e f o r m , c ir c u la t e d by th e G o v e r n m e n t o f In d ia rece ntly ,
rig h tly p o in t s o u t t h a t th is k in d o f s i t u a t io n c a u se s a c o n s i d e r
ab le m e a s u r e o f f r u s t r a t i o n .
It a ls o p o in t s o u t t h a t th e 101 p o in t
scale o f m a r k i n g t o g e t h e r w ith th e a r b i t r a r y m i n i m u m fo r a first,
s e c o n d o r p ass class is scientifically u n s o u n d . T h e sy s tem w as
a d o p t e d w h e n o u r scientific k n o w le d g e a b o u t e x a m i n a t i o n s w as
i n a d e q u a t e . It is n o lo n g e r re le v a n t a n d is, in fact, d o i n g h a r m
to th e s t u d e n t p o p u l a t i o n .
A s is d o n e in several o t h e r c o u n tr ie s , th e s t u d e n t s will n o w
be given five G r a d e s : G r a d e 1: O u t s t a n d i n g , G r a d e 2: V e ry
G o o d , G r a d e 3: G o o d , G r a d e 4: F air, G r a d e 5: P o o r , o n th e
b asis o f scientific e v a l u a t i o n .
I n s te a d o f t o t a l l i n g u p th e m a r k s
o f d iffe re n t s u b jec ts, th e g r a d e s will be a w a r d e d s u b je c tw ise a n d
f a n y s t u d e n t w a n t s t o im p r o v e his g r a d e in a n y s u b je c t o r su b je c ts
he will be a llo w e d to d o so. T o d a y he is a s k e d t o re p e a t all th e
s u b je c ts

n o tw ith stan d in g

his

s a t is f a c to r y

perform ance

in

som e

o f t h e subjects. T h is in fact, is a r e f o r m w h ic h w a s lo n g o v e r d u e .
It w a s in 1966 t h a t th e E d u c a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n r e c o m m e n d e d
t h a t a s t u d e n t s h o u l d n o t b e b r a n d e d as a to t a l fa ilu re if he passes
in c e rt a in su b je c ts b u t is u n a b le t o m a k e th e g r a d e in oth ers. T h e r e
is n o r e a s o n w h y h e s h o u l d c a r r y w ith h im th e s t ig m a o f b e in g
d e c la re d a n u n su cce ssful c a n d i d a t e if he has p a rtia lly s u c c e e d e d
in his e d u c a t i o n a l effort.
T h e sy s tem o f g ra d in g , o f c o u rs e , raises an i m p o r t a n t q u e s tio n
as t o w h a t will be th e crite ria fo r a d m i s s i o n to h ig h e r c o u rs e s o f
s t u d y . T h e C e n t r a l B o a rd o f S e c o n d a r y E d u c a ti o n is seized

3;

w ith th is p ro b l e m a n d is f o r m u l a t i n g g u id e lin e s f o r t h e scho ols

fo r t h e p u r p o s e .
It is a h a p p y a u g u r y t h a t s o m e U n iv ersities a n d B o a r d s o f
S e c o n d a r y E d u c a ti o n a re also i n t r o d u c i n g t h e sy stem o f g ra d e s
in th e i r e x a m i n a ti o n s . A t th e in s ta n c e o f t h e U n iv e rs ity G r a n t s
C o m m i s s i o n , a b o u t a d o z e n U n iv ers itie s h a v e a c c e p t e d th e n ew
p a t t e r n o n a n ex p e rim e n ta l basis. A n A d v is o r y C o m m i t t e e o f
th e R a j a s t h a n B o ard o f S e c o n d a r y E d u c a ti o n h a s re c e n tly decided
to a d o p t t h e new system in th e State. T h e I I T s a n d s o m e o th e r
in s ti tu t io n s o f s t a n d in g are a l r e a d y using th e sy s tem o f g ra d e s .

Future Strategy
A n o t h e r i m p o r t a n t step in e x a m i n a t i o n re f o rm is i m p r o v i n g
its q u a lity . T h e C e n tr a l
B o a r d o f S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n h as
t a k e n v a r i o u s m e a s u re s in th e p a s t su c h as t r a i n i n g o f p a p e r- se tte rs,
d o i n g a w a y w ith o verall o p t i o n s a n d i n t r o d u c i n g in t e r n a l o p ti o n s
in q u e s t io n p a p e r s so as to e li m i n a te selective s t u d y b y pupils,
i n t r o d u c i n g s h o r t a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s to h a v e a w id e c o v e r a g e o f
s y lla b u s, p ro v id in g m a r k i n g sc h e m e s to t h e e x a m i n e r s a n d th e
s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n o f scores etc. Several o t h e r m e a s u r e s a re in
th e offing. G r e a t e r e m p h a s is is bein g laid o n testin g a p p li c a ti o n
o f k n o w le d g e a n d u n d e r s ta n d in g . Q u e s ti o n b a n k s w ith s u itab le
test ite m s a re b eing set up in d ifferent su bje cts. S p e c im e n q u e s
t i o n p a p e r s fo r th e new S e c o n d a r y E x a m i n a t i o n a t t h e en d o f
C la s s X a r e also b ein g e n v is a g ed . T r a i n i n g o f p a p e r - s e t t e r s a n d
e x a m i n e r s will be f u r th e r s t r e n g th e n e d .
In
c e rta in su bjects,
c o n t i n u o u s e v a lu a tio n t h r o u g h in te rn a l a s s e s s m e n t h a s a ls o been
p ro v i d e d .
These and

m any

o t h e r c h a n g e s , w h ic h

h a v e b e en a c c e p te d

a t t h e n a t i o n a l level fo r re f o r m i n g the e x istin g e x a m i n a t i o n sy s tem

will, it is h o p e d , h e lp in b r i n g in g a b o u t q u a li ta t iv e im p r o v e m e n t
in e d u c a t i o n a n d r e m o v in g , t o a c o n s i d e r a b l e ex te n t, th e i n a d e
q u a c i e s a n d deficiencies fr o m w h ic h th e p r e s e n t system suffers.
U n d e r th e n ew p a t t e r n , th e e x a m i n a t i o n h a s to be a p a r t o f
t h e e d u c a t i o n a l pro cess. It h a s t o serve as a reliab le to o l o f
m e a s u r e m e n t . A n d w h a t is m o r e i m p o r t a n t is th e fe e d - b a c k . T h e
re s u lts h a v e to b e utilized to p ro v id e re m e d ia l te a c h in g f o r the
w e a k s t u d e n t s ; f o r th e b r i g h t a n d gifted, m o r e c h a lle n g in g p r o
g r a m m e s h a v e to be p r o v i d e d . T h e e x a m i n a t i o n s s h o u l d also
be utilized by te a c h e rs to im p r o v e th e ir t e a c h in g m e t h o d s . It
is o n ly t h e n t h a t e x a m i n a t i o n s will serve th e i r real p u r p o s e .

34

W H Y & H O W OF TH E N E W 10 + 2 PA T TE R N
OF SCH O O L E D U C A T IO N
it w as w ith th e a p p o i n t m e n t o f C a l c u t t a U n iv e rs ity C o m m i s s i o n
in 1917, p o p u l a r l y k n o w n as S a d le r C o m m i s s i o n , t h a t f o r th e
first t i m e th e id e a o f a n e d u c a t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e f o r m e d a n i m p o r t a n t
p a r t o f d is c u s s io n . T h is c o m m i s s i o n r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t th e
d iv id in g line b e tw e e n th e U n iv e r s ity a n d s e c o n d a r y c o u rs e s s h o u l d
m o r e p r o p e r l y be d r a w n a t th e I n t e r m e d i a t e E x a m i n a t i o n r a t h e r
t h a n a t th e M a t r i c u l a t i o n . T h e C o m m i s s i o n d esire d th e G o v e r n
m e n t t o e s t a b li s h I n t e r m e d i a t e C o lleg es w h ich w o u ld p ro v i d e
in s tr u c t io n s in A rts . Science, M e d ic in e , E n g in e e r in g etc. A faint
r e - e c h o o f th is 58 y ea rs o ld id e a m a y be d is c e rn e d in th e p r o p o s e d
N e w P a t t e r n . T h e 30 y e ars b e tw e e n th e S a d le r C o m m i s s i o n
a n d th e i n d e p e n d e n c e , c h r o n i c le d sev eral r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s e m a n a
tin g f r o m v a r i o u s a c a d e m i c f o r u m s a n d w ere m a in ly i n t e n d e d
to a n s w e r th e t h e n e x is tin g n eed s a n d fo r w elfare o f the m asses.
T h e H a r t o g C o m m i t t e e in 1929 r e c o m m e n d e d th e b r a n c h i n g o f f
o f m o r e s t u d e n t s in t o in d u s tr i a l a n d c o m m e r c i a l c h a n n e l s a t the
e n d o f th e m i d d le stage. T h e S a p r u C o m m i t t e e in 1934 r e c o m
m e n d e d diversified c o u rs e s a t th e s e c o n d a r y sta g e o n e fo r e n te r in g
t h e U n iv e r s ity a n d th e o t h e r f o r g e tt in g in to th e V o c a tio n a l
stream .
The
U n iv e rs ity
E d u c a ti o n
C o m m issio n
(1 948-49). th e first
i d u c a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n in i n d e p e n d e n t I n d i a , t h o u g h t it u n f o r
t u n a t e t h a t t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f I n t e r m e d i a t e C o lle g e in e d u c a t i o n a l
s y s te m o f I n d i a h a d n o t b e e n re alise d a n d r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t
th e a d m i s s i o n t o th e u n iv ersity s h o u l d be p r e c e d e d by 12 y e a r s
o f sc h o o lin g . T h e o b jectiv e w a s to raise th e s t a n d a r d o f U n iv e rs ity
E d u catio n .

T h e C o n f e r e n c e o f V ic e - C h a n c e l lo r s (1962), th e All In d ia C o u n c il
fo r S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n (1963), th e C o n f e r e n c e o f S ta t e E d u c a t i o n
M i n is t e rs (1 9 6 4 ) all r e c o m m e n d e d a 1 2 - y e a r c o u r s e o f s c h o o l in g
b e fo r e a d m i s s i o n t o a 3 - y e a r d e g r e e c o u r s e , as th e g o al t o w a r d s
w h ic h th e c o u n t r y m u s t m o v e .

