Commissioner of School Education V. China Veerabhadrudu on Wednesday underscored the importance of arts and crafts in the school curriculum.
Participating in a function organised by members of the Crafts Council of Andhra Pradesh (CCAP), to distribute prizes to the winners of various craft activities organised by them in select schools, Mr. Veerabhadrudu said education was not complete with mere classroom lessons.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s Nai Talim, a principle which says that knowledge and work are not separate, he said the Mahatma promoted a curriculum based on this pedagogical principle.
He said it was sad that arts and crafts in schools were on the decline. He expressed concern over growing stress only on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and said knowledge in these subjects was only a part of education. “They may get you a good job, but your education will not be complete,” he reiterated.
Mr. Veerabhadrudu egged the students on not to sit but to work. “Let your entire body partake in the education. The bookish knowledge you gain in a classroom caters to only your brain, that too only to the left brain. To educate the right brain, you need to draw, sing, dance, play and engage in other activities,” he said.
He said most children these days expressed a desire to become either a doctor, a Collector or an engineer. “But I want kids to become writers, dancers, artists and painters,” he said citing examples of badminton ace P.V. Sindhu, chess grandmaster Koneru Humpy, weightlifter Karanam Malleswari and singers like Shreya Ghoshal and Geeta Madhuri. He said children should try to master as many languages as possible and also learn at least five to six different crafts and explained to them how Gandhiji had learned 32 crafts in his life, including the art of making sandals and how he sent General Smuts a pair of leather sandals he had made in prison.
CCAP’s joint secretary S. Ranjana, executive member B. Sujatha , member G. Rashmi and others were present.