The draft of the New Education Policy (NEP) has drawn so much opposition and resistance is because it is against the pluralistic character of the country and is leaning more towards RSS ideologies, said M.A. Baby, politbureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and former Education Minister of Kerala.
The draft has stirred a nationwide debate and has given birth to various movements opposed to the policy. Posters explaining the reasons behind opposition to the policy brought out by Bharathi Puthagalayam was released at a simple event held at the CPI-M party office in the city. The posters were released by Mr. Baby and CPI-M’s politbureau member G. Ramakrishnan.
The draft encompasses only the suggestions or views of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of the ruling BJP. It will only privatise and make the education sector into a corporate activity. In Kerala, the infrastructure in Government schools have been strengthened and smart classrooms have been introduced, resulting in more than four lakh students migrating from private schools to Government schools. In Kerala, politicians and elected representatives admit their wards only in Government schools. Taking this as a model, the Centre should strive to improve the Government schools across the country and towards this initiative, Mr. Baby said that a report has been submitted to the Prime Minister as well as the Minister for Human Resource Development.
Condemning the education policy, the party has already initiated door to door and street corner campaigns across the country.
The education policy should reflect the diversity and pluralistic nature of the Indian society and it should accord importance to all Indian languages. The centre should come forward to initiate talks, dialogue in a democratic manner to evolve the final policy.
Mr. Ramakrishnan said that instead of revising the draft policy, the Centre should completely drop it and start the exercise afresh. He exhorted the State Government to register its protest against the policy. Stating that the policy will only lead to closure of Government schools and make higher education affordable only to the affluent, it is nothing but a reflection of liberalisation policies in the education sector, he said.