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 CHAPTER - II

POPULATION EDUCATION : ITS MEANING,PHILOSOPHY

IMPORTANCE AND HIED

11.1 INTRODUCTION

11.2 THE CONCEPT OF POPULATION EDUCATION

a) Definitions of Population education

11.3 OBJECTIVES OF POPULATION EDUCATION

11.4 COMPONENTS OF POPULATION EDUCATION

a) Sex education
b) Family life education
i) Awareness of 'self* and emotional evolution
ii) Social and cultural development
iii) Biological aspect
iv) Economical aspect

c) Population studies

i) Demography (Population situation)

ii) Determinants of population growth
iii) Consequences of population growth

11.5 IMPORTANCE AND NEED OF POPULATION EDUCATION

a) National level

b) Family level

c) Sexual level

II .6 CONCLUDING REMARKS
 CHAPTER - II

POPULATION EDUCATION : ITS MEANING,PHILOSOPHY,

IMPORTANCE AND NEED

II.1 INTRODUCTION
..7 ....... . ..

The tern 'Population* has at different times meant

different things to different people. In 16th Century in

England it was used as a synonym for devastation, for laying

waste.1 To-day. most people associate the word population

with growth, through the depopulation of rural area;

depopulation is not an unusual phenomenon. Despite the

popular association of population with fertility, it is

also concerned with movement of people within and between

nations and with mortality.

Population education is designed to help people to

understand the nature of population events and particularly

the causes and consequences of these events. It is directed

at people as individuals or members of groups, as decision

makers within their families, as citizens within a community,

as leaders in society and as policy makers within a nation.

Social, political and economic decisions made by the large

mass of people (the society or nation) influence the

behaviour of the individual, the family and the small

communities to which they belong.

1. Oxford English Dictionary (Compact Edition) Vol.il

Oxford, 1971, p.2241.
 27

Population phenomenon affects so many aspects of

life at so many different political relations# resources#

the environment# food and nutrition# health# social services#

education# employment# human rights etc. The nations#

regions# and individuals have different viewpoints about

population questions. Since the time of Maltbus# population

issues# like rapid population growth# future human well-being

and survival have been debated.

The United Nations* first global conference of

Governments to discuss population issues was held in

Bucharest (Romania) on and from 19th to 30th August 1974.

In the Bucharest conference# representatives from 136 nations

discussed various issues like population policy# urban growth#

rural depopulation# migration# social and economic

development# depletion of sources# women*s rights# education

etc. The major debate at Bucharest conference was concerned

with the interrelationship between population and development.

At the end of the conference delegates agreed on a document

called the "World Population Plan of Action" which states that..

"The promotion of development and improvement of

quality of life require co-ordination of action

in all major socio-economic fields including

2
that of population..."

2. Report of World Population Conference 1974, united

Nation # p.3.
 28

The "World Population Plan of Action" urged the need

for population education in the following way -

"Educational institutions in ail countries

should be encouraged to expand their curricula
to include a study of population dynamics and
policies# including where appropriate family
life# responsible parenthood and the relation
of population dynamics to socio-economic
3
development and to international relations•*

II.2 THE CONCEPT OF POPULATION EDUCATION

. ■■■■■ ........ . .. ■ ....■ ............ ................

Population education being a new area of study and

also controversial in some respects is not rightly understood

and in some cases misunderstood for sex education and family

planning. Population education is not birth control or

family planning education# although the information

concerning might be included in the content of the programme.

Similarly it is not a programme designed to pursuade people

to have a particular family size either large or small, in

fact# it is an education to make the students aware of the

processes and consequences of human population growth on

the quality of life and the environment# so that he may be

in a position to decide for himself how many children he

should have, in other words# population education can be

3. Ibid## p.4.
 29

defined as a process to investigate and expose the

i
interactions between populations and their environments,
j

population characteristics, the causes and controls of

population changes, and the consequences of population

changes in the biological and social systems at the local,

national and world levels.

Man is a part of the 'biosphere* and thus the problem

of human population increase cannot be studied in isolation

from his environment-physical, ecological and social or

cultural. So "Population education is the study of human

population in relation to environment with a view to improve

his quality of life without adversely affecting the

environment." *

IX.2.a) Definitions of population education

Viederman defines population education as -

"An educational process which assists persons (a) to learn

the probable causes and consequences of population phenomena

for themselves and their communities (including the world)

(b) to defind- for themselves and their communities the

nature of problems associated with population processes and

characteristics (c) to assess the possible effective means

4. R.C.Sharma, Population Trends Resources and environment

(Delhi t Dhanpat Rai & Sons, 1681), p.S.
 30

by which the society as a whole and he as an individual

can respond to and influence these processes in order to

5
enhance the quality of life now and in the future."

2) "An educational programme which provides for a

study of population situation in family, community, nation

and the world, with the purpose of developing in the

students rational and responsible attitudes and behaviours

6
towards that situations."

3) The national seminar on population education

held at Bombay in August 1969 defined population education

in terms of objectives as follows -

"The objectives of population education should

be to enable the students to understand that

family size is controllable, that population

limitations can facilitate the development of

a higher quality of life in the nation, and

that a small family size can contribute

materially to the quality of living for

individual family. It should also enable the

5. Stephan Viederman, Towards a Broader deflnation of

population education, international social science
journal XXVI,2(1974), p.319.
6. UNESCO, Report of Regional workshop on population and
family education, Bangkok, UNESCO Regional office for
Education in Asia, September 1971, p.13.
 31

students to appreciate the fact that for

preserving the health and welfare of the members
of family, to ensure the economic stability of

the family and to assure good prospects for

younger generation* that the Indian families of
7
today and tomorrow should be small and compact.11

4} "Population education is defined as the teaching

and learning of reliable knowledge about the ways of enquiring

into the nature of human population and the natural and

8
human consequenses of population changes."

