Population Education

• Unit-5 –Concept of Population Education

– Population education: concept, Nature and
scope and objectives
– Need and importance of population education
 Demographics of India
• India is the second most populated country in the world
with nearly a fifth of the world's population.
• According to the 2019 revision of the World Population
Prospects population stood at 1,352,642,280.
• The Indian population reached the billion mark in 1998.
• India is projected to be the world's most populous
country by 2024, surpassing China.
• It is expected to become the first political entity in
history to be home to more than 1.5 billion people by
2030, and its population is set to reach 1.7 billion by
2050.
(source- Wikipedia)
• India has more than two thousand ethnic groups,
and every major religion is represented, and four
major families of languages (Indo-European,
Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic and Sino-Tibetan
languages) as well as two language isolates (the
Nihali language spoken in parts of Maharashtra
and the Burushaski language spoken in parts of
Jammu and Kashmir.
• Further complexity is caused by the great
variation that occurs across this population on
social parameters such as income and education.
• Only the continent of Africa exceeds the
linguistic, genetic and cultural diversity of the
nation of India.
• According to United Nations, Sex ratio is defined as the
number of females per 1000 males. Sex Ratio of India is
107.48, i.e., 107.48 males per 100 females in 2019. It
means that India has 930 females per 1000 males.
• For the purpose of census 2011, a person aged seven and
above, who can both read and write with understanding in
any language, is treated as literate.
• The results of 2011 census reveal that there has been an
increase in literacy in the country. The literacy rate in the
country is 74.04 per cent, 82.14 for males and 65.46 for
females.
• Kerala retained its position by being on top with a 93.91 per
cent literacy rate, closely followed by Lakshadweep (92.28
per cent) and Mizoram (91.58 per cent).
• Bihar with a literacy rate of 63.82 per cent ranks last in the
country preceded by Arunachal Pradesh (66.95 per cent) and
Rajasthan (67.06 per cent).
• In 2011, the literacy rate of Assam was estimated to be
73.18% (78.81% male and 67.27% female).
• India accounts for only 2.4 percent of the world
surface area of 135.79 million square kms and it
hosts 17.75 percent of the world population.
• The percentage decadal growth during 2001-2011
was 17.70%, 3.84% lower than 1991-2001 period.
• This was the sharpest decline since independence.
• Population of India has increased by 182.1 million
during the decade 2001- 2011.
• The increased population during the decade 2001-
2011 is approximately equal to the population of
pakistan, the sixth most populous country in the
world.
• 68.86% Indian lives in rural areas and 31.14%
lives in urban areas
• population density of India : 382 per square
kilometer.
• Bihar is the most thickly populated state (1106
persons/sq km.) followed by west bengal-1028
and Kerala 860.
(2011)
• The term Population Education was coined by
Professor S. R. Wayland of Columbia
University, USA in 1935. That is why he is
regarded as the father of population
education.
• Alva Myrdal, who was one of the main driving forces
in the creation of the Swedish welfare state, co-
authored the book Crisis in the Population Question
(Swedish: Kris i befolkningsfrågan with Gunnar
Myrdal in 1934).
• The basic premise of the book was to find what social
reforms are needed to allow for individual liberty
(especially for women) while also promoting child-
bearing, and encouraging Swedes to have children.
• The book also detailed the importance of shared
responsibility for children's education both between the
parents as well as the community by trained child
educators.
• She, along with Alfonso Garcia Robles, received the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1982.
 Population Explosion and Global Concern
• Faced with a steep decline in its population,
Sweden was the first country to address
Population Education.
• The Population Commission of Sweden in 1935
called for the introduction of Population
Education in the formal school system.
• In order to encourage marriage among the
younger age group, to enable them to bear more
children, the Swedish Commission undertook
vigorous educational campaigns to defuse the
information.
• Around the same time, a similar concern over
the declining birth-rates was felt by Americans
as well. In 1943, American demographers
suggested that the school curriculum should
include the content area of Population
Education with a view to creating an
awareness of population matters and the
effects of dwindling population on society.
• In 1964, Philip Hauser, educationist of USA, voiced
for the inclusion of population content in school
curriculum, but this time the concern was exactly the
opposite.
• It was focused on the rapid growth of population in
the world, including both developed and developing
countries.
