WELFARE DEPARTMENTS

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

INTRODUCTION.

THE EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS IN THE DISTRICT are in keeping with the general educational backwardness in the country. However, the major portion of the district which was under the sovereignty of the former Indian ruler could be regarded as possessing better literacy standards as compared to other parts in the State due to superior educational reforms introduced by the ruler of the State. The gradual increase in the number of literates from 34,334 in 1911 to 1,30,895 in 1951 is a sufficient testimony to this fact. With the exception of the Government's Arts and Science College, facilities for higher education were few and far between. The middle and secondary schools were located in a few important towns only, so that upper primary educational facilities were available only to a part of urban populace. Education was rather a dream to the ruralites. The last few years have witnessed a radical change in the whole structure of education in the district. There are quite a few colleges giving education in different faculties. Practically any place with a population of more than 5,000 or over has a secondary and upper middle school. All the villages have been provided with educational facilities under various schemes undertaken and implemented by the Government. The following few figures give an idea of the varied education received by the people of the district:-

EDUCATION.

Organisation.

FOR PURPOSES OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, THE KOLHAPUR DISTRICT is placed under the Educational Inspector, South Satara and Kolhapur districts. The officer belongs to Class I of the Maharashtra Educational Service and is directly under the control of the Director of Education. He is responsible in the district for-

(i) the supervision of primary education;

(ii) the administrative control of all Government primary and secondary schools and training institutions under the control of the Education Department; and

(iii) the control and inspection of all secondary schools, including English teaching schools, vocational high schools (i.e. agricultural, commercial and technical high schools), training institutions for primary teachers and such special schools as are under the control of the Education Department. In so far as girls' schools and institutions for women are concerned, the Inspectress of Girls' Schools, Poona, (Maharashtra Educational Service, Class I), performs the function and duties of the District Educational Inspector in respect of:-

(a) the inspection of girls' secondary and special schools in the district, and

(b) visiting girls' primary schools in the district and making suggestions for improvement.

In carrying out his duties of inspection and control, the Educational Inspector is assisted by an inspecting staff consisting of one Deputy Educational Inspector (Maharashtra Educational Service, Class II) and 15 Assistant Deputy Educational Inspectors (Maharashtra Educational Service, Class III), who are directly responsible to the Educational Inspector for the superintendence and inspection of primary schools in the district under Section 48 of the Bombay Primary Education Act (LXI of 1947). There is also one Assistant Deputy Educational Inspector (Maharashtra Educational Service, Class III), who under the administrative control of the Educational Inspector, Kolhapur district, is responsible for the inspection of primary girls' schools in the district.

There are separate Inspectors, having jurisdiction over the whole State, for Physical Education, Visual Education, Drawing and Craft-work and Commercial Schools, who carry out organisation and inspection in their respective spheres. These Inspectors have jurisdiction in the Kolhapur district in regard to their respective subjects directly under the Director of Education.

The Deputy Educational Inspector, Kolhapur, is the Chief Government Inspecting Officer of the district so far as primary schools are concerned. Under the rules framed under the Bombay Primary Education Act, he decides the question of recognition of private primary schools. He has to keep close touch with the working of primary schools maintained or approved by school boards, social education classes and village reading rooms. He has to report upon the housing, equipment, staff, efficiency of instruction etc. of the primary schools so that the department may be in a position to determine whether the School Board is conducting its schools satisfactorily or not. All aided schools are inspected by him or by the inspecting staff under him. He also assists the Educational Inspector in the inspection of secondary schools and reports on any specific points about them whenever he is required to do so by the Educational Inspector.

Primary Education.

PRIMARY EDUCATION: It is the declared policy of Government that universal free and compulsory primary education should be reached by a definite programme of progressive expansion, and, under the Bombay Primary Education Act, the State Government has taken upon itself the duty of securing the development and expansion of primary education in the State. A minimum course of seven years' education for every child is the objective aimed at. The agencies employed for discharging this duty are the district school boards and authorised municipalities.

