Dr.JOSHI TO LEAD INDIA AT EDINBURGH
COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION MINISTERS MEET
The Minister for
Human Resource Development and Science & Technology, Dr. Murli
Manohar Joshi left New Delhi this morning for Edinburgh to lead
the Indian delegation at the Commonwealth Education Ministers
Conference beginning today. Dr. Joshi will be chairing a round-table
on "Universal Primary Education", tomorrow, a great
honour for India and recognition of New Delhi’s success in trying
to achieve universalisation of elementary education. India is
already nearing 75 per cent literacy rate and has brought down
the non-literates by 30 million despite increasing population.
The commonwealth
conference is eager to listen to Dr. Joshi and to learn about
India’s experience in universalisation of elementary education.
Dr. Joshi will be presenting a country paper on India’s experiences
and strategy to achieve the goal of education for all by 2015,
as per Dakar resolution.
The Round-table will
focus on policy and commonwealth cooperation in relation to universal
primary education. In specific, the barriers in achieving this
goal will be discussed in detail including gender disparities
in education, use of distance education to overcome hurdles, supporting
education in difficult circumstances and mitigating the effects
of HIV/AIDS on education systems.
The theme of the
Conference is "Access, inclusion and achievement : closing
the gaps." Another significant aspect of the conference is
a keynote address by Nobel laureate Prof. Amartya Sen. Prof. Sen
will offer his views on the theme of the conference and host a
question/answer session. At the end of the conference the Edinburgh
communique and action plan will be issued. India is also expected
to play a greater role in the drafting of the communique. Dr.Joshi
would underscore the tremendous potential in distance learning
and offer India’s support in this to fellow member nations.