35

Philosophy & Need

T h e E d u c a t i o n C o m m is s io n o f In d ia (1966) e m p h a s is e d t h a t th ere
is a d ir e c t link b e tw een e d u c a t i o n , n a ti o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t a n d
p r o s p e r it y a n d sta te d th a t th is can be vitalised o n ly w h en the
N a t i o n a l sy s te m o f e d u c a t i o n is p ro p e r ly o r g a n i s e d , b o t h q u a l i
ta tiv e ly a n d q u a n ti ta t iv e l y . T h is C o m m i s s i o n a ls o p o in t e d o u t
t h a t th e ex is tin g sy s te m o f e d u c a t i o n w as larg ely u n r e l a t e d to the
life, n e e d s a n d a s p i r a t i o n s o f th e p e o p le a n d th e r e w as a w ide
g u l f b e tw e e n its c o n t e n t s a n d p u r p o s e s as well as in terests o f
N a t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t . O n e o f th e m a j o r w e a k n e s s e s o f th e p resen t
e d u c a t i o n a l system is t h a t s e c o n d a r y e d u c a t i o n fits s t u d e n t s for
co llege a n d a lm o s t unfits t h e m fo r e v e r y t h in g else.
In a n y well d e sig n e d N a t i o n a l sy s te m o f e d u c a t i o n ,
e d u c a t i o n m u s t h a v e t w o specific o b je ctiv es :
(1)

t o p r e p a r e a s t u d e n t fo r th e U n iv e rs ity , o r

(2)

t o b e c o m e te r m i n a l
v o c a ti o n in life.

and

prepare

student

secondary

for

so m e

R e a lis in g t h a t th e t o t a l p e r i o d o f e d u c a t i o n a n d th e d u r a t i o n
o f its d if fe re n t sta g e s h a v e a d ir e c t b e a r i n g o n t h e q u a l i t y o f
e d u c a t i o n i m p a r t e d f o r a c h ie v in g th e g o al, t h e
E ducation
C o m m issio n re c o m m e n d e d :
(1)

B ro a d ly u n i f o r m p a t t e r n o f e d u c a t i o n ;

(2)

E x te n s i o n in th e to t a l p e r i o d o f s c h o o l in g t o b r i n g a b o u t
a g e n e ra l rise in th e s t a n d a r d s o f a t t a i n m e n t ; a n d

(3)

V o c a tio n a lis a ti o n o f e d u c a t io n .

National Policy Statement

B e a rin g in m i n d th e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s o f th e C o m m i s s i o n , the
G o v e r n m e n t o f I n d i a issu ed in 1968 a N a t i o n a l P o licy s t a t e m e n t
o n e d u c a t i o n f o r th e c o u n t r y . In th is s t a t e m e n t , th e G o v e r n
m e n t o f I n d i a s t a te d t h a t it w as c o n v in c e d t h a t a r a d i c a l r e
c o n s t r u c t i o n o f e d u c a t i o n o n th e b r o a d *lines r e c o m m e n d e d by
th e E d u c a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n , is e s s en tial f o r e c o n o m i c a n d c u lt u r a l
d e v e l o p m e n t o f the c o u n t r y , for n a ti o n a l in t e g r a t io n a n d fo r

36

realising th e id eal o f a so cialistic p a t t e r n o f society. T h is will

inv olve a t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f th e sy s tem t o relate it m o r e clo se ly
to th e life o f th e p eo p le , a c o n t i n u o u s effort to e x p a n d e d u c a t i o n a l
o p p o r t u n i t y , a s u s ta in e d a n d in ten sive e n d e a v o u r to raise the
q u a l i t y o f e d u c a t i o n a t all stag es, a n d e m p h a s i s o n th e d e v e l o p
m e n t o f Science a n d te c h n o l o g y a n d c u lt iv a t io n o f m o r a l a n d social
v a lu e s .
T h e p o licy s t a t e m e n t a ls o s t a te d th a t it w o u ld be a d v a n t a g e o u s
to h a v e a b r o a d l y u n i f o r m e d u c a t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e in all p a r t s o f th e
c o u n tr y . T h e u lt im a te o b je c tiv e s h o u l d be t o a d o p t th e 10 + 2 + 3
p a tte rn .
Y'ne c o n fe r e n c e o f E d u c a t i o n S e c r e t a r i e s a n d D i r e c t o r s o f P u b lic
I n s tr u c t io n held on 15th & 16th S e p te m b e r . 1972 p a ss e d th e
fo llo w in g r e s o l u t i o n :
A d o p tio n o f a
classes (10 + 2 + 3).

uniform

p attern

of

sch o o l

and

C o lle g e

(1)

A u n if o r m p a t t e r n o f e d u c a t i o n o f 15 y e a r s d u r a t i o n ,
le a d i n g to th e first d e g re e , s h o u l d be a d o p t e d by all t h e
States.

(2)

T h e r e s h o u l d be v ery close c o - o r d i n a t i o n b e tw e e n th e
v o c a t i o n a l c o u r s e s a t t a c h e d to th e h ig h e r s e c o n d a r y
stag e, th e In d u s tr i a l T r a i n i n g I n s tit u te s a n d th e P o l y
te ch n ic s. C o u r s e s selected s h o u l d h a v e close affinity t o
th e skills a n d services in d e m a n d in th e lo cality. T h i s
will in v o lv e m a n - p o w e r s t u d ie s a n d p r o d u c t i o n c e n t r e s
as well as fin a n c in g o f th e skilled p e r s o n n e l on c o
o p e r a t i v e o r in s t i t u t i o n a l p a t t e r n fo r s e l f - e m p lo y m e n t o r
e m p l o y m e n t in p r o d u c t i o n ce n tre s.

(3)

T h e sc h e m e o f V o c a t i o n a l i s a t i o n o f E d u c a t i o n as well
as w o r k e x p e rie n c e d eserv es th e h ig h e s t p r i o r i t y in t h e
P la n a n d s h o u l d be a ss iste d fully.

(4)

V o c a tio n a l c o u rs e s p re s c rib e d in th e I n s t i t u t i o n s w o u ld
n e e d c o n s t a n t review a n d r e p l a c e m e n t as te c h n o l o g y ,
m a t e r i a ls a n d d e m a n d s c h a n g e . T h e y w o u ld h a v e to
k e e p p a c e w ith d e v e l o p m e n t o f local in d u s tr i e s a ls o ,

37

p a r t ic u l a r ly
in d u s tr i e s .

th e

sm all

scale,

c o tt a g e

and

consum er

T h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s o f th e
C o n f e r e n c e o f th e
E du catio n
S e c re ta rie s a n d D ir e c t o r s o f P u b lic I n s t r u c t i o n w ere e n d o r s e d
by t h e C e n t r a l A d v is o r y B o a r d o f E d u c a t i o n in its 3 6 th sessio n
h eld o n 18th a n d 19th S e p te m b e r , 1972, in N e w D elh i.
A l m o s t s i m u l ta n e o u s l y th e G o v e r n m e n t o f In d ia , M i n is t r y o f
E d u c a ti o n a n d S o cial W e lf a re a p p o i n t e d a N a t i o n a l C o m m i t t e e
u n d e r th e c h a i r m a n s h i p o f D r . P. D. S h u k la . w ith t h e f o llo w in g
t e r m s o f re fe re n c e ;
T o sug gest p ia c t ic a l step s to b e t a k e n fo r t h e i m p l e m e n
t a t i o n o f th e u n i f o r m p a t t e r n o f 10 + 2 + 3 fo r th e sc h o o l
a n d co llege classes in all S ta te s a n d U n i o n T e r r i t o r i e s o f
t h e c o u n tr y .
(2)

T o e s t im a te th e co st o f im p l e m e n t i n g th e p r o g r a m m e .

New Pattern in CBSE Schools

In view o f th e o v e r w h e l m i n g n a t i o n a l i m p o r t a n c e o f th is m a t t e r
th e C e n t r a l B o a r d o f S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n set u p a special
c o m m i t t e e to sug gest w a y s a n d m e a n s to im p le m e n t th e new
p a t t e r n in t h e m e m b e r - s c h o o l s o f th e B o a r d a n d ad v is e it o n the
e d u c a t i o n a l i n n o v a t i o n s w h ich s h o u l d be in t r o d u c e d .
W it h this
C o m m i t t e e w ere a s s o c ia te d e m i n e n t e d u c a t io n is ts a n d th e e x p e rt s
f r o m siste r ag e n c ie s like D i r e c t o r a t e o f E d u c a t i o n , D e lh i, K end r i y a V id y a la y a S a n g a t h a n , N a t i o n a l C o u n c il o f E d u c a t i o n a l
R e s e a r c h & T r a i n i n g a n d o t h e r su c h b o d ies. T h is c o m m i t t e e
f a v o u r e d t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f th e c h a n g e f o r th e fo llo w in g r e a s o n s :

38

(1)

It will p r o v i d e a n o p p o r t u n i t y a n d a m e a n s to re-vitalize
a n d ra t io n a l iz e sc h o o l c u r r ic u l a a n d t o s t r u c t u r e t h e m
o n m o r e scientific lines so as to serv e th e social a n d
e c o n o m i c n e e d s o f th e a d o le s c e n t in a b e t t e r m a n n e r .

(2)

It will h e lp in itia te o t h e r e d u c a t i o n a l r e f o r m s su c h as
m o d e r n i z a t i o n o f t e a c h in g m e t h o d s a n d e v a l u a t i o n
te c h n i q u e s , e ss e n tia l t o raise th e g e n e ra l s t a n d a r d a n d
q u a li ty o f e d u c a t i o n , p a r t ic u l a r ly a t t h e sch o o l stage.

(3)

A b r o a d l y u n if o r m p a t t e r n in all S ta tes a n d
U n io n
T e r r i to r ie s will facilitate th e B o a rd t o s h a r e its r e s o u r c e s
a n d e x p e rie n c e w ith o t h e r su c h b od ies, in th e a r e a s o f
p r o d u c t i o n o f b o o k s a n d re a d i n g m a t e r i a ls , t e a c h i n g aid s,
tr a i n i n g o f t e a c h e r s a n d th e i r m o v e m e n t , r e c o n s t r u c t i o n
o f syllabi a n d i m p r o v e m e n t in e x a m i n a t i o n p ractices .

(4)

It will d o a w a y w ith th e p r e s e n t p ra c tic e w h e re in a s t u d e n t

is r e q u i r e d to ta k e a d e c is io n a t t o o e a rly a n a g e a b o u t
th e p a r t i c u l a r s t r e a m o f e d u c a t i o n to be t a k e n u p by
h im fo r fu t u r e s tu d ie s. A t th e s a m e ti m e it will h e lp
re d u c e p r e s s u r e fo r a d m i s s i o n on U n iv e rs itie s a n d o t h e r
c e n tr e s o f h ig h e r e d u c a t i o n .

(3)

T h e im p r o v e d a c a d e m i c a n J in te lle c tu a l e q u i p m e n t o f
th e s t u d e n t will p r o v i d e h im w ith an ed ge t o face th e
c h allen g e s o f m o d e r n life.

(6)

A b r o a d l y u n if o r m p a t t e r n o f e d u c a t i o n all
c o u n t r y will s t r e n g th e n n a t i o n a l i n t e g r a t io n .

over

th e

(7)

It will r e m o v e difficulties in th e m a t t e r o f e d u c a t i o n o f
c h ild re n o f th e m o b i le p o p u l a t i o n , t o w h ich th is B o a r d
specially cate rs.