District School Board.

"Approved Schools" ["Approved School" means a primary school maintained by the State Government or by the School Board or by an authorised municipality or which is for the time being recognised as such by a School Board or by the State Government or by an officer authorised by it in this behalf [Section 2 of the Bombay Primary Education Act (LXI of 1947)].] within the area of all non-authorised municipalities and of the District Local Board are under the control of the Kolhapur District School Board. This School Board is composed of 16 members. Of these, three are appointed by Government, one being a Government official. The remaining 13 members are elected by the Kolhapur District Local Board. The rules prescribe that, of those elected, one shall be from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and three should have passed the Matriculation or Second. Year Training Certificate Examination.

School Board Municipality Kolhapur.

The Kolhapur municipality is the only authorised municipality in the district. Its School Board was composed of 14 members of whom no one was appointed by Government and all were elected by the Municipality under the rules. Of the elected members, one is to be from the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes and three should have passed the Matriculation or Second Year Training Certificate Examination.

Working of Primary Education Act.

Under the Primary Education Act and the rules thereunder, all district school boards and authorised municipalities have to maintain an adequate number of primary schools in which instruction is given through the medium of the local regional language. For children whose mother-tongue is different from the regional language of the area, school boards have been instructed to open schools in their language, if the number of such children is not less than 40 in the first four standards and 20 in the upper standards. The teaching of the regional language of the area is also compulsory in such schools from standard III onwards. An authorised municipality has to make such provision in its budget as will enable approved schools in its area to receive grants at the rates authorised by Government. Responsibility is laid on the District School Board to maintain a schedule of staff of Assistant Administrative Officers or Supervisors, primary teachers, clerks and inferior servants and other staff sanctioned by Government, setting forth the designation, grades, pay and nature of appointment of different members. The members of this staff are servants of the District School Board and receive their pay, allowances, etc. from the Primary Education Fund maintained by the School Board. No change or alteration can be made in the schedule of staff without the previous sanction of Government. The School Board of the Kolhapur municipality has also to prepare a similar schedule for its permanent staff. The rules made under the Act lay down model conditions of employment of teachers in private schools.

The annual budget of the District School Board has to be submitted to the Director of Education for sanction. The District School Board derives its income mainly from Government grants which form nearly 96 per cent. of its total expenditure. It also receives from the District Local Board a contribution equal to such portion of its income from the cess on land revenue and water rates as may be fixed by Government from time to time and from non-authorised municipalities whose schools are under its control such proportion of the rateable value of properties in the area of the respective municipalities as may be fixed by Government from time to time. The District Local Board, Kolhapur, has under the present rules, to contribute 15 pies in a rupee as cess on land revenue besides water rates that it may be allowed to levy. The amount to be paid by non-authorized municipalities has been fixed by Government as 5 per cent. of the rateable value of properties in their respective areas. The Primary Education Fund of the Kolhapur Municipality is composed partly of the Government grant which forms nearly 33.5 per cent. of its expenditure on primary education.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Kolhapur District School Board is its Administrative Officer. This officer is appointed and paid by the State Government. The Administrative Officer of the School Board of the Kolhapur Municipality is also appointed and paid by the State Government. Under these Administrative Officers are Assistant Administrative Officers or Supervisors, primary school teachers, clerks, and inferior servants and other staff under the employ of the District School Board or authorised municipality, as the case may be. The Administrative Officer is responsible for the general administration of all primary schools maintained by the School Board. He is responsible for carrying out the suggestions made from time to time by Government officers. It is his duty to advise the School Board on all matters connected with primary education. He is also a member and secretary of the Staff Selection Committee. This Committee is composed, besides himself, of the Chairman of the School Board and the Educational Inspector of the district. Its duty is to select candidates for appointment as Assistant Administrative Officers or supervisors and teachers. The Committee selects also the teachers to be deputed for training. The District School Board or the authorised municipality or their Administrative Officers have to make appointments of the candidates in accordance with the directions given by the Committee. The selection of candidates and teachers is made in accordance with the instructions issued by the Government. The Administrative Officer has power, subject to the general instructions issued by the Director of Education, to promote, transfer, and take all disciplinary action, including removal or dismissal against the staff. His orders, however, are subject to appeal to a tribunal consisting of the Chairman of the School Board and the Educational Inspector of the district. A primary school teacher who was a guaranteed teacher on the date of the Primary Education Act came into force has, however, a right of further appeal to the State Government against any order of removal or dismissal.

