MY PERCEPTIONS OF
PROFESSOR M.B.BUCH
[A Visionary
Gambler]
DR.B.K.PASSI [1]
Since
long I have been thinking to write a
brief biography of Professor M.B.Buch.
I sat on my computer more than once but I could not begin writing it. I
did not procure adequate details about the early life of Professor Buch, hence
writing a biography was quite difficult for me. Later on, I proposed to myself
that I should write about the
educational philosophy and educational views of Professor M.B.Buch. I again found
myself wanting as I was not experienced enough, to put his views into a
conceptual framework which could lead to some sort of theorization. I could not complete either of the two proposals. Today
and suddenly, I got another inspiration to write when two holidays were
approaching. I promised to myself that
I shall write a structure-free article. Alas, the structure continues. This
article is a combination of ideas organized under different headings. It
includes substance and examples from the life of Professor Buch.
I
had been asking to myself a question
about the use of such writings. What is
the importance of such a substance to the field of education? Is the
documentation of such matters of any educational significance? While working
for the educational Surveys Of Research In Education I have seen the substance
of the research work We had come across doctoral studies related to persons
such as, Gandhi, Tagore, and other thinkers. We have seen a few researches
completed around institutions giving description of their structures and
action-processes of those chosen institutions. In the same way, we see that
many researches are conducted on topics related to ideas, ideology,
innovations, processes and related phenomenon.
The documentation in these three Strands: Persons, Institutions, and Ideas is
meaningful. My assertion is that we need to conduct more studies in the area of
Persons. Hence this documentation.
Recently
I had gone to Baroda. I visited the family members of Professor Buch including
his wife Dr.Pilooben Buch These days, she is busy in managing the educational
journals founded by Professor Buch. We sat together and talked about the good
old days. Dr.Prashant Buch is a very bright and loving doctor of the city of
Vadodhra. He is the only child of the Professor. Dr.Prashant and his
wife-Jalpa, and their two children are all healthy and happy. May God bless the family. I saw the house which the
Professor made with care. The Otla- open
space to sit in the house of Professor Buch- was looking fine. But I felt
that it is recalling his master every minute, every morning, and every
night.
I
realized that Times is strange in its behaviour. Time flies fast for some one
but it slows down for others. I find that time has behaved in a dual fashion
when I think-back, rather I feel-back, about Professor M.B.Buch. I can not
explain this duality by using logical mind alone. One has to “think with heart”
and “feel with mind”. I feel Dr.Madhu
Bhai Buch is an idea of that order. He is omnipresent and eternal. He is very
much here, there, and everywhere portraying all those empty-spaces and
crowded-places including those places that
I visited along with him. Professor Buch is present in all types of
institutions meant for the welfare of children. He is present in all those
institutions that are busy in the welfare of the poor. He is living in
institutions of educational research engaged in solving issues of national
importance. He ‘lives with and lives in’
all such environments which are enshrined with vibrant activities of
education. I can see his “shadows and images” expressed in different type of
forms and non-forms. I can hear his commanding yet caring voice. His expressive
gestures and alert observations in the
seminar rooms can be recalled as a vivid memory even today. I can feel his pain
he kept and carried in his heart for the poor. I therefore, am convinced that
the Professor is very much ‘Here and
Now’, and also ‘There and Then’. Professor Buch is an idea and a phenomenon
worth attending to.
Looking
from the popular viewpoint, that Professor Buch was a body, and this body
is no more with us. He came from unknown infinite and has gone back to that
infinite. While making this assertion, there is some restlessness in my heart.
And, I then feel, as if centuries have passed away. Professor Buch is no more
with us. And we will not see him again although we pine to see him. We have to
live with this void. We will neither
find his physical presence amongst us nor we will forget his impacts in our
lives. He was a unique man and an unique phenomena.
Many
of us are proud of the fact that some of us have seen the Professor, and were
his students and colleagues. I recall an anecdote told by my wife-Subhashini
Passi. She narrated a self cherished comment of Firaque Gorakhpuri. Gorakhpuri
used to say about himself to his friends “Whenever the coming generations will
meet you, they will be envious of you because of fact that you had availed a
lucky chance of seeing me? They will surprisingly say “Oh, Tum Ne Firaque Ko
Dekha Tha”? It looks true with us,
as well. Many of our young students ask us a question “Oh, Tum Ne Buch Ko Dekha Tha”?
