After 34 long years, there’s a change happening in the education sector, which will have its impact on a national level.
This change was of utmost necessity so that our education is in sync with the times. All round development of a child rather than just academic success is the basis of good education. This has been addressed to a large extent. Strict compartmentalising of streams that limited the study patterns are being relaxed and flexibility is being introduced. This will help students to acquire multi-pronged knowledge without limitations.
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Mere educational qualifications will give way to onus on skill development resulting in industry ready talent. Research and Development will get an additional boost and our bright brains need no more be drained to foreign countries. Our children will now be at level with international students and there will be an ease of absorption and transition of knowledge.
Coming to Goa, it’s clear that we’re falling short on some major aspects of the new education policy and the government should not procrastinate the actions warranted to meet the benchmarks.
Goa is presently going through a sad state of affairs in the education sector and the New Education Policy is a clarion call to our Education Dept to brush up its act on immediate basis.
Falling short on the new central directives will put our students at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the country and we cannot afford that.
If we fail to meet the implementation parameters, we shall be isolated from the national scenario and lose out on centralised education packages and grants.
Goa should look at the New Education Policy as an opportunity to turn the State into an education hub. We should tap this opportunity as this would be a very viable avenue for Economic Revival in a sector that can boost our economy and the additional benefit is that this is by far the most pollution-free sector of revenue generation.
Concerns that introduction of a single syllabus might have a marginalised impact on the secular aspect needs to be addressed.
Implementation of regional language mode in the primary stage has been given flexibility and this should be utilised by States to the advantage of the students and not for endorsing local political aspirations.
There are also apprehensions that a unified syllabus for the entire country will bring in big players into the textbook business and this might lead to an increase in prices. This needs to be addressed at State levels and also taken up with the Centre.
It’s expected that the Centre will rush the implementation in this academic year itself with an Ordinance and I request the Chief Minister to ensure preparedness of all parameters at state level so that our children can join the national change.
The National Education Policy is aimed at ensuring Right to Education & giving equal opportunity to every child. Now it’s for us to make sure that the implementation reaches every child.
The ultimate goal is the growth of an all inclusive Knowledge Economy and Goa should make the most of this opportunity. Our economic policies should be primed to maximise the assimilation of the economic benefits of this change which will in turn ensure the socioeconomic development of our future generations.
The New Education Policy is a wonderful opportunity for Goa to become a part of the Knowledge Economy by turning Goa into a Knowledge Hub. This was envisaged by me much earlier when I was in the Ministry and I see a great opportunity for Goa’s economic revival in the Knowledge Industry which will get a big boost with the implementation of New Education Policy. It is estimated that around more than 2 lakh students go out of India to study in foreign universities and along with them flows out crores of rupees towards the upkeep of these students. The new policy envisages providing ample opportunities in India to stop this drain and Goa should take advantage of the new avenue. Instead of going after highly polluting and nature destructive projects, Goa should seize the opportunities in the emerging Knowledge Economy.
Goa government should take a pragmatic approach to the New National Education Policy and tap the various opportunities it offers in terms of educational & economic growth of the State.
(The writer is a MLA)
