Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed a conclave on school education in the 21st century, which was organized under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by the education ministry as part of the ‘Shiksha Parv’.
He addressed the conclave on its second and final day, via videoconference.
Here are some quotes from the Prime Minister’s speech:
NEP a means to fulfill the aspirations of the new India
Addressing the event, the Prime Minister called NEP 2020 a means to meet the new hopes and needs of a new India. He added that the policy was designed after four to five years of hard work by people of all regions, genders and languages. He added that work on the matter was still ongoing.
Interact, explore, experiment, express yourself and excel
PM Modi highlighted the importance of promoting easy and new ways of learning, which he called “New Age Learning” methods. These, he said, were to participate, explore, experiment, express and excel.
Five C’s of the 21st century
Speaking of ’21st century skills’, Modi said that students must advance with these skills. These, he said, are critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, curiosity and communication.
The score sheet has become a ‘mental pressure sheet’
Speaking about the pressure to get good test scores, Prime Minister Modi said parents always ask their children about their grades, but never what they have learned. It was asked how a score sheet can be a parameter of children’s mental development.
Mathematical thinking and scientific temperament
He spoke about the need to develop mathematical thinking and scientific temperament in children. “Mathematical thinking not only means that children solve mathematical questions, but it is also a way of thinking,” he said.
Language is a means of education, not education itself
On the subject of the medium of instruction, PM Modi said that language is a medium of instruction and not education itself. She said that whatever language a child can learn in must be the medium of instruction.
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