New Delhi: Vice President M Hamid Ansari emphasized on quality agenda in education. On January 14, 2011, he said that simple, reliable and scientific methods of sampling and assessment on a nation-wide scale are important for highlighting quality agenda in education. Further, he added that quality indeed lies at the heart of the goal of education for all. This is more glaring in the context of their public policy because they neither have an inbuilt evaluation culture nor adequate trained human resources with both technical knowledge and field experience to check and monitor outcomes.
Mr. Ansari said the aforementioned statement while releasing the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2010. In addition, he said that what happens in classrooms and other learning environments is vitally important to the future of their citizens, and indeed to the future of their republic. Education of acceptable quality must address basic learning needs, enrich the lives of learners and their overall experience of living and well being, he added.
Furthermore, Mr. Ansari added that evidence from around the world demonstrates that efforts to expand enrolment must be accompanied by attempts to enhance educational quality if children are to be attracted to school, stay there and achieve meaningful learning outcomes. Moreover, he told the sources that public policy can address this challenge with a sharp focus on two issues - quality improvement in teacher training and curricular materials development.
Besides, Mr. Ansari added that education governance and management at the grass roots and institutional level should be participatory and engage with local communities and cultures. Further, he said that they have made a positive beginning with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009. As per sources, Mr. Ansari hoped that this constitutional initiative would be used for enabling parents and the local community a greater say in the monitoring of educational outcomes.
