Rajasthan education system undergoing a sea change under new government

Jaipur (IANS) Rajasthan's education system is undergoing a sea change with the new Congress government infusing fresh thoughts into the system.

From taking initiatives to motivate teachers by felicitating them at the block, district and state levels to changing the course curriculum to remove the politicisation and saffronisation of education done during the former BJP regime, the state government is trying to make education a smooth process where students don't look at the world from a political prism, Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara told IANS in an interview.

"We are looking at things in a holistic manner and hence have decided that no student shall stand with flowers or bouquets to welcome any politician.

"This will end the torture of students, who keep standing for hours under the sun (waiting for the dignitary to arrive), wasting their time and energy which should otherwise be used for academics. Also, this practice symbolises that a politician is more like a God who needs to be offered flowers and bouquets," Dotasara added. 

He further informed that the education department has set up a committee to review the syllabus in government schools.""While 80 per cent of the syllabus shall remain the same, 20 per cent will undergo certain changes. The former BJP government brought in saffronisation and politicisation of education. Hence we are reviewing those aspects"" the minister added.

"There is a picture of Sati in school textbooks. How can the picture be there when the practice has been long abolished," he asked.

Dotasara further said that the former government had reduced the role of freedom fighters in textbooks and had presented the role of Veer Savarkar far more strongly. "This reflects saffronisation in textbooks and to review this, we have formed a special committee comprising educationists who are looking into all such aspects""

Dotasara said that stories of martyrs will be included in textbooks.

"The bravery of Jagdish Yadav from Rajasthan who combated terrorists during the Parliament attack on Dec 13, 2001 should be remembered by one and all. Hence we shall try to accommodate more such stories," Dotasara added.

He further said he has made a policy of not accepting any bouquet or flowers at any felicitation.
"
"None of the people approaching me should present bouquets or flowers. I shall accept only pens or mement"s," he said.

Dotasara also pointed out that teachers don't feel motivated. Out of around five lakh teachers, only 40-50 teachers are felicitated every year - and too only at the state level. "

"Hence, we are planning to felicitate them at the block, district and state levels so that more teachers are rewarded for their exceptional w"rk."

In the short period after the formation of the new governm"nt, "we have observed that transfers are hampering the work in our department. In fact, I have been hounded by people from morning to evening requesting for their transfers. Hence, I have decided to bring in a proper transfer policy in my department. We will study the transfer policy model of a few states who have implemented it successfully," he added.