The Hindu : Vishwanath for wider debate on school education policy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Vishwanath for wider debate on school education policy

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore May 27. The State Government has said that all policies pertaining to school education should be thoroughly debated and the NCERT (National Council for Educational Research and Training) should not pursue a set agenda in the matter.

The Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, H. Vishwanath, referring to the Action Taken Report of the NCERT on the National Curriculum Framework for School Education has said that all the processes related to the national curriculum should be suspended so that a national consensus could be evolved.

"The discussions on policies, framework, and guidelines related to school education should be discussed at the State level to facilitate the participation of all political representatives, academics, historians, teachers, students, and the representatives of parents' organisations," he has said in a statement issued here.

All the objections raised so far had been overruled and the NCERT completely ignored all the concerns and insisted on going ahead with its agenda.

"The National Curriculum Framework for School Education was prepared in a great hurry and was not presented to the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE). This apex academic body is the key to maintaining the concurrent nature of education. Further, the NCERT has not cared for the directions given by the NHRC on a petition, and the CBSE announced that the new textbooks would be introduced from the coming academic year."

Referring to the proposal on universalisation of school education, Mr. Vishwanath has said the Karnataka Government was of the view that school education should be ensured at least up to the tenth standard for children from the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Minorities, and Other Backward Classes. "In the present context, eight years of school education is not only inadequate but also discriminates and alienates these sections from the rest of society since the other sections, who are economically better off. always obtain a higher level of education. Tenth standard is the bare minimum required to face new challenges in the context of globalisation and privatisation."

The minister has said that facilitating the completion of secondary education was in keeping with the internationally recognised standards laid down by the United Nations convention.

Mr. Vishwanath has said that all measures taken by the NCERT for effective implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (universalisation of school education) were laudable, provided they did not affect the autonomy of the States in the matter of school education.

There was a need for a wider discussion before the implementation of any policy. "However, we appreciate the initiatives taken by the NCERT to integrate information, communication, and technology (ICT) into school education to harness its full potential for the benefit of students, in general, and students in government schools, in particular," he added.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Karnataka SC, ST officers' complaint

Vani Vilas Hospital gets Rs. 4-cr. facelift

Workshop on referal health system

Advisory panel reconstituted

Vishwanath for wider debate on school education policy

By-poll: Parties slugging it out for votes

Mite menace: `Let Nature take its course'

Karaddi launches campaign to elect teacher to Council

Govt. studying telemedicine software

Co-ops. protest changes to MMPO