New Delhi: Addressing the inaugural function of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Mr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister (PM) of India, said that the major concerns relating to equity in education is one of the prime concerns that needs to be addressed. Emphasizing on the reach of Right to Education (RTE) Act, PM said that eight years of elementary education is every child’s right and thus, a quality has to be maintained.
Discussing about the almost universal reach of the Act and its benefits, he added that under the midday meal scheme, hot meals are provided to about 11 crore, school children on daily bases. He emphasized that this scheme has contributed significantly in lessening the number of dropouts from government schools.
However, the PM also pointed out the fact that, the standard of teachers and teaching is not up to the mark, and learning outcomes are much less than expected. The constant increase of drop-out rates in schools after the elementary level, is a major issue to be reviewed, he advised.
The comments over the quality of education came a day after the PM lamented, that none of the Indian universities was ranked amongst the top 200, in the world. He further stated that, now the focus needs to be shifted, towards improving the quality of education. Explaining about the importance of quality education, he added that access to good quality education is a prominent way, through which India can emerge as a modern, prosperous and progressive country.
