Call for value-based education

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 9. A seminar on value-based education and maintenance of uniform standards in all education institutions, here on Sunday demanded that the Central and the State Governments scrap the present ``unequal'' education system and evolve a new scheme where children of all sections get equal educational opportunities.

The one-day meeting was organised by the Mahatma Joti Rao Phoole Institute of Social Justice, in connection with the birth anniversaries of social reformers, Narayana Guru and Dr. Periyar Ramaswamy.

In a resolution, the participants of the seminar said with the imparting of various types of education, in Government and private schools, the potential of the children belonging to deprived classes and who normally go to Government schools, remained unrealised. What was needed was to improve the standards of Government schools and bring them on par with the private ones.

By other resolutions, the meeting demanded implementation of the Constitutional provision on free and compulsory education up to the age of 14, National Education Policy of 1986, introduce uniform curriculum, strengthening of the Education department, reintroduction of the detention system and SSLC register having details of marks, date of birth, caste and religion, to check the way people were managing bogus caste certificates.

Earlier addressing the seminar, Dr. Kancha Ilaiah, social activist, who had just returned from Durban where he attended World Conference Against Racism said by blocking the inclusion of a para on caste discrimination, India had lost an opportunity to get international assistance which could have been utilised for education of deprived classes.

If it formed part of the UN resolution and programme of action, as was demanded by NGOs, India would have benefited like it was the case with African countries after the inclusion of racism. With funds pumped in from various international agencies, the education levels had gone up phenomenally in South Africa.

He expressed surprise at the way SCs, STs and Backward Classes, did not make any public protests in India at the non- inclusion of the caste discrimination at WCAR, which he said reflected ``their total mental slavery.''

Mr. B. Danam, senior IAS officer, spoke of instilling in the young minds, value-based education that laid emphasis on equality and fraternity, besides improving the quality of teaching in Government schools. Dr. Babu Rao Verma, freedom fighter, said Periyar was the first one to speak about inequalities in the education system. Dr. Gopalkishen, eminent nephrologist, said the goal of achieving total literacy remained a distant dream. Mr. M. S. Viswanadha Rao, Insurance Ombudsman, Mr. V. B. B. Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Education, Osmania University, Mr. K. Penchaliah, general secretary and Mr. Krishnamurthy, organising secretary the institute, spoke.

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Section  : Southern States
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