Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today stressed that inclusive, equitable and quality education is every child’s right.

He called upon private schools to come up with policies to help underprivileged and needy children. He said that extending a helping hand to the needy and the vulnerable should be accorded priority.

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Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the State-of-the-art Indoor Sports Arena and L’atelier: a dedicated block for Arts, Drama & Music at the Greenwood High International School in Bengaluru, Naidu emphasised the need to inculcate the spirit of service at a young age.

The Vice President said, “Schools must include community service in their curriculum so that children develop an attitude of giving back to society at a young age.”

He urged educational institutions to give equal importance to studies, sports, co-curricular and recreational activities. He said such an approach will lead to the all-around growth of students and make them confident individuals. He also wanted the educational institutions to involve students in activities such as gardening, tree plantation and water conservation. This will bring children closer to nature, he said and further highlighted the need for water conservation by stressing on 3Rs- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Underlining that NEP-2020 lays emphasis on extracurricular activities, Naidu urged all states to give priority to sports, co-curricular activities and inculcating ethical values among students.

Expressing his concern over ‘erosion of values, the Vice President urged students to imbibe our civilisational values and strive to protect India’s glorious cultural heritage. “We must restore values, preserve heritage, promote our culture and feel proud to be a Bharatiya,” he said.

Reiterating his call for promotion and propagation of mother tongue, the Vice President opined that one must learn as many languages as he or she wants but the priority must always be given to learning mother tongue.

Highlighting the importance of physical fitness in our daily lives, Naidu wanted the Fit India movement to reach every school, college, university, panchayat and village.