It will be necessary to bring about changes in the shape and constitution of the present institutions in order to convert secondary education system into the basic one.
In accordance with the recommendations of the Secondary Education Commission (1952-53), the Government of India had made schemes to convert the secondary schools into higher secondary schools, make them multi-purpose schools and establish new multi-purpose and higher secondary schools.
Another scheme has also been prepared to establish and increase the number of such secondary schools in rural areas that relate to agriculture and village atmosphere. The Secondary Education Commission and the Ministry of Education are conscious of the importance of single purpose schools.
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In some countries, like England, more importance is attached to single purpose schools as compared to multi-purpose schools. Much thought and reason form the background of this ideology. Absence of specialised education is generally found in multipurpose schools.
There is also some difficulty in getting efficient teachers for multi-purpose schools, because ordinarily such teachers are not available who have specialised training in wore than one subject. Because of the diverse subjects, unity of thought is also absent in the students and the school atmosphere is less social as compared to other common schools.
The pace of progress also does not gather momentum because of undefined aim of education. It is because of these reasons that preference is sometimes given to single purpose institutions so far as subjects like literature, commerce, and engineering, etc., are concerned.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The provision of agricultural and village industry in schools is of great value to India. About seventy per cent of the people live in villages in India, but the statistics reveal that the progress of schools teaching subjects of rural importance had been very slow.
Provision of only 84 institutions for imparting education on subjects like agriculture, cottage industries, animal husbandry and horticulture could be made in the First Five Year Plan. This effort for a predominantly agricultural country like India is far from satisfactory.
Indifference in the rural areas towards these subjects cannot be appreciated. Establishment of institutions teaching these subjects is required on priority in pilot projects. The provision of junior basic education at the junior secondary stage will be beneficial from the above point of view.