I
was not a formal student of Professor Buch, although I consider him to be my
professional mentor. In my professional career he has been as important as
Professor J.N.Joshi of Chandigarh.
Professor had a very bass voice. He would transform difficult and even
complex ideas into an expression simple, interesting, understandable to all the students and participants. He would
be motivating students to co-think with him. Persuasiveness would be
predominant in his presentations. Along with the historical perspectives, he
would be sensitive towards the current concerns of the dominant issues.
Professor
Buch had wide experiences of teaching in a variety of situations. He has taught
in schools, colleges, universities, and many informal places of learning.
Professor Buch would treat his students alike irrespective of their age and
status. He would attend to his students, and visitors at his home irrespective
of their status. I have seen him caring for the needs of these learner
children coming from the nearby homes
and streets. He will attend to them with care. I recall the scene from the
famous film Gandhi. A few Indian leaders visited Gandhi ji. They were
conferring with him in the Ashram. Meanwhile a limping goat and a child
appeared on the scene. The child asked for the goat cure-help from Gandhi ji. I
was surprised to see that Gandhi ji broke away from the discussion and started
moving out so as to provide the help to
the sick goat. The national leaders present in the scene showed their own
reactions to this scene. Exactly like this scene, I can recall Professor Buch
treating the needy ones with great care.
Professor
Buch would vary the pitch of his voice
and would carry on his discussion in consonance with the nature of the
discussants. On the one side of the scenario,
he would conversee at higher levels of discussions and to the other he
would talk about day to day happenings and sundry matters. He would attend to international visitors brining in
his vast scholarship and at the some time treating them with respect and ease
He would discuss the futuristic social implications of education, schooling,
examinations, and so on vis-à-vis new meanings of development. On the other
hand he would engage himself to teach street children in the early hours of
mornings.
He
was a great teacher of excellent quality. During his teaching sessions everyone
was motivated, satisfied and growing as one wanted it to be. While sitting in his easy chair, Dr.Buch could do serveral
things simultancously - like going through new publications, co-read his
morning Newspaper, guide his research students and staff, and finalize his work
academic plans with all the seriousness and at the same time Micky-his dog, while changing his focus he
maintained his holistic mode. He could perform many a things at a time. . I
find a similarity in him with many a
creative persons as reported in a book “Creative People At Work”.
One
day earlyin the morning, I happened to visit
Professor Buch at his residence. He was wearing his usual Gujarati
casual dress comprising Dhoti and long Baniyan. It was summer. I was saw a
strange sight in his house. That the great Professor was busy coaching a small
group of seven street children. He was providing a teaching-learning
environment what he called his ‘Otla
school’- an airy and elevated platform in his house. These seven children would
visit him every day, and especially so,
on holidays. They would come even on days when Professor was out of station.
They will organize their self-study, and do peerteaching, It was a Gurukula
like environment. I found in him a new teacher who was handling multiple tasks,
attending and diverse audience.
On
the basis of his first-hand experiences
of teaching these children, he wrote his detailed comments on school textbooks. He sent those comments
to the Textbook Production Board of Gujarat. His suggestions helped removing errors and vagueness from the
textbooks of Gujarat. He could convert problems into opportunities. He would
further transform and extend it into
another opportunity. Professor Buch was
a gambler with determination, vision and concern. He was Japanese Kaizan-man of
India. I have a hypothesis that he possessed a poyche which like killer
inslinet led him to success.
That
wonderful morning I tried to peep into his mind and asked,” professor,
Buch, “Why are you doing, all this?” He
responded in a lighter vein well yet serious meaning. These boys are my boys.
They are my young friends, I help them and they in turn help me. They are my
academic resource group. I am looking into the textbooks of Gujarat. Through
them, I am finding out that what types of errors are committed by writers in
the textbooks? They are my experimental group. Moreover I now command a better
respect in the community around. This mohalla is almost under my control as a
result of my interaction with these boys.
Professor Buch arranged books for these children. They would keep the
books in the house of the Professor Buch. I find that a novel experiment of new
pedagogy was going on. One of them was
learning at his own level, pace and direction. It was a wonderful example of
multi-grade teaching, and self managed learning.
