SRINAGAR: Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK), Dr. G.N. Itoo has said that the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 is not just a policy but a vision document which will prove to be a game changer in the education sector of the entire country as well as Jammu and Kashmir.
The director said this while addressing the one-day conference on the topic ‘NEP-2020 and flexibility in curriculum and integration of vocational education’ in Ganderbal district as the chief guest.
During the conference held at Boys Higher Secondary School Ganderbal, Dr. Itoo in his presidential address said that the initiatives taken by the government in the recent budget to make Jammu and Kashmir an ‘Educational HUB’ are part of the framework of this policy.
DSEK said that under the initiatives to make Jammu and Kashmir an Educational HUB, 15,000 pre-primary schools (K-G’s) will be developed in ‘Early childhood education’ with a target of enrolling about 180,000 children, which will bring a new change in the education sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking about educational technology and digitization, Dr. Itoo said that under this initiative 600 ICT labs, 2000 smart classrooms and 52 Tinkering labs will be established, while under the Universal Education initiative, the target is to bring 46,000 out-of-school children into the fold of education, and special attention will be given to the ‘Girl Child.’
The director further said that under the New Education Policy, children in schools will be trained in such skills which can be useful for them in practical life.
Dr. Itoo announced that several programs will be organized in the coming days in all the 374 clusters of the valley to disseminate information about the education policy so that all children and their parents are fully aware of the merits and advantages of the New Education Policy.
Chief Coordinator NEP-2020, of the University of Kashmir Prof. Mushtaq Ahmed Siddiqui, and Co-ordinator DYD, University of Kashmir, Prof. Syed Afshana, while addressing the conference highlighted the need for the policy in the present modern era.
Professors also apprised the concerned about the different tools and ways with regard to face the challenges during the implementation of this policy at the grassroots level.
