Ask any teenager what career path they want to pursue later in life and hardly anybody ever thinks about the agriculture industry. The Department of Agriculture’s latest programme strives to change that. With the implementation of the kitchen garden scheme across 90 schools in the state, the authorities aim to create an interest in agriculture by exposing school-going children to the actual cultivation of vegetables rather than simply reading about it in the books. r This, in itself, is a step in the right direction. Since educational institutions in Goa do not have agriculture as part of their syllabus, this can be looked at as a fun extra-curricular activity that not only evokes interest but also helps students gain greater awareness, knowledge and skills. r That being said, the fact remains that our current school system is an academics-oriented one, strictly focused on learning by rote. Slowly, however, things seem to be changing. r Soon, road safety education will be a part of the academic curriculum. And earlier this year, close to 75 government schools enrolled under the HRD Ministry’s National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), and students are being trained in 15 different job-oriented courses including automobile, IT/ITeS, healthcare, retail, construction, telecommunication, banking, travel and tourism, etc. All of this serves to provide creative, inspiring and enriching practical knowledge allowing children the freedom to learn and grow without confining their world view to information offered by textbooks within the classroom.
