The Nature of Multi-purpose Schools:
Multi-purpose schools as defined by the Mudaliar Commission are those schools which cater for different tastes, aptitude and objectives of the students by providing study in various subjects. This helps in the natural and all-round development of the students’ personality.
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Importance:
Multi-purpose schools have a vital role to play in the present set up of the country. These schools allow students to opt for subjects according to their likings. Consequently, their emotional and psychological development will take place in a natural manner.
They will understand the dignity of labour. They will have opportunity to widen their knowledge of crafts learnt in primary or basic classes. Some defects of secondary schools will find remedy in the multipurpose schools.
Aim:
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The aim of multi-purpose schools is to eradicate the evils of unilateral schools by allowing the students to select and study various subjects of their choice so that they may become self-supporting, practical and worthy citizens.
Utility of Multi-purpose Schools:
The provision of study of various subjects will remove the need of change of schools. The education system will be given a democratic spirit. Trained students of these schools will prove assets in the various development plans of the country. Due to the study of different subjects the personality of a student will develop in a balanced manner.
Development of Multi-purpose Schools:
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The Government of India introduced this scheme in October 1954 for the first time. The number of these schools which was 250 in the First Five Year Plan rose to more than a thousand in the Second Plan.
Some of the problems facing Multi-purpose Schools:
(1) Shortage of teachers (2) Dearth of suitable text-books and unsuitability of timetable (3) Problem of opening new schools and difficulty of conversion (4) Difficulty in providing complete technical curriculum (5) Difficulty in the selection of curriculum and (6) the problems of parents’ dissatisfaction. Only by solving these problems we can derive the maximum benefit from multi-purpose schools.
