Kids must...

According to the school education department, the inclusiveness, principles, liberty, justice, and equality promoted by the Constitution should be engraved in the minds of the society for which it need to be thoroughly imbibed in the students.

The government has also directed the commissioner (education) to review its implementation on regular basis.

The school education department has also directed all the schools to ask students to take an environment-protection oath on January 22. The oath will be taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with other dignitaries, at Mantralaya, the state secretariat, at 10.30am on January 22. School administrations have been directed to conduct a similar oath-taking programme at the same time in their respective schools.

The country accepted Constitution on November 26, 1949 and the day is marked as Constitution Day. The constitution came in to effect on January 26, 1950.

School education minister Varsha Gaikwad said that just like morning prayers, students will have to read the Constitution preamble. “This will help students memorise the core values and rights of the Constitution forever and follow the same,” Gaikwad said.

Prashant Redij, spokesperson of the Mumbai Principals Association, and the principal of Hilda Castelino High School in Malad, said that it is a good move. “With this, students will understand the significance of the Constitution and the values enshrined in it. This should be followed by all schools irrespective of the medium and board,” he added.

Anjali Shinde, a teacher from a Chembur-based school, said the government should also conduct routine checks to see if the policy is followed. “There was a 2013 government resolution (GR) asking schools to follow this, but most schools seem to have ignored it. There needs to be strict action against schools that do not follow the guideline,” she added.