Students’ learning space must go beyond classrooms: Manoj Sinha

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday highlighted the need to adopt reforms in the education sector, saying that students’ learning space must go beyond the classroom.

He said in the age of acceleration, students are not just the numbers but our future, and they should reflect the fine balance of excellent professionals with empathy, compassion and mindfulness.

He was addressing a joint annual function of three schools at the University of Jammu.

“The students’s learning space must go beyond the classroom. In the age of acceleration, students are not just the numbers but our future, and they should reflect the fine balance of excellent professionals with empathy, compassion and mindfulness,” the LG said.

He said cities and villages here are witnessing rapid transformation in school education.

“Fusion of technology and tradition are providing the progressive path to schools to be happy schools. The social connection, universal values, life skills can only be learnt in a happy school,” he said.

LG said schools and education systems must strive to prepare our students for the real world and they would require at least six skills, curiosity, critical thinking, adaptability, effective communication, teamwork and collaboration to become more productive and successful in their chosen career.

He said National Education Policy (NEP) has put special emphasis on engagement and involvement in both classrooms as well as a field study.

“A teacher’s most important role today is to create an atmosphere for curiosity, collaboration, and encourage the students to be more imaginative and develop creative skills,” added the Lt Governor.

Sinha emphasised that schools must nurture independent thinking and provide vibrant space for individual growth as it will help knowledge, skills, innovation and awareness to blossom.

“A student’s capacity to be a better scientist, doctor, engineer, musician hinges on the efforts to be more inquisitive, creative and learn the values that will act as navigation tools for the future,” he added.

The Lt Governor also highlighted the need to focus on increased student-teacher engagement, where a teacher acts as a collaborator and mentor and encourages students to think across subjects and disciplines.