• Population Education was viewed as an educational
response to the problem of both its decline and its
growth. Prof. Sloan Wayland at Teachers' College,
Columbia University, organised a project to prepare
instructional materials related to Population
Education.
• The United Nations Fund for Population Activities
(UNFPA) had played an important role of
understanding the value of Papulation Education and
started funding for Population Education programmes
from the late 60s.
• The UNESCO held its first consultation with
interested scholars to define its responsibilities in the
field of Population.
• In the year 1968, UNESCO declared that Population
Education should bring about a better understanding
of the responsibilities that the growth of population
imposes on individual, nation and the world at large.
 First Asian Regional Workshop on Population Education:

• The UNESCO Regional Office for Education in

Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO ROFEAP) at
Bangkok held the first work-shop on population
and family education in September-October 1970.
• It was attended by educationists from thirteen
member states in Asia, including India.
• The objective of workshop was to help students in
and out of school and adults to understand
population dynamics in relation to the
developmental efforts of the nations and strive for
a better quality of life.
• At the Asian Regional Workshop, it was
unanimously agreed that elements of
population education should be incorporated
into all levels of the school system.
• This is in unison with the recommendations
made at the national seminar on Population
Education held at Bombay in 1969 that "since
the growth of population is a major challenge
that the country is facing, the population
education should be an integral part of
education at all levels.
• The Asian Regional Workshop defined
"Population Education as an educational
programme which provides for a study of the
population situation in the family, community,
nation and world, with the purpose of
developing in the students, rational and
responsible attitudes and behaviour toward
that situation". '
• The regional workshop formulated the seven general
objectives of Population Education. They are to assist the
pupils to acquire knowledge of -
1. basic demographic concept, process and methodologies;
2. static and dynamic description of the population situation
at the micro and macro levels;
3. the determinants of population growth,
4. the consequences of population growth;
5. the human reproductive process as a basis for
understanding human fertility;
6. the national and international population policies and
programmes;
7. rational and responsible attitudes and behaviour toward
family size and national population programme.
This would enable the member countries to develop
the curricula to suit the socio cultural and educational
needs.
• According to Gopal Rao, “population education may
be defined as an educational programme which
provides for a study of the population phenomenon to
take decisions towards problem arising out of rapid
population growth.”
• Stephen Viederman, defined population education “as
a program whichprovides for a study of the
population situation of the family,community, nation
and world, with the purpose of developing in
thestudents rational and responsible attitudes and
behavior toward that situation”.
 Nature of population education
• An educational process, which provides knowledge,
skills and attitudes
• Aims at bringing people closer to population policy and
its implementation
• Multidimensional content– sociology, economy,
geography, environment, health etc
• Deals with demography
• Studies the relation between man and ecology
• A welfare education programme
• Uses formal as well as non-formal media
• Reflects National Policies
 Scope of population education:
• Demography or population situation
• Growth of population: determinants or causes
• Consequences of population growth
• Human reproduction
• Economic development and population
• Social development and population
• Health, nutrition and population
• Family planning programmes and policies
• Population and Environment
• Population education and curriculum at different levels
 Objectives of population education
• To make students understand that family size is
controllable
• To make students understand that population
limitation can facilitate development
• To make students understand that small family can
contribute to the quality of living
• To make students understand that health and welfare
of members, economic stability of family depend on
family size
• To give accurate information about relation between
population growth and development
• To understand the rapid growth of population– its
causes, trends and consequences
• To study the effects of population growth on various
aspects of life
• To help to control unplanned births
• To understand the ill effects of over population
• To develop awareness and understanding about
population issues
• To develop rational attitudes, values and skills for
taking responsible decisions regarding population
issues
 Need and importance of population education
• To check population explosion (the geometric expansion of a
biological population, especially the unchecked growth in human
population resulting from a decrease in infant mortality and an increase
in longevity)
• To provide knowledge about different aspects of population
• To create population awareness
• To check ill-effects of over population
• To promote rational attitude and responsible behaviour
• To improve quality of life
• To give knowledge about the relation between population and
development, population and environment
• To bring changes in social outlook
• Need of democracy(lesser the population, better the democracy)
• Need of the hour (for better, peaceful, sustainable living)
 Unit -6 –Population growth and Population
Dynamics in India
• Causes of population growth in India
• Consequence of population growth (go to the following links) :
• https://www.allexamnotes.com/2017/03/population-explosion-causes/
• https://www.worldwidejournals.com/paripex/recent_issues_pdf/2015/
November/November_2015_1448285362__71.pdf
• http://www1bpt.bridgeport.edu/~darmri/population_explosion.html
• https://player.uacdn.net/lesson-
raw/PA6SQLCX1N7Y3HU78BYM/pdf/4636898566.pdf
• Policies and programme of government of India regarding
population control
 Population Policy of India
Government Policy to Control Population
Growth:
Pre-Independence Period:
Before independence, the British did not consider
population growth as a problem.
