Srinagar, September 12(Scoop News)-Minister of State for Education, Science and Technology, Feroz Ahmed Khan inaugurated a 2-day State Level Consultation on Right to Education Act for Children in J&K at Gandhi Bhawan, University of Kashmir today.
Vice-Chancellor, University of Kashmir, Prof. M. A. Sofi, Advisor, School Education, J&K Govt. Mohammad Rafi, Director School Education, Kashmir, Mir Tariq Ali, Director RMSA, H. A. Parray, Dy. Programme Director, S Dave the Children, Manabhandra Nath Ray, Dean Students Welfare, KU, Prof. Nilofar KhanHOD, Human Development Department, Govt. Women’s College, M.A.Road, Prof (Dr) Yasmeen Ashai, besides Prof. M.A.Shah, Prof. N. A. Nadeem, HoD, Law Deptt. KU, Prof. M. Ayoub Dar, Registrar, KU, Prof. Zaffar A. Reshi, faculty members, Resource persons, participants from all the three regions of the State participated in the brain storming sessions.
Addressing the inaugural session, the Minister said that the State has, in fact, a rich history of educational development, some of the important development in this context date back to first half of the 20th century. He said, after independence and with coming into force of the Constitution of the State, right of free education upto University level came to be a part and parcel of the Directive Principles of our State Policy.
Giving details of certain important features of Right of children to free and compulsory education Act 2009, Feroz Khan said that we have to ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion of elementary education, good quality elementary education besides to ensure that children from weaker and disadvantaged groups are not discriminated.
Saying that no child can be held back or expelled from school, the Minister stressed for no physical punishment or mental harassment of children. He asked teachers to assess learning ability of each child and regularly meet parents in order to demonstrate the desire to move forward in the matter of education being guaranteed as a right to every citizen.
Vice Chancellor University of Kashmir Prof. M. A. Sofi in his address said that education is a fundamental right of every human being irrespective of race, gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion or political preference, age or disability which lays foundation for the development of society. He said that the Indian Parliament enacted the Right to Education Act in 2009 to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years. He said that the Act notifies that it is a legally enforceable duty of the Centre and the States to provide free and compulsory education. He said that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among racial or religious groups.
Prof. M. A. Sofi however, said that equally important but relatively less emphasized is the ‘Quality of Education’, which is the bane of modern education system in India in general and in the J&K State in particular. He said that providing access to schools secures only one part of the right education. What is conspicuously lacking over there and also in our colleges and universities is the quality of education. And this failure to foster quality of education stems from a complete reluctance to go for a paradigm shift whereby the current system of rote memorization of books, texts and figures was allowed to give way to a system of education which put the highest premium comprehension and understanding. That would naturally entail bringing in changes also in the current examination system which, as we know, is programmed to merely size up the retention power of a student rather than his understanding. Prof. Sofi said unless such steps are initiated in the system, there is little hope of scientific culture flourishing in our midst which explains precisely why there is such an atrocious lack of interest in our educated youth to pursue science and scientific research as a career. Otherwise, we are condemned to keep on producing second rate students and third rate teachers who will at best end up making a living out of this profession rather than produce men and women of strong intellect.
Later, the technical session began under the Chairmanship of Vice Chancellor Kashmir University M. A. Sofi with the power point presentation by Advisor, School Education, Mohammad Rafi. The presentation was extremely informative, thought provoking and interesting for the learned audience. It was followed by presentations by Prof N. A. Nadeem, Dr. Yasmeen Ashai, Prof. Nighat Basu, Prof. Nilofar Khan, B. A. Dar.
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