(8)

It will serve as a vehicle o f social t r a n s f o r m a t i o n .

F r o m w h a t h a s been d e ta ile d h e r e t o f o r e it is a p p a r e n t t h a t th is
c h a n g e h a s b e e n lo n g o v e r d u e t o give a n e w d ir e c ti o n t o e d u c a t i o n

Syllabi & Courses

In k e e p in g w ith t h e o b je c tiv e s set by th e N a t i o n a l P o licy o n
E d u c a t i o n , T h e C e n t r a l B o a r d d r a f t e d syllabi a n d c o u r s e s f o r
classes I X & X , th e first s ta g e o f th e n e w s t r u c t u r e , o n m o d e r n
lines i n c o r p o r a t i n g la te st p e d a g o g ic a l t e c h n i q u e s . A la r g e n u m b e r
o f s e m in a r s o f te a c h e r s & e d u c a t i o n i s t s w ere h e ld in w h ic h th e
d r a f t syllabi & c o u r s e s w ith p a r t i c u l a r re f e re n c e t o th e i r c o v e r a g e
a n d feasibility, w ere d is c u sse d . T h e n e w c o u r s e s a im a t t h e p r o
m o t i o n o f h ig h e r in te lle c tu a l c a p a c i tie s a s a ls o th e h a r m o n i o u s
d e v e l o p m e n t o f th e p h y s ic a l, e m o t i o n a l a n d o t h e r a s p e c t s o f th e
p u p i l s p e rs o n a lit y . T h e y se e k t o p r o v i d e a w ide r a n g e o f k n o w
ledge t o d e v e lo p s t u d e n t s i n t o w e ll- in fo r m e d c itiz e n s a n d tr a in
t h e m f o r d e m o c r a t i c living a n d c o m m u n i t y s e r v ic e ; a t th e s a m e
ti m e to i m b ib e a scientific o u t l o o k fo r m o d e r n living.

39

A few o f th e sa lie n t fe a tu re s

of

th e

n ew

courses

a re

(1)

T h e y p ro v i d e a c o m p r e h e n s i v e g e n e r a l e d u c a t io n
w o r k e x p e ri e n c e as a n in te g ra l c o m p o n e n t .

w ith

(2)

Science a n d M a t h e m a t i c s , f o r m e r l y d e n ie d to a l m o s t
5 0 % o f th e s t u d e n ts , a re n o w a v a il a b le to every s t u d e n t,
w h ich a r e so essential fo r th e d a y - t o - d a y life in th e
e x is tin g c o n te x t.

(3)

T h e s e e n v is a g e c o m p u l s o r y H e a lth & P hy sical E d u c a ti o n .

m e n t io n e d b e l o w :

An education
for multi-sided growth

(4)

They

a im

at

op tim u m

re lev anc e

to

the

c u rre n t

life

s i tu a t io n .
(5)

T h r o u g h c o m m u n i t y service, a sense o f in v o lv em e n t in
n a t i o n a l r e c o n s t r u c t i o n is p l a n n e d to be g e n e ra te d in th e
stu d e n t.

(6)

W o r k e x p e ri e n c e m a k e s l e a r n in g p o ss ib le by the use o f
h a n d a n d p a v e th e w ay fo r v o c a t i o n a l e d u c a t io n at
th e

(7)

s u b s e q u e n t stage.

T h e s e a i m at th e d e v e lo p m e n t ot th e s t u d e n t u p to the
stage w h e n he c a n successfully b r a n c h o ff into th e
a c a d e m i c s t r e a m o r th e v o c a ti o n a l c h a n n e l in a c c o r d a n c e
with his a p t i t u d e .

40

Modernising Evaluation Procedures

E d u c a t i o n i s t s all o v e r th e w o r ld a r e u n a n i m o u s o n th e i n h e r e n t
d r a w b a c k s in t h e p re v a i li n g sy s te m o f a s s e s s m e n t t h r o u g h e x a
m i n a t i o n . I n a c t u a l p r a c t ic e , t h e e n ti r e s y s te m o f e d u c a t i o n
t e n d s t o f o c u s o n t h e s c o r e in t h e e x a m i n a t i o n . T h e n e w s c h e m e
o f a s s e s s m e n t, th e r e f o r e , a i m s a t r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n a n d i m b ib e s t h e
f o l lo w in g f e a t u r e s :
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

I n t e r n a l A s s e s s m e n t a l o n g w ith e x t e r n a l e x a m i n a t i o n .
S y s te m o f G r a d i n g in s te a d o f m a r k s .
S t a n d a r d i s a t i o n o f r a w scores.
Q u e s t i o n B an k s.
I m p r o v i n g q u a li ty o f q u e s t i o n p a p e r s .
Im p ro v in g e v alu a tio n procedures.

Other Steps Taken

T h e n e w p a t t e r n o f sc h o o l e d u c a t i o n h a s c o m e i n t o fo rce in 1000
a n d o d d m e m b e r - s c h o o l s o f t h e B o a r d s c a t te r e d all o v e r t h e c o u n t r y
a n d a b r o a d , f r o m th e a c a d e m i c sessio n 1 975-76.
(1)

T h e syllab i, s o o n a f t e r f i n a li z a ti o n , a l o n g w ith t h e lists

o f e q u i p m e n t fo r science s u b j e c ts a n d w o r k e x p e rie n c e s ,
w ere c ir c u la t e d well in a d v a n c e a m o n g t h e m e m b e r s c h o o l s so t h a t t h e y c o u l d d o th e r e q u i r e d s p a d e w o r k in
tim e .

(2)

T o f u r t h e r s t r e n g t h e n t h e s y lla b u se s a n d e x p li c a te t h e m
in m o r e o p e r a t i o n a l t e r m s t h e B o a r d u n d e r t o o k t o p r e
p a r e q u a l i t y t e x t b o o k s fo r t h e s u b j e c ts o f E n g lish , H in d i,
S a n s k r i t , P u n j a b i , E c o n o m i c s a n d C iv ics, w hile N a t i o n a l
C ouncil o f E d u catio n al R esearch & T ra in in g prep ared
t h o s e f o r M a t h e m a t i c s . Phy sics. C h e m i s t r y , Life Sciences,
H i s t o r y & G e o g r a p h y ; t h u s c o v e r i n g all t h e c o m p u l s o r y
s u b j e c ts laid d o w n in t h e s c h e m e .
In t h i s v e n t u r e h elp
o f o t h e r e x p e r t a g e n c ie s like C e n t r a l I n s t i t u t e o f E n g lish ,
H y d e r a b a d a n d D i r e c t o r a t e o f E d u c a t i o n , D e lh i w a s
a ls o s e c u r e d t o h a v e b o o k s o n i m p r o v e d lines.

(3)

B esides e n s u r i n g q u a li ty , a set o f n e w t e x t b o o k s fo r
classes IX a n d X n o w c o sts o n ly a b o u t R s. 6 0 / - as
a g a i n s t Rs. 150/- t o R s. 190/- e a r l ie r f o r th e h ig h e r
S e c o n d a r y classes.
41

(4)

Science e q u i p m e n t a n d w o r k e x p e r i e n c e m a t e r i a l s w o r t h
R s. 2 0 l a k h s h a v e b e e n m a d e a v a i l a b l e t o t h e sc h o o ls
d u r i n g 1974-75. F u n d s t o th e t u n e o f R s . 30 la k h s a re
p l a n n e d to be in v e s te d in v a r i o u s i n p u t s d u r i n g 1975-76.

(5)

T h e successful i n t r o d u c t i o n o f th e n e w p a t t e r n p ri m a ri ly
d e p e n d s o n t h e ti m e l y o r i e n t a t i o n o f te a c h e r s in th e
p h i l o s o p h y a n d c o n t e n t s o f new c o u rs e s . T h is s u m m e r
v a c a t io n , a b o u t 5000 t e a c h e r s o f t h e m e m b e r - s c h o o ls
o f t h e B o a r d w e re p r o v i d e d in-service t r a i n i n g t h r o u g h
S u m m e r I n s tit u te s o f 2 w e e k s t o o n e m o n t h d u r a t io n .
T h e s e in s ti tu t e s w e re o r g a n i s e d n o t o n ly in D elhi bu t
in d if fe re n t p a r t s o f I n d i a a lso.

The Plus Two Stage

C la ss e s X I & X I I u n d e r th e n e w p a t t e r n will p r o v i d e diversified
c o u r s e s , b o t h a c a d e m i c & v o c a t i o n a l . T h e first b a t c h o f stu d e n ts
will j o i n class X I u n d e r t h e n e w p a t t e r n in J u l y 1977 a n d th e first
b a t c h o f s t u d e n t s will ta k e th e B o a r d s H i g h e r S e c o n d a r y E x a
m i n a t i o n a t t h e e n d o f class X I I in M a r c h , 1979.
W h ile d r a w i n g u p c u r r ic u l a it is b e in g e n s u r e d
r e l e v a n t t o t h e c u r r e n t n e e d s o f t h e society.

t h a t th ese

a re

T h e sy llab i a r e b e in g p r e p a r e d in U n i t s w ith p r o v i s i o n fo r bridg e

c o u r s e s t o e n a b le th e s t u d e n t s t o c h a n g e o v e r f r o m a c a d e m ic to
v o c a t i o n a l c o u r s e s a n d vice versa.
P r o v i s io n is a ls o b e in g m a d e f o r n o n - f o r m a l e d u c a t i o n .

Some Clarifications
T h e n e w s c h e m e h a s b e en well re c e iv e d in th e field. S o m e d o u b t s
h o w e v e r , still p ersist. S o m e o f th e c o m m o n q u e r i e s a n d a n sw e rs
th e r e t o a r e listed b e l o w :
Q.
A.

42

1.

W h y a g e n e ra l c o u r s e o f s tu d ie s ?
In t h e i r f o r m a ti v e y e a r s it is n e c e ss a ry t h a t th e s t u d e n ts
g et o p p o r t u n i t y fo r b a l a n c e d g r o w t h i.e. th e y d e v e lo p
in te lle c tu a lly , p h y sic a lly a n d e m o t i o n a l l y to t h e o p t i m u m .
D iv e rs ific a tio n a t th is t e n d e r age n o t o n ly lead s to lo p
sided d e v e l o p m e n t b u t fails t o give a s o u n d base fo r
sp ecia lised e d u c a t i o n in la ter life. V a r io u s N a tio n a l
C o m m i s s i o n s a n d b o d ie s w ere th e r e f o r e , u n a n i m o u s l y

o f th e o p i n i o n t h a t g en era l e d u c a t i o n s h o u l d be e x te n d e d
u p t o class X to be follo w ed by diversified e d u c a t i o n . It
is w ith this b r o a d p u r p o s e in view t h a t th e B o a r d h as
p r o v i d e d a c o re sy llab u s c o v e rin g c o m p u l s o r y s t u d y o f
l a n g u a g e s. Sciences, M a t h e m a t i c s , a n d S o cial Sciences.
F o r g a in i n g a c e rt a in m i n i m u m s t a n d a r d o f p roficie ncy
in o t h e r facets, c o m p u l s o r y s tu d y o f a n d p a r t i c i p a t i o n
in P h y sic a l a n d H e a lth E d u c a ti o n , C o m m u n i t y Service
etc., h a v e been p re s c rib e d in th e c u rr ic u la .
Q.