Their attitude towards birth control was indifferent
because they never wanted to interfere with the
values, beliefs, customs and traditions of Indians.
That is why this phase is called the Period of
Indifference.
 The Period of Experimentation, 1951-61:
• During the first decade (1951-61) of planned economic
development, family planning as a method of
population control was started as a government
programme in India.

• The National Family Planning Programme was

launched in 1952 with the objective of “reducing birth
rate to the extent necessary to stabilise the
population at a level consistent with the requirement
of the national economy.”
• This programme was started on an experimental basis
with a Plan outlay of Rs. 65 lakh in the First Plan(1951-
56) and Rs. 5 crore in the Second Plan(1956-61).
 The Beginning of the Population Control Policy
1961 to 2000:
• With the rapid growth of population in the 1961 Census by 21.5
per cent, the Extension Approach to family planning was
adopted in the Third Plan (1961-66).
• This approach emphasised the adoption of an educational
approach to family planning through Panchayat Samitis, Village
Development Committees and other groups so as to change the
attitudes, behaviour and knowledge of the people towards
family planning.
• The family planning programme was also made target oriented
and Rs. 27 crore were allocated during the Plan for this purpose.
The target was to reduce the birth rate to 25 per 1000 persons
by 1973.
 The Beginning of the Population Control Policy
1961 to 2000:
• For the effective working of the family planning programme, a separate
Department of Family Welfare was created in the Ministry of Health and Family
Planning in 1966.
• High priority was accorded to the family planning programme during the Fourth
Plan (1969-74) by allocating Rs. 330 crore.
• The aim was to reduce the birth rate to 25 per 1000 persons by 1980-81.
• The 1971 Census showed a rapid growth in population by 24.6 per cent. To
control this, the Fifth Plan (1974-79) laid down the ambitious target of reducing
the birth rate to 30 per 1000 by the end of the Plan (1978-79) and to 25 per 1000
by 1983-84.
• For achieving this, monetary incentive was given to couples undergoing
sterilisation. This was followed by compulsory sterilisation under The National
Emergency in 1975.
 The Beginning of the Population Control Policy
1961 to 2000:
For the first time, National Population Policy was announced in 1976 to
mount “a direct assault on the problem of numbers. Its salient features
were:
(1) To raise the age of marriage for girls to 18 years and for boys to 21 years;
(2) To take special measures to raise the level of female education in all States;
(3) Raising the monetary incentive to persons undergoing sterilisation; and
(4) Additional incentives to government employees undergoing sterilisation,
having upto two children.
As a result, the number of sterilisations rose from 9.4 lakh in 1973-74 to 82.6
lakh in 1976-77. But this was due to the adoption of compulsory sterilisation by
the majority of State governments. Taking advantage of the emergency, many
States resorted to unfair and coercive methods to sterilise people of all ages.
This led to mass resentment and unrest among the people. As a result, family
planning programme became very unpopular.
 The Beginning of the Population Control Policy
1961 to 2000:
In the post-emergency period, the Janata Government announced a New
Population Policy in 1977. The main features of this policy were:
(a) Renaming the family planning programme into family welfare programme;
(b)Fixing the marriage age for girls at 18 years and for boys at 21 years.
(c) Making sterilisation voluntary;
(d) Including population education as part of normal course of study;
(e) Monetary incentive to those who go in for sterilization;
(f) Private companies to be exempted in corporate taxes if they popularise birth
control measures among employees;
(g) Use of media for spreading family planning in rural areas, etc. this policy put
an end to compulsory sterilisation and laid emphasis on voluntary sterilization.
This slowed down the family planning programme. As a result, the number of
sterilizations fell from 82.6 lakh in 1976-77 to 9 lakh in 1977-78.
