Mumbai: Educational institutions must look beyond academics and take greater responsibility for the overall development, well-being and social environment of students, Skill Development and Employment Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said, calling for schools and education experts to contribute to municipal schools and work collectively to keep students away from substance abuse.
Speaking at an event attended by representatives from the education sector, Lodha urged renowned educational institutions, schools and experts to adopt at least one municipal school in their vicinity and contribute to its overall development.
Expert Support For Municipal Schools
“Select a municipal school in your vicinity and contribute to its educational development. Arrange expert guidance so that students can gain knowledge in different fields and provide them with modern educational resources,” Lodha said.
He said institutions should go beyond providing financial assistance and encourage teachers from established schools to visit adopted municipal schools at least once a month to share effective teaching and management practices.
Schools Must Join Drug-Free Campaign
Lodha also called for schools to play an active role in the ‘Drug-Free Mumbai’ campaign and work with parents, teachers and counsellors to prevent students from falling prey to substance abuse.
He suggested that every school establish a small committee comprising two parents, two teachers and a representative of a social organisation or a counsellor to create awareness among students about the dangers of substance abuse from an early age.
Parents’ Role In Preventing Addiction
According to Lodha, preventing addiction among young people requires greater involvement from parents as well. He said parental responsibility should extend beyond providing children with good schools, facilities and education. Parents must give children adequate time, affection and attention and remain actively involved in their lives. He also called for parents to be counselled as part of efforts to prevent addiction.
Lodha said the ‘Drug-Free Mumbai’ initiative should not remain limited to a government campaign but should develop into a broader social movement involving schools, teachers and parents.
Focus On Skill-Based Education
The minister also stressed the importance of skill development under the National Education Policy (NEP), saying students should be exposed to different skills from an early age. Such exposure, he said, would help build confidence among students while encouraging respect for people engaged in skilled and labour-intensive professions.
He said skill-based education could play an important role in changing social perceptions around blue-collar and vocational occupations in India.
AI Bringing Changes In Education
Lodha further said education should not be restricted to examinations, marks and degrees. Values, culture, traditions, heritage, self-confidence and practical knowledge should also form an integral part of the education system.
He noted that the education sector must continuously adapt to changing circumstances, particularly with artificial intelligence bringing significant changes to the way education is delivered and accessed.
Lodha said India's traditional education system had historically placed importance not only on book-based learning but also on skills, values, dignity of labour, culture and practical knowledge. He said this approach was disrupted during British rule, when greater emphasis was placed on rote learning and education aimed primarily at employment.
He said the NEP seeks to combine India's educational heritage with modern skills and technology. Greater emphasis on skill-based education, Indian culture and values, practical knowledge, self-confidence and student welfare, he said, would contribute to the goal of building a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
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