It is obvious from these definitions that it is not

easy to reduce the content and the objectives of such broad

area of learning into a concise definition. Population

education is a relatively new concept and it seems more

logical to explain it in terns of objectives rather than a

single definition. It is done in the following paragraphs.

II.3 OBJECTIVES OF POPULATION EDUCATION

Objectives of population education have been enumerated

as follows :
"To achieve -
1) basic understanding of population dynamics including

7. national seminar on Population Education* NCERT 1969,p.9.

8. T.S.Mehta & Ramesh Chandra (Ed), Population education
selected readings. (New Delhi, NCERT, reprinted 1982),p.44.
 32

the growth rate and the structure of population in the

country din context of world population.
i

2) appreciation of the significance of the population

characteristics for the present and future quality of life

including economic development and the attainment of a high

level of health, education, housing, diet and other

amenities of life.

3) realization that the size of the family can be

easily planned for the benefit of individual families and

that large families are not necessary in the present day

developme nts•

4) understanding of the health risks involved for

the mother and child.

5) appreciation of the small family as a setting

in which a high quality of life for each person is more

likely to be attained.

6) understanding of the Governments* family

9
planning programmes in relation to the country's needs."

A somewhat more detailed enumeration of specific

objectives was prepared by Tjokrowirono (Indonesia). These

9. Seminar on Population Education for Younger Generation,

Family Planning Association of India (Bombay : F.P.A.I.
March 1969), p.59.
 33

objectives were abridged by Dr .John Edletsen, Regional

Population Adviser, The Colombo Plan Bureau Ceylon. They

are given below.

Ml) To understand the basic principles of demography.

2) To learn about causative factors of rapid

population growth.
3) To understand the impact of rapid population

growth.

4) To understand the close relationship between

people's well-being and socio-economic development.

5) To understand the meaning and significance of

environmental harmony.

6) To learn that the family size can be controlled

as opposed to fatalism.

7) To understand the significance of a small family

'norm* and its relation to the quality living.

8) To understand the far reaching consequences of

population density and rapid growth to one's

self and one's environment.

9) To realize that human behaviour has a direct

influence on the social structure and on

social change.

10) To change attitudes and instill a sense of

responsibility towards the welfare of the nation

 34

and the world."

If these objectives are attained, students will

have instilled into them an awareness and understanding

of one of the most important phenomeno of the modern world

viz. rapid population growth, its causes and implications.

Under this widespread umbrella many things can be

included in population education but the selection of

content, the emphasis and the method of treatment will

obviously vary from place to place, culture to culture and

the stages of development of a particular country. It is,

therefore, necessary that there is no rigidity about the

content and emphasis of population education. However,

a few major areas are clearly identifiable which could form

the core of population education. It will help the young

to make more rational decisions concerning their own

behaviour on population matters.

II.4 COMPONENTS OF POPULATION EDUCATION

Following are the components of population education:

a} Sex Education

b) Family Life Education

i) Awareness of * self• and emotional evolution

10. T.S.Mehta & Ramesh Chandra (Ed.), Population education

selected readings,(New Delhi : NCERT, reprinted 1982),
p.45.
 35

i ii) Social and culturaldevelopment

, ill)Biological aspect

iv) Economical aspect

c) Population Studies

i) Demography (Population situation)

ii) Determinants of population growth

iii)Consequences of population growth.

II.4.a) Sex Education

Every living thing has sexual life. Sex life is

mainly a biological phenomenon in ail animals except man.

There are psychological, social contents to sex life of

mankind.

Sex education means different things to different

people. Perhaps, this is because we perceive sex, as we do

other things in relation to our own experiences and

attitudes. Unfortunately the term sex education has meant

to many people reproduction education, consisting chiefly

of teaching children and teenagers the physical facts of

sex in order to prevent unnecessary anxieties, unwanted

pregnancies and venereal diseases. Certainly the child or

the adolescent is entitled to information about his body

and its functioning. However, this type of

*fire-prevention' education is not enough.

 36

First of all. sexuality involves all aspects of

the individual not merely the physiological processes and

physical need. Secondly knowing the physical facts does

not in itself lead to responsible sex behaviour. As a

matter of fact, many individuals who exploit or injure others in

their sexual behaviour are fully aware of the anatomy and

physiology of sex. Responsible sex behaviour, on the other

hand, is the result of much wider knowledge which includes

the physiological, psychological, and sociological effects

of sex experience and particularly the attitudes, standards

and values of the individual concerned.

Sound sex education, therefore, entails the building

up of a healthy attitude to sex and understanding of some

of the emotional and social factors involved. It affects

not only the phases of infancy, childhood and adolescence

but all facts of human relationship leading on to

marriage, parenthood and family.

There is nothing to be secretive about sex. as even

in India (in ancient times) sex education was given freely

and Dharma. Artha. Kama, and Moksha were considered as

essential functions of the householder. The pursuit of kama

or sex gratification was the desired goal for normal life.

In the four stages of life i.e. Brahmacharya. Grihastha.

