The Secondary Education Commission of 1952-1953 made several major recommendations, including installing higher secondary education with diversified courses, emphasizing vocational guidance and improving teaching methods. It recommended teaching in mother tongues while also promoting national languages. It sought to improve teachers' status through better pay and benefits. The commission aimed to reform secondary education to produce ideal citizens and develop human virtues through a more well-rounded, activity-based curriculum.

1. Secondary Education Commission
(1952-53)
Dr.M.Deivam
Assistant Professor
Department of Education
The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University)
Gandhigram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu – 624 302

2. Introduction
• In 1952 Union Government of India appointed
Dr. A Laxman Swami Mudaliar as a chairman of
secondary education commission.
• Former Vice Chancellor of Madras University.
• The aim of this commission was to examine the
existing system of secondary education in the
country. It aims to suggest measures to improve
it.
• The commission submitted its report in August
1963 on almost all aspects of secondary
education.

3. Dr. A Laxman Swami Mudaliar

4. Aim of Secondary Education
• 1. To Produce Ideal Citizens
• 2. To Develop Capacity for Earning Money
• 3. Quality of Leadership
• 4. To Develop Human Virtues

5. Major recommendations
• Installation of the higher secondary system with
diversified courses
• three language formula
• emphasis on educational and vocational
guidance
• improvement in the system of examination
• improvement in the methods of teaching

6. Education of Girls
• The commission did not like having a different
type of education for girls. But it
recommended for the study of Home Science
in all girls schools. State Govt. should make
effort to open girls schools wherever there is
demand for them.

7. Study of Languages
• Hindi has been taken as the national
language.
• For government services Hindi is
compulsory.
• English is compulsory for secondary level.
• Sanskrit is also included as a third language
which is optional.

8. The Medium of instruction
• The medium of instruction should be
mother tongue or regional languages.
• Along with the mother tongue and
regional languages, national language
and a foreign language should also be
taught.

9. Textbooks
• Textbooks should be selected very carefully.
There should be a committee for selection and
reforms.
• There should be a definite standard for printing,
cover and front page of the book.
• There should be no such book which spread
hatred, enmity against community, religion or
social customs.
• There should be more than one textbooks for a
subject.

10. Teaching Methods
• Teaching method should be adopted according to
the need of moral, social and mental
development of students.
• Teaching method should be activity based. It
should not stress on verbalism and
memorization.
• Various types of expression work should be
included in each subject.
• There should be more stress on experimental
and demonstration method.

12. Curriculum in Secondary Schools
• At the Middle school stage, the curriculum should
include (i) Languages; (ii) Social Studies; (iii) General
Science; (iv) Mathematics; (v) Art and Music; (vi)
Craft; and (vii) Physical Education.
• At the High school or Higher Secondary stage,
diversified courses of instruction should be provided
for the students.
• Certain number of core subjects should be common
to all students whatever the diversified courses of
study that they may take; these should consist of (i)
Languages (ii) General Science (iii) Social Studies,
and (iv) A Craft.

13. Cont.,
• Diversified courses of study should include the
following seven groups; (i) Humanities (ii)
Sciences (iii) Technical Subjects (iv) Commercial
Subjects (v) Agricultural Subjects (vi) Fine Arts,
and (vii) Home Sciences. As and when necessary
additional diversified courses may be added.

14. Improvement of Teachers status
• 1. Trained teachers should be appointed to teach
higher classes.
• 2. The policy of same pay for the same work and
ability should be adopted.
• 3. Teachers should be given handsome salary in
order that the society may respect them.
• 4. Teachers should be given pension, provident
fund and life insurance benefits in order to give
then some economic security. The Government
should provide these facilities.

15. Cont.,
• 5. The children of teachers should be given free
education.
• 6. Teachers and their dependents should be given free
medical service.
• 7. Separate committees should be appointed for
removing the difficulties of teachers.
• 8. The retirement age for teachers should be 60 years.
• 9. The teachers should not be permitted to take up tuition
of students.
•

16. Merits
• •Activity based education.
• •Stress on agricultural education.
• •Discussion of aims of secondary education.
• •Child-centered education.
• •Improvement in teacher’s salary and position.
• •Co-curricular activities.
• •No more stress on external examinations.
• •Stress on multi-purpose schools.
• •Suggestion to open technical schools near
industries.

