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Journalism of Courage
Human Resource Minister Kapil Sibals agenda of reforms in education sector got a thumping approval in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as the minister laid out his vision for the crucial sector,underlining the need for a change in the mindset and not to be slaves to our convictions.
His impassioned arguments in favour of giving choices to children,bringing in private investment in education sector and allowing foreign universities appeared to have gone down well even with the skeptics from the Opposition benches,which had expressed apprehension about these moves during the debate on demand-for-grants of the HRD Ministry.
There were no dissenting voices in the House as the minister finished his reply to the debate. The minister also declared that the Right to Education Bill will be introduced and passed in the current session of Parliament.
Elucidating his guiding philosophy of expansion,inclusion and excellence in policy-making,Sibal said his proposal to make Class X examination optional was only meant for CBSE-affiliated schools and he had no plans to abolish state boards. The minister,however,sought to draw peoples attention to the Bologna Process in Europe in which children would read three languages and a single examination would be held in all 40 countries so that children could move to any country they wish for higher education.
Taking off from where BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had left on the issue of autonomy in the context of education,the minister said,The autonomy will come when you give the child the right to decide. For 60 years,we have not given our children choices.
Making a strong case for private sector investment,he said the 11th Plan allocation in education sector was Rs 85,000 crore as against the requirement of Rs 4,00,000 crore.
