E-Paper
In letter vs letter on NEP row, Dharmendra Pradhan's ‘rise above political differences’ advice to MK Stalin
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin to ‘think about the interests of young learners.’
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday urged Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin to "rise above political differences", after the latter wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and opposed linking of two centrally sponsored programmes with the National Education Policy (NEP).
Dharmendra Pradhan requested MK Stalin to "think about the interests of the young learners".
“The continued opposition to NEP 2020 for political reasons deprives students, teachers, and educational institutions in Tamil Nadu of the immense opportunities and resources that this policy offers. The policy is designed to be flexible, allowing states to customise its implementation to suit their unique educational needs,” the BJP leader said in his letter.
“Many non-BJP states have implemented the progressive policies of NEP despite political differences. NEP 2020 aims to broaden the horizon, not narrow them,” he added.
In his letter to the prime minister, the Tamil Nadu CM had said linking of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and PM SHRI Schools with the National Education Policy is ‘fundamentally unacceptable.’
However, Pradhan stated that centrally-supported schemes such as SSA, are aligned with NEP 2020, while PM SHRI schools have been conceptualised to be 'NEP exemplar schools.'
Stalin's letter to PM Modi, Pradhan further remarked, was a ‘complete negation of the spirit of cooperative federalism promoted by Modi government.’
“Hence, it is inappropriate for the state to view NEP 2020 with a myopic vision and spin progressive educational reforms into threats to sustain their political narratives. I would, therefore, request you to rise above political differences and look into the matter holistically keeping in mind the interest of our young learners,” the education minister added.
Tamil Nadu and the central government have been at loggerheads over the implementation of NEP in the state, with the DMK-led government accusing the Union education ministry of ‘stopping funds’ for crucial schemes.
(With PTI inputs)
