LANDMARKS IN THE DEVELPOMENT OF

SCIENCE EDUCATION IN INDIA

Prepared by
Aswathy M.N.
B. Ed Physical Science
Govt. IASE, Thrissur
Part 1: SCIENCE AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
DURING THE BRITISH RULE
The only aim of education: turning out men competent to
serve the civilian administration.

Even those few individuals educated in science lacked
opportunities for scientific research.

In 1857 the universities of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras,
modeled after the London University, were established.

Even under such adverse conditions, globally competitive
scientific research was carried out in Indian universities by a
few scientists
C.V. Raman
M.N. Saha
S.N. Bose
D.N. Wadia
P.C. Mahalanobis
S. R. Kashyap
Birbal Sahni
S.Ramanujan
S. Chandrashekhar
Part 2: POST-INDEPENDENCE PERIOD
Report of the secondary education commission (1953):
Teaching of general science as a compulsory subject in high
schools & higher secondary schools.

All India seminar on teaching science(1956):
A unique & uniform system of science teaching for the entire
country, suite to its needs & resources.
National scientific policy resolution (1958):
The cultivation of science & scientific research in all its
aspects.

Indian parliamentary & scientific committee(1961):
Chaired by Shri. Lal Bahadur Shastri and the committee took up
the study of science education in schools, with a view to find
out the relation between the policies and decision of the centre
& the states, & the courses offered in the schools.
National council of educational research & training (NCERT) was
established in 1961.

UNESCO planning mission(1963):
The USSR experts of the UNESCO planning mission visited India
on technical assistance projects and gave reports of science and
mathematical education in India and ways to improve it.

Panel on science education in secondary schools (1964):
Chaired by Dr. K.N. Mathur and examined the procedure for the
allotment of funds and procurement of equipment in secondary
schools.
Indian education commission (1964-66):
Under the chairmanship of Prof. D. S. Kothari.
Compulsory science as part of general education.
Introduced 10+2+3 pattern.
Science and social science as Environmental science at
primary stage.
Science as a composite discipline in secondary education.

The constitutional Amendment(1976):
Education including science and Technology in concurrent list
A review committee(1977):
Under the chairmanship of Sri Ishwarbhai Patel
Science at the secondary stage as two equivalent alternate
courses- Course A and Course B.
The course B-composite course
Course A- A discipline oriented approach
1984-85
The system of alternate courses was discontinued because of
the perceived superiority of one course over the other.

National policy on education (1986):
Science education to acquire problem solving & decision
making skills.
Navodaya vidyalayas to provide better quality science
education to the talented children.

National Curriculum for Elementary and Secondary
Education- A framework(NCF-1988):
Teaching of Science as composite discipline in secondary
stage.

1993 Yash Pal Committee report:
Learning without Burden.

National Curricuum Framework for School Education
2000 (NCF 2000):
Science as Science and Technology at upper primary and
secondary stages.
Activity based approach.

National Curricuum Framework for School Education
2005 (NCF 2005):
Activity based approach.
Learning through life experiences.


References:

1. NCF 2005
2. pratheeshpallath.blogspot.com
3. http://www.iisc.ernet.in/insa/PURSUIT AND PROMOTION
OF SCIENCE, chapter 4