Puducherry BJP MP demands setting up of national council for improvement of primary schools

MP S. Selvaganabathy urged the Centre to set up a National Council for Improvement of Primary Schools to improve quality of life in rural areas. He highlighted lack of basic infrastructure, such as clean drinking water, toilets, and teaching aids, and urged focus on reducing dropout rates, providing infrastructure, introducing moral lessons, counselling, maintaining health records, and introducing smart classes.

Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) S. Selvaganabathy on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, demanded the setting up of a national council for the improvement of primary schools in the country.

Raising the condition of primary schools during zero hour at the Rajya Sabha, he said the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) has emphasised the importance of primary education in the country. Primary education instrumental in helping improve the quality of life in rural areas, he said.

“However, I find that most government schools lack basic infrastructure like clean drinking water, toilet facilities and teaching aids. There are cases where thousands of students have to use one toilet. It is a pity that girl students in such schools do not take water for the entire day [so that they do not have to use the washroom]. The infrastructure and quality of teaching should be improved in primary schools,” Mr Selvaganabathy, who is also the president of the BJP’s Puducherry unit, said.

Urging the Centre to constitute a National Council for Improvement of Primary Schools, the MP said the focus should be on reducing school dropout rates, providing basic infrastructure, the introduction of moral lesson, counselling for parents as well as students, maintaining health records and introduction of smart classes.

Mr Selvaganabathy, who also runs educational institutions in Puducherry, said such a council should be set up to improve primary education in the country.