New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address principals of senior secondary schools attached to RSS-affiliated Vidya Bharti Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan during a seminar to be held later this week.
During the annual 'Akhil Bhartiya Pracharya Sammelan' seminar, Modi will address the principals of around 1,300 such schools of the Sansthan on 'Key role of principal in social and academic scenario' on February 12.
HRD Minister Smriti Irani will also address the seminar on the same day separately. The seminar will be held between February 11 and February 14.
"Focus of the seminar is that...senior secondary principals are responsible not only for imparting education to students, but their role is important also in the present social hierarchy. The social issues comprise politics, culture and financial policies," the Sansthan's national secretary Shiv Kumar told reporters here.
Apart from Modi and Irani, National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) chairman Santosh Panda, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) director Hrushikesh Senapaty and principals of some schools will speak during seminar, Kumar said.
Queried about allegations by opposition parties on "saffronisation" of educational system in the country under NDA Government, Kumar stressed that schools under the outfit are affiliated to CBSE and state boards and follow syllabus set by the two bodies.
"On the issue of saffronisation of education system...I think it will be better to ask the Government what is happening at its level (than us). All our schools are affiliated to CBSE or state boards and follow their syllabus. We don't frame that syllabus. We don't think about saffronisation or non-saffronisation of educational system, but India-centric studies," Kumar said.
To another question, he said the upcoming seminar has "nothing to do" with HRD's new educational policy. Kumar though added the Sansthan has submitted its suggestions to the Ministry on the policy.
In the past, Kumar informed, ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had addressed a similar seminar organised by the Sansthan in 2001.
"Besides, Union Ministers (from non-BJP Governments) too have attended such seminar in the past," he added.
The Sansthan runs 12,363 formal schools, located across the country barring few Union Territories and states like Daman and Diu and Mizoram, he informed.
Kumar was flanked by the Sansthan's All India General Secretary Lalit Bihari Goswami and joint organisational secretary JM Kashipati.