2..

A.

N o p ro v i s io n f o r c h a r a c t e r b u ild in g a n d d is c ip lin e h as
been m a d e in the syllabi.
T h e w h o le e d u c a t i o n sy stem a im s a t c h a r a c t e r b u ild in g
o f w h ic h p e rs o n a l, m o r a l a n d social d is cip lin es fo r m
essential c o m p o n e n t s . T h e se h av e been in -b u ilt in th e
syllabi.
M o r e o v e r , C o m m u n i t y service p r o v i d e s yet
a n o t h e r o p p o r t u n i t y to c u ltiv a te these q u alities.

Q.

3.

A.

T h e sy llab u s is very h eav y a n d little tim e is left f o r w o r k

e x pe rie nce .
K e e p in g in view th e e x p lo s io n o f k n o w le d g e in all its
b ra n c h e s a n d th e o b je c tiv e t h a t a b a se f o r diversified
e d u c a t i o n s h o u l d be p r e p a r e d , th e sy lla b u s h a s t o be
h e a v ie r b u t the b u r d e n c a n be r e d u c e d t h r o u g h im p r o v e d
m e t h o d o l o g y a n d s u b s e q u e n t revisions.

Q.

-4.

A.

W ith th e a l l o t m e n t o f 48 p e rio d s in th e M i d d l e C lasse s

a n d 45 p e rio d s o f 4 0 m i n u te s d u r a t i o n in class I X &
X u n d e r the n ew sc h e m e , n o u n if o r m i ty h a s b een k e p t.
Several p e rio d s h av e b een s u g g es ted to k e e p th e q u a n t u m
o f con ten t

in

ch e ck .

The

s c h o o ls

are

however

free

to re -a llo c a te th e p e r i o d s a c c o r d i n g to th e i r re q u i r e m e n ts .
Q.

5.

S tep s f o r p r o v i d in g

w o r k s h o p a t the

D i s t r ic t level f o r

w o r k e x p e rie n c e p r o g r a m m e as p r o v i d e d u n d e r ru le
12 o f th e D elhi S c h o o l E d u c a ti o n R u le s 1973, h a v e n o t
been ta k e n .
A.

A r r a n g e m e n t s a r e in h a n d to p ro v i d e su c h a W o r k s h o p
a t th e D istric t level. S tep s a re a lso b e in g t a k e n t o get
th e c o o p e r a t i o n o f th e in d u s tr y in th e n e i g h b o u r h o o d to
p ro v i d e p ra ctical e x p erien ce .

W h y C B S E is im p le m e n ti n g n ew p a t t e r n w h e n n o decision
in this respect h a s b een t a k e n in th e n e i g h b o u r i n g S ta te s ?
T h is is a lo n g o v e r d u e re f o rm in e d u c a t i o n a s r e c o m
m e n d e d by th e E d u c a ti o n C o m m i s s i o n , C e n t r a l A d v is o r y
B o a rd o f E d u c a ti o n a n d is in line w ith N a t i o n a l Policy
o n E d u c a ti o n . C e rta i n o t h e r sta te s h a v e in itia te d actio n
in th is re g a r d . T h e C e n tr a l B o a r d o f S e c o n d a r y E d u
c a ti o n a n d

its sister ag e n cies h a v e a lw a y s b een in the

v a n g u a r d o f e d u c a t i o n a l in n o v a t i o n s . It is in fitness o f
th i n g s th a t th is tim e a ls o t h e lead is a g a i n given by it,
especially w h en th e u sefulness o f the c h a n g e h a s been
clearly re c o g n ise d in n u m e r o u s a c a d e m i c f o r u m s .
P ro v is io n o f 3 p e rio d s p e r w eek f o r H e a l t h a n d Physical
E d u c a ti o n

in d icate s t h a t

th e s y lla b u s is ideal

but not

practicab le.
T h is h as been d o n e a ft e r a t h o r o u g h c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f all
aspects.

T h e B o a rd has a n o p e n m i n d a n d a c tu a l class

r o o m exp erien ce c a n be a g u id e f o r s u b s e q u e n t i m p r o v e
m ents.
C o n f e r e n c e s / D is c u s s io n s

m ay

be

arranged

P rin c ip a ls / T e a c h e r s / S t u d e n t s / P a re n ts

to

w ith

rem ove

the
th e ir

a p p r e h e n s i o n s a b o u t i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f th e n ew p a tt e r n .
A c tio n in th is r e g a r d h as a lr e a d y b een t a k e n a t v a rio u s
levels a n d f u r t h e r a c tio n is in view. A sc o r e o f s e m in a r s
fo r p a r e n t s a n d s t u d e n ts h ave b ee n o r g a n i z e d in D elhi
fo llow ed by sim ila r se m in a rs in o t h e r p a r t s o f th e c o u n tr y .
Will e m p l o y m e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s be p ro v i d e d to s t u d e n ts
w h o p a ss class X / X I I ?
T h e new s y lla b u s a im s at e n h a n c i n g the c a p a b i lit y

of

th e s t u d e n t t o e n t e r in to th e w o rld o f w o r k a n d to b e c o m e
self-reliant. T h e N a t i o n a l g o v e r n m e n t is seized w ith th e
p r o b l e m o f in c re a sin g e m p l o y m e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s w h ic h
falls o u ts id e th e s c o p e o f th e B o a rd .
S c h e m e o f e x a m i n a t i o n p ro v id e s f o r in t e r n a l a ss e ssm e n t.
A r e we a d e q u a t e ly e q u ip p e d fo r th e s a m e ?
In te rn a l a s s e s s m e n t is c o n fin ed t o th e t h i r d la n g u a g e ,
w o rk -e x p e rie n c e , c o m m u n i t y serv ice a n d H e a l t h a n d

P h y s ic a l E d u c a t i o n w h ic h is o p e n f o r in s p e c ti o n b y th e
C e n t r a l B o a r d o f S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n . T h is in fa c t,
m a r k s th e first s t e p t o w a r d s e q u i p p i n g th e t e a c h e r to
assess th e p u p i l s g r o w t h , b e t t e r a n d m o r e ob jectivelyQ . 11.

W h y M o d e r n M a t h e m a t i c s h a s b e e n left o u t o f th e n ew
s c h e m e o f s t u d ie s ?

A.

T h is is n o t so. O n th e o t h e r h a n d
h a v e b een a d d e d .

Q . 12.

T h e in te re s t
safeguarded.

A.

T h is is n o t so.

of

th e

village

s o m e n e w to p ic s

s t u d e n ts

has

not

b een

U n d e r th e n ew p a t t e r n , a g o o d n u m b e r

o f w o r k e x p e rie n c e s p r o p o s e d c a n flou rish in r u r a l a re a s

o f w h ich th o s e re la te d t o a g r i c u lt u r e a r e p r o m i n e n t .
Q.

A.

13.

W h a t will be th e c rite r ia fo r th e selectio n o f s t u d e n t s

w o rk experience?
T h e ch o ic e o f th e

fo r

w o r k e x p e rie n c e will be larg e ly left

to th e s t u d e n t h im s e l f /h e r s e lf s u itin g in d i v id u a l a p ti tu d e s .

45

APPENDIX A
THE NEW PATTERN AT A GLANCE
I n o r d e r t o link e d u c a t i o n w ith p r o d u c t i v i t y w h ic h is th e need
o f t o d a y a n d to im p r o v e th e q u a li ty o f e d u c a t i o n , th e I n d ia n
E du catio n C o m m issio n
(1 964-66) r e c o m m e n d e d
e d u c a t io n a l
r e c o n s t r u c t i o n by i n t r o d u c i n g a b r o a d l y u n if o r m p a t t e r n o f 10 4- 2 4 3
t h r o u g h o u t th e c o u n t r y a n d r e o r g a n is i n g c u rr ic u l a a t all stag es o f
e d u c a t i o n . T h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n w as a c c e p t e d b y G o v e r n m e n t
o f I n d i a vide its N a t i o n a l P o licy o n E d u c a t i o n (1968).
It received
f u r t h e r m a n d a t e f r o m All In d i a f o r u m s su c h as t h e C o n fe re n c e
o f E d u c a t i o n S ec re ta rie s a n d D ir e c t o r s o f E d u c a ti o n , C o n f e r e n c e
o f th e C h i e f M i n is te rs a n d E d u c a ti o n M in iste rs o f th e S tates, th e
In te r U n iv e rs ity B o a r d a n d th e C o n f e r e n c e o f th e B o a r d s
of
S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n in Ind ia. T h e
C e n t r a l A d v i s o r y B o a rd
o f E d u c a t i o n t o o e n d o r s e d th e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n in S e p t e m b e r 1972
a n d r e ite r a te d it in its m e e tin g held in D elhi.
2.

A c c o r d in g l y , th e C e n t r a l B o a rd d e c id e d t o i n t r o d u c e
t h e n e w p a t t e r n o f E d u c a t i o n in class IX f r o m th e a c a d e
m ic sessio n b e g in n i n g 1st M a y , 1975. U n d e r th e n ew
s c h e m e tw o d is tin c t stages h a v e been visualised , o n e u p to
class X a n d th e o t h e r u p t o class X II, b o th f o r m in g p a r t
o f th e sc h o o l e d u c a t io n .

3.

F o r th e first sta g e i.e. u p t o class X . th e E d u c a t i o n C o m

m issio n s t r o n g ly r e c o m m e n d e d a n u n d if fe re n t ia t e d c o u rs e
o f G e n e r a l E d u c a t i o n fo r all, w ith o u t a n y d iversificatio n
o f s t u d i e s to p r o m o t e h a r m o n i o u s d e v e l o p m e n t o f th e
s t u d e n ts . T h e C o m m i s s i o n w as o f the view t h a t by th e
en d o f first 10 y e a rs o f s c h o o lin g th e special in te re sts a n d
a b ilities o f th e s t u d e n t w o u ld h a v e been g e n e ra liy d is
c o v e re d .
It, th e r e fo re , r e c o m m e n d e d a diversified e d u
c a ti o n c o u p le d w ith v o c a ti o n a l e d u c a t io n fo r t h e s u b
s e q u e n t classes i.e. XI a n d X II.

Important Features
4.

