Govt schools could become parents' first choice in future: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Aug 19 (IANS) Addressing the daylong educational stakeholders meet on NEP 2020 on Tuesday, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah emphasised the need to uplift government schools to a standard where parents consider enrolling their children in them as the best choice for their future.

Addressing the gathering of educationists, Principals, Chief Education officers, Lecturers, Masters, Teachers and students, the Chief Minister said that education and health sectors form the core for the development of any society in the world.

He added that as soon as this elected government came into power, prime attention is being given to the education and health sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I always say that you keep everything else aside. If we do not have education, if we are not healthy, then we have nothing. We build roads, we build bridges, we build factories, we provide electricity, we bring tourists, we do anything. If we do not have education to benefit from these things, if we are weak, if we are infirm, then we will not be able to benefit from these things”.

The Chief Minister further said that Education has the power to transform any society, adding that all the stakeholders associated with the education sector need to work with such dedication so that the government schools are brought to such a level where parents will feel that getting their children admitted to a government school is the best decision for their future.

Quoting Nobel Peace Laureate, Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, the Chief Minister said that there is so much meaning in this quote, and all the stakeholders associated with the education sector need to make this their mantra for contributing something to this sector.

Highlighting other aspects of the education sector, the Chief Minister called upon the education community that serving in far-flung areas should be considered as an opportunity to contribute something rather than as a punishment.

He also called upon all the stakeholders to establish more and more Hybrid Learning Centres should be established in remote areas so that the students in these areas can receive education from subject-specific teachers from anywhere.

The Chief Minister, on the occasion, also called upon the educational community that in the last five years of implementation of NEP-2020, the challenges which may have emerged should be discussed and deliberated on platforms like these in order to have the required corrective measures.

Highlighting the significance of this stakeholders' meet, the Chief Ministers called upon the participants of the meeting that after its conclusion, to bring around 10 actionable points before the government, which will form the roadmap for developing the educational sector across Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Education, Sakeena Itoo, said that Education is the backbone to gauge the development of any part of the world. She further said that this stakeholders' meeting is a unique platform and space for dialogue on achieving various improvements in different aspects of the education system.

On the sidelines of the meet, the Chief Minister also e-inaugurated a Hybrid Learning Centre having 12 interconnected schools through mode, established at GBHSS Jawahar Nagar, with an aim to improve live interactive classes and a hybrid learning system.

He also e-inaugurated 19 educational infrastructure projects worth Rs. 39.1 crores across several districts of the Kashmir division.

Omar Abdullah, on the occasion, also distributed appointment orders among various persons recruited under SRO-43, RRET and CPW categories. He also launched a book titled ‘UDAAN’(Bhasha Ke Rang Shiksha Ke Sang), a Multilingual Children’s material, prepared by the Jammu and Kashmir State Council of Educational Research and Training (JKSCERT).

--IANS

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