Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangalore(MD)

Mangalore, Dec 17: A consultation workshop was organised on the 'Right to education act-2009 for quality education and intents and questions to be implimented by Karnataka primary teachers education syllabus-2012' on Tuesday December 17 at ISD hall, Nanthoor, Mangalore.

Renni D'souza, child rights activist and Director of Padi, a non-governmental organisation, welcomed the guests and said "Every child deserves education under the act of 'The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. Our state requires quality teachers like other states. RTE Act has already been released, but it is not yet implimented in our State."

Philomena Lobo, principal, District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), inaugurated the workshop.

Adrressing the teachers gathered, she said "For the past two years we have been planning on changing the syllabus. Students need quality education. If the teachers are not teaching quality education then the students will lose out.To solve this issue, the teachers must understand their student's mind. The points that are discussed today will be worked on and we will try to bring changes in the syllabus."

Fellow and Programme head for Universalisation of Equitable Quality Education Centre for Child and Law, NLSUI, Niranjan Aradhaya, gave a talk on 'Quality education and RTE's intents.

He said " The Right to Education Act is missing in our State. Every child has the right to educate. Education is every human being's fundamental rights. Implimentation of Right to Education is not yet discussed in Dakshina Kannada District."

"Defining 'quality education' is very tough. People think quality education is when their kids get good marks. But, this kind of thinking is wrong. The institution must use the information to ensure children and young people of the country have best start in life with high quality education. There must be secondary education also.Changing only the syllabus is not good enough. The whole system of education has to be changed. It should be 'give and learn' quality education. The main aim of education is to see that the kids are benefitted," he said.

"What teachers think is that the students do not learn without subjecting punishments. Because of this, it creates a huge communication gap between the students and the teachers. All these kind of thoughts must be removed from the teachers. Government is appointing retired lecturers as guest lecturers istead of young lecturers to schools and colleges. This is why students do not get the quality education. A teacher has to make teaching as his/her main profession and has to give first preference to his/her profession."

He further added that "99% of schools do not have proper drinking water facilities and the Government is not even bothered about it. We need a institutional mechanism during which the syllabus will have to be changed atleast for every three years and changes have to be made to the 'RTE act."

Asha M S, senior lecturer, District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Mangalore, Dr Sukumar Gowda, director of Center for studies in Education, Puttur were also present.