In conversation with Lina Ashar, Co-founder, Korroboree and Moonshot Conversations and Founder Emeritus, Kangaroo Kids Preschools and Billabong High Schools, Happiness Advocate
What is your opinion about the budget 2021?
The Union Budget 2021-22 has tremendous potential to uplift the effectiveness of India’s schooling systems. Its initiative to establish 750 Eklavya model residential schools will work towards making education more accessible and affordable and features like the National Digital Educational Architecture and skilling initiatives will help support learners while they prepare for the future. Its greatest strength lies in the policies to raise the standard of pedagogies and scale-up higher education through the National Education Policy.
I believe the future of schools do not lie in a brick-and-mortar style of learning with fixed-age classrooms, that board examinations should be dropped or based on open-book/open-Google examinations to force a change in the approach to teaching and learning. So, the lower allocation, as compared to the last two years, and the diminutive policies attributed to digital and online education is concerning. However, overall, the budget definitely stands to bring a much-needed change for schooling institutions, teachers, and learners.
