Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has termed the National Education Policy 2020 as a revolutionary reform of the 21st Century. Delivering the key-note address at the Centenary Year Teachers’ Day Celebration of the Parle Tilak Vidyalay Association of Mumbai through video link, he said early childhood education, inquiry-based education, teacher training, foundational and numeric literacy, have all been emphasised on. Prakash Javadekar said “NEP 2020 will empower our youth, which will take the nation forward in the 21st century. “The policy is such that it will make the teaching-learning experience enjoyable for both students and teachers”.
Prakash Javadekar expressed confidence that India would double the Gross Enrolment Ratio within the next 10 years from the current level of about 25%. He said “students across the country have become aspirational and economic growth has pushed parental earnestness to provide a good education for their children. The wider geographical spread of higher education institutions, especially covering rural areas and increased demand would be the critical factors that will improve GER in India”.
Prakash Javadekar began his address by invoking Lokmanya Tilak’s views on education as means of creating awareness, and He said: “the new policy lays emphasis on foundational and numerical literacy and institutes like National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) would give access to education to all”. He underlined the importance of Early Childhood Education as the main characteristic of NEP, 3 -8 years of Age Group is to build Cognitive skills, curiosity and mental capacity. “The education with subject understanding is important rather than rote learning. While activity-based learning is emphasised at the early stages, 9th to 12th educatìon would focus on detailed, relevant and new knowledge, which will induce scientific temper among children” he added. He also said that research and innovation are crucial to enabling our education to mould globally competitive citizens.
3,000 ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ is running successfully to encourage research-based innovation, which is essential for building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Speaking about the role of teachers in the society, Prakash Javadekar
said “ a teacher does not simply teach through books or blackboards. The ideal teacher is the one who instils values in students through his/her conduct”. Four years of integrated B.Ed degree is being introduced to provide a holistic training programme for teachers, which will include practical teaching skills. It will encourage teachers to become teachers by choice and not as a last resort, he added.
”The National Education Policy has been formulated after extensive consultations. Recalling his days as the HRD Minister, 13-14 subject experts had worked with great sincerity and zeal under the leadership of Dr K Kasturirangan” he added.
Parle Tilak Vidyalaya Association is an educational organisation operating mainly in Mumbai suburbs. On June 9, 2020, the organisation entered its centenary year. Inspired by the great personality of Lokmanya Tilak, some patriotic citizens of Vile Parle founded the Parle Tilak Vidyalaya Association (PTVA). The first Marathi school, Parle Tilak Vidyalaya, was started on June 9, 1921. There were only 4 students in the school initially. Today, the institute has 5 schools, 3 colleges and a Management Institute, with a total enrollment of over 20,000 students. Among the alumni of Parle Tilak Vidyalay Association are veterans like Maharashtra’s beloved writer Pu. La. Deshpande, Shetkari Sanghatana founder Sharad Joshi, former Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Pradip Naik (R). The institution has also produced many politicians, social activists, entrepreneurs and actors.
(Source: PIB)
