People's Democracy

 TRIPURA

 LF Govt On Way To Update Education Courses

WITH a view to updating the conduct of education in Tripura in order to make it a natural springboard for comprehensive career outlook, the state’s Left Front government has accepted most of the 75 salient recommendations of the Tripura education commission. The state government had instituted this commission in August 2001.

The education reforms suggested by the commission will come into force from the beginning of the academic year 2005.

The commission was headed by Professor Basudeb Barman, former vice chancellor of Kalyani University, and comprised two noted educationists of Tripura. It interacted with a cross section of representatives of the people, associations and organisations before formulating its recommendations that epitomise the hopes and aspirations of the state’s population. The state government too, in its turn, facilitated an extensive review of the commission’s recommendations by a broad spectrum of people associated with education, including the teachers and the taught, before the cabinet meeting held on December 19 accepted them.

In a packed press conference held later on the day at the Civil Secretariat in capital Agartala, chief minister Manik Sarkar announced and explained the cabinet decisions taken in connection with the education commission’s recommendations. He said that with a view to equipping the state’s student community with adequate competence and competitiveness for future career, utmost stress would be laid on English and vocational courses at school level, on sociology, geography, psychology, statistics, anthropology, environmental science etc at college and university level, and on information technology in the Engineering College. With this aim in view, the teaching of English will start from class I and English will be the medium of instruction and examination at honours and post graduate levels as far as possible. An expert committee will be formed to suggest the ways of introducing vocational education. Secondary and higher secondary syllabi and examinations of the Tripura Board of School Education will be patterned on the CBSE system.

The chief minister informed the press that the education commission’s recommendations for incorporating hygiene, cleanness, co-curricular activities, discipline, aestheticism, traditional and moral values, a scientific outlook, dignity of labour etc will be implemented at school level. Orientation or refresher programmes will be regularly carried out for teachers of all levels. Special stress will be laid on the NSS/NCC programmes and physical education. Steps will be taken for regular review of teachers’ performances, so as to appreciate or rectify them. The chief minister affirmed that the state government desires to make the most of the state’s existing infrastructure for imparting updated and quality education in order to bring this backward state on a par with the country’s educational mainstream. 

Incidentally, the Left Front government spends 17 per cent of the state’s total budget on education while less than 2 per cent of the central budget is allocated to this sector. The formation of the Tripura education commission and acceptance of most of its salient recommendations by the state government is in keeping with the Left Front government’s goal of putting forward a viable alternative to the anti-people policies of the centre. This task is to be carried out through a ceaseless endeavour towards progress and prosperity of Tripura by making the most of its own resources. (INN)