Along
with the education of these street children, Buch would study his professional
journals with all seriousness. He would keep a few chairs around and would go
on meeting the casual visitors and also talk with the serious minded visitors
staying in his house. May be, some of the persons like me or like Professor
S.P.Malhotra will start the work inside
the house where Survey of Research in Education Project was located.
In
his Ashram like institution, Professor M.B.Buch was creating a new man for the
new challanges in education. He was focusing his efforts in the preparation of
a new team for building a new egalitarian society. He was secular in views and
actions. He pursued scientific approach, but artistically handled problems
around him. A wholistic environment was
created by recruiting an all India Faculty, from all parts of India. He managed to give a nationalistic outlook to his recruitment. He acted so, as if,
representation to each of the States, was a divine compulsion. By the way, Dr.
Buch was not a God believer. But he was a great believer in the human welfare
and personal goodwill. He was busy in making a new type of CASE- an institution
of repute of world fame. Within India a few friends used to call, Baroda-CASE is
like the Mecca of Education. The faculty of this institution was well
qualified. The research students were talented, and the topers of their
respective universities. They joined CASE with high hopes and dedication. The
working environment was rich and stimulating for those who were searching new intellectual heights. There was no
culture of over-dominance of rules. No rule was allowed to impinge upon the
rights of the researchers who wanted to go ahead and excel in their endeavors.
Research in education in India, as an educational endeavor, was meagre. It was supported by sanctioning a few projects, by the Governments and other bodies. Apart from this, a few research institutions and universities were conducting research studies through its teaching staff and through its research students. The quality of research conducted by students, has to be seen from the point of “developing research personnel” for tomorrow. It is seen as an excercise of human development for research work The prioritized topics are not necessarily chosen by such research staff and the students. On the other side, choice of instituional research projects may take into consideration some other extraneous factors of prioritization. Of course, one shoulsd ask questions whose prioritization viewpoint? One should ask who is prioritizing and why to do priortization from that angle? Are the members of research teams fully motivated to undertake those problems? There are difficulties in this approach. One may offer another approach. Here the principal investigators and participating post-doctoral persons work together. They are willing and alowed to pursue their own topics of research. This looks fine. But are these types of persons adequate in number? Are they received well? Further, we should know whether the research activity is well organized. Are research findings utilized by the system?
In
the world of education in India, Professor Buch was equated with the
unparalleled task of organizing the research surveys, that too without much
financial support. Professor Buch knew
the importance of having Indian database in the field of education. He knew
that local documentation of our problems and their well studied-solutions will
liberate us. There was hardly any organized tradition of developing database in
our country. Local resources, local talents, and local solutions to our
problems are essential inputs for any nation building exercise. Professor Buch
realized this and he really gave an action leadership. He produced a series of
surveys of education India. He undertook the task of identifying measuring
instruments originated in India in the areas of psychological, educational and sociological endeavor.
In
the world of education in India,
Professor Buch is fully associated and many a times equated with the
unparalleled task of organizing the research surveys that too without much
financial support. Professor created a
history in the field of education. He undertook the monumental work of Surveys
of Research In Education in India from the courtyard of CASE. Many a time, as
expected, a few jealous friends tried to jam his work. Professor Buch and some
of his colleagues stumbled a bit. Subsequently we more confidence out of such
jams. We got new inspiration.
Professor
Buch made the CASE as a lead institution of the country. Under his direct
stewardship, the CASE created new leadership in research in education in the
country. Many international collaborations, contributions, and initiatives were
made into the area of teacher education, microteaching, innovations and change,
educational technology, staff development in higher education. It would be
worthwhile to talk a bit about the background of the Five Surveys of
Educational Research.
It
was in early 1970s that some of us were discussing with Professor M.B.Buch
about the possible strategies of undertaking A Survey Of Research In Education.
There was no such standard title, as mentioned above. There was no money
available for this purpose. There was
no adequate experiences with the proposed younger staff of the CASE There was no administrative support from the
national organizations. Of course, a few friends in the UGC, Professor J.P.Naik
from ICSSR, Professor S.K.Mittra from the NCERT, and a few friends from the ministry of education were kind. It is
important to state that the local inner group of CASE was highly excited. We decided to undertake the project by
generating support from anywhere and anyone. We also agreed to provide the additional
time to complete the project.