T h e n e w c u r r i c u l u m fo r classes IX a n d X, t h u s en v is a g e s
a c o m p r e h e n s i v e co u rs e o f G e n e ra l E d u c a t i o n w ith
p ro v i s io n fo r w o r k exp erie nce . W hile p r o v i d i n g this
c o u r s e tw o i m p o r t a n t facto rs h ave been p r o m i n e n t :

4b

(i)

O n c o m p l e t i o n o f th e s e c o n d a r y stag e s o m e s t u d e n ts
m i g h t leave th e sc h o o l a n d e n t e r in to th e w o rld o f
w ork;

(ii)

w h ile s o m e o th e r s will e ith e r j o i n P o ly te c h n ic s o r

in s ti tu t io n s o f sim ila r n a t u r e o r p u r s u e th e H ig h e r
S e c o n d a r y c o u r s e o f th e

B o a rd

w h e re they c o u ld

o p t f o r a c a d e m i c / v o c a t i o n a l co u rses.
T h e s e c o n d a r y stag e t h u s will be t e r m i n a l for so m e
a n d p r e p a r a t o r y f o r h ig h e r stu d ie s f o r o th e r s . T h e new
c o u rs e s h av e been d e sig n e d to m e e t th es e t w o r e q u i r e
m e n ts . T h e c o u rs e s a r e c o m p r e h e n s i v e in c o v e r a g e a n d
a c q u a i n t th e s t u d e n t s w ith t h e e s s e n tia l d e ta ils o f th e
f u n d a m e n t a l s t o b u il d
c o u r s e o f a c tio n .

a su ita b le

bae

fo r t h e

future

Harmonious Development
5.

A s r e c o m m e n d e d by th e E d u c a ti o n C o m m is s io n a m i n i
m u m essential c o re o f k n o w le d g e , fo r p r o m o t i o n o f
intellectu al ca p a c itie s , h a s been p r o v i d e d by w a y o f
t e a c h in g su b jects like lan g u a g e s. M a t h e m a t ic s . Sciences
a n d Social Sciences.
For
fuller d e v e lo p m e n t o f the
physical, e m o t i o n a l a n d o t h e r asp e c ts o f th e pup il s
p e rs o n a lity , p ro v i s io n h a s been m a d e f o r w o rk experience,/
c o m m u n i t y service, h e a lth a n d p hysical e d u c a t i o n a n d
o t h e r activites.

6.

In th e ir c o m p r e h e n s i v e n e s s th e sy llab uses p ro v i d e a wide

r a n g e o f i n f o r m a t i o n to d e v e lo p s t u d e n ts in to w e l l - in
f o r m e d citizens. E m p h a s i s h a s been laid o n m a k i n g the
k n o w le d g e as re le v a n t t o life as p o ssib le by w e a v in g the
c o n ten t a ro u n d d ay-to-day-experiences.
W herever pos
sible, a p p li c a ti o n o f k n o w le d g e h as a ls o been e m p h a s iz e d
to h elp th e s t u d e n ts solve th e ir sim p le d a y - t o - d a y p r o
blem s. In social sciences, sim p le P ro je c t W o r k h a s been
i n t r o d u c e d to m a k e th e k n o w le d g e f u n c t io n a l a n d m o r e
re le v a n t to the s u r r o u n d i n g s the s t u d e n ts live in.

Education for Democratic Living

7.

T h e go als o f n a ti o n a l i n t e g ra t io n , tr a in i n g fo r d e :"
c ratic living, c o o p e ra t iv e n e s s , c u ltu ra l a n d re i

to l e ra n c e h a v e b een d u ly e m p h a s is e d in th e c o u r s e s o f
la n g u a g e s a n d social sciences a n d find a m p l e s c o p e in
C o m m u n i t y Service.

Education for Modernisation

8.

T h e c o n te n t s w h ich h a v e g o n e in to th e sy lla b u s e s o f
th es e su b jects a r e f o r w a r d lo o k in g . I m p o r t a n t d e v e l o p
m e n t s in th e respe ctiv e a re a s h a v e been i n c o r p o r a t e d
a n d th e d e a d w o o d h a s b een e li m i n a te d f o r m o d e r n i s a
tio n . Stress h a s been laid on re cen t scientific, t e c h n o l o
gical, social a n d e c o n o m i c d e v e lo p m e n ts in scien ces a n d
social sciences. T o b r o a d e n th e o u tl o o k , d e v e l o p m e n t s
in o th e r p a r t s of th e w o r ld t o o h a v e b e e n p u t in p r o p e r
li m e-lig h t w hile c h a n g e s o n th e n a ti o n a l scene receive
greater im portance.

Work Experience
9.

A significant f e a t u re o f th e new c o u r s e is t o p r o v i d e
o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o s t u d e n t s to be p r o d u c t iv e a n d selfreliant. W it h th e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f w o rk '.ex p erien ce a step
in th e d ir e c ti o n o f in c u l c a ti n g rig h t a t t it u d e s t o w a r d s w o r k
h a s b een ta k e n . A larg e n u m b e r o f w o r k ex p e rie n c e s
h a v e b een i n c l u d e d in th e c u r r ic u l u m to s u it th e ta s te s
o f th e s t u d e n t s a n d r e s o u rc e s o f th e
s c h o o ls. T h e
i m p o r t a n t a r e a s t o w h ic h w o r k e x p erien ce s r e la te a re
E n g in e erin g , A g ric u l tu re , D o m e s t i c Science, C o m m e r c e ,
F in e A rts a n d o t h e r t r a d e s w h ic h h a v e g re a t u tility in
d o m e s ti c a n d o t h e r a r e a s o f w o rk .

Community Service
10.

48

T h e sch o o ls m a y u n d e r t a k e su ita b le activities o f C o m m u

nity Service in lieu o f o r in a d d i t i o n t o w o r k e x p e rie n c e .
S u c h activities m a y in c l u d e p ro je c ts o f village up lift,
s lu m cle a ra n c e , a d o p t i o n o f a m o h a l l a o r a lo c a lity f o r
its im p r o v e m e n t, w o r k in h o s p i ta l s to h e lp a n d n u r s e th e
sick a n d p o o r , a t t e n d i n g to th e fam ilies o f a g r o u p o f
w o r k e r s o f a fa c to ry , r e m o v a l o f illiteracy, etc. S c h e m e s
o n th is b e h a lf m a y be s u b m i t t e d to t h e B o a r d b y th e
sc h o o ls f o r c o n s i d e r a t io n .

Synthesis Of Old and New

1! 1.

T h e e n tire r e s t r u c t u r i n g is o n ly a first s te p t o w a r d s m a k
in g e d u c a t io n a p ro ce ss fo r fuller d e v e lo p m e n t (s e lfre alisa tio n ). T h o u g h f o r w a r d lo o k i n g in n a t u r e the
sc h e m e is n o t a ra d ic a l d e p a r t u r e fr o m the old o n e as th e
n ew syllabi a n d c o u rs e s base th e ir f o u n d a t i o n s o n the
old c o n c e p t s a n d k n o w le d g e w h ich a re fa m ilia r t o th e
te a c h e rs a n d th e ta u g h t .
It c a n be c h a ra c te ris e d as a
sy nth esis o f w h a t w a s g o o d in th e old sc h e m e w ith th e
d e m a n d s o f th e c h a n g in g w o rld . In th e t r a d i t i o n a l
a re a s it e m p h a s is e s f u n c t io n a l k n o w le d g e ; o n th e o t h e r
h a n d , in n o n - t r a d i t i o n a l a r e a s it stresses w o r k - o r i e n t e d
e d u c a t i o n so as to m a k e th e e x p e rie n c e o f t h e s t u d e n ts
m o r e m e a n in g fu l a n d relev an t to life.

Specific Objectives
12.

T h e e d u c a t io n in classes IX
fo llo w in g specific o u t c o m e s :

a n d X is

a im e d

at

th e

(i) T o p ro v id e a c o re o f k n o w le d g e so as to c re a t e a
g e n e ra l b ase w h ich w o u ld e n a b le p u p ils t o u n d e r t a k e
w o r k o r p u r s u e f u r t h e r s t u d ie s a c a d e m ic o r v o c a
tio n a l, b o t h f o r m a l a n d n o n - f o r m a l .
(ii) T o p r o m o t e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f facts a n d a p p r e c i a t i o n
o f f u n d a m e n t a l c o n c e p t s o f basic law s o f N a t u r e a n d
th e ir o p e r a t i o n s a n d a ls o to in t r o d u c e th e s t u d e n t s
to th e m e t h o d o l o g y o f a p p ly i n g su c h k n o w le d g e
to th e so lv in g o f e v e ry d a y p r o b l e m s in a scientific
m anner,

(iii) T o p r o m o t e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f m a n a n d his e n v i r o n
m e n t ; ph ysical, h is to rica l, social, p o litical a n d e c o
n o m i c , w ith special reference to I n d i a a n d its i n s t i t u
tion s.
(iv) T o im b ib e in th e s t u d e n ts h a b it to w o r k a n d d e v e lo p
a sense o f d ig n i ty o f la b o u r .

49

(v) T o e n a b le
a p titu d e s .

students

to d is c o v e r

ih eir in te re s ts a n d

(vi) T o p r o m o t e k n o w le d g e o f h e a lth y living and p h y s i c a l

well being.

Scientific Pattern of Examination

13.

In a c c o r d a n c e w ith th e sp irit o f th e c u r r i c u l u m th e
s c h e m e o f e v a l u a t i o n a n d a s s e s s m e n t h a s been m o d e r
n ized a n d sim plified w ith th e d u a l p u r p o s e in m i n d i.e.
to i m p r o v e b o t h th e q u a l i t y o f te s tin g a n d th e s t a n d a r d s
o f te a c h in g . T h e p a t t e r n o f
t h e f o llo w in g im p r o v e m e n t s :

ex am in atio n

e n v is a g e s

(i)

C o n t i n u o u s e v a l u a t i o n o f the s t u d e n t 's g r o w t h by
th e t e a c h e r s th e m s e lv e s h a s b e e n p r o v i d e d in c e rta in
areas.
Besides b e in g c o n t i n u o u s th e a s s e ssm e n t
will be in t e r n a l in re s p e c t o f th e t h i r d la n g u a g e ,
w o r k e x p e rie n c e , c o m m u n i t y service, h e a lt h a n d
p hy sical e d u c a t i o n .
In these a re a s th e stress will
be o n p r o m o t i n g in t e re s t s a n d g r o w t h o f the s t u d e n t s
r a t h e r t h a n certify in g th e i r a c h ie v e m e n t a t th is stage.

