Ashok Sharma
None can deny that quality education is imperative for the proper development of a nation Since assuming the charge of the School Education Departmemt, the Dy CM has taken a slew of measures to streamline the department under his charge.The latest one is the constitution of Education Advisory Board comprising eminent educationists representing all the three regions-Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for making recommendations for framing a suitable Education Policy for the state.There is no doubt that an effective educational policy is of utmost importance for enabling the students to discover their talents, raise their potentiaI and fostering in them a passion for lifelong learning.A good educational policy also aims at developing the qualities of leadership, creativity, confidence, compassion, perseverence etc and helps them to appreciate their culture and heritage.No wonder that it is due to their carefully prepared and properly implemented educational policies that the advanced countries have been able to achieve so much progress in the fields of Science and Technology, Literature and other spheres.
The learned members of the Education Advisory Board are expected to study the educational policies of advanced countries such as USA, Australia,Finland etc and incorporate their best features in the new educational policy of our state.It is hoped that they will prepare such a policy as is outcome based, uses strong and rich assessment methods, ensures the use of modern technology in teaching learning process, provides for active role of parents and community in the holistic development of children and lays focus not only on cognitive aspect but also on physical, aesthetic, moral and socio-economic domains of the children.The new educational polcy should also give a place of prominence to the local languages such as Kashmiri, Dogri, Bodhi etc so that the rich cultural heritage of our state is transmitted to the new generation It should also give due weightage to English language in view of it being an international language, link language, library language and window to the world.The new policy should also aim at reducing burden of school bags of the students, laying more stress on application of practical skills rather than theory and discourage rote learning.The policy should ensure that educational facilities are provided to all the children, especially those belonging to deprived sections of the society and those residing in remote and inaccessible areas to achieve the cherished objective of universalisation of secondery education.
The makers of new Educational Policy will do well to hold extensive discussion with educationsits, planners, intelligentia and invite and incorporate their suggestions in the New Educational Policy to catapult our State to the top position and to give our students a competitive edge in the fast changing world and at the same time enable them to face the challanges of the 21st Century. The policy needs to be value based laying stress on our age old values such as brotherhood, love, truth, respect for elders etc.School is, infact, the nucleus of social microcasm and the new policy should aim at developing interpersonal skills, care and harmony in the students to enable them to live in the multicultural and multireligious society in a harmonious manner.Last but not least, it should provide for professional growth of teachers by making it mandatory for them to attend incentive -oriented refresher courses and orientation courses to upgrade their knowledge and keep them abreast of the latest teaching techniques and trends in education.After all it is the teachers who have to shoulder the onerous responsibility of putting this policy into practice to achieve the desired objectives.
(The writer is serving as Lecturer in English, Govt. HSS Barolla, Udhampur)
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