Modi's mantra for students

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come out with yet another mantra for the students of the country. Speaking at a conclave on 'School Education in 21st Century' in New Delhi on Friday, he emphasised on the need to impart learning in a language that a student understands best and asked students to engage in critical thinking and study new things. According to him, the new mantra for new-age learning is 'Engage, Explore, Experience, Express, and Excel'. It is a fact that students require to be empowered and taken forward in the 21st century with skills of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, curiosity and communication. Whether the new education policy is going to meet these requirements is still a matter of debate and discussion. But the fact remains that teaching in the mother tongue is still the best way to impart education, especially at the primary and formative stage. While there is one section of people who take pride in declaring that their children cannot read, write and even speak in their mother tongue, there are numerous small communities across the country – and particularly in Assam and the North-eastern region which have been deprived of learning in their mother tongue because of various reasons. In some cases the communities do not have a script in some other cases there is a lack of will on the part of the governments. In such a scenario, it is heartening that the Prime Minister has underlined the importance of imparting education up to Class V in one's mother tongue only. He however has clarified that it does not mean that other languages can't be taught. Alongside favouring primary education in one's mother tongue, Modi has also expressed happiness about the enthusiasm of students and parents have shown towards the new education policy. As a forward-looking Prime Minister who has directly addressed students through Mann ki Baat and other forums on the issue of examination and education, he on Friday also asked them to develop mathematical and scientific skills, especially in the field of robotics and data sciences as the future learning will depend more on Artificial Intelligence.