India offers to host teachers, students from E-9 countries

India has offered to host students and teachers from E-9 countries in schools here to facilitate understanding of the country's diverse culture and other aspects.
The offer was made by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani at the UNESCO's World Education Forum (WEF) meet in Incheon, South Korea last week.
The E-9 group is a forum of nine high-population countries to discuss their experiences in education, exchange best practices and monitor progress on achieving Education for all.
The countries are Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Talking to reporters here, Education Secretary Vrinda Sarup said the group also supported the minister's stand that every country must have the flexibility to strategise and plan their moves towards achieving inclusive and lifelong learning by 2030.

"The benchmarks would be based on available resources and that they should be able to reach 2030 in an incremental manner," Sarup said.

The Minister was supported by a host of the countries including the SAARC group of South Asian countries and the powerful emerging economies in the BRICs group, she added.
The Incheon meet was organised to set the next stage of education agenda for the time frame 2015 to 2030.
India's stand of funding arrangement for the 2030 education goals through a commitment from the developed countries to contribute additional resources to the tune of 0.7 per cent of GNP as development assistance to developing countries, especially the least developed countries has won wide support and acceptance, the secretary said.