Seeking to put to rest the controversy over the issue of a common all India school education board, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today said the government did "not want a uniform board" but a uniform level of excellence in school education."We do not want to destroy diversity (among school boards). We do not want a uniform board. But we want excellent quality," Sibal said addressing a conference of secretaries of school education and literacy here today.
Asking the states to give up their "laid-back" approach to improvement in quality of education, he said the government wants all state boards to achieve uniform level of excellence .
"I want you to work with us to develop a uniform system to build the people who will compete with the rest of the world. We need an element of uniformity of excellence and quality in school education system," Sibal said.
He said there is no plan to have a uniform board for the entire country.
Sibal said that the government would not dilute the diversity of subjects that vary from state to state depending on the local environment, regional history and craftsmanship.
"But what is the diversity in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or Biology. We must have a uniform teaching of these subjects. This uniformity will bring excellence," he said.
The issue of uniform school education board raised by Sibal had created a controversy with major states opposing such an idea. Sibal said the government is eyeing at increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, the percentage of youths pursuing higher studies in the age group of 18 to 23 years. At present, the GER is 12.4 per cent which needs to be increased to 30 to 40 per cent by 2020, he said.
He sought the full support of all states in achieving the target. "I have come here to hold out a hand of friendship to every state. This is something for the country."
The minister said the government's initiatives are not being properly implemented at the ground level because of lack of proper monitoring.
The monitoring mechanism could be improved by true partnership between the states and the Centre, he said.
Sibal touched upon several aspects of school education with the focus on how to make teaching exciting for the children.
"We need to think what the school should provide and whether textbooks should be capsules of knowledge or they should be prepared in a manner to ignite the minds of the children. The idea is how to make education exciting for children," he said.
Sibal said vacanacy in teachers posts in the states is as high as 50 per cent. The quality of teachers also has been an area of concern.
The Right To Education Bill says that teachers will have to receive a certain degree in five years time.
"The states should not take five years for this. Chalta hay (laidback) attitude should go. You must target to do it in one or two years," he said.