(ii)

T h e results will be d e c la r e d in t e r m s o f g ra d e s o n
a fiv e -p o in t scale in s te a d o f m a r k s a n d d iv isio n s a s
in th e p a st. A t th e e n d o f S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l E x a
m i n a t i o n , su b je c tw ise g ra d e s will
be
aw arded.
H e n c e th e p ra c t ic e o f a d d i n g u p m a r k s o f d iffe re n t
s u b je c ts a n d giv in g a single c u m u l a t i v e d ivisio n
h a s b e e n d o n e a w a y w ith. U n d e r th is sc h e m e n o
c a n d i d a t e will be d e c la re d p a ss o r fail. It is h o p e d
t h a t th is s ig n ific a n t c h a n g e in th e sy s te m o f e x a m i n a
tio n will h e lp th e s t u d e n ts a n d te a c h e r s to id en tify
in te re s ts a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s a n d h e lp th e s t u d e n ts
in c h o o s i n g th e i r c a re e r s w i t h o u t b e in g affected
b y th e a c h ie v e m e n ts in o t h e r s u b je c t areas. T h is
w o u ld als o c r e a t e a sen se o f o p t i m i s m a m o n g th e
s t u d e n t s a n d e n c o u r a g e t h e m to find th e ir o w n
p la ce in th e so ciety in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h th e ir s u i t a
bility r a t h e r t h a n b e in g s tig m a tiz e d as fail.

50

[.SCHEM E OF STUDIES
T h e f o llo w in g a r e th e su b je c ts o f s t u d y f o r classes IX & X
u n d e r th e n ew 10 y ea rs p a t t e i n o f sc h o o l e d u c a t i o n :
( I ) & (2) T w o L a n g u a g e s :
H in d i, E ng lish, A s s a m e s e , B engali, G u j a r a t i , K a n n a d a ,
M a r a t h i , M a l a y a l a m , M a n i p u r i , O riy a , P u n ja b i , S in d h i,
T a m il, T e lu g u , U r d u , S a n s k r it. F r e n c h , G e r m a n , R u s s ia n ,
A ra b ic , P ers ian , N e p a li, P o r t u g u e s e a n d T ib e t a n .
(3)

M ath em atics

(4)

(a) Physics
(b) C h e m i s tr y
(c) Life Sciences

(5)

(a)
(b)

(6)

W o r k E x p e rie n c e ( a n y o n e f r o m th e list g iven b e lo w )

o r in lieu t h e r e o f C o m m u n i t y Service in c l u d in g p a r t i c i
p a t i o n in m e a n i n g f u l a n d c h a lle n g in g p r o g r a m m e s o f
C o m m u n i t y Service a n d n a t i o n a l r e c o n s t r u c t i o n - e m p h a s i s
t o be o n s e lf-h e lp , c h a r a c t e r f o r m a t i o n a n d o n d e v e lo p i n g
sense o f social c o m m i t m e n t a n d d ig n ity o f la b o u r .

H is t o r y & C ivics
G eo g ra p h y , E conom ics & C o m m erce

L ist o f W o r k E x p e rie n c e s
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

E lectric G a d g e ts , th e i r servicing a n d m a i n t e n a n c e
E le c t ro n ic s :
R ad io M echanism
Basic E n g in e e r in g : C r a f t S tu d ie s ( M e c h a n ic a l )
B asic E n g in e e r in g : C r a f t S tu d ie s ( W o o d W o r k )
A griculture (C ro p P ro d u ctio n )
G ard en in g
H o rticulture
Seed P r o d u c t i o n
D a iry F a r m i n g
P oultry
B ee-k e ep in g
S e ric u ltu re
L ac C u l t u r e
F is h e ry
51

15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.

N .B

52

B a k e ry a n d C o n fe c ti o n e ry
B ook C raft
L e a th e r W o r k
P a p e r C r a f t a n d P a p ie r M a c h e
C ia y M o d e l li n g a n d P a p ie r M a c h e
P o tt e r y
C o m m ercial A rt
D e s ig n in g D y e in g & P rin tin g
S c u lp tu re
M u s ic (V oca l)
M u s ic (M e lo d ic I n s tru m e n ts )
M u s ic ( P e r c u s s io n In s tr u m e n ts )
M a i n t e n a n c e & R e p a i r o f M u sic al I n s t r u m e n t
C re a tiv e D a n c e
T h e a tre Craft
P u p p e tr y
T ailoring an d E m broidery
M e a l P la n n in g , P r e p a r a t i o n a n d P re s e rv a tio n
B lock P rin tin g , Tie a n d Dye
M a i n t e n a n c e a n d R e p a i r o f H o u s e h o ld G a d g e t
D o m e s t i c Science
T oy-m aking
T y p e w r i t i n g E nglish
T y p e w r iti n g H in d i
P h o to g rap h y
P r i n ti n g
P lastics
M asonry W ork
M a n u fa c tu re o f S ports G o o d s
S pinning & W eaving
B a ti k W o r k
N ursing
C hild C are
F ir s t A id
L i b r a r y Science

T h is is o n ly a n illu strativ e list. S c h o o ls m a y s u b m i t to

th e B o a r d f o r c o n s i d e r a t io n d r a f t s y lla b u s fo r a n y o t h e r
w o r k e x p e rie n c e , if th e y t h i n k it w o r t h in t r o d u c i n g , k e e p in g
in view' th e facilities a v a ila b le in th e n e ig h b o u r h o o d .

(7)

H e a lth a n d P h y sical E d u c a ti o n

(8)

A d d iti o n a l la n g u a g e ( o p t io n a l )
(P lease see f o o t n o t e (iii) below )

(i)

It is e x p e c te d t h a t all th e s t u d e n ts w o u ld h a v e
stu d ied th r e e la n g u a g e s u p to class V III. T h o s e
s tu d e n ts w h o c o u ld n o t c lea r th e th i r d la n g u a g e
in class V III, a n d have been p r o m o t e d to class IX
shall be e x a m i n e d by th e sc h o o ls c o n c e r n e d a t th e
end o f class IX in th e sa m e sy lla b u s a n d t e x t b o o k s
as a re p re s c rib e d fo r class V III. T h o s e w h o a re
still u n a b le t o c le a r th e th ird la n g u a g e a t the en d

N o te s

o f class IX m a y be given a n o t h e r o p p o r t u n i t y in
class X. N o s t u d e n t shall be eligible to a p p e a r at
the S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l E x a m i n a t i o n o f th e B o a r d
a t the e n d o f class X unless he h a s c le a re d th e th i r d
la nguage .
(ii)

O f th e th r e e la n g u a g e s t o be offered, as s ta te d a b o v e ,
H in d i a n d E n g lish s h o u l d h a v e b een s t u d ie d a t least
u p to class V III.

(iii)

A c a n d i d a t e is a ls o p e r m it te d , if he w ishes, to offer
a n a d d it io n a l l a n g u a g e f r o m th e fo llo w in g p r o v i d e d
it is differen t f r o m th o s e offered u n d e r th e c o m p u l s o r y
group:
H in d i, E n glish , A s s a m e s e , B engali, G u j a r a t i ,
K a n n a d a , M arath i,
M alay alam ,
M an ip u ri,
O riy a , P u n ja b i , S ind hi, T a m il, T e lu g u , U r d u ,
S a n s k r i t , F re n c h , G e r m a n , R u s s i a n , A r a b ic ,
P e rs ia n , N e p a li, P o r t u g u e s e a n d T ib e t a n .

(iv)

U n d e r th e c o m p u l s o r y la n g u a g e s, H i n d i a n d E n g lish
p ro v id e t w o k in d s o f c o u rs e s e a c h , t o m e e t th e n e e d s
o f th e s t u d e n ts h a v in g v a ry i n g b a c k g r o u n d o f s t u d y
in g th e s e la n g u a g e s. A s t u d e n t m a y c h o o s e E n g lish
C o u r s e A o r B a n d H in d i C o u r s e A o r B. H e
m a y t h u s offer A C o u r s e s in b o t h , E n g lish a n d
H in d i o r B C o u r s e s in b o th , E n g lish a n d H i n d i
o r A C o u r s e in o n e a n d B in o th e r .

53

II. INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS

A s s u m in g m i n i m u m 45 p e r i o d s p e r w eek a n d the d u r a t i o n
o f a p e r i o d to be 40 m i n u te s f o r in s tru c t io n a l w o r k in th e s c h o o l s ,
th e f o llo w in g m a y be th e b r o a d d i s tr i b u ti o n o f period s p e r w eek
fo r te a c h in g o f differen t su b jec ts. T h e m e m b e r schools m a y , h o w
ever, m a k e s u itab le m o d i f i c a ti o n in it, if necesssary.
S u g g e s te d
P eriods

S u b ject
1 & 2.

T w o la n g u a g e s

3.

M ath em atics

(a)
(b)
(c)

Ph ysics
C h e m i s tr y
Life Sciences

(a)
(b)

G eography,

4.

5.

6.

12

H is t o ry & Civics
W ork

Econom ics & C om m erce

E xperie n ce/C o m m u n ity

Physical

Service

7.

H e a lth a n d

E d u c a ti o n

8.

C o - c u r r i c u l a r a n d o t h e r activities like

7
6
3

L ib ra r y , d e b a t e etc.
T o tal:

45

N o te s -
(1)

T im e a ll o c a te d for W o r k E x p e rie n c e m ay be p o o le d ,
if n ecessary, d e p e n d i n g o n th e n a t u r e o f w o rk . O u t o f
sc h o o l tim e , v a c a t io n s a n d h o lid a y s m a y also b e fr u itfu lly
utilized f o r th e p u rp o s e .

(2)

F o r i n s tr u c t io n s in a d d i t i o n a l o p t i o n a l la n g u a g e (s) if
necessary , th e sc h o o l m a y m a k e s u itab le a d j u s t m e n t s
in its tim e - ta b le .

III. SCHEME OF EXAMINATION

(1)

F o r th i r d la n g u a g e , w o rk e x p e rie n c e a n d c o m m u n i t y
service, h ealth a n d ph ysical e d u c a t i o n , a s s e ssm e n t will
be in te rn a l.
E v a lu a t io n will be c o n t i n u o u s a n d the
s c h o o ls will m a i n ta i n
a
c u m u l a ti v e reco rd o f eacli
pu pil w h ich w o u ld be o p e n to in s p ectio n by
the
a u th o r it ie s o f th e B o ard a n d o f th e sc h o o ls c o n c e rn e d ,

(2)

In W o r k E x p e rie n c e , th e r e will be o n ly p r a c t i c a l n o t
r e q u i r i n g w rit te n a n s w e r s o n th e o r y .
P ra ctical test m a y ,
h o w e v e r, in c lu d e o ra l test o f a s h o r t d u r a t i o n c a r r y in g
a b o u t 1 5 % w eig h tag e . T h e re su lt o f in t e r n a l a ss e s s m e n t
shall b e ex p re s se d in t e r m s o f G r a d e s on a f i v e - p o in t
scale as e x p la in e d s u b s e q u e n tly .

(3)

In o r d e r to be eligible f o r th e All In d ia S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l
E x a m i n a t i o n a t th e e n d o f class X, th e s t u d e n t s h o u l d
h av e o b t a i n e d a t least G r a d e 4 in ea c h o f th e fo llo w in g :
T h i r d L a n g u a g e , W o r k E xp erience,
H e a lth a n d P hysical E d u c a ti o n .
T h e resu lts in th e s e a r e a s will be c o m m u n i c a t e d by th e
s c h o o ls to th e B o a rd a t least th r e e w eek s b e fo r e th e
c o m m e n c e m e n t o f the All In d ia S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l E x a
m i n a ti o n . T h e a c h ie v e m e n t in th e in te rn a l a ss e s s m e n t
will be s h o w n by th e B o a r d in its certificate.

