Teachers architects to translate NEP-2020 policy into practice, vision into reality: Sakina Itoo

Srinagar, Jul 22: Minister for Education Sakina Itoo Tuesday said that the teachers were the torchbearers for transformation of the traditional education system to the skill based approach of teaching-learning process.

The minister was speaking during the inaugural session of a day-long Educational Summit on National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Empowering Education Leaders for Holistic Education Challenges and Way Forward.

“Teachers are the architects on the ground who will translate NEP-2020 into practice and ision into reality,” she said.

Itoo acknowledged that the journey to shift from the traditional education system to a holistic, skill-based approach was not without challenges and required a fundamental change in mindset.

“We face the challenge of capacity building, ensuring our educators are well equipped with necessary skills and understanding to implement national policy effectively. We must address infrastructure gaps, particularly in remote and rural areas, to provide equitable quality education,” she said.

Itoo said that promoting parental and community engagement was crucial to create a supportive ecosystem for the students’ holistic development and adopting curriculum methods that align with the objectives of NEP-2020.

“We acknowledge that empowering educational leaders is not merely about providing directives, it is about providing resources, support, and workspace,” she said.

The education minister said that the present government had already initiated key measures and was investing significantly in comprehensive training programmes and workshops for teachers and administrators while focusing on experiential learning, basic education, and adoption of technology.

“We are actively working on upgrading our educational infrastructure, building smart classrooms, establishing well-equipped laboratories, and ensuring digital resources even in the remotest corners of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.

Itoo said the government was promoting stronger partnerships with local communities to ensure community participation in school management and development.

“We are optimising the administrative process and promoting decentralised decision-making to empower school leaders with great flexibility in implementing NEP-2020,” she said.

The education minister said that the government was exploring public-private partnership to gain expertise and resources of specialised areas like skill development and vocational training in line with the NEP-2020.

“We are focusing on the establishment of pre-primary classes in our schools as a commitment to NEP. Aayas have been re-engaged for children care. The books are being devised as per national curriculum framework, foundational stage, and school education,” she said.

Itoo said the government had zero tolerance to dropouts and the Education Department was committed to bring back all out school children with the help of special training centres and open schooling.

“We have a lot of socio-economically disadvantaged groups of students like children with special needs, ST students, and children of migrant labourers. We are working for their equitable and inclusive education,” she said.

The education minister said ICT facilities were being provided in schools in a phased manner while collaboration with universities and other teacher educational institutions was being done for the excellence in education and smooth transition of students.

“The way forward is clear. It is a path of collective action, continuous learning and unwavering education. This summit provides us with a vital platform to deliberate, share best practices, and work collectively on effective implementation,” she said.

Earlier Secretary SED Ram Niwas Sharma delivered a welcome address on the occasion. Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta was also present on the occasion.

Director School Education Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Itoo, CEOs, officers and teachers were also present.