More than 120 stakeholders from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Goa participated in the event.
In his inaugural address, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar spoke about how Goa was at the front of providing free quality education to students till the senior secondary level.
He emphasised on skill-based education and stated that starting integrated BA, BEd, and BSc courses had drawn the younger generation to the teaching field.
He also highlighted the significance of education for children with special needs and how Goa had overcome these challenges.
The Goa University Vice Chancellor spoke about how education could become a catalyst for change within the country. He stressed that education is a fundamental right of all children, which could not be denied under any circumstance.
He added that the education policy should focus on skill development, which is in consonance with the global demand.
NCPCR chairperson Stuti Kacker congratulated Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) and the other stakeholders viz educationists, academicians, and teachers for helping NCPCR make this consultation on the New Education Policy a success.
She further said that NCPCR would organise one-day regional consultations in four zones of the country in collaboration with SCPCRs with the aim of bringing together scholars to deliberate and enrich the proposed new education policy.
She posed two important questions to the delegates: what are the issues in the current education policy and initiatives to be taken at school education level and what are other critical issues and areas that have been missed out in the consultation framework on school education.
NCPCR member (Education) Priyank Kanoongo emphasised on the importance of the educational policy for nation building and stated that the first regional consultation out of the four planned consultations was held in Goa as the State had several good educational practices. He also called for child-friendly schools across the country.
