*Urges Edu Ministry for protection of Urdu
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 4: The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), a non-political civil society group, has expressed its deep concern over the continuous closure of educational institutions in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and further learning loss of the students due to poor 2G internet connectivity.
In a statement issued today, the GCC said the closure of educational institutions, particularly schools for 381 days out of 390 days during the period July 14, 2019 to 01 September, 2020 has resulted into a serious learning crisis. “Now with the closure of schools till ending September, the situation is bound to worsen further,” it added.
The Group said though digital or online education is no alternative to classroom teaching/ learning, it has evolved as a pragmatic and viable media of teaching during the pandemic. “The continuous advancement in the field of ICT and the internet, with virtually unlimited supply of digital resources has made multiple modes of digital education possible, in the rest of the country, with availability of internet facility at 4G speed but unfortunately children in J&K don’t have proper access to online education due to very poor and irregular internet connectivity,” it noted.
“Given the necessity of digital education under the present pandemic conditions, it is suggested that 4G services suspended in August, 2019 may be restored at the earliest. The restoration of 4G internet services will facilitate the use of multiple pathways to education, particularly Open Distance Learning (ODL),” the Group asserted.
The GCC expressed deep regret over not finding the name of Urdu language in National Education Policy 2020 even once. “Urdu is a modern Indian language listed in the 8th schedule as per Articles 344 (1) and 351 of the constitution. Not finding its name anywhere raises the suspicion about the future of this great language used very widely across the country by all the communities” the Group mentioned.
Stating that Urdu is the official language of J&K and is taught as a language at all stages of school education as well as offered as subject at under-graduate and university level, the GCC urged upon the Education Ministry and the J&K Government to take all steps necessary for protection and development of Urdu.
The Group also urged the Education Ministry and J&K Government to include Arabic in the list of foreign languages offered (or contemplated to be offered) at the secondary level. The GCC noted with caution the recent approval of the Bill to include Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi as official languages of Jammu and Kashmir, for introduction in Parliament and stated that the move appears to be aimed at assuaging the sensibilities of diverse denominations is impracticable and wonders how it is going to work on the ground.
The signatories to this statement include Wahid Qureshi, former VC, Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Hashmatullah Khan, former VC, Jammu University of Agricultural Sciences, Prof Mohd Aslam, former Head, Department of English, CUK, Prof Nusrat Andrabi, retired Prof of Urdu, Prof AS Bhat, former Head Department of Law, University of Kashmir, Bashir Aahmad Dar, former Director Academic and Secretary, JKBOSE, Rafi Ahmad, former Director/Advisor, Education, J&K Government, Anuradha Bhasin, senior journalist, Ajaz ul Haque, senior journalist, Masood Shah, prominent businessman, GD Bakshi, Krishi Pandit, Abdul Majid Butt, expert in Geological Sciences, Riyaz Jan, former Advocate General, GH Kango, retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Rafeeq A Masoodi, former DDG, Prasar Bharti, GJ Nehvi, retired Commissioner, J&K Government, GR Sufi, former Chairman, State Information Commission, M S Pandit, former, Chairman, JKPSC.
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