Vanaprastha. and Sanyasa, sex life was a pure and essential
 37

part of householder's duties* Sex is not only a means

of reproduction but a source of intense human pleasure

without which it is not only difficult, but, in a way

impossible to develop normal mental attitude and

emotional composure.

There is thus a case for introducing sex education

as a part of population education programme. Education

is preparation for life and sex education is a part of

this preparation. Why then should one hesitate to talk of

sex education on which responsible parenthood depends ?

There is also need to educate young men and women

not to treat sex lightly as a plaything. This attitude

may sometimes lead to damaged life.

Orientation into sex education should start by the

tenth class. It will not cut much ice to simply talk and

create population awareness, merely by citing statistics.

A correct approach to sex and wise parenthood are vital

limbs of any population education programme. The child will

want to know the details and unless his questions are

satisfactorily answered, the battle will only be half fought.

Often children learn about matters concerning sex

from wrong quarters. Therefore, formal sex education about
 38

human physiology and reproduction is necessary in

population education. "K.S.Rao, former Central Minister

of Education & youth services said that Population

education is a process of socialisation, whereas sex

education is a process of individualisation and that

* sex-less' population education is possible. But

population education without sex education is ridiculous,

as the 'how' of population control cannot be answered

without sex education•"

The lack of knowledge of the functioning of sex

urges is the source of unhappiness, suffering, crime, vice

and sorrow. Illumination by knowledge of the subject of

sex relationships will elevate the sensual and impure

conception into an appreciation of the purity of sex life

and would check immorality and prostitution.

II.4.b) Family Life Education

Family is the very first cell of social structure.

Without family there are no children, men, no human society.

Marriage and family are a union for which there is no

substitute. "As the families are, so will mankind be". The

11. Uday Shankar and Lakshmi Shankar, Sex Education,

(Mew Delhi s Sterling Publishers Pvt.Ltd.,1978),p.13.
 39

family meets the needs of three groups - children, adults

and society at large.

"The family -
- provides for the reproduction of the race;

- passes on the cultural heritage of the group;

- provides physical security, protection and the

material opportunities for living and growth;

- meets the deep emotional needs of children

and adults and provides for their social,emotional,

intellectual and spiritual development;

• develops in its members socially desirable

character traits and acceptable moral standards;

- develops an orderly system of living among its

members with provision for eating, sleeping,

school, work etc.

- develops sound relationships among members of the

12
family and between them and their neighbours•"

A decision to marry and have children is vital for

the parents. Therefore, the parents should be made

responsible and full of knowledge of consequences of

marriage and having children for themselves and for the

12. Anthony D*souza. Sex education and personality

Development (New Delhi s Usha Publishers, 1979),p.81
 40

country. The development of a responsible attitude

towards family strength, integrity and size is important

and must be developed.

Man is a gregarious animal. He alone, among all the

creatures, has realised the principle "Live and let live".

He is the most self-sufficient as well as the most helpless

of all the creatures. This fact has given rise to various

social groups like tribes, clubs, gangs and such

associations.

Nothing is more dear to man than his own Ego. This

*Self-instinct* is the most dominant. Man sublimates his

instincts and modifies his social behaviour. For the

regeneration of his race, for his own safety and for the

fulfilment of his love, man has evolved various social

institutions. The first and the foremost among these is

the ‘FAMILY*• No other institution has such a long standing

and long lasting history as the family. Family is the

omniscient, sovereign, central force that keeps persons

moving round in their social orbits. It gives them a civic

sense, it makes them aware of their own responsibility.

It inculcates in them the vortues of co-operation and

dedication. The family, in general, is the most ancient

and perennial human group. But as more and more families

!
are being constantly added, the family has a contemporary

aspect also, which has to be considered as time changes.

 41

Therefore, the definitions of ‘family life education*

are dealt with in the following paragraphs.

Fedric Kilander has given the definition of family

life education in his book 'School health*. "Family life

education stands for protection of the monogamic family

13
based on accepted ethical norms."

With the advent of adolescence, the sex instinct

brings in sundry problems. Sometimes, they become rather

intricate and might put a strain on one's mental and social

life. Now, the only way of meeting these problems is the

education, mentioned in the definition given above.

According to Kent J.Russel "Family life education

refers to the broad programme in home and family living

designed to impart knowledge regarding practices, values

14
and attitudes affecting family relationship."

Family is the link between child and society.

Of course, the ideal family, where every member has love

and respect for others, where every one knows his own
responsibility; and which is only the next step to

responsible citizenship.

13. Jyotsna Ghorpure and Madhukar Dondare, Lokasankhya

Shikshan, (Pune : Kirloskar Press Prakashan), p.9.

14. Ibid., p.9.

j o^3
A
 42

Boys and Girls# brought up in such hones strive

hard to serve the society. They use their intelligence

and ability for the welfare of the society. They

themselves attain happiness and contribute to the

happiness of others around them.

In view of above considerations# the aspects of

family life education are as follows :

i) Awareness of 'self' and emotional evolution

ii) Social and cultural development

iii) Biological aspect

iv) Economical aspect

ll.4.b.i) Awareness of ’self* and emotional evolution

Awareness of 'self* means creating a sense of

paying a due regard to his 'ego* and to live as a useful

member of the society around him. It means to let him know

himself# and his place; and thereby prepare him to shoulder

his individual responsibility; and gradually to groom him

to extend and maintain ties with others in the family and

the members in his social group. To enable him to

observe carefully# the individual needs and the ways of

persons* behaviour so that he may overcane any problem

personal or social.
 43

If man neglects his health, he will not achieve

any progress. This, Indeed, Is an undisputed truth.

