Sibal calls for paradigm shift in education

Updated on: Saturday, November 13, 2010

Calling for a paradigm shift in the education sector, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday said a framework was needed for investment for expansion of higher education.

"We need a policy framework to invest in education if we have to increase our gross enrollment ratio to 30 percent by 2020," Sibal said at a function to mark National Education Day here.

The HRD minister also stressed on the need for change in the pattern of education.

"Education should be child-centric, not exam-centric," he said.

Earlier in the day, speaking at a higher education summit organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Sibal said the private sector needs to create education infrastructure to meet the target of 30 percent gross enrollment ratio by 2020.

He also called for global partnership in the field of education and stressed on a greater role for the private sector.

"We will need 800 new universities and 40,000 new colleges to meet the aim of 30 percent GER (gross enrollment ratio) by 2020. Government alone cannot meet this aim," Sibal said.

He, however, added that private institutes need to focus on accountability issues.

Calling for global partnership, he said while India had job opportunities, it lacked trained human resource. "Students go abroad but that is a miniscule (number), capital must move to the place where human resource is," he said, inviting foreign universities to India.

Sibal calls for paradigm shift in education

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