Statistics.

The statistics that follow relate to the Kolhapur District as a whole for the year 1952-53.

There were 945 primary schools (both lower primary i.e. teaching standards I to IV, and upper primary i.e., teaching standards V to VII) of which 49 were exclusively for girls. The distribution of schools by management was as follows: -

Out of a total of 89,624 pupils in primary schools, there were 58,039 boys and 15,932 girls in the lower primary stage (i.e., standards I to IV) and 13,575 boys and 2,078 girls in the upper primary stage (i.e., standards V to VII). The percentage of school-going children to the population was 7.2.

Out of 2,461 teachers in primary schools 2,213 were men and 248 were women. Only 899 men teachers and 83 women teachers were trained.

There were three primary training institutions, two for men and one for women, which trained 175 men and 100 women respectively during the year. All the three were non-Government training institutions.

The total expenditure on primary schools was Rs. 25,30,151 and it was met from the following sources:-

The average cost of educating a pupil was Rs. 28.2 per annum of which Government's contribution came to Rs. 22.7.

The scheme of compulsory primary education has not yet been applied to this district. However, public opinion is ripe for it.

Since October, 1952 the project scheme has been applied to the backward and hilly parts of the district, which include about 203 villages, with a view to achieving all-sided development. The scheme is gaining popularity and as a result some school buildings have been constructed with the help of popular aid and grants at the rate of Rs. 1,000 per room from the Project Funds.

Basic and Craft Schools.

Basic and Craft Schools.-A new ideology has been influencing the educational activities of the State since 1937-38. It has come to be recognised that education must centre round some form of manual productive work. According to the figures for 1952, there were three basic schools in the Kolhapur district where education was made to centre round spinning and weaving. Spinning and weaving formed the craft in 28 craft schools, card-board and carpentry in one craft school and agriculture in 135 craft schools. These schools resemble the old type agricultural bias schools in the Bombay State.

Secondary Education.

Secondary Education.-Secondary Education is now under the general regulations of Government, and the Government control is exercised by means of conditions for receipt of grant-in-aid. At the end of the high school course an examination is conducted by the Secondary School Certificate Examination Board Poona and the students who pass are awarded the secondary school certificate. The first examination was held in 1949. The examination provided optional courses for pupils with varied interests and aptitudes. Each university, however, lays down subjects which a candidate must take for entrance to its courses.

Statistics.

The statistics that follow relate to the year 1952-53 for the Kolhapur district.

Secondary Schools.

There were 40 secondary schools in the district with a total of 10,863 pupils (8,800 boys and 2,063 girls). Four of these were exclusively for girls, seven exclusively for boys and the remaining 29 were co-educational institutions. The number of girls in the schools exclusively meant for girls was 1,343 while 720 girls were in mixed schools. The following table shows the number of schools under different managements and the number of pupils in them:-

Thus secondary education was imparted mainly by private agencies aided by Government grants.

There were 497 teachers in secondary schools of whom 472 were men (224 trained and 248 untrained) and 25 were women (14 trained and 11 untrained). In all 1,069 candidates appeared for the Secondary School Certificate Examination, and 540 passed.

The total expenditure on secondary education was Rs. 8,54,095 of which Rs. 2,92,470 (or 30 per cent.) came from Government funds, Rs. 6,400 (or 0.74 per cent.) from municipal funds, Rs. 4,58,435 (or 57 per cent.) from fees, Rs. 12,960 (or 1.5 per cent.) from endowments and Rs. 83,725 (or 9.8 per cent.) from scholarships and other sources.

