Min: NEP to remain only on paper sans financial provision

Jaipur: Education minister B D Kalla on Wednesday said that financial provision from the Centre was needed otherwise the National Education Policy (NEP) would remain on paper only.
Kalla was addressing a seminar on NEP.
Kalla said that the state government was trying to impart education to children in a playful manner with focus on improving the learning outcomes. Training of teachers is being done continuously in the state to keep the education system updated, he said.
“It seems like NEP was framed to bring the education system on a pattern as followed in private education institutes, but this is the truth that two years since it was launched no budget has been allocated by the central government for this. In the NEP, how will training of teachers be done, who will teach pre-primary students, how will infrastructure be developed for pre-primary sections. The concept followed nowadays is how to make education joyful for children. The policy is good, but preparations for it is not complete…till there is financial provision, NEP will remain only on paper,” said Kalla.
He said that the emphasis on vocational education and skill development in NEP is good. A state-level committee has been formed under the chairpersonship of the chief secretary along with committees at the district level for proper implementation of NEP, he said.
“The focus must be on competency and learning outcomes. By class 8, foundational literacy is to be achieved in three languages at least. A child starts learning the first and second language from a young age itself and at a later stage, they usually take up a third language also in school. If not all three, then foundational literacy must be achieved in at least two languages, which is lacking at present in many students. Minimum foundational literacy is important so that the child learns it for life and can build upon it later too,” said Jitendra Sharma from Azim Premji Foundation.