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The Human Resource Development Minister, Shri Arjun Singh today said that education needs to be inclusive for it to benefit all. Speaking at the 51st meeting of the National Development Council here, he said that the best education process is the one that is based on shared ideals and is acceptable to the largest number of people. Departing from the prepared text of his speech, he said that education is a process which starts at the cradle and goes on till the end. There can be no monopoly and no single individual or group can claim to have exclusive monopoly over how the education process in a country like India should be carried out, he said.
Shri Singh said, while on the one hand we have inherited an ancient civilization, on the other hand, as a modern state, we are one of the youngest in the world. This dichotomy has been well addressed and reconciled by the preamble to the Constitution of India and it has to be the defining element in our scheme of things as far as education is concerned, he said.
Making an emotional reference to the contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru to the education system in India, Shri Arjun Singh said that the foundation laid by the former Prime Minister by setting up IITs and IIMs all over the country, is now paying rich dividends and has established India as a frontline country in the field of knowledge. The students from these institutions have spread across the world and contributed to the growth of knowledge and wealth. It is in this context that we have to set up a process of learning that is transparent and that which has the capacity to grow, he said.
Referring to the Knowledge Commission recently set up by the Prime Minister, he said that it reflects the ever expanding nature of knowledge and which has no limits. He expressed confidence that the Commission will be able to provide cutting edge road map for future.
Referring to the Central Advisory Board of Education, he said that this august body has been in existence for almost 100 years but regrettably it was rendered dysfunctional during the tenure of the previous government at the Centre.
“Unfortunately, for some reason, this premier body of inter-State consultation went into dis-use, which I personally feel, deprived the educational initiatives both the necessary legitimacy as also proper perspectives of both the Centre and the States. This led to arbitrariness and intellectual dishonesty”, he said.
Shri Arjun Singh said that the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, as mandated by the National Policy on Education, has prepared a draft framework and it is now being discussed and debated across the country. The draft along with amendments will be put before the CABE in August this year for approval following which the process for drawing up syllabus will begin.
Referring to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Shri. Arjun Singh complimented the State Governments for having made significant progress in the implementation of the flagship programme for achieving universalization of Elementary Education in the country. He, however, listed several areas of concern e.g., non-release of 25% of the States’ share, a high drop-out rate in certain states, non-availability of trained teachers in required number, teacher absenteeism and unsystematic transfers of key personnel.
He called upon the State Governments to undertake several systemic reforms on a priority basis to improve the delivery mechanism of the elementary education system. “Such reforms could be aimed at greater transparency, flexibility and accountability of the education system from the state to the school level; adequate deployment of trained teachers in accordance with the enrolment of the schools; a systematic transfer policy to ensure the smooth functioning of project; appropriate administrative measures to check absenteeism and put in place an effective monitoring mechanism”, he said.
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