Ahmedabad Jun 03 :- Accepting differences among several states over the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020), Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said he has “no objection” if some states adopt their own methodologies and urged all of them to work collectively on qualitative education.
Pradhan also announced 10,000-15,000 ‘PM Shree Schools’, which he said will be state-of-the-art ‘NEP 2020 labs’ equipped to prepare students for the future.
Pradhan made the announcement on the second day of the two-day National Conference of School Education Ministers, organised by the Union Department of Education along with the Gujarat Education Department, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
A few non BJP ruled states — Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal among them — skipped the event.
“A few states have some disagreements (over NEP 2020). I accept that with due respect. I have no objections,” Pradhan said. “The methodologies you adopt will take the nation forward — if you think something different, there will only be something good in it. The Centre has no objection in accepting that.”
Conference at a key juncture
The conference was held at a time the key NEP recommendations, such as a common entrance for university admissions, are being gradually rolled out. But a consensus over the policy eludes the Centre, with states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal not on board with some of its provisions.
Stating that K Kasturirangan, the former ISRO chief who headed the NEP drafting committee and the et committee to design national curriculum frameworks (NCFs), is “not a political person”, Pradhan said: “Taking him (Kasturirangan) as witness, I say we want active participation of all of you in NCF. You know the requirements of your children (in respective states). What should be done…you will tell me.”