Academic
preparation and administrative arrangements with the field institutes and
universities were well envisaged. All
the universities, intitutions of higher learning, the national
libraries, the ICSSR library, the
resources of the AIU, and many more were approached. As far as academic
preparations are concerned, we identified
key resource persons, regional resource persons, field research investigators, area investigators
and others. Each one of them required
special orientation so as to undertake assigned tasks of locating the Doctoral
research, preparing the research abstracts, carry on the preliminary editing,
participate in final editing of the abstracts, classification of edited
abstracts, writing the trend reports giving the current research trends and
future requirements. This task was huge in terms of quantity, complex in terms
academic delicacies, demanding in terms of required collective leadership, and
tough for facing external criticism of special groups of rival persons. Practically all the active researchers of
the country were directly and or indirectly associated with this monumental
work. I was one of the very active members of the team. In fact, I was the
joint-editor of this founding work called “A Survey of Research in
Education”. Those were good days of our
professional contribution to the cause of educational research. Professor Buch
a glorious Sun having a few stars around him.
Considering
the success experiences of Professor
Buch, we decided to undertake the task the Second Survey of Research in Education. He retired from the CASE. The second survey
was published by SERD- a newly registered body called Society for Educational
Research and Development. The third
Survey of Research was completed in collaboration with NCERT. The Fourth Survey of Research in Education
was completed under the general editorship of Dr.Buch. Dr.Buch persisted in his goal and arranged
that the NCERT took over the Fifth Survey of Research in Education. Meanwhile,
Dr.Buch departed from this world. The
fifth survey will see its day. Many of the new surveys will continue- lekan main kahin door hoonga.
I
joined the Center Of Advanced Study in
Education (CASE) located in M.S.University of Baroda in 1972. This Center was established by the UGC as a sequel to
the recommendations of the Kothari Education Commission. The CASE was supposed
to conduct advanced researches in the thrust areas of education. Professor
M.B.Buch headed this Center for a pretty long time. He was a great supporter of research. He was the most
efficient manager of educational research, of his times. If any one has doubts
about this statement, I am prepared to argue my assertion, separately.
Professor Buch implemented the strategy
of institutionalizing the idea of
focused areas of research in education. We identified a few thrust
areas. Teacher Behavior was one of such thrust areas. I was one of the team
members at the CASE. We reviewed the research studies completed in India and
abroad. We organized a large number of themmatic seminars so as to consolidate
our views about research in Teacher behaviors. Let us recall that those were
the days when Gage,N.L. had already published his monumental book first handbook
of research in teaching. Professor S.K.Mitra, a very respected researcher and
scholar was giving his national lectures in the area of teacher behavior.
Professor
Ryans in USA, and Professor Adaval.S.B in India had completed their researches
about the characteristics of teachers, and also qualities of teachers. As per
expectations, nothing was emerging out of these studies. Profiles of good
teachers, selection tests for teachers, aptitude tests for teaching and many
more issues continued to remain pending. People were getting frustrated. One of
the author wrote that all over the world billions of dollars have been spent in
the research on teacher effectiveness. Millions of correlation coefficients
between different variables were worked out. The results can be summarized in
three words: “Not Significant Research”.
In
India, the presage-product, and the presage-process-product approaches to
research in the area of teacher effectiveness were having their sunshine.
Researchers in education in many institutions including the universities at Simla, Merut, and Indore were committed. they were studying
the areas of student learning vis-à-vis teacher behaviour. They started considering
the classroom processes of teaching. Immediately, the country passed through a
celeberated training wave organized at hundreds of places. Classroom
observation tools, and procedures
including that of the Flanders Interaction Analysis Categories System became
popular. This had also helped in the training of inservice and pre-service
teachers.
Apart
from this objective of improving teacher-training, we used this handy tool of
observation for improving research about classrooms. It was a great tool for
some of the simplistic minded researchers. This tool helped some other experts to
observe live behaviours in the classrooms. They also observed live
interactions between teachers,
students, and other materials. Someone called it a quantum jump in the area of
studying teacher behaviors. While these developments were taking place, a new equipment called CCTV appeared on the scene.
Also, an innovation called microteaching started emerging as a new approach for improving the teaching
behaviors. In India, this innovation too became popular.