More true, however. Is the fact that If man remains aloof

in a social vaccum, his very living would be impossible.

Then there would be no progress whatsoever. Individual

progress and social progress are interdependent (and

complementary). So it would not be proper for him to

strive simply for personal aggrandizement, he shall try

to promote the welfare of all.

This mutual sense of duty towards the society alone

can help the individual to develop his own dormant gifts.

It is true that no two persons in this world are identical

physically and mentally. However, difference of culture, sex,

caste, creed and colour from the world-wide human society,

have got to be eliminated.

II.4.b.ii) Social and Cultural Development

When the sociologists speak of social development,

the very first social institution that comes to their mind

is the family. Families may vary in size, in their standard

of living, or the types of their component members. But

the fundamental functions of this social group is the same,

in spite of all such variations. The family is the basic

 44

unit of the society. It is, therefore, necessary for our

children to have a fair and clear idea of the "place1 of

an individual in the family. Then naturally he has typical

experience in his family life. These experiences guide him

to form a mental picture of the family life of others. He

imagines? his own experiences, however, put a check on the

flight of his imagination. The spectrum of his imaginary

vision has the limits of his own experiences. His vision

has got to be widened. Let him come face to face with as

many types of families, at all levels, as possible. That

will broaden his outlook of life at large. His attitudes

towards his own home will improve. He will have a clear

and a fair picture of his own family. He will learn to

appriciate the Kaleidoscopic variety of human life. Let

him know the super structure of stable family has to stand

on the solid foundation of love, tolerance and dedication.

There is a tender silken thread of mutual love that runs

through all this fabric of family life. The stability and

prosperity of the society and the family are interdependent.

I1.4.b.iii) Biological Aspect

How has this group of persons, called the "family*

come together ? There is a biological tie in between these

persons. This brings us to the consideration of sex

relations between persons. Understanding sex relations

 45

(or sex education) need not be labelled as an additional

subject or separate subject. It should be correlated with

all the other subjects in the syllabus. By and by we come

to have a look at the panorama of the complex sex life and

the processes of regeneration in ail forms of organisms,

we come across such an enchanting variety among different

spacies. Sex. indeed, is the most dominant gift of Nature,

that helps the species to survive. While discussing the

regeneration and the sex relations of myriad organisms, the

teacher has to refer to Darwin's theory of evolution. In

the matter of mating, they observe a few things common to

all living organisms, and also quite a few differences too.

When discussion is extended to Homo-sapiens, on the back-drop

of sex life of all living creatures, they will be astonished

to see how MAN is different from them. What are the

conspicuous peculiarities of man ? Let them notice for

themselves. Sex relation in man. does not start of and end

with the physiological function. It has number of other

things involved - social, cultural, sentimental and moral.

Therefore sex in man should not be linked and restricted

only to physiology. At this biological level, too. the

re product ory system, is just like all other systems in human

body. It has to be treated, just as formally as another

chapter in their books of physiology and no more fuss is

to be done about it. Every emotion has its Physiological

 46

counter part. Sex relation is an expression of a

particular kind of 'urge* affecting the genetic organs.

These organs being the counter-part of this urge,alongwith

this de-facto knowledge of the organs and their functions,

one has to bear in mind the cultural and moral aspects

involved.

If sex education is imparted on the broad outline

indicated above, there should be no chance of degenerating

it into something indecent or shameful. The best place,

dealing with this cryptic topic is family (home), and the

best teachers are the parents. But, unfortunately, most of

the parents are, yet, very orthodox and repulsive even to

mention it. It is for this reason sex education should be

included in the syllabus of teacher training.

II.4.b.iv) Economical Aspect

'Money can buy practically every-thlng'. It is,

therefore, not proper to connive at inevitable importance

of money. That is why the young and old are hankering

after wealth. Money can procure stability, comfort and

pleasure for men and their families. Children, therefore,

should have adequate acquaintance with money matters, that

affect the very life and welfare of the family. They should

know the nature, the source and the size of their income.

They should have the fair idea of the various heads of normal
 47

domestic expenses so that as they grow up they will be

scrupulous to see that every 'paisa* that Is earned Is

spent to serve some useful purpose, in the interest of

the family.

The notion 'The more you earn* the happier you

become* has triggered off the rat-race of earning more and

more money. Men are so much after 'earning' that they lose

sight of spending. At the spending end they do not take care

of the 'Paise' so that quite a lot of 'Rupees* are lost. The

bungling in some big financial deals of the nation does have

its adverse effect on the lean purse of an individual.

Similarly, if persons and families are reckless in their own

spendings, the nation will have to bear the consequences of

their negligence. The financial nerves of the nation and

the families are so finely intertwined.

All of us are consumers. But we do not know exactly,

what to buy ? How, when and where to buy 7 According to

Economics, 'The consumer's demands are unending' but the

means to meet these demands (the supply) are limited.

Children are also consumers in their own way. Children

should learn to make a mental list of the things, they must

buy followed by the things, they may. They, thus, prepare a

'priority* list of their demands. And they should cast a

glance at the money they have, and learn to cut their coat

according to their cloth.

 48

Some men are, however, over-impatient about their

demands. They call them as their urgent necessities. They

would procure the things by hook or crook. This tendency

should evidently be checked right from their early days.

They should be taught to make a priority list, to consider

'how to spend every paisa to serve some useful purpose'.

