Want to use music, theatre, sports in teaching: Sisodia

EDUCATION

THE DELHI government is going to focus on the ‘core of education’ — books and curriculum in this third year — Education Minister Manish Sisodia said. The promise for new colleges, it seems, will have to wait.

“In the government’s third year, we are looking at innovation in education — the syllabus and books. We want to use music, theatre and sports to teach hardcore subjects,” Sisodia said, hinting at a widespread change in books and syllabus.

Education has been among the biggest focus points for the government since it came to power in February 2015. In its manifesto, the Aam Aadmi Party had promised to increase number of schools and colleges in the city and improve the quality of education.

Over the past two years, the government has worked on building more classrooms in government schools and improving learning outcomes but the promised 20 colleges have not started.

In the manifesto, the party said it would start 20 colleges in the city, especially in rural areas, if they win. This has not happened.

Sisodia, however, said the government has increased the number of seats in existing colleges and this could count as starting new colleges. “We have added over 5,000 seats across Delhi government institutions. The new Ambedkar University campus has started in west Delhi and it is like adding a new college. In District Institute of Education and Training, we have opened up seats for students who are not yet teachers. So we are now catering to more students,” he said.

The party had also said the new colleges that would open, if they came to power, would be affiliated to Delhi University. This is not on the government’s agenda any more. “I don’t think it is possible and neither is it a very good idea. We need to look beyond Delhi University as we have to cater to students of Delhi. They are the ones we are worried about,” he said.

Being a central university, DU does not allow region-based reservations and no preference is given to Delhi students during admission. The one thing that the government is hoping will happen in 2017 is the amendment to the Delhi University Act. According to the current provisions, Delhi cannot have any affiliating universities other than DU and IP University. As a result, the government can’t open another university on the lines of IP University, under which private colleges can start. “We have written to the HRD Minister and he has agreed that this provision is problematic. If this clause is removed, we will be able to solve the problem of higher education to a large extent,” said Sisodia.

He also said proposals for a skill-based university and a sports university have not got the L-G’S approval yet. “If permissions come through, work on these will start”, he added.