Edu convention calls for equitable, just people's education policy

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: A state-level education convention organised by the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) was held at the city's Gandhi Bhavan on Friday.

During the convention, it was strongly asserted that the current National Education Policy (NEP) designed by the central BJP government poses a threat to equitable and high-quality education. Therefore, the attendees called for a revision of the NEP to formulate a people's education policy, considering it a pressing need.

Madhu Bangarappa, the Honourable Minister for Primary & Secondary Education and Literacy, GoK, assured that the government would endeavour to create a fair and just education policy for the state.

To achieve this, the government will seek recommendations and guidance from progressive education experts and thinkers, starting with the valuable insights gained during the convention. Dr MC Sudhakar, the Minister for Higher Education, GoK, criticised the central BJP government, accusing them of directly copying the NEP from the Western education system.

Dr HC Mahadevappa, the Minister of Social Welfare, GoK, pointed out that the NEP 2020 was implemented without a democratic process. He questioned the motives of the BJP government, alleging that they violated principles and ethics by implementing the NEP without organic discourse, expert recommendations, or a democratic parliamentary enactment.

He emphasised that the NEP 2020 failed to address the needs of economically and socially marginalised sections of society. Prof Sukhdeo Thorat, Former Chairman of UGC, criticised the NEP 2020 as a hastily implemented policy that lacks emphasis on creating an equitable and just educational foundation.

He stressed the importance of a value-based education system rooted in principles of equity, fraternity, and socialistic views, as opposed to the NEP, which appears to privilege only a select few. Prof A Murigeppa, Retired Vice-Chancellor of Hampi University, emphasised the necessity for a paradigm shift in the current education system.

He called for additional vocational and skill-oriented training alongside regular academics, enabling students to develop holistically. He urged everyone to take moral responsibility in advocating for a just and righteous education system and to put forth their appeals and demands to the government.

Dr Michael Williams, an Educationist and Secretary of The Forum of Minority Schools in New Delhi, labelled the NEP 2020 as a highly unpredictable policy lacking authenticity and reverence for our education system.

He criticised the central BJP government for hastily implementing the NEP during the pandemic, with insufficient opportunity for expert deliberations and consultations before its enactment.

Dr Francis Almeida, Secretary of the Karnataka Regional Commission for Education, pointed out that the NEP distorted many facts in the name of reformation, bending issues to suit its own agenda. He also highlighted that the NEP fails to promote value-based education for the holistic growth and development of children.

The convention concluded with a resounding call for a people's education policy that upholds principles of equity, justice, and quality education.

The speakers and participants earnestly urged the government to seriously consider their recommendations and formulate a new education policy that benefits all sections of society