New Delhi: In a step aimed at enhancing
the acceptability of open schooling system, the government is
considering framing a policy which will enable regular schools
to adapt distance education programmes.
"A national policy will be evolved under which regular
schools will embrace distance education. This will make
distance schooling more acceptable," Human Resources
Development Minister Kapil Sibal said in his address to the
annual meeting of National Consortium for Open Schooling.
Of the one crore children in the age group of 14-18
years who currently pursue secondary education, 16 lakh are
doing it through open schooling system.
"This number (16 lakh) is not good enough. It should
be increased to about 70-80 lakh by the end of the 11th Five
Year plan and should be 1.5 crore by 2020," he said.
The major problem in distance education is its non-
acceptability among the people as an effective and efficient
alternative of the regular schooling system.
Sibal said if the regular schools could adapt distance
education programmes it will upgrade the quality of distance
schooling and make it more acceptable.
The regular schools should be able to assess the
drawbacks in the open schooling system, he said.
The distance education in schooling is offered by
National Institute of Open Schooling. Fourteen states in India have
decided to start their own open schooling institutes.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 15, 2010, 14:08