They must learn 'how to become an ideal consumer' such a

consideration will make them more patient and thus put a

check on irresponsible behaviour.

Everyday, news-papers are bringing to light a number

of cases of blunders, bluffings and misappropriations in

monetary transactions. Children should not go through them

hurriedly, but should be able to look through them.

Advertisements are deceptive. Consumers rely on them or on

the hearsay of some and big financial deals are transacted,

which ultimately turn into tragedies. How-a-days, the

production and the quality of goods are determined not so

much by demands of consumers, as by what the producer or

the salesman proposes to sell.

Children should be trained to find out the correct

answers to such questions like-what are the current unfair

business practices in the market ? How to recognise

adulteration and falsification in certain consumers' items ?

and How to deal with them ? They will also learn, that
 49

it is not proper to fritter away the limited natural and

human resources of their nation by loading them with

excessive demands. These days, one never feels shy (or

guilty as one used to few years age) to take a loan, to buy

on credit or on instalment basis. This has become so common.

When one buys a luxury on instalment basis, one has to pay

nearly double the cash down price. That much amount could

have been better utilised on items which are really needed.

The loan facility serves a useful purpose in emergencies;

but only in emergencies, and one should not make a habit

of it.

The stability of family depends on its financial

soundness. The family becomes shaky and fluctuates with

finance. Let the children learn to maintain a stable

financial equilibrium.

Earning money by honest and fair means, spending it

prudently so as to keep the financial health of the family

sound, learning to become an ideal consumer, and thereby a

responsible citizen, developing a confidence that he can

make the right and correct choice all these qualities will

make up a healthy personality. A clear knowledge of one's

own strength and ability, one's own needs, readiness to

modify needs in dedication to the needs of the other members

in the family... all these virtues can only be nurtured

through the experiences he has in his own family.

 50

II.4.c) Population Studies

The problem of human population has been drawing

serious attention of many people mainly because of two

reasons. Firstly, there is a concern among a group of

people, especially the scientist, for the very survival of

the human species, if the population continues to grow at

the present rate of increase. They believe that the

natural sources are limited and at the present rate of

excessive consumption many of the resources will be

exhausted before long, thus endangering the very existence

of man himself. Increasing population results in

decreasing per capita food supply. Whether the

technological advances will help to solve the problem of

food and depleting resources without deteriment to the

environment and human freedom is very uncertain.

The second concern is for the improvement of the

quality of life of man all over the world. The quality of

life issue is primarily based on the availability in

quantity and quality of different resources, such as food,

fresh water, energy, space etc.as well as adequate provision

of facilities for education, employment, health,services,

security, recreation, creative development etc. Perhaps the

quality of life will go on deteriorating Instead of improving

if the population and the rate of consumption of different

resources continue growing at the present rate. For the

 51

countries such as India which are already facing the

problems of providing adequate food and other basic

necessities of life to all people, the question of survival

for a large section of people may become a reality with the

present rate of their population increase and limited

natural sources.

Many socio-economic evils are the direct outcomes

of over population. Population education helps responsible

decision making. An enlightened citizen has to be conscious

of the problems his country is facing and shall strive to

help the government for the solution. An intelligent

citizen must weigh the gravity of each of the problems and

work for their solution. It Is not enough if he is only

conscious of these problems. He will prove a worthy citizen

only if he strives hard to face these problems by making a

decision and translating his decision into action. Therefore

every citizen should know the population situation.

Population studies include -

i) Demography (Population situation)

ii) Determineants of population growth

iii)Consequences of population growth

II.4.i) Demography (Population situation)

The word 'Demography* is derived from two Greek

words demos, the ’people* and graphas to *draw or write*.

 52

"Demography as used today, denotes the study, by

statistical nethods, of human population and deals primarily

with their size, growth and/or diraination, the numbers and

proportions of persons living, being born or dying, within

some area or region at a particular date in addition to the

j

measurement of such related functions as the rate of

15
fertility, mortality, and marriage."

India contains one-seventh of world population but

has only one-forty-fifth of the land area.

Among the many things that one should learn, it is of

extreme importance to know the facts about one's population

also. How many are we ? How many men, women, boys and

girls 7 In what place do they live 7 What do they do for

a living ? What is their composition by age, area or

i

residence, and other particulars like literacy and

education, occupation, language etc. ? All these describe

the people and their broad national characteristics. Then

again, how fast are we growing ? What factors contribute

to this growth ? What are the social and economic features

which maintain the present rate of growth 7 What has been

the effect of growth in the past on means of living 7

15. Mascarenhas Marie Mignon, Population Education for

quality of life, II Ed. (Bombay s Oxford and IBH
Publishing Co., 1982), p.8.
The Graph is placed on the reverse

to keep it in close proximity to the

related textual natter.

 54

What is the future ? If population growth is eating into

resources as it is what can be done to curb this growth ?

One should have answers to such questions in order to

follow intelligently what is going on around one.

The above are some of the most important questions

of demography.

India ranks second in the world's population, next

only to China, while countries like USSR and USA with a

larger land area have a smaller population.( Cf .Graph No.11.1)

Population is a subject worthy of study in its own

right, with its own methods of measurement and its own

terminology. The study is called demography and the aims

of demographers are to measure the size, growth and

contraction of human population and in particular the part

played by fertility, and mortality in population change.

The results of the demographers' researches are very useful

in the prediction of future human needs. Thus demographic

figures give a clear-cut picture of the population

situation in a country.

