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Journalism of Courage
Calling for a nationwide debate on the government’s proposed new national education policy, which it plans to begin working upon from 2015, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said that instead of a few officials, politicians and experts deciding on the matter — as has “happened till now” — the voices of people who will be impacted the most by the policy should be heard first.
“I want that next year, let there be a country-wide debate on a new national education policy. Till today, deliberations were restricted to only some officers, politicians and some academic experts. And they decide how to educate the country. Today, times have changed. People want those voices to be heard who’ll be impacted the most,” Irani said at a function to present the first National Awards for Innovations in Educational Administration to District and Block Education Officers.
Irani said that stakeholders in 2.5 lakh education councils at the village levels and 6,660 block levels should meet and deliberate upon the new education policy. “At the district level, MPs, MLAs and parents can also participate in the deliberations,” she said, underlining the need for the stakeholders to get more actively involved in discussing and formulating the policy. “We need to study the best practices across the world and also need to study where some of the best failed so that we can learn from the failure and course correct,” she said adding that “we cannot live in a cocoon”. Irani also revealed her ministry’s plans to have a new project called Igniting Minds in Kendriya Vidyalaya to ignite the young minds by connecting top scientists across the country and abroad with the students through Information & Communication Technology.
“We need to study the best practices across the world and also need to study where some of the best failed so that we can learn from the failure and course correct,” she said adding that “we cannot live in a cocoon”. Irani also revealed her ministry’s plans to have a new project called Igniting Minds in Kendriya Vidyalaya to ignite the young minds by connecting top scientists across the country and abroad with the students through Information & Communication Technology.
Speaking about the need to connect students with their roots and make them feel proud about them, Irani talked about starting a nationwide project where students can make short videos on topics like —”What makes my block, my district historical?” and then disseminating these videos across the country through Edusat to enable students to know more about their country.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said that if a person born in a village in Vadnagar and having studied in a humble school can become the Prime Minister, the onus is on the those associated with education to see who they prepare as future Prime Ministers.
The function saw 31 District and Block Education Officers being awarded under various categories.
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