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Education of SC children must be a priority, which necessitates both flexibility of approach and
avoidance of discrimination. The access of children from Scheduled Tribes requires more
flexible and sensitive schooling strategies. Language issues must be explicitly taken on board in
designing school curricula and methods of pedagogy. Special strategies are required to ensure
greater access to schools for children in backward regions, remote locations and difficult terrains.
Official strategies for ensuring better access of Muslim children to schooling are excessively
focussed on madrassas which cater to only a tiny minority of such children; the emphasis should
be on creating enabling conditions for Muslim children in the general school system. Children of
seasonal migrants require special conditions and efforts to ensure continuous access to schooling.
Similarly, labouring children require incentives and bridge courses. The needs of physically
disadvantaged children, as well as teachers, have to be factored in more thoroughly in provisions
for school education.
We realise that there is wide diversity across states in terms of progress towards achieving
universal elementary education, and also diversity within states with respect to the quality of
school education. But we believe that these proposals, which require the active involvement of
the central government as well state governments, will go some way in terms of ensuring
universal access to elementary education, wider access to secondary education as well as better
quality and greater relevance of all schooling. Given the strong synergies between this and other
areas such as libraries, translation, knowledge networks, etc., these suggestions should be seen in
conjunction with other recommendations that have already been made in these other areas, as
part of a systematic set of knowledge initiatives for the young.
We look forward to being engaged in taking these ideas forward.
With warm personal regards,
Sam Pitroda
Chairman,
National Knowledge Commission
Copy to
1. Sh. Arjun Singh, Minister Human Resources Development, Government of India
2. Sh. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Government of
India
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