Demography serves as the link between the

determinants and consequences of population growth. "In

order to assess changes in fertility and migration behaviour

 55

and in order to predict their consequences; it is necessary

16
to be able to measure these changes"

The students, therefore, must be acquainted with the

basic demographic tools such as census reports, birth and

death rates, and age pyramids in order to understand the

current situation with reference to the past, so that they

could have some idea of the future. Similarly, they should be

in a position to analyse local, national and world-wide

trends of population growth so that they understand the

meaning of population explosion in its true perspective.

II.4.c.ii) Determinants of Population Growth

In free society, the parents themselves ultimately

decide the size of their own family. It is essential to

remember that the population problem rests on the decisions

of individual couples who finally decide the birth rate.

"Economics is all about how people make choices,

sociology is all about why they do not have any choice to

make. We have to create a situation whereby people in

17
the third world have a choice to make."

16. Salkar K.R.,Population Education for Developing Countries

(New Delhi ; Sterling Publishers Private Ltd.,1986),p.123
17. Marie Mignon Mascarenhas, Population Education for
Quality of Life,(New Delhi; Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.
New Delhi, 1982), p. 36
 56

When considering causes of population explosion

one is confronted with a substantial number of causative

factors. As India is passing through a transitory period

there is bound to be a wide spectrum of factors.

Mascarenhas enumerates them as follows s

"Causes of population explosion -

1) Pronatality factors.
2) Desire for large family for economic security#
Social prestige and power.

3) Religious influences.

4) Social norms.

5) Polygamy.

6) Inadequate housing# poor socio-economic conditions.

7) Economic security in the joint family.

8) Emotional security and protection in the joint

family.

9) Social pressure for girls to marry.

10) Psychological urge for the married women to

have children.

11) Sex preference and equilibrium of sex of children.

12) Need for more hands for handicraft and

agricultural activities.

13) Production of more children for providing

against expected loss.
14) Production of more children to prove greater
masculine virility / fertility.

15) Little freedom for wives to decide the number of

children.
 57

16) Legal and religious recognition of status of the

male child for the purpose of inheritance and

family name.

17) inducement for having more children* e.g. child

allowance* tax exemption* maternity facilities*

extra ration etc*

18) Low legal age of marriage.

19) Regional/State/racial/ethnic competition for

political power.

20) High proportion of the population in the

reproductive age.

21) More man power for defence needs.

22) Belief in the ability of agricultural technology

and sciences being able to support larger population.

23) Remarriages of widow / divorced women.

24) Short period of breast feeding or no breast

feeding at all.

25) Anti-Mortality factors -

a) Health t better maternal medical care; Increased

health facilities; improved sanitation; better

diet; greater control of diseases; provision of

recreational facilities; benefit of maternity

leave with full pay; improved water supply.

b) Education t increased in and post school

educational facilities; higher educational

attainment* health education programme.
 58

c) General s improved social welfare services;

better housing; adequate housing; improved

technology leading to more effective control of

1@
natural environment and catastrophes."

The causes of population growth are an important

factor which should be known to the students in order to make

them understand the different aspects of the population

problems. "The final report of the Asian Regional workshop

1970 states that.... the factors which motivate people

towards their population decisions are not clearly known.

It ms recognized, for example, that in many societies a

social norm exists tending to favour the development of

large families. How this standard of behaviour has

developed, what its components are in a given society and

how it may be changed, are only vaguely understood. Similarly

other determinants of fertility, mortality and migration are

less clearly comphrehended than are the consequences of

population growth. The interactions of the different types

19
of determinants futher complicated matter."

The knowledge of population matters is to be imparted

and attitudes are to be developed in students so that they

may have a basis for their own rational population behaviour.

The factors that motivate people towards population decisions

18. Ibid., pp.36,37.

19. K.R.Salkar, Population Education for Developing Countries.
(New Delhi: Sterling Publishing Pvt.Ltd.,1986),p.122.
 59

are not to simple to be analysed. They have their roots

either in tradition or culture of a place or in their

religious belief or even in economic conditions of the

people. They jointly evolve some social norms, which

should be changed. Therefore, the knowledge of determinents

of population growth must be an essential part of

population education programme.

Il.i.c.iii) Consequences of Population Growth

The economic life of the people in a country is

determined by its standard of living. The real income of

the people is a resultant factor of many variables. Some

of the important variables are the level of economic

development, the level of consumption, size of population,

capacity of food intake, health and medical services,

education of the people, housing etc. All these variables

have a direct impact on the standard of living. It is the

primary responsibility of the Government to secure these

facilities for the welfare of its people. How these

factors are secured depends upon the systems of production

and distribution followed in a country.

Population growth nullifies the efforts to the

improvement of quality of life of the people, especially

in the developing countries. The quality of life or

standard of living of a country is affected by a number of

 60

factors,, but the one main factor is the population increase

in relation to the natural sources and the level of

technological development. Most of the developing countries

which have a larger population size and higher population

rate generally have a lower standard of living.

"There are some basic physical criteria which are

generally used to compare the quality of life or the

standard of living of the people in different countries.

These can be grouped into two categories.

1) The quantity and quality of the basic physical

needs of man such as food, freSh air, fresh water, housing,

clothing etc.

2) The quantity and quality of the social and cultural

needs of man such as educational and employment opportunities

medical and health facilities, conditions of work, security,

transportation, human freedom, recreation and entertainment,

20
opportunities for creative development and so on."