(4)

T h e B o a rd will c o n d u c t All I n d i a S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l
E x a m i n a t i o n a t th e e n d o f C lass X in th e f o llo w in g s u b
jec ts. N u m b e r o f p a p e rs , d u r a t i o n o f e x a m i n a t i o n , a n d
m a x im u m m a rk s for each subject/paper
a re
n o te d
against e a c h :

S u b je c ts

P apers

M axim um
M arks

D u ratio n

1 & 2.

T w o Languages

2 p a p e r s in
each lan
guage

75 m a r k s ea c h

2 i hr.
each

3.

M ath em atics

2 papers

75 m a r k s ea c h

2 | hr.
each

(a)

Physics

1 paper
1 p ra c tic a l

35 m a r k s
15 m a r k s

2 hr.
1 h r.

(b)

C hem istry

1 paper
1 p ra c tic a l

35 m a r k s
15 m a r k s

2 h r.
1 hr.

(c)

Life Sciences

1 paper

35 m a r k s
15 m a r k s

2 h r.
1 hr.

4.

1 p r a c t ic a l

55

5.

(a)
(b)

H is to ry &
Civics
G eography,
E conom ics &

1 paper

1 paper

75 m a r k s
(50 + 25)
75 m a r k s
( 5 0 + 25)

2i

hr.

2\

hr.

C om m erce
6.

56

A d d iti o n a l
lan gu age(s),
if ollered

2 p a p e r s in
ea c h l a n
gu age

75 m a r k s each

2\

h r.
each

(5)

T h e result o f th e All In d ia S e c o n d a r y S cho o l E x a m i n a

tio n will be fu r n ish e d in te r m s o f G r a d e s fo r ea c h s u b je c t
o n a five-p oin t scale as u n d e r :
G ra d e 1 : O utstanding
G r a d e 2 : Very G o o d
G rade 3 : G ood
G r a d e 4 : F a ir
G rade 5 : Poor
F o r p u r p o s e s o f a d m is s io n to class XI etc., th e B o a rd
is c o n s i d e r in g th e details.

(6)

N o o verall G r a d e will be given for p u r p o s e o f certifica

tio n . T h e certificate will in d ica te th e a c h ie v e m e n t o f
th e p u p il in te r m s o f G r a d e s in ea c h subject.

(7)

A n y o n e d e sirin g to im p r o v e his G r a d e in a n y su bject(s)

a t th e All In d ia S e c o n d a r y S cho ol E x a m i n a t i o n will be
p e r m i t t e d to r e a p p e a r in it at th e next e x a m i n a ti o n .

(8)

A b r i g h t pupil m a y be allo w ed to sit fo r th e B o a r d s

e x a m i n a t i o n , if he so wishes, a y e a r e a rlie r t h a n th e tim e
w h e n he sh o u ld n o r m a ll y ta k e th e e x a m i n a t i o n p r o v i d e d
th e H e a d o f th e in s titu tio n c o n c e rn e d certifies t h a t th e
p r o g r e s s o f th e c a n d id a te d u r i n g th e a c a d e m ic sessio n
p r e c e d i n g th e e x a m i n a ti o n h a d been o u ts ta n d i n g .

APPENDIX B
WORK EXPERIENCE
I n d i a h a s set b e fo re h e rs e lf th e ta s k o f a llev iatin g th e lo t o f
the p e o p le by c re a t in g a m o d e r n a n d te c h n o lo g ic a l society. A n
in f r a - s tr u c t u r e h as a lr e a d y b een c re a te d a n d th e c o u n t r y is o n
th e t h r e s h o l d
o f a m a j o r te c h n o lo g ic a l r e v o lu tio n . T h is w o u ld
n o t o n ly c re a te d e m a n d for high ly skilled te c h n ic ia n s b u t w o u ld
a ls o r e q u i r e a v e r a g e citizens to be s e l f-s u p p o rti n g a n d self-generatin g in t h e i r c o m p e t e n c e a n d a tt it u d e .
It, th erefo re, b e c o m e s
e ss e n tia l t h a t every citize n s h o u l d e q u i p h im s e l f 'h e r s e l f w ith
k n o w le d g e a n d skills n ecess ary to m a k e him a p r o d u c t iv e / c r e a ti v e
w o rk e r.

E d u c a t i o n h a s righ tly been defined as a n in v e s tm e n t in fu tu re .

It c a n give rich d iv id e n d s o n ly if it keeps pa ce w ith the r e q u i r e m e n t s
o f th e society . U n d e r the e x is ti n g system th e r e is a w id e g u lf
b e tw e e n th e w o rld o f sc h o o l a n d th e w o rld o f w o rk , w ith th e
re s u lt t h a t th e s t u d e n ts t u r n e d o u t by th e e d u c a t i o n sy s tem fail to
b e c o m e p r o d u c t iv e u n its in th e so c ie ty . A s s u c h , th e ir u tility to
society b e c o m e s q u e s tio n a b le . T h e m a j o r a im b e fo re th e e d u c a
tio n , th e r e f o r e , s h o u l d be to b rid g e th e g u lf b e tw e e n th e s c h o o l
a n d th e w o r l d o f w o rk . T h is c a n po ssib ly be d o n e by p r o v i d i n g
effective p r o g r a m m e s o f w o r k e x p e rie n c e in th e sc h o o l c u r r ic u l u m .

Concept
T h e c o n c e p t o f w o r k e x p e rie n c e is a re cen t d e v e lo p m e n t in
th e field o f e d u c a t io n .
If a n a ly s e d literally, th e te r m c o n s is ts o f
tw o p r o m i n e n t w o rd s : W o r k a n d E x p e rie n c e . In d i c t i o n a r y
sense, th e te r m w o r k has b een d efin e d as a p p l i c a ti o n o f e ff o rt to
s o m e p u r p o s e . T h is d e n o te s c r e a t i o n o f a s i t u a t io n w h e re in o n e
h a s t o a p p l y en erg y o r effort to a cau se. T h e r e c a n be n u m e r o u s
ty p es o f s i tu a t io n s w h erein h u m a n effort o r e n e rg y c an be in v o lv e d .
B ut in o r d e r t o be p u rp o s e fu l it h as t o be p r o d u c t iv e , as e m p h a s i s e d
by th e I n d i a n E d u c a ti o n C o m m i s s i o n , w h ich h a s n o t o n ly p e r s o n a l
b u t social significance as well. It, th e r e fo re , im plies t h a t a n y
p ro d u c t iv e / c r e a ti v e w o r k s h o u l d be socially significant a n d d e s i r
a b le besides b ein g useful a n d satisfy in g t o th e in d iv id u a l.

57

T a k i n g a b r o a d view o f w o r k ex p e rie n c e , p r o d u c t iv e w o rk
has been defined by th e E d u c a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n as p a r t i c i p a t i o n
o f p u p ils in p r o d u c t iv e w o r k e it h e r in sch o o l, in h o m e , in w o r k
s h o p , in f a r m , in fa c t o r y o r a n y o t h e r p r o d u c t i v e s i t u a t i o n . T h e
e x pe rien ce t o be p r o v i d e d n e e d n o t be c o n fin e d o n ly t o a fa c t o r y
o r a fa r m in its rigid sen se b u t it c a n a ls o in c lu d e su c h e x p e ri e n c e
w hich h a s re lev an ce t o sc h o o l a n d h o m e . T h e w o r k e x p e rie n c e s
m ay, th e r e fo re , n o t be c o n s t r u e d sim p ly as a n a t t e m p t t o tr a in
highly sk illed o r p ro f e s s io n a l w o r k e r s t o suit a p a r t i c u l a r v o c a ti o n
but m a y be in te r p r e te d as a n e x p e rie n c e t o e n h a n c e g en eral s k ills
m a n u a l a n d artistic, t h r o u g h a selected m e d i u m , so as t o m a k e
him c r e a t iv e / p r o d u c ti v e in a c tio n a n d scientific in his o u t l o o k
to m a n a g e o r ex e c u te t h e t a s k s p ro p e r ly .

T h e p ro d u c t iv e w o r k is, th e r e fo re , a very inclusive term .

T h e o u tc o m e o f th e p r o d u c t iv e w o r k can be in th e f o r m o f a
p r o d u c t , a service o r a n a rtis tic c r e a t io n w h ich m a y h e lp th e in d i
vidual in m a k i n g a h a p p y living besid es p r o v i d in g h im th e c h a n n e l s
for self-expresssion. In its b r o a d e r sense th is m a y a ls o in c l u d e
item s o r activities w h ic h h a v e b o t h e c o n o m i c a n d a e s th e tic v a lu e .

Purposes
T h e p r o g r a m m e s o f w o r k e x p e rie n c e in th ese a r e a s c a n
utilised fo r th e fo llo w in g b r o a d p u r p o s e s :

(i)

P r o v i d in g first e x p o s u r e to v a ri o u s fields o f w o r k in
o r d e r to h e lp s tu d e n ts d is c o v e r th e ir a p t i t u d e s a n d
ca p a b ilitie s by e x p lo r in g o c c u p a t io n s , e x p e ri e n c in g p r o
fes sio n a ls d e m a n d s a n d testin g th eir o w n e n d u r a n c e f o r
m a k i n g r i g h t c h o ic e w h en th e y finally ta k e to p r o d u c t i v e /
c re ativ e w o r k ;

(ii)

E n g a g in g th e s t u d e n ts in p r o d u c t i o n p ro c e s s t o make
t h e m s e lf- s u p p o r ti n g in living a n d p ro d u c t iv e in f u n c t i o n
in g;

58

be

(iii)

G a i n i n g e x p e rie n c es in m a i n t e n a n c e o f ite m s useful to

h im , his h o u se , his fam ily, his sc h o o l, his c o m m u n i t y etc.
T h is m a y b ri n g h im o r his in s ti tu t io n sa v in g s by d o i n g
th is k in d o f w o r k by h im s e l f o r by s u p e r v is in g th e w o r k
effectively;

(iv)

O r ie n t a t i n g th e m i n d f o r scientific a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l o u t
lo o k fo r e x e c u tin g v a r i o u s j o b s w h e th e r in fa r m , f a c t o r y
or hom e;

(v)

E n c o u r a g i n g crea tivity ( b o t h te c h n o lo g ic a l a n d artistic),

t h r o u g h his m e d i u m by e n g a g in g in such ac tiv ities w h ic h
h a v e e c o n o m i c o r a e s th e tic significance.