17. Teacher’s Training
• Higher Secondary teachers should be given
two-year training and graduates should be
given one – year training.
• Pupil teachers should be trained in one or
more extra-curricular activities.
• There should be provision for Refresher
Course and Practical Training and Workshops
in Training colleges.

18. Cont.,
• Training Colleges should not charge any fee
from pupil teachers. State should provide
stipends.
• There should be hostels in training colleges.
• The teachers who have three year teaching
experience only should eligible for M.Ed.

19. Health and Physical Education
• A properly organised medical service should be
available in all states.
• A thorough medical examination of all pupils and
necessary follow up and treatment, where
necessary, should be carried out in all schools.
• Some of the teachers should be trained in the
first aid and general principles of health.
• Proper nutritional standards should be
maintained in the hostels and residential schools.

20. Cont.,
• The school should assist, where possible, in the
maintenance of sanitation of the area,
• Physical activities should be made to suite the individual.
• All teachers below the age of 40 should actively participate
in many of the physical activities of students.
• The training in physical education should be
comprehensive enough to include all aspects of health
education.
• The existing facilities for training of teachers of physical
education should be expanded by increasing the seats in
the existing colleges.
• Full records of physical activities of students must be
maintained.

21. Observations of Mudaliar
Commission
• (i) The existing curriculum is narrowly
conceived.
• (ii) It is bookish and theoretical.
• (iii) It is over-crowded and the content is not
rich and significant.
• (iv) It is the provision for practical work is not
adequate.
•

22. Cont.,
• (v) It is not in accordance with the needs
and capacities of adolescents.
(vi) It is examination dominated.
(vii) It does not include technical and
vocational subjects, which are so essential
for industrial and economic development of
the country.

23. Character Formation
• Character formation is an important aim of
secondary education. This is useful not only
for the individual but also for the nation. In
fact the character of the nation is reflected by
the character of its citizens. Therefore, for
raising the character of the nation the
character of the students should be well
formed.

24. Duration of Session and Leave
• 1. The school should be opened at least for 200 days a
year.
• 2. The schools in rural areas should be closed at least for 7
days at the time of sowing and harvesting in order that the
students may help their family in agricultural pursuits.
• 3. The number of holidays is reduced.
• 4. At least 35 hours should be devoted for teaching per
week.
• 5. The principal should be empowered to decide, about
local holidays and school hours.
• 6. The student should get at least 10 to 15 days’ leave
during a session. The summer vacation should be for two
months.

25. Arrangement of Buildings
• 1. School buildings should be away from the
hubbub and noise of cities. They should be
situated in peaceful atmosphere.
• 2. The school building should be adequately
ventilated.
• 3. A class should not consist of more than 40
students.
• 4. There should be proper desks and chairs in
the schools.

26. Cont.,
• 5. Each school should have a big hall where all
the students may assemble for some group
programme. This hall should be decorated
with pictures of great national leaders of
different walks of life.
• 6. There should be a well equipped reading
room in each school where the students
should get newspapers, periodicals, magazines
and other literatures of general knowledge.

27. Management and Administration of
Secondary Schools
• The Commission has given the following suggestions in this
respect:
• 1. The post of Education Director should be equivalent to the
Joint Secretary of the secretariat and he should advise the
minister in this capacity.
• 2. Central and State Committees should be organised for giving
advice on secondary education.
• 3. The District Inspector of Schools should not only find faults
with teachers but should also assist them in performance of their
duties. They should solve their problems arising from time to time
and should acquaint them with latest developments in the field of
education.
•

28. Cont.,
• 4. The Secondary Education Board should be organised
under the chairmanship of Education Director who
should arrange for secondary education in his State.
• 5. A Board for teachers’ training should be established.
• 6. New schools should be recognised only when they
fulfill all conditions.
• 7. The State Government should organise a Committee
for management and administration of schools. This
Committee should be responsible for the management
and administration of schools, but it must not interfere
with the work of the Principal.