 The Beginning of the Population Control Policy
1961 to 2000:
• The Sixth Plan (1980-85) laid down the long-term goal of
reducing the net reproduction rate (NRR: number of daughters that
would be born to a woman) to 1 by 2000 by reducing crude birth
rate (total no. of birth during a year /1000) to 21, crude death rate
to 9, infant mortality rate to less than 60 per 1000, and couple
protection rate (CPR: percentage of women protected from
pregnancy/child birth) to 60 per cent.
• The goal of attaining NRR of 1 was revised to 2006-11 in the
Seventh Plan (1985-90) by reducing crude birth rate to 29, crude
death rate to 10.4, infant mortality rate to 90 per 1000, and couple
protection rate to 42 per cent. Further, the Seventh Plan laid
emphasis on the two-child family norm.
 The Beginning of the Population Control Policy
1961 to 2000:
• To achieve the goal of NRR of 1, the Eighth Plan(1992-97)
extended it to the period 2011 -16. The targets laid down
during the Plan were crude birth rate at 26, infant
mortality at 70 per 1000 and couple protection rate to 56
per cent.
• To achieve these, the Government replaced the earlier
Population Control Approach by the Reproductive and
Child Health Approach in October 1997 to stabilise
population and improve quality of life.
• It led to several new schemes for improving quality and
coverage of welfare services for women, children and
adolescents such as child survival, safe motherhood
programme, and universal immunisation programme
(UIP), reproductive tract infections (RTI), etc.
 The Beginning of the Population Control Policy
1961 to 2000:
• During the Ninth Plan(1997-2002), the earlier approach of
using NRR (Net Reproduction Rate) of 1.0 was changed to a
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1. This level of TFR had been
projected to be achieved by 2026 in the Plan.
• In 2001, the National Policy for Empowerment of Women
was adopted with the ultimate objective of ensuring women
their rightful place in society by empowering them as
agents of socio-economic change and development.
• To this effect, a National Plan of Action for Empowerment
of Women, has been adopted as a priority agenda for action
by the Department of Women and Child Development
(DWCD) of the Ministry of HRD. So the Government’s
population policy has shifted from population control to
family welfare and to women empowerment.
 National Population Policy, 2000:
The National Population Policy was announced on 15 February, 2000.
There were three types of objectives of National Population
Policy (NPP) 2000:
1. The Immediate Objective: to address the unmet needs for
contraception, health care infrastructure and health personnel and to
provide integrated service delivery for basic reproductive and child
health care.
2. The Medium Term Objective: to bring the Total Fertility Rate
(TFR) to replacement level (it is the average no of children born per
woman at which a population replaces itself from one generation to
the next, without migration. The rate is roughly 2.1/woman) by 2010.
3. The Long Term Objective: to achieve a stable population by 2045
at a level consistent with the requirements of sustainable economic
growth, social development, and environment protection.
 The following are the targets of National
Population Policy:
1. Achieve zero growth rate of population by
2045.
2. Reduce infant mortality rate of below 30 per
thousand live births.
3. Reduce maternal mortality ratio of below 100
per 1, 00,000 live births.
4. Reduce birth rate to 21 per 1000 by 2010.
5. Reduce total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1 by 2010.
 National Socio-Demographic Goals for 2010:
To fulfil these objectives and targets. National Socio-Demographic goals
have been formulated which are to be achieved by 2010.
1. Make school education free and compulsory up to the age of 14 and
reduce dropouts at primary and secondary school levels to below 20
per cent for both boys and girls.
2. Address the unmet needs for basic reproductive and child health
services, supplies and infrastructure.
3. Achieve universal immunization of children against all vaccine
prevent-able diseases.
4. Promote delayed marriage for girls,( not before 18 and preferably after
the age of 20 years.)
5. Prevent and control communicable diseases.
6. Achieve universal access to information(/counselling) and services for
fertility regulation and contraception (with a wide basket of choices.)
 National Socio-Demographic Goals for 2010:
7. Achieve 80 per cent institutional deliveries and 100 per
cent deliveries by trained persons.
8. Achieve 100 per cent registration of births, marriage and
pregnancy.
9. Integrate Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) in the
provision of reproductive and child health services and in
reaching out to households.
10. Contain the spread of Acquired Immuno-Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS), management of Reproductive Tract
Infections (RTI) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
11. Bring about convergence in implementation of related
social sector programmes so that family welfare becomes a
people centred programme.
12. Promote vigorously the small family norm to achieve
replacement levels of TFR.