Orissa education and human resource development

Hindustan Times reports on this. Following are some excerpts.

The HRD Ministry has proposed that English learning should be made mandatory for all students from class III to enhance their computer learning skills and for better chances of employment.

For the first time, HRD Ministry and Planning Commission has linked English learning with computer education. In a bid to introduce computer education in all the government schools from upper primary level, the government wants that English should be taught from class III. …

The government in the 11th Five-Year Plan wants that schools getting fund under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan should introduce English. The final decision rests with the state governments, as education is a state subject, the official said. “From our consultation with the state governments it appears that they are not adverse to the idea,” an official said.

Under the plan, the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will prepare training modules for the teachers on English to be taught at the primary level. “We want to cover all government school students under the Information, Communication and Training (ICT) programme and that cannot happen without adequate knowledge of English,” he said.

Some states like Andhra Pradesh have already introduced English as a compulsory subject from class I.

With the Centre stressing on improving employability of students passing from public schools, the ministry expects other states to follow the suit. The government is willing to provide additional funds for ICT at primary level, if the states make English as a mandatory.

# posted by chitta @ 5:41 AM