Effects of Population Growth of Micro Level on

Economic Development

The economic development of a country depends upon

20. R.c. Sharma, Population Trends Resources and Environment.

(New Delhi ; Dhanpat Rai & Sons, 197S), p.lll.
 61

land, capital, labour and industries. Population growth

j
affects ^11 the factors.

Land : Smaller land holdings, scattered land

holdings; uneconomical land holdings; decrease in cultivated

land due to greater demand for housing; loss of natural

fertility of land, greater consumption of limited natural

resources; land holding unsuitable for the use of modern

technology; low quality and quantity of the yield because

of saturation in intensive cultivation; deforestation;

decrease in living space.

Capital ; Decline in per capita income, neutralization

of efforts to raise the per capita income; less savings; slow

formation of capital for further investment; concentration

of capital in fewer hands, low tax-paying ability of the

people; greater consumption of government capital for

providing social services; dependence on foreign aid.

Labour : Increase in unemployment and under employment

due to increase in the people in the working age; increase

in unskilled labour; increase in child labour; increase

in dependency ratio; lower efficiency and quality of work,

lower wages; reduction in dignity of man; increased

competition for jobs; increase in frustration because

of increased competition; race for higher competences /

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qualifications; fewer jobs with good prospects for people

of lower socio-economic strata; possibilities of labour

unrest.

Industries : Proportionately fewer options for

teaching modern technologies; greater dependence on foreign

investment in industrialisation; need for industrial

development for providing jobs to growing population;

increased pollution.

On Social Development

1) General Effects s Shortage of medical, educational,

recreational, civic, transportations!, coruminicational

facilities; difficulties of financing of various Xinds of

facilities.

2) Education : Lower quality of education; higher

pupil-teacher ratio; remote chances of achieving universal

literacy; over-crowding in classrooms.

3) Transportation : Overcrowding in buses and trains;

increase in road and traffic hazards, low ability to own

transportation, communicational facilities.

4) Social Relationship : Increase in inter-regional

and intersectarial prejudices; clashes of interests;

deterioration in landlord-tenant and labour-management

 63

relationships; increase in strike and riots; juvenile

delinquency; social maladjustment.

5) Family/blood relationships; Sibling jealousy;

generation gap; conflict in income sharing; polyandry;

parental and maternal neglect.

Oh the Basic Needs

Food : Less quantity and quality of individual diets;

malnutrition affects health, rate of growth, vigour,appearance,

happiness, ability to work, damage in mental capacity;

A reduction in life expectancy; decrease in resistance power.

Shelter 5 Housing shortage; compulsion to live away

from families in villages; sex disproportion; unhealthy

houses; high housing rents; maladjustment in construction;

haphazardly growth of cities; development of slums.

Clothing: Less clothing than normal requirements.

On environment

Air Pollution : Increase in industries, growth in

combustion, mixing of chemical compounds and gases in

atmosphere; health hazards, effects on birds, crops, land,

automobile exhausts.
 64

Water Pollution : More use of water, problem of

drainage water; air pollution due to drainage water,

disturbance of hydrological cycle, bad effect on marine

life.

Land pollution : Due to drainage water, more use

of fertilizer and poisonous pesticides in form, decrease in

fertility of land, pollution of air, river water, lake,

underground water due to poisonous pesticides, disappearance

of insects, birds etc.

Sound pollution, destroy of jungles, disappearance of

wild animals, shortage of natural sources, disastrous effect

on the balance of nature.

The consequences of population growth are innumerable

and directly affect both the individual and the nation. It

should be studied at micro and macro level. The student

should be deeply acquainted with the consequences. Therefore

the knowledge of evil effects of population growth must be

an essential part of population education programme.

"Population education is an educational activity which-

• is a part of a total social learning process;

- derives its content from population studies;

- is problem centred;
 65

- is concerned primarily with population related

interactions of individuals, families,communities,

societies and nations.

- is aimed specifically at improving the present

21
and future g quality of human life."

This subject will certainly benefit the student;

will help him to become a better responsible citizen; who

being happy and content himself, will spread happiness all

around him.

II.5 IMPORTANCE AND NEED OF POPULATION EDUCATION

The above paragraphs show that the population education

is not birth control or family planning education. It assists

an individual -

a) to learn the probable causes and consequences of

population phenomenon,

b) to define nature of problems involved due to

population processes and characteristics, and

c) to assess the possible effective means by which an

individual can respond to and influence the process

in order to enhance the quality of life now and

in the future.

21. Population Education : a contemporary concerns, UNESCO,

(Paris, 1978), p.35.
 66

The importance and need of population education

can be illustrated by talcing into consideration various

levels.

II.5.a) National Level

The urgency and seriousness of population problem

has been rightly emphasised in the following statement -

"If the population problem is not dealt with

reasonably* it will in fact explode - explode in

suffering* explode in violence and explode in

22
inhumanity."

Educating tomorrow's citizen about the need to check

population growth becomes mandatory. Unchecked population

growth will neatly cancel out the economic process though

the planning is good and the implementation is perfect.

Rapid population growth is one reason why we have

found that all our Five Year Plans have not produced hundred

percent achievement. Hence economic progress can be achieved

only if a substantial check is maintained over the present

rapid growth in population.

