Discuss the Recommendation of Kothari Commission for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Primary Education

Back to: Contemporary India and Education-Unit 1

The Kothari Commission was an ad hoc commission formed by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of Daulat Singh Kothari on 14 July 1964 and dissolved on 29 June 1966. He was the chairman of the University Grants Commissions (UGC) when the Kothari Commission was formed. The Commission consisted of twenty members who were experts in the education domain and based out of the UK, USA, Japan, Sweden, and France.

Recommendations of the Kothari Commission

The main recommendations of the Kothari Commission for the improvement of teacher education and primary education were as follows:

1. Teacher training courses: The Commission suggested the introduction of three years of training courses for teachers. This included the training of pre-primary and primary teachers.
2. Stages of Education: It structured the education system as pre-school stage (1-3 years), primary education stage (4-8 years), lower secondary education stage, higher secondary education stage, and higher education stage.
3. Free and Compulsory Education: The Kothari Commission put forward the need for free education for all children up to the age of 14. It emphasized the need for education up to a certain age.
4. Use of Regional Languages: The Commission suggested the use of regional languages as the medium of language for teaching for all stages of education.
5. Improvement of Infrastructure: The Commission suggested schools and educational institutions facilitate better infrastructure and establish Libraries.
6. Reasonable Pay for Teachers: The Commission put forward the need to offer reasonable and respectable pay for all the teachers belonging to all categories and subjects.
7. Work Experience: The Kothari Commission focused on the need for education that makes individuals ready for the work front so that they can have a secure career.

The Kothari Commission (1964-66) believed that the Indian education system did not prepare learners to take a career path. According to the Commission, learners must be educated in manual work so that they can express their creativity. They focused on developing learners into self-sufficient individuals. Through its recommendations, the National Education Policy (1968) was formulated.