Core values under threat: Varsity VC

Margao: Goa University vice-chancellor Varun Sahni on Thursday expressed his concern over the nature of education being imparted to students. He also underscored the need to impart value education and cultivate various skills instead of providing mere knowledge.
Sahni was speaking at the Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE) All Goa Catholic Educational Institutions’ Day, where he was the chief guest. The event was held at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, on Thursday.

The vice-chancellor said though knowledge and skills are intertwined, in the present system, knowledge predominates skills.

“This is not a criticism, but is merely a reflection of what education has come to mean in our country. Educational institutions should be a reflection of the society in which they are embedded. Today, we inhabit a society where core values are sometimes being threatened or rapidly disappearing. We, somehow are not being able to send across certain messages to our students. As a result, so many are failing to understand the importance and ability to lead a good life and to be at peace with oneself and our surroundings,” Sahni said.

The vice-chancellor also spoke about the important role sports and cultural activities play in students’ curricular activities.

Speaking on the theme, ‘The Love of Christ Urges Us On To Educate And To Transform’, archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao said, “Both in India and abroad, the Catholic Church can be proud of making a major contribution to the development of the world through its institutions covering all sectors of education. All these institutes stand out for the type of transformation they bring about in their students, over and above academic excellence.”

Ferrao also felicitated 90 ABE staff who completed over 30 years of service.

Earlier, while presenting the annual report, ABE secretary Sr Jasmine Coutinho spoke of upcoming ABE projects like an ICSE-affiliated school at Duler and a primary school at Collem and the recently inaugurated St Joseph Vaz Science and B.Ed college at Cortalim.