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A
new prescription for Revamping Primary Education to Create A New
Generation of Employable Citizens
by Azim Premji,
Chairman, Wipro Corporation
I firmly believe that every
child in this world has a fundamental right to childhood and education
- both formal and informal is an integral part of this childhood. If we
do not enable the child to enjoy formal education in the school and
constant informal education outside school (including at home), we
would be depriving the child her fundamental right. The changing face
of the global economic paradigm necessitates a whole new look of
education at all levels. It would redefine education and literacy. It
is in this new paradigm that we have to view primary education as a
basic building block.
My utopian view of Primary
Education in India is best described as follows:
- Pronounce universalisation of education as the
number one national priority.
- Each citizen of this country must hold himself
/ herself responsible for primary education.
- The entire focus at the primary education
level must shift to learning of the child than teaching the child.
Child's creativity and ability to learn needs to be given the highest
focus.
- Providing wholesome access to every child in
the remotest corner of the country is the joint responsibility of the
government and the community.
- The curriculum, the teaching methods and the
teacher training must all focus on learning through child's
environment, the rural setting and the culture at home.
- Make education upto 8th standard absolutely
free in Government Schools.
- Empower the school authorities, teachers and
the local community to run the school in the best interest of the
primary education.
- Significantly increase the financial resources
towards primary education.
- Build accountability in the school and in the
community for the learning levels of the children.
- Introduce Information Technology to make
education more exciting, standardize the quality and support teachers
to simplify understanding of relatively difficult concepts at
elementary education level.
This
article appeared in Education World, issue dated 12 October, 2001
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