A state level education convention organized by the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) took place in the city’s Gandhi Bhavan today. The convention affirmed its stance on the central BJP govt designed National Education Policy (NEP) as a threat to equity and quality education and therefore be revised to formulate a people’s education policy as the need of the hour.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Sukhdeo Thorat, Former Chairman, UGC criticized the NEP 2020 as a hurriedly implemented policy that does not advocate an equitable and just educational foundation. He said that the need of today is to have value-based education on the principles of equity, fraternity and socialistic views, and not the NEP that has been largely devised to privilege the very few.
Prof. A Murigeppa, Retd Vice Chancellor, Hampi University stressed upon the need for a change the way education is imparted today. He said that along with the routine academics the children pursue, there also needs additional vocational and skill-oriented training to develop as armed youths. He also said that we all have a moral responsibility in bringing a just and righteous education system and hence have to put forth our appeal and demands towards the prevailing government.
Dr. Michael Williams, Educationist, Secretary, The Forum of Minority Schools, New Delhi termed the NEP 2020 as a highly unpredictable policy which is neither authentic nor sacred for our education system. He criticized the central BJP govt of hurriedly implementing the NEP during the pandemic where there was less to no chance of conducting deliberations, consultations from experts for its organic enactment. He told that there are 7 versions of the NEP and we still don’t know that to choose which only adds that it’s a confused mess. He highlighted the importance of devising a secular, scientific education policy that is available all classes of people.
Dr. Francis Almeida, Secretary, Karnataka Regional Commission for Education pointed that NEP was a distortion of many facts in the name of re-reformation, twisting the issues to suit its agenda. He also said that the NEP does not promote value based education for the growth and development of children. He was also critical of the semester system and advocated for including vocational training for students.
Mr. Madhu Bangarappa, Hon. Minister for Primary & Secondary Education and Literacy, GoK assured that the government will strive to formulate a right and just education policy to the state by taking recommendations and guidance from progressive education experts and thinkers and those that will happen in today’s convention.
Dr. M C Sudhakar, Hon. Minister for Higher Education, GoK, alleged that the central BJP govt has straight away copied the NEP from the western education system. The NEP does not consider the 33% children who are of hail from scheduled caste community and close to 50% who belong to the minority community, and thereby said that NEP 2020 was implemented without any preparation but with an agenda on the backdrop. He stressed upon the need to transform Anganawadis into Pre-schools along with access to education and standard of education.
Dr. H C Mahadevappa, Hon. Minister of Social Welfare, GoK, said that the NEP 2020 was implemented without a democratic process. Questioning the motive of the BJP government he said that it has violated all principles and ethics while implementing NEP 2020 without organic discourse, expert recommendations, nor a democratic parliamentary enactment. NEP 2020 does not embrace the economic and socially marginalized section. He hinted upon devising a progressive and scientific education policy that also helps model a great character and personality within students.
Rajashekhar V N, Vice President, AISEC, Karnataka was of the opinion that text books should not become political tools and should be mediums of dispersing real knowledge that is secular and free from unscientific views. What we need is a secular, democratic and scientific education policy that upholds great character and morals.
Prof. Allamaprabhu Bettaduru, Writer and Retired Principal, President of AISEC, Karnataka who presided over the convention pressed for regularizing guest teachers & lecturers, and also appealed to the government to allocate more funds for education.
By the end of the programme many academic experts, educational peers and former deans of various institutions across the state recommended their suggestions and guidance for a new state education policy that would maintain the quality and equity of education. Deliberations and policy advice were being taken from all those who had gathered at the convention.
