EDUCATION AND CULTURE

GENERAL EDUCATION.

Since the inception of the Zilla Parishad in 1962, the primary and secondary education in the district came under the dual control of the Education Department of the Government at the State level and the Zilla Parishad. At the head of the educational set-up in the district is the Parishad Education Officer who discharges his duties under the guidance of the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad. He is assisted in his work by two Deputy Education Officers, one dealing with the primary education and the other assisting the Parishad Education Officer in the inspection of secondary schools. As the district head for education, the Parishad Education Officer has powers to supervise, control and guide the work of his subordinates, inspect primary and secondary schools in the district and release grants to them. The work of inspection of the primary schools in the district is done by the Assistant Deputy Education Officers. Being the Secretary of the Education Committee of the Zilla Parishad in the new set-up the Parishad Education Officer guides the Committee on educational matters.

In the State sector, the department is headed by the Director of Education, Maharashtra State, Poona. He is assisted by the Deputy Directors of Education at regional headquarters. Chandrapur district falls under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Director of Education, Nagpur Region. The Deputy Director of Education has powers to grant recognition to primary and secondary schools in the district. He is also empowered to give recognition to village and public libraries in the district and sanction grants to them every year. In this work he is helped by the District Librarian.

All girls' schools, primary or secondary, come within the pur-view of the Zilla Parishad. The primary schools are inspected by Assistant Deputy Educational Inspectors while the inspection work of secondary schools is carried by the Inspectress of Girlis' Schools. Inspection reports in both the cases are submitted to the Education department in the State sector.

The administrative control, of primary training colleges, S. T. C. institutions and special institutions is vested in the Deputy Director of Education, Nagpur Region. All public examinations held in the district as per the directions of the State Government are organised and conducted by the Deputy Director, Nagpur Region.

There are separate inspectors, having jurisdiction over the whole State, for physical education, visual education, drawing and craft work and commercial schools. They arc responsible for organisation and inspection in their respective spheres. These inspectors work directly under the control of the Director of Education.

Primary Education.

Primary education is mainly the concern of the local authorities like the municipalities and the Zilla Parishad. However, during 1965-66, 27 primary schools were conducted by the private managements of which 17 were aided and 10 unaided. The following statement shows the steady progress made in the field of primary education during the years from 1961-62 to 1965-66: -

During 1965-66 these schools employed 4,590 teachers of whom 4,133 were male while female teachers numbered 457. Of male teachers, 2,708 or 65.5 per cent were trained while the trained female teachers numbered 327, i.e., 72 per cent.

The expenditure on primary education is incurred by the State Government through grant-in-aid to the Zilla Parishad and building loans and grants to Private Teachers' Training Colleges. The total expenditure on primary education in 1965-66 amounted to Rs. 7,291,404 of which the Government share was Rs. 6,898,967. The average cost of educating a pupil was Rs. 53 per annum of which the Government share was Rs. 51.

During the same year the number of primary schools under various municipalities in the district stood at 36 of which 23 were for boys and 13 for girls. The boys' schools had a strength of 6,110 pupils while the girls' schools had 3,257 students. There were 3,332 students in 27 private schools.

Basic Education.

The progressive conversion of ordinary primary schools into basic schools has been an accepted policy of the Government. In 1965-66, there were 46 Senior Basic Schools with 10,764 students. As against this the number of Junior Basic Schools was 97 with 15,692 students.

Basic education involves teaching of subjects like crafts, agriculture, spinning and weaving, wood work and kitchen gardening and consequently requires teachers with specialised training. In order to encourage teachers to undergo training, a stipend of Rs. 40 and loan scholarship of Rs. 30 per student are given by the Government.

There are three Basic Training Colleges in the district of which two are under Government management and the remaining one is managed by a private body. In 1965-66, 536 students received training and the expenditure towards stipend amounted to Rs. 238,218.83.

Secondary Education.

Secondary education is now under the general regulation of the Government which exercises control by means of conditions for receipt of grant-in-aid by the concerned educational institutions. At the end of high school course an examination is conducted by the Board. The examination provides optional courses for pupils with varied interests and aptitudes. Each university, however, lays down the subjects which the candidates have to take for entrance to its courses.

There are two kinds of Middle Schools-(1) Indian English Middle Schools with classes from V to VIII standards and (2) Indian Middle Schools having classes from I to VII standards. In 1965-66 there were seven higher secondary schools and 57 lower secondary schools in the district. Of these 64 secondary schools, 60 were run by private managements. Government assistance is given by way of grants for various purposes. The total number of students attending these schools stood at 178,362 and the total expenditure on secondary education in the district during the same year came to Rs. 10,88,722.

Economically Backward Classes Scheme.

Various educational facilities are made available to the people. Students up to the age of 14 years get free education in all schools. Similarly, wards of parents whose annual income does not exceed Rs. 1,800 are given education free of cost. Students belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are provided education free. Dependents of persons who had taken active part in the freedom struggle, too, are given free education. The cost borne by the schools on this account is reimbursed by the Government. During 1965-66, 25,000 students benefited from these concessions and the department incurred an expenditure of Rs. 12,34,383.

Physical Education.

Physical education is controlled by the department under the State sector. The National Discipline Scheme Instructors have been provided in different high schools. There are eight troops with 900 cadets of Junior National Cadet Corps.

College Education.

To meet the increasing demand for College education, two colleges were started at Chandrapur in 1961 under private management. The Janata Mahavidyalaya has Science, Arts and Commerce Courses, whereas the Janata College of Education imparts instruction for B. Ed. courses. Later on colleges were started at Brahmapuri and Warora. In 1965-66 the district had four colleges, three for Arts and Science Courses and the fourth one for B. Ed. course. During the same year 1,125 students got exemption from payment of tuition fees from the Government, and the total expenditure on this account came to Rs. 2,10,659.

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