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students that every measurement consists of two parts, choosing a unit and then a comparison of the item to be measured with the chosen unit. The teachers were of the conviction that measurement is absolute and any error is due to the observer. Also subjective things cannot be "measured." Yet another controversy, probably with more justification, was our refusal to accept the usual distinction between distance and displacement; distance is taught as a scaler and displacement as a vector. We thought this was a wrong way of teaching when a distance between two cities becomes distance or displacement according to whether we wish to call it a scalar or a vector quantity. We had discarded convention, and said that a distance is always a vector. But we do not always need all the information; sometimes, it is enough to know its absolute value only. We explained that the reason why we needed to call distance a vector was that space was the only parameter that had three dimensions. So if we used only two of its dimensions, we needed to know which two, therefore we have to give the direction as well. Therefore, it becomes a vector. But when we use all three dimensions, as in volume, then there is no ambiguity as all dimensions of the space are used. Thus, length and areas are vector but volume is not. There were several such points of dispute and therefore we never got the textbook agreed upon. The Teaching Method - No matter how it is organised, the teaching method is finally determined by who actually teaches. We had stressed practical work. But somehow our instructors always preferred to dictate notes and be in the classroom rather than have a practical demonstration. The former dropouts-turned-teachers always enjoyed being called "Sir" by the students. So a lot of our teachers Rural Development Through Education System 49