W i t h th is e n d in view a w id e r a n g e o f w o r k e x p e rie n c e is
b e in g p r o v i d e d in th e c u r r ic u l u m , w h ic h relate t o the f o llo w in g
im p o rta n t areas:

(a)

Science a n d T e c h n o lo g y

(b )

A g ric u ltu re

(c)

H a n d i c r a f t s a n d C o t t a g e I n d u s tr i e s

(d)

F in e A r t s

(e)

H o u s e h o l d A ctivities

(f)

C om m erce & T rade

Specific Outcomes
P ed a g o g ic a lly w o r k ex p e rie n c e s c a n be s u m m a r i z e d as a
series o f c o n tr o ll e d a n d o r g a n i s e d e x p e rie n c e t o p r e p a r e s t u d e n t s
f o r socially useful a n d p r o d u c t iv e w o rk .

In a n y w o r k s i t u a t io n t w o b asic c o m p o n e n t s a r e in v o l v e d
viz: th e p rin c ip le s a n d skills.
A s su ch , w o r k e x p e rie n c e is a
te c h n o lo g ic a lly o r i e n te d m a n u a l w o r k in c lu d in g its th e o r e ti c a l
f o u n d a t i o n s . It nece ssita tes t h a t th e s t u d e n ts m u s t be e x p o s e d
t o th e scientific p rin c ip le s so as to ex ecu te the ta s k o r p r o d u c e
th e ite m in a m o s t e c o n o m i c a l a n d scientific m a n n e r .
T o illu s tra te

59

th e p o i n t it m a y be sa id t h a t e v e n sim p le j o b s like s w e e p in g a f l o o r
w o u ld r e q u i r e ce rta in te c h n i q u e s t o be a d o p t e d su c h as
m oving
th e b r o o m s t i c k in a m a n n e r t h a t m i n i m u m d u s t flo ats i n t h e a ir
a d o p t i n g b o d y p o s t u r e s w h ic h w o u ld p u t m i n i m u m s t r a i n o n th e
b o d y w ith m a x i m u m o f o u t c o m e . T h is m a y even be h e l p f u l in
selecting a b r o o m s t i c k o f spec ific ation s m o s t s u i ta b l e f o r the
j o b , such as w eight, le n g th , d i a m e t e r o f th e g r i p etc. etc.

T h e p u r p o s e o f p r o v i d i n g u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f scientific p r i n c i p l e s
is, th e re fo re , to d e v e lo p in s ig h t in to p ro c e s se s a n d to i n c u l c a te
a n a t t i t u d e o f i n n o v a t i o n in w h a te v e r s i tu a t io n t h e s t u d e n t s a re
in v olv ed. H ere a d is ti n c ti o n c a n be m a d e b e tw e e n a t r a d i t i o n a l ,
a rt is a n a n d scientifically o r i e n te d skilled p e rs o n .
The know
ledge o f scientific p rin c ip le s m u s t be s u p p l e m e n t e d b y a d e e p
in sig h t a n d d ex te r ity in to e s s en tial o c c u p a t io n a l, m a n u a l o r p h y
sical skills r e q u i r e d f o r p e r f o r m i n g th e ta s k . S u c h a n in s ig h t
c a n be p r o v i d e d o n ly by e n g a g in g th e s t u d e n t s in a c tu a l w o r k
s itu a tio n .

Besides this, th e s t u d e n t s s h o u l d als o h a v e a n id e a o f th e

e c o n o m i c s o f re tu rn s , th e s o u r c e s a n d t y p e s o f r a w m a t e r i a ls ,
usefulness a n d c h a r a c t e r i s ti c s o f th e p r o d u c t s , tim e f a c t o r , a n d th e
m a r k e t tr e n d s to c re a te a w a r e n e s s t o seek p r o p e r d i r e c t i o n as a n
e n tr e p r e n e u r . T h e s i t u a t i o n m a y a ls o in v o lv e s o m e e x p e ri e n c e
in o r g a n i s a ti o n a l skills.

In k eep in g w ith th is, w o r k e x p e rie n c e h a s t o fulfil s o m e

specific ph ysio lo g ical, p sy c h o lo g ic a l, h is to rical, s o c io lo g ic a l a n d
e c o n o m i c p u rp o s e s. S o m e o f th e m c o u ld b e as fo llo w s:

(i)

(,ii)

60

T o d e v e lo p o c c u p a t i o n a l o r m a n u a l skills a n d s y s t e m a
tized phy sical t e c h n i q u e s n ecessary f o r th e jo b .
T o give u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f facts,
p rin cip les in vo lv ed in th e j o b .

term s

and

scientific

(iii)

T o d e v e lo p in s ig h t in to p ro d u c t iv e pro c es se s.

(iv)

T o d e v e lo p p r o d u c t i v e c o m p e t e n c y to m a k e a liv in g o r
th e r e b y to benefit c o m m u n i t y o r society.

(v)

T o d e v e lo p o r g a n i z a t i o n a l skills a n d
r u n n i n g sm all u n its o f p r o d u c t i o n .

(vi)

T o in c u l c a te resp ect a n d love f o r m a n u a l w o rk .

(vii)

(viii)

(ix)

T o in c u l c a te in
a n d in n o v a t i o n .

s t u d e n ts

T o d e v e lo p a sense
s t u d e n t s p ro d u c tiv e .

th e

sp irit

com petence

fo r

o f m o d ernization,

o f self-reliance

by

m a k i n g th e

T o d e v e lo p useful p e r s o n a lit y tra its s u c h a s c o -o p e r a tiv e ness, h a r d w o r k , r a t io n a l in q u iry , c o m m i t m e n t t o social

w e lfa re etc.

B a se d o n th e s e g e n e r a l /a c h i e v e m e n f e x p e c t a tio n s th e r e q u i r e
m e n ts o f in d i v id u a l su b jec ts o r w o r k ex p e rie n c e s c a n be iden tified
by te a c h e r s in t e r m s o f p rin cip les, u n d e r s ta n d in g s , skills a n d a t t i
tu d e s n e c e ss a ry t o m a k e th e e x p e rie n c e in th e selected a r e a really
w o r th w h il e a n d in te re s tin g to o.

How to Secure Maximum Results

F o r se c u r in g m a s te r y in skill a s p e c t o f th e w o r k e x p erien ce
a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f th e l e a r n in g p ro c e s s is n ecessary .
Any
l e a r n in g p ro c e s s in o r d e r t o be successful, h a s t o p ass t h r o u g h
th e f o llo w in g s e q u e n c e o f o p e r a t i o n s :
1) P r e - te s tin g

T o d e te r m i n e
s tu d e n ts .

th e

n eed s

o f th e

2) T e a c h i n g a n d l e a r n in g

T o devise a s i t u a t i o n f o r in v o lv e
m e n t o f stu d e n ts.

'3 )

E valuation

T o e v a lu a te a c h ie v e m e n t a g a in s t
th e e x p e c te d o u tc o m e s .

(4) A d a p t i n g te a c h in g
procedures

T o im p r o v e te a c h in g
le a r n in g
p ro c e s s f o r b e tt e r a t t a i n m e n t s in
g e n e ral.

(5)

R em edial teaching

T o r e p e a t o r im p r o v e u p o n o r i
g in a l te a c h in g - l e a r n in g s i t u a t io n
f o r f u r t h e r r e i n fo rc e m e n t.

(6)

R e - E v a l u a t i o n a g a in

T o j u d g e th e effectiveness
re m e d ia l te ac h in g .

of
61

M a s t e r y is said t o b e a c h ie v e d in skills w h e n a s k ill c a n be

exercised q u ic k l y w i t h o u t g iv in g m u c h a t t e n t i o n to it. i n o t h e r
w o r d s it s h o u l d g r a d u a l ly r e s u lt in t o a u t o m a t i o n o f th e h a b i t so
t h a t a j o b c a n be p e r f o r m e d w i t h o u t m u c h effo rt a n d a t t e n t i o n
u n til a n d u n le s s th e sy s te m re q u i r e s f u r t h e r i m p r o v e m e n t . S u ch
a d e g re e o f h i g h t r a i n i n g r e q u i r e s c o n s t a n t p ra c tic e till t h e a u t o
m a t ic c o n t r o l is d e v e lo p e d .
F o r th is, f o l lo w in g c o n d i t i o n s m a y b e - c r e a t e d :
(i)

A s t e a d y u n i f o r m flow o f m o t i o n ;

(ii)

E asy a n d econom ical m ovem ents;

(iii)

R e la x p e r f o r m a n c e ;

(iv)

H i g h c o n c e n t r a t i o n u p o n th e t a s k ;

(v)

I n t e ll ig e n t u se o f th e senses.

I f t h e w o r k e x p e rie n c e te a c h e r s a re t o e x p e ct t h e m a x i m u m
re s u lts t h e f o llo w in g t e c h n i q u e s m a y b e tr ie d :

62

(i)

T h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f te c h n i q u e s a n d skills s h o u l d be
t h e p r i m a r y p o i n t o f a tt a c k .

(ii)

T e a c h e r ' s d e m o n s t r a t i o n is t h e
o f p r e s e n t i n g a skill subject.

(iii)

A d e q u a t e p ra c t ic e m a y b e p r o v i d e d to t h e s t u d e n ts
t o th e
po in t o f
a u t o m a t i z a t i o n . (In
re le v a n t
sub jects).

(iv)

T h e class s h o u l d be d iv id e d in t o g r o u p s w o r k i n g a t
d rill levels b e st s u ite d to th e i r in d i v id u a l abilities
a n d t h e p u r p o s e o f th e drill s h o u l d a lw a y s b e m a d e
specific t o th e m . (In re le v a n t subjects).

(v)

P r a c t ic e m u s t b e d i s t r i b u t e d i n t o th e i r d rill a n d th es e
d rills m u s t b e v a r i e d so t h a t th e y d o n o t b e c o m e
m o n o t o n o u s . ( I n re le v a n t subjects).

econom ical

m ethod

(vi)

T h e t e a c h e r h i m s e l f set a t t a i n a b l e g o a ls f o r e a c h
s t u d e n t in t e r m s o f p r o d u c t s a n d skills s u itin g his
p o te n t ia l it ie s .

(vii)

T h e t e a c h e r s h o u l d be c o -o p e r a ti v e in a tt it u d e ,
ju d i c i o u s in p ra is e f o r s t u d e n t s su c c e s s , a n x i o u s to
h e lp t h e m o v e r c o m e th e i r failures.

T h e a b o v e a p p r o a c h is suggestive-, te a c h e rs , h o w e v e r, m a y
feel free t o d e v e l o p b e tt e r t e c h n i q u e s a n d p r o c e d u r e s f o r effective
l e a r n in g .

NIEPA

G4259

63

DUE DATE

D esigned and P ro d u ced by th e fate, o f A dvtg. 4 Visual

Publicity, M inistry o f I & B. G ovt, o f India fo r th e
M inistry o f Education an d Social W elfa re and p rin te d
a t M/s. T am linad P rin te rs S T rad ers Pvt. L td., M adras - 6 0 0 0 44.
N o. 3/22/75-PPIV - English - 1 ,00,000 - A p ril 7 6 .