Education is a national agenda which empowers the individual, family, society and the nation – Prakash Javadekar

The 65th Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) was held under the Chairmanship of Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar on 15th January 2018.

A number of decisions were taken at the meeting, in part flowing from the agenda, and in part stemming from concerns raised by the State Governments.  The following resolutions were adopted:-

1. It would be our endeavour to launch ‘Operation Digital Board’ in all schools in five years. This will be undertaken jointly by Centre, State, CSR, and community. This will improve the quality of education. Students will be empowered with 360 degree information with interesting learning experience and teacher accountability will also increase.
2. We are committed to ensure Quality, Equity, Accessibility, Accountability and Affordability in education by pro-active action and plan.
3.  We are commited to promote Swacch Bharat, Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat, Padhe Bharat, Sugamya Bharat and physical education.
4. We resolve to promote human value education, life skill education, experiential learning to bring out good human beings out of the education system.

Speaking on the occasion Union Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar emphasised that education is a national agenda which empowers the individual, family, society and the nation. He highlighted some recent steps such as codification of learning outcomes, national academic depository, digital initiatives that strength education, training of 15 lakh untrained teachers, re-introduction of class X board examinations, and the status of no detention policy. He endorsed that the States requirements of additional funds is well justified. 

The meeting was attended by the Union Ministers, Smt. Maneka Gandhi, Minister for Women and Child Development, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister for Minority Affairs, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge), Shri Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State for HRD.

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Gandhi suggested introduction of career counselling from 9^th class, synergise with WCD Ministry for effective implementation of Pre-School Education with anganwadis. She suggested employing women drivers and helpers in School bus, sensitize young students about good & bad touch by showing Komal film in all schools. NCPCR launched POSCO-EBox, an online complaint system for confidential registration of complaints regarding sexual offence against children. States should encourage their students for applying for MWCD scholarships. To promote greater tolerance among students belonging to different religions, she suggested like earlier Moral Science classes, religious books of all religions may be exposed so that students can start appreciating other religions.

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Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot suggested more efforts to ensure that students from socially disadvantaged sections, girls, differently-abled are enrolled and continue in their studies without dropping out. He urged for a check on privatization of education, and also to provide a socially equitable education and inclusion of Dr. Ambedkar’s Panch Teerth in curriculum.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi highlighted the importance of inclusive education so that no section of the society is denied good quality education, promote activities of Sadbhavna Mandals started by MoMA to provide skill development programmes, sports & health programmes.

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge) Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore desired that fitness and sports should be included in school curriculum. He also suggested optimal use of playgrounds after schools hours as well as the need to emphasise importance of community service and volunteer efforts in students.

A brief presentation for Improving the Quality and Accountability in School Education, Status Reports of four CABE Sub-Committees- ‘Assessment and Implementation of CCE’ ; ‘Extension of the Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 to Pre-School Education and Secondary Education’; ‘Issues and Impediments to Mainstream Out of School Children and Measures to bring them into the fold of Education System’ and  “Issues of Girls’ Education” as well as on Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Swachh Vidyalaya, Digital Initiatives in School Education & Literacy and Physical Education was made to highlight some of the reforms in the education sector.

It was generally recognised that States have been doing excellent work at the ground levels for promoting inclusive education and digital initiatives which were appreciated. In particular, some steps such as opening residential schools , setting up girls colleges, smart classrooms, strengthening Mid Day Meal scheme, teacher training, use of CSR funds, aptitude tests along with Class X results, adolescent health programme training for teachers to prevent sexual offences on children and ensure safety, soft skills training for students, teacher training portal ‘Guru Chetna’.

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The participants deliberated on several aspects of different level of education and how efforts can be made to improve educational levels of the students. The Education Ministers of the States, CABE Members actively participated in the discussions.

Education Ministers of 20 States, representatives of 28 States and Union Territories, Members of CABE, heads of autonomous organisations, Vice Chancellors of Universities, and Shri K.K. Sharma, Secretary, Department of Higher Education and Member Secretary, CABE and Shri Anil Swarup Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy were present in the meeting along with senior officials of the Central and State Governments.

The Union Minister of Human Resource Development released the auto generated district report card brought out through the National Achievement Survey 2017, which assessed the competency based learning outcomes covering classes 3,5 & 8 across 2.2 million students from 1,10,000 schools from 700 districts were assessed.

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