Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar Tuesday said the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s vision is to create a culture of scientific thinking among the students in the State.“We should see education as a tool to bring about a change in the society on modern, intellectual and ethical lines,” he said and added that efforts being made by the present Government to rejuvenate the State’s educational sector is gaining ground and there will be tangible movement forward in the coming days and months with perceptible transformation of academics.Speaking at inaugural function of a workshop on “National Education Policy”, organized by National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) New Delhi in collaboration with State Institute of Education (SIE), Kashmir, the Minister said the objective of the workshop constitutes the core concerns about education system so that the Government can respond more creatively to address such fundamental issues. He said earnest efforts are required to be made to deliver quality education and improve on its standards so that the ultimate aim to produce a human being, who is an asset but not a liability, is met.
The Minister said it is high time we break loose of clichés and come up with a blueprint for change in the education sector. “There has been immense expansion in the education system in the past few years with schools in almost every village but have we achieved what we aimed for and whether the society is benefitting from the present system,” he said.The Minister said unfortunately over a period of time the education system has been shaped in a way that discourages quality learning. He said over-emphasis on infrastructure and amenities have overshadowed the basic aim of providing quality education, adding that teachers and students who are the main ingredients of the education system have gone out of focus. He said the government is working hard to bring this focus back and at least have been able to rekindle a level of consciousness about education to an extent that government schools have started getting an ownership of the community.
The Minister said that the Education Policy should emphasize on creating a generation that is skilled, motivated and that could contribute towards development. Vocational courses being introduced in schools will help in overall development of a student and will also help encourage his or her inner creative abilities and instinct, he said and added that the reforms in the education system must be such that they make education interesting.Referring to Model School concept with facilities like Smart Classes, the Minister said that such measures are being taken to make education more interesting and bring government schools at par with the prestigious private institutions. He also appreciated the private schools for their contribution to the education scenario and assured that the government is also taking various steps for their betterment.Chairman JKBOSE, Commissioner Secretary School Education, Director SSA, Secretary JKBOSE, Joint Secretary School Education, Kashmir were present on the occasion besides NCERT experts, CEOs, Principal DIETs, academicians representatives from VECs, and NGOs.