School curriculum should focus on developing right values

Visakhapatnam: A seminar on Rationalising Andhra Pradesh School Curriculum–Design, Content and Process, was held at Andhra University English Medium High School by Grameena Vidya, which is an initiative of Centre for Training, Research and Development (CTRD), a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) here on Thursday in the city. 

Speaking on the occasion, Professor B Prasad Rao, Director of Grameena Vidya and Correspondent of AU English Medium School, said that Andhra Pradesh school curriculum, like all Central government school curriculums, was developed based on the British India Road map both in content and spirit. 

It focuses more on sciences and math neglecting arts and humanities which caters 94 per cent of the informal sector and while 54 per cent of the students drop out by 10th grade, the school curriculum is intended to prepare students for standardised exams post 12th grade for engineering or medical fields, neglecting to focus on all other courses. 

The curriculum should focus on developing right value and attitudes, productive competencies and skills of students for their own and community’s sake, he added. Professor Bala, CEO of Grameena Vidya, opined that the curriculum should focus on enabling students to learn their culture and history of their own state and nation rather than the cultures and histories of Europe and America, which will not be very useful in their life or career. 

The students should be provided with the opportunities to learn the linguistic duality and cultural diversity that shaped India’s identity, he added.  Teachers of different subjects from various schools attended the seminar and gave their valuable inputs for the betterment of school curriculum on the occasion.