New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday emphasised the need to instil confidence in children, saying we should have faith in children’s ability to succeed and encourage them to fulfil all their dreams.
Sisodia was delivering a keynote address at the launch of the second issue of ‘Children First’ journal by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR).
“The biggest drawback of our education system is that we do not have faith in our children’s ability to succeed. The question is not what we write in the National Education Policy (NEP), but how we interact with our children in the classrooms and at homes. That shows that our lack of faith in them,” he said.
We deter our children by asking them to dream within their limits whenever they share their aspiration of becoming an IAS officer, a Supreme Court Judge or a sportsperson, Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio in the national capital, said.
“Today, a child from a poor household can become the president. Similarly, every girl can fulfil her dream. But we have broken her confidence, which we need to instil,” he said.
Sisodia made the remark in reference to Droupadi Murmu who took oath in July as the 15th President of India, making her the first tribal head of State and the second woman to occupy the country’s highest constitutional post.
“I dream of an India where each and every child has the self-confidence to achieve whatever they want in life,” he said, adding that the Indian education system should be such that people from other countries send their children to study here.
Replying to a question on the kind of India he wishes for children, the minister said, “I want a country where there are good opportunities in education, job, health and justice so that we do not have to depend on other countries.”
He added that the Kejriwal government is determined to provide a better future to each and every child and is ensuring the same through quality education and by changing the environment of government schools and classrooms across Delhi.
“The government is not only trying to make them responsible as well as happy people through curriculums. Investing now in their education will yield better results for the country in future,” he said.
Supreme Court Justice B V Nagarathna, the chief guest at the event, said it is necessary to secure effective access to justice for children.
“India is one of the youngest countries in the world with 41 per cent of our total population comprising of persons below the age of 18. Across the country, millions of children interact with justice system,” she said.
“Given such inevitable interaction, it is necessary to secure effective access to justice. Failing which children remain vulnerable to abuses from their family, society and the state,” she added.
Speaking at a discussion during the event, AAP’s Kalkaji MLA Atishi talked about the importance of Mission Buniyaad and happiness curriculum.
“Working on foundational learning and investing in the emotional well-being of children — these two things need to be the front and centre in any classroom and education system. The Delhi government is working on the foundational skills for many years now.
“Mission Buniyaad has brought the foundational skills at the front and centre, and hopefully, that is how it will stay. We have also been working for the last few years on the happiness curriculum,,” she added.
In the second edition, DCPCR received more than 100 entries from educationists, child rights activists, researchers, and teachers from over 20 states.
Authors of the journal are associated with reputed institutions such as King’s College, London University of Leeds, University of York, IITs, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Ambedkar University, Azim Premji University, and Christ University, Bangalore, among others.
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