The total annual average cost per pupil in secondary schools was as follows:-

Drawing Examinations.

Drawing Examinations.-Government holds drawing examinations-Elementary and Intermediate. In 1952-53, 323 appeared for the Elementary of whom 211 passed. For the Intermediate 185 candidates appeared and 112 passed. These figures relate to Kolhapur district only.

Special Schools. Technical Schools.

(a) Technical Schools.-These come under the jurisdiction of the Director of Technical Education and an account of these is given under the paragraph relating to "Technical and Industrial Training."

Schools for Defectives.

(b) Schools for Defectives.-There was only one institution for the education of defectives viz., the Deaf and Dumb School founded in 1942, having 18 pupils on the roll.

Language Schools.

(c) Language Schools.-There was one institution founded in 1903 imparting instruction in Sanskrit viz., Shri Shahu Vaidic School with 20 pupils on the roll. There was also a Hindustani Shikshan Sanad Class, Kolhapur, with 31 pupils established in April, 1952.

Certified Schools.

(d) Certified Schools.-An account of these is given under the Juvenile and Beggars Department.

Other Special Schools and Institutions.

(e) Other Special Schools.-The following is a list of other kinds of special schools with the number of institutions of each kind and of the pupils enrolled:-

Extension Training Centre.

There is one Extension Training Centre established in October, 1952 by Government to train workers by giving them intensive training in agriculture, co-operation, revenue matters, public health, basic education, veterinary service, etc. The courses are of various durations, some are for a period of six months and others for a year. About 223 people have been trained in the centre so far.

Physical Education.

Physical Education.-One Assistant Deputy Educational Inspector holding Diploma in Physical Education looks after and organises Physical Education in the district both in primary and secondary schools.

Physical Education is a compulsory subject in secondary schools. There is a regular examination in it. Pupils attend the playground regularly and a programme of physical education is organised regularly in most of the schools. In primary schools also provision of physical education has been made, but there is no regular examination. Children in primary schools play games.

Every year a two months' course in physical education is organised at suitable places in the district by the Assistant Deputy Educational Inspector for Physical Education. About 50 primary teachers are trained and these teachers organise Physical Education in the primary schools where they work.

A one-year diploma course in Physical Education is organised at Kandivali for graduate secondary teachers.

Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Junior National Cadet Corps.

Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Junior National Cadet Corps.- In 1952-53, there were 7,393 boy scouts and cubs and 1,032 girl guides. A grand scout rally of about 6,000 Scouts was organised in the year under report. There were six units of the Junior National Cadet Corps and 192 cadets with six officers in the district.

Medical Inspection.

Medical Inspection.-No medical inspection is held in colleges and primary schools. Pupils in secondary schools are medically examined thrice during their career. The services of private medical practitioners are secured on a part-time basis to examine the pupils.

Visual Education.

Visual Education.-An Assistant Deputy Educational Inspector who looks after physical education work, is in charge of the work of visual instruction in the Kolhapur district. Visual instruction is generally provided by means of film-projectors (16 mm).

School Broadcast.

School Broadcast-About 25 per cent. of the high schools in the district have their own sets of radio receivers. Every institution gives a chance for its pupils to attend educational broadcasts,

Social Education.

Social Education.-The work of Social Education in the Kolhapur district was looked after by the Maharashtra Regional Social Education Committee. The First and Second Test classes conducted numbered 595 and 211 respectively. In the First Test 4,141 passed and in the Second Test 1,073 passed. An expenditure of Rs. 21,929 was incurred for Social Education in the Kolhapur district including the Kolhapur city.

Village Libraries.

Village Libraries.-The number of village reading rooms started under the Social Education Scheme at the end of 1952-53 was 72 and a grant amounting to Rs. 1,439 was paid to them.

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