HYDERABAD: In a round table conference organised by Save Education Committee(SEC) Telangana, on Wednesday, Educationists and intellectuals from the state slammed the ‘Draft New Education Policy 2016’ drafted by the NDA Government as an attempt at saffronisation and corporatisation of education in India.
They expressed disappointment with the New Education Policy and termed it shallow, and consisting of contradictions.
The conference comes in the wake of the announcement from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) that July 31 was the last date for suggestions from all quarters to be incorporated in the New Education Policy.
“Instead of addressing the root causes of illnesses plaguing the present education system, government is making the situation worse by attempting to include their own propaganda and opening doors for foreign forces to enter Indian education,” alleged Professor G Haragopal.
Haragopal opined that, though the draft policy accepts the various problems prevalent in today’s education system at all levels, it does not propose any sea changes to bring out a real transformation.
“It focuses on improving techno-managerial skills, ignoring socio-political aspects,” he said.
“Instead of only focusing on creating a small number of highly skilled youth and catering to urban youth, draft policy should focus on coming up with changes, which will help more than 60 crore youth, who come from agricultural and rural backgrounds,” he added.
Educationist and activist Chukka Ramaiah urged NDA Government to accept the suggestions and not look at them with hostility.
“New Education Policy should be designed to ensure that equity is maintained in classroom and opportunities to excel should be provided to all,” Ramaiah said.
He also urged Government, not to blame teachers and lecturers for the problems plaguing education system.
“It was the government which designed and guided education policy and not teachers,” he said.
SEC chairman K Chakradhara Rao, organising secretary K Laxminarayana among others took part in the conference.