PPP crucial for pre-school education format: Anil Swarup

Union Education Secretary Anil Swarup on Friday stated that the role of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is vital for a robust pre-school education format.

Addressing the FICCI ARISE 'Re-imagining Pre-school Education' conference here in New Delhi, Swarup noted that the PPP model is crucial for building a strong education infrastructure.

"The government or private sector alone cannot solve the humongous task of redefining the pre-school education system in India. Volume or size can come from government, but quality will come from the private sector," he added.

As per Anil, one of the most challenging tasks in pre-school education currently is the lack of trained teachers. In this regard, he recommended that the private sector to submit ideas to the government with a focused approach, keeping in mind that the idea is politically acceptable, socially desirable, technologically feasible, financially viable and administratively doable.

Meanwhile, FICCI Assistant Secretary-General Shobha Mishra Ghosh said for the development and growth of a country, education and skills play a significant role, and focus cannot be on education in silos.

"Continuum of education is very important and the very foundation is pre-school education," she added.

On a related note, the seminar also witnessed active participation of representatives from state government, UNICEF, schools and educational institutions.