Amidst the ongoing national education policyไ row between MK Stalin and the Central government, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to put aside political differences. This comes after Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposing the linking of two centrally sponsored programs with the National Education Policy (NEP).
♛In his letter, Pradhan appealed to Stalin to prioritize the interests of young learners, stating that ongoing opposition to NEP 2020 for political reasons is depriving Tamil Nadu's students, teachers, and educational institutions of the significant opportunities and resources the policy provides. He emphasized that the policy is designed to be flexible, allowing states to adapt its implementation to meet their unique educational needs.
“Many non-BJP states have implemented the progressive policies of NEP𒈔 despite political differences. NEP 2020 aims to broaden the horizon, not narrow them,” he added.
🤡The Tamil Nadu CM, in his letter to the prime minister, had said linking of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and PM SHRI Schools with the National Education Policy is ‘fundamentally unacceptable.’ However, Pradhan stated that centrally-supported schemes such as SSA, are aligned with NEP 2020, while PM SHRI schools have been conceptualised to be 'NEP exemplar schools.'
🍨Stalin's letter to PM Modi, Pradhan further remarked, was a ‘complete negation of the spirit of cooperative federalism promoted by Modi government.’ “Hence, it is inappropriate for the state to view NEP 2020 with a myopic vision and spin progressive educational reforms into threats to sustain their political narratives. I would, therefore, request you to rise above political differences and look into the matter holistically keeping in mind the interest of our young learners,” the education minister added.
ꦦTamil Nadu and the central government have been at loggerheads over the implementation of NEP in the state, with the DMK-led government accusing the Union education ministry of ‘stopping funds’ for crucial schemes.
With inputs from PTI.
