MP schools set for ‘ saffronisation’?
Madhya Pradesh government has “in principle” decided to hire teachers from RSS- run Saraswati Shishu Mandirs to teach students in the state’s primary schools to “imbibe positive samskara” in them.
The education department of the state government is working out a plan to “entrust” Vidya Bharati, the education wing of RSS that runs Saraswati Shishu Mandir chain of schools, the task of mobilising teachers from its educational institutions to teach students in government primary schools in the state.
“We have offered to improve quality of education in primary schools run by the state government. Accordingly, we have proposed to deploy our teachers to teach students of classes six, seven and eight in state governmentrun 1000 primary schools. Our proposal has been granted verbal consent by the state education department,” a senior functionary of Vidya Bharati told this newspaper on condition of anonymity since he was not authorised to speak to media.
“Vidya Bharati will focus on cultural education, besides Hindi and Vedic mathematics. Schools will also be given the options of adopting cultural activities taught in Saraswati Shishu Mandirs, such as Surjya Namaskar, learning Hindu religious texts, and celebrating Indian festivals etc..”, he added.
He revealed that official formalities granting permission to RSS- run school teachers to teach in state governmentowned primary schools would most likely be completed within a month.
“We have already begun the process of identifying the government schools for tie up with Vidya Bha- rati for the purpose. The schools in the vicinity of Saraswati Shishu Mandirs will be embraced in the first phase”, he said.