Shimla, Sep 11
New Education Policy (NEP) to be implemented in a phased manner in Himachal Pradesh.
The state council of ministers had given principal approval to implement it on August 24 during a cabinet meeting and a take force has been constituted in the matter likely to meet on Sep 13.
This was stated by Education Minister Govind Singh Thakur while replying to a query raised by Cong member Asha Kumar. Minister said that NEP is revolutionary and will be implemented under one Umbrella in state and private schools.
NEP would be implemented in Hindi however the Government would direct the teachers to use the regional dialects while in the schools. He said that State Government would consider the proposal of member to form a legislators committee of this house to discuss the implementation of the policy along with the Task force.
Raising the query Asha Kumar said that a committee of members of this house should be appointed to look into the implementation of the new education policy. She demanded that state government should state in the house that from when will this policy be implemented.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri showed concern that services of 2610 School Management Committee (SMC) have been removed by the state government under the garb of High court order.
Agnihotri referring to former Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj (who wanted to intervene on the matter) said that he is no longer the education minister so should not intervene as Govind Thakur who has taken the portfolio recently would give the reply.
Minister responding to the query said that he recently took over the portfolio of this department and is not aware of the issue however the question was asked about the NEP which he had replied.
Intervening in the matter Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that State Government is serious on the matter as it relates with the future of 2555 SMC appointees. A delegation of the affected SMC teachers had met him recently and discussed the issue thoroughly. Government was informed in the matter that a review petition filed by the SMC teachers was not accepted by the High court. Government and teachers likely to have next remedy from the Supreme Court.
He said, the state Government has knocked doors of SC to seek similar relief for PAT (Parent Association Teachers ) and PARA teachers and now the State Government would make efforts to get relief to the SMC teachers too.
However the issue could not be related to the new Education Policy but the state government is also with the affected teachers, he stated.
