Children should be taught stories of brave heroes

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has appealed for honouring unsung national heroes and chronicling anecdotes of their life journey in an engaging way to inspire school children. He also suggested recounting tales of social harmony from the freedom struggle that reflect India's civilisational values.

He was releasing a book 'Dhyaas Panthe Chaalta' - a historical account of the 160-year legacy of the Maharashtra Education Society from 'Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas' in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Speaking on the importance of teaching history, Naidu on Tuesday said, "We must teach our children the stories of such brave heroes this land has seen. Our glorious history must unshackle our minds of any inferiority complex we may harbour. History can indeed educate, enlighten and emancipate us."

The Vice-President expressed concern that even after we gained independence, a colonial tinge remained in our education system. A successful implementation of the National Education Policy should remove this, he added.

Referring to Vasudev Balwant Phadke, Naidu lauded him as one of the earliest revolutionaries who fought for India's independence from colonial rule. He said the valiant manner in which Vasudev Balwant Phadke fought against the British by preaching the mantra of 'swaraj' and gathering the support of local communities is truly legendary.

Noting similar contributions from the state, the Vice-President added that Maharashtra was at the forefront in producing leaders and organisations and laying the ideological foundation for the freedom struggle. He noted the efforts of organisations such as the Paramahansa Mandali, Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and Satyashodhak Samaj with leadership from stalwarts such as Dadoba Pandurang, Ganesh Vasudev Joshi, Mahadev Govind Ranade and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule "in bringing meaningful social reform in India."

Observing that "institutions such as the Maharashtra Education Society, the Deccan Education Society and others took education as a mission," Naidu called for a similar spirit now to further the cause of education.

Stressing the need for a '21st century touch' to the education sector, the Vice-President urged an enthusiastic implementation of National Education Policy, 2020, by states and educational institutions, with emphasis on interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity.

Noting that the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated the use of digital classrooms, smart devices and micro courses, Naidu observed that the mode of education cannot be status quoist anymore and called upon private and public educational institutions to adopt these new hybrid standards in education.

"Vocational courses and distance education delivered through modern technologies can bridge geographical barriers and reach remote areas. They must be fully explored and further scaled up," he added.