'Will setup PM Shri Schools to prepare students for future'

VARANasI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said the Centre is planning to set up "PM Shri Schools" which will be aimed at preparing students for future and will be the laboratory of new National Education Policy.

Pradhan was addressing the two-day National Education Minister's Conference in Gujarat.

"School education is the foundation on which India will become a knowledge-based economy and the National Education Policy (NEP) is a knowledge document that aims to promote all-round development and make education accessible to everyone. We are in the process of establishing 'PM Shri schools' which will be fully equipped to prepare students for the future," Pradhan said in his address.

He said these state-of-the-art schools will be the "laboratory of NEP 2020".

"We cannot deprive our new generation from 21st

century knowledge and skills. I also encourage and solicit

suggestions and feedback from all our states and Union Territories and the entire education ecosystem for creating a futuristic benchmark model in the form of PM Shri schools," he added.

The National Education Ministers' Conference began in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on Wednesday with a focus

on implementation of the

new NEP.

The minister said the 5+3+3+4 approach of the NEP covering pre-school to secondary school, emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE), teacher training & adult education, integration of skill development with school education and prioritising learning in the mother tongue are steps for preparing global citizens of the 21st century.

"The next 25 years are crucial to establish India as a knowledge economy that is committed to global welfare. We all have to collaboratively

work together, learn from each other's experiences and successes to make learning more vibrant and take India to greater heights.

"I encourage Education Ministers of all states and Union Territories and also seek

active participation from all stakeholders for developing our National Curriculum Framework as well as developing quality e-content for expanding the reach of digital education and for universalising education," Pradhan said.

The minister said best practices in education coming from different states and Union Territories will act as a cumulative force in transforming India's youth as 'Vishwa-Manavs' (global citizens). "The education fraternity can immensely benefit from models of Karnataka, Odisha, Delhi, Meghalaya, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana."