New Delhi:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said quality education cannot be achieved through privatization or financial incentives, stressing the importance of the government spending more on education and strengthening public institutions. .
During a conversation with IIT Madras students held some time ago, the Opposition leader in Lok Sabha spoke about a number of issues, including the changes he would like to initiate to improve the education system. .
“I believe that ensuring quality education for the people is one of the most important responsibilities of government. This cannot be achieved through privatization or financial incentives.
“We need to spend more money on strengthening education and government institutions,” he said in a post on X, while sharing an edited video of his conversation with students.
He said he discussed “redefining success and reimagining education in India” on his WhatsApp channel.
“Our conversations centered around empowering students to explore paths beyond traditional careers, embracing innovation, and encouraging them to pursue their passions. Prioritizing equity and promoting research. By nurturing creativity and driving production, we can position India as a true global leader. Their insights were incredible.” From a variety of perspectives, this conversation was deeply inspirational. , gave me hope for the future. ”
When asked by students how the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party differ in terms of how they operate, the Congress and the UPA generally believe that resources should be distributed more equitably and that growth should be broader and more inclusive. He said there was.
I believe that ensuring quality education to the people is one of the most important responsibilities of government. This cannot be achieved through privatization or financial incentives.
We need to spend more money on education and strengthening government institutions. pic.twitter.com/tBkZxj6NmN
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 4, 2025
He said the Bharatiya Janata Party is more aggressive on growth. “They believe in what they call the ‘triple down’ in economic parlance. On the social side, we feel that the more harmonious society is and the fewer people fighting each other, the better it is for the country. .
“In terms of international relations, it will probably be a little different in terms of how we interact with other countries, but it will be similar,” he said.
On how to promote higher education, he said the country needs to guarantee quality education to its citizens.
“I don’t think the best way to guarantee quality education to the population is to privatize everything. Frankly speaking, when you bring some kind of financial incentive into the game, you actually end up with a quality education.” It does not mean that you will be provided with
“I have said many times that the best educational institutions in our country are government institutions, and your school is one of them. I am an advocate for the government to spend more money on education. ” he told the students at IIT Madras.
Mr Gandhi said there were “serious problems” with the way the country’s education system was set up. “I don’t think our education system fosters children’s imagination.”
“You may disagree with me. I think this is a very restrictive, top-down system… It’s very narrow,” he said.
Mr. Gandhi said that during his visit to Kashmir Bharat Pure Land Yatra from Kanyakumari, he spoke to thousands of children and asked them what they wanted to become.
They said they wanted to be lawyers, doctors, engineers or soldiers, he told the students.
“You can’t have only five things to do in this country, but that’s what our system promotes,” he said, adding that the country’s education system doesn’t teach engineers or doctors. He pointed out that the only measure of success is whether or not a student becomes successful or enrolls in a university. Whether it’s reporting to IAS/IPS or joining the armed forces, “that’s only one or two percent of our population, and 90 percent of our population will never do that.”
He said the system should allow children to do what they want and allow them to experience and do multiple things.
“Our education system ignores a lot of things, undervalues a lot of professions, and overvalues these four or five professions. So these are the kinds of things I want to change. I think so,” he said.
He said that the most important thing going forward on the international front is how India balances China and the United States.
“In a situation where two superpowers face off, we have a balancing equation, a balancing capacity. So India is in an area where it can get more than its power gives. If India gets stuck or makes a big mistake, we have a balancing equation, a balancing ability. If we can get through this wisely and without committing any crimes, we may benefit from it,” Gandhi said.
He pointed out that the country’s education system is highly hierarchical, and said the traditional education system emphasizes introspection, inner self-observation.
Mr Gandhi supported encouraging children to innovate, saying this could only happen if children actually started producing and their skills were respected and invested in.
“One of the things I want to push for is to move more into the physical production realm. To me, that’s where real innovation comes from. If you’re not producing it, it’s just a budget.” Mr. Gandhi said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