The
researchers, like Malhotra,S.P., undertook presage-process-product studies.
Three approaches, namely,
competency-based teacher education, process-based teacher
education, and the performance-based
teacher education competed over a long period of time. The dreams, of Professor
Buch and his associates, for finding a theory of teaching could not
materialise. In retrospect, we find that such a thing had to happen. Now it
looks, that it was so obvious. Many theories of teaching, theories of learning,
and many theories of therapies are available. The dreamy hope of finding a
theory of teaching looked novice. One cannot know such things without
committing the progressing efforts. There is not one teaching theory. There is
not one teaching style. This search for a single generalized style of teaching was
a folly. We played this unending game. Of course, we were tired and lost the
game. Professor Buch did not loose the courage. He guided us for a new search
by following multiple approach of models of teaching.
As
an innovation, Models of teaching appeared on
the Indian scene. The work of Bruce Joyce, and his colleagues was
available to the world in the form of book. But the substance of this book was
turse. I started putting in my best efforts in this direction. I discussed the
need, idea, and even the strategy of implementing the idea of models of
teaching with Professor Buch. He reinforced my views and suggested that a
larger group should be involved. We approached NCERT for this purpose. Our
efforts set the path of introducing this innovation in Indian teacher
education.
Professor Buch appreciated and implemented the idea interdisciplinary approaches in teaching, training of teachers and even conducting educational research. He introduced this novel approache to conduct researched in CASE. Experts from social sciences, anthropology, information management sciences and others were encouraged by Professor Buch to carry on their research in the field of education. The qualitative research methods were followed by some of his students. He encouraged young researchers to undertake experimental research. Professor Buch had appreciation for diversity. On the one side he liked qualitative approach to research and on the other he encouraged quantification coupled with high inputs of computer analyses.
It
is quite difficult to comment upon the personality of anyone. Alternatively, if
you do not say anything about a person, then the purpose of such a writing is
lost. It may be worth while to mention in one line that the greatest quality of Professor Buch was his ability to organize
large scale projects including team making. He lived his life doing
experimentation in teacher education. He was always looking for talents hidden anywhere
and helped such persons in their growth. He was a hard task master but with a
kind heart. He worked hard in his childhood, youth, and even after his
retirement. In fact, his contribution after retirement is worth appreciation.
He had a kind heart of Buddha
especially for the poor. He was a humanist. He used to think beyond the
national boundaries. Let me mention here that he used to get angry project
deadlines are over-shooted. He could tolerate financial loss but never the loss
of time. He used to say that some people spend money to save time, whereas some
others spend time to save money.
Apart
from the national contributions, the Professor had made it a mission to take
the prestige of CASE to International Organizations like UNESCO, University of Bristol, OECD, Lancaster University, School of
Education Malmo, Kim Sibley from USA, Universities of Thailand, and many more
institutions. There is a long list of his students who are representing a virtual institution. This virtual
institution is spreading the message of
developing a new work culture. A large number of scholars used to
visit him. It would be interesting to
mention all such name. But the list is too long. Professor had reached his
professional friends through his personal visits, postal writings, professional
meetings, and so on. But most important source of his out-reach was his
writings. He has published many types of publications and literature in many
formats.
Apart from writing a large number of critical articles, Professor Buch published research papers, and printed reference books, educational journals, handbooks, thematic books, monographs, course books, anthologies, annotated bibliographies, seminar reports, conference deliberations, newsletters, and many more such things. It would be worthwhile that Professor continued to publish and support the publication of journals for many types of audience. Some of his latest journals are Vigyan Darshan, Ganit Darshan, Perspectives, and others. He was heading a few societies like Samashti, SERD, and others which undertook special publications.
We may use the above information to understand the life style and working style of a creative worker. Unique persons like Professor Buch must be understood from the point of view of uniqueness. His work and working style were original, purposeful, and compatible with human nature. Such creative lives have special commitment. They follow deviation-amplifying system of work. They welcome deviations, explore them furhter and develop them into purposeful innovations. On the other side such workers are aware of ground realities. They know that excellence comes by inches. May be, we have to come upto the expectations of the dear and the Professor whom I have titled. as a Visionary Gambler, with all my respects towards this soul of teacher education.