Governor urges students to not neglect outdoor learnings

IMPHAL | Oct 30

Governor Dr Najma Heptulla addressed the silver jubilee celebration of Council of Higher Education Manipur as chief guest on October 30 at MSFDC auditorium, Imphal.

The Governor recalled from her experience in education and politics that there were many things she had not known, and there are also many things nobody is expected to know. While imparting education we should ask how much the child knows, not how much the child does not know, she said.

“Students today are more independent as compared to our time as they can get every answer that we want and now the world is in our palm today,” she said. “Because of the availability of the facilities, research in science and technology is important.”

Dr Heptulla also emphasised the importance of preserving traditional knowledge. Students who do not want to go for higher studies but have skills in traditional arts and crafts should be educated through distance learning, she said.

“I want to tell teachers that the mind of the child is always questioning so the teacher should never mind the questions of the students as education is not just learning to read and write but knowing your surroundings, observing, questioning etc.” she said. Students should spend several numbers of hours on extracurricular activities as most of the time they are inside the four walls glued to their gadgets, she added.

The Governor lauded the council for its initiatives, particularly digitisation. “We have to work harder to make Manipur at par with other states of the country and will try to solve the problems that students of this state are facing in mainland India,” she said.

Remembering Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr Heptulla added that quality of mind is important to bring development and progress in the country.

The Governor said her office is planning a weekly interaction programme with students from next year. Students selected from all levels will be invited to the Raj Bhavan to discuss various issues concerning their studies, she said.

Minister of education, labour and employment Th Radheshyam Singh, who was also president of the function, said young minds have to bring solutions to the problems facing the state and that has to be the goal of education.

A souvenir and annual report of the council was released at the celebration. COSHEM chairman L Mahendra Singh and secretary Dr M Bidyasagar were also present at the event with academicians, teachers and students.