Demographers have shown that there is a high positive

correlation between poverty and fertility. Poverty brings

in it trail Illiteracy* unemployment* illhealth* poor

22. Robert Me Namara as cited by Stella Soundara Raj* Text

Book of Population Education*(Madras: Mac Millan India
Limited* 1983), p.134.
 67

nourishment and low standard of living. More and more

I
children are brought into this world under this conditions

and continue to live at this level, unaware of the better

things in life, and aggravating the existing poverty. This

is what we call vicious circle. Poverty means more

children and more children mean poverty. This vicious

circle needs to be broken.

Increasing population naturally puts a strain on the

available resources of any society. Some sections of the

society may not feel the pinch as sharply as others do. But

overcroweded surroundings, pollution of air and water,

deteriorating law and order are some of the omnipresent

signs of over population. These affect everybody. It is

necessary, therefore, for all of us to understand the nature

of problems created by population. These can be broadly

classified as follows.

1) Difficulties in improving the standard of living.

2} Difficulties in national developmental activity.

3) Strain on resources.

4) Difficulties in improving the quality of life.

All these problems are related to humanbeing directly

or indirectly. The problems created by a large populations

are many and diverse. India cannot improve her standard of

 68

living and cannot make a faster progress, her sources are

inadequate and her quality of life is deteriorating. All

this is happening inspite of the herculean efforts wade

by the government to improve the situation.

The objective of population education is to help the

individual for his behaviour in society. While making decision

the individual should think the effect of his decision on

family, community and nation. Population education promotes

this thinking and gives the detail information of above

problems created by over population. This leads to create

right attitudes in individual.

The job of nation building can be strengthened if

population education can be implemented neatly.

Il.S.b) Family Level

In India, the joint family system held the ground for

thousands of years. It might have served a useful purpose

in ancient and mediaeval times. But it had many defects.

It inhibited ambition and enterprise. In it, the individual

is subordinated to the authority of the family and

individualism is at a discount. There is no freedom for

women and children. Though this system has its own advantages, such

as education and marriages of children, supporting widows and

disabled, it is not suitable for modern times and is on the

decline
 69

The foremost requirements are to feed and clothe and

shelter the family members adequately, to take due care of

their health and happiness and to educate them. Parents

have to take responsibility for providing children with

emotional security and preventing maladjustments leading to

juvenile deliquency. The parents have to foster and develop

in the children values of life to meet the needs and

challenges of modern times.

The aim of the population education is to make family

life and the life of children healthier and happier. Only

when the size of family is controlled it can facilitate the

development of higher quality of life in the nation and

minimise the problems of over population.

There have been changes in the role and status of the

father and mother and individual members of the family in

modern times. In modern marriages, both the partners are

of equal status and increasingly expect to have an equal

share in taking decisions. The rigid authoritarian position

of the husband is slowly disappearing though he is the head

of the family. It is possible that his dual position as

husband and father may in time give rise to role conflict or

role distortion according to circumstances.

For a long time now the women's place by and large has

been regarded as being primarily and exclusively in home.

Even if she had a job, she would become a full time housewife
 70

and mother. But this picture is changing now. The women

have shown marked progress in education* politics, society

etc. Women have begun to enjoy opportunities similar to

men in education and employment.

These changes in role and status of father and

mother should be taken into consideration. Every member of

family should know the changes and co-operate each other.

Family life education insists on this co-operation.

II.S.C) Sexual Level

Today most psychiatrists agree that many psychological

problems in later life can be traced back to uncertainty,

fears, misconceptions, and wrong attitudes to sex in

childhood.

According to a family life educator "If parents were

to spend only a portion of time which they use in training

their child to eat with a knife and a fork in teaching him

about sex, many of the problems of later life could be

avoided." 23

Social and educational research is increasingly drawing

attention to the fact that the individual is a total person;

23. Anthony A.D*Souza, Sex Education and Personality

Development (New Delhi : Usha Publications,1979),p.117
 71

his sexual nature is a part of a whole. If he is to grow

up into mature and happy adulthood in all areas of his life,

he must understood himself and the processes of growth and

development* In short, sound sex education is essential

for healthy personality growth and development.

Sometimes, there is a tendency today to isolate sex

and draw attention to it as an end in itself. This creates

all sorts of problems not the least of which is that in a

young person's mind sex tends to become all important.

There is a need to sex education as just one aspect of our life

and not the whole meaning of life. If sex is to built

effectively into our total personality then informed

understanding is essential. Population education assists

to built sex effectively.

All human, including children, are sexual beings.

They are physically male or female. And their personalities

will be shaped in one way in the case of a boy, in a different

way in case of a girl. Besides, their behaviour and attitudes

will be influenced by the sex drive that will become

increasingly powerful. This sexual element in their lives

is also a fundamental aspect of human society in which they

are living and growing up. Population education insists on

this view also.

 72

Young people will face various problems which will

i
present themselves at different stages, in their growth.

If they are to face these with confidence, a knowledge of

themselves and of the biological and emotional processes

affecting them will be essential. Actually, the person

whose sex education has been carried out with purpose and

enlightenment will have a far better understanding of himself

and of the opposite sex and will be able to face life and

develop his friendships with much greater assurance.

Population education leads to develop favourable

attitudes towards abovesaid views about sex.

Above paragraphs describe the importance and need of

population education at different levels viz. national level,

family level, sexual level. Thus, population education

touches all stages and all levels of humanbeings•

II.6 CONCLUDING REMARKS

In all previous paragraphs the researcher hag: explained

the purpose, the concept, objectives, components and importance

of population education. These paragraphs were intended to

clarify the concept of population education. In the next

chapter, ithe researcher deals with the meaning of attitude

and construction of attitude scale.