Agriculture will be introduced as a subject in Maharashtra’s school curriculum in the near future. The Maharashtra state council for education research and training institute (MSCERT) and Maharashtra council of agriculture, education and research (MCAER) have been tasked by the state government with developing the curriculum.
This decision was made in the presence of ministers- Varsha Gaikwad and Dadaji Bhuse, as well as senior bureaucrats, at a combined meeting of the agriculture and school education departments on Wednesday.
According to Bhuse, incorporating agriculture into the school curriculum will pique students’ interest in the agricultural sector. Furthermore, it would foster agricultural dedication in rural areas as well as social commitment to the farming community.
“With over 50% of kids attending schools in rural areas of the state and coming from farming households, the introduction of these topics would provide them with an opportunity to learn more about agriculture,” said School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad. She stated that the curriculum will be developed together by the education and agriculture departments. “We have asked both departments to construct the syllabus taking into account the student’s age and intelligence,” she added.
However, it is uncertain when the two suggested subjects would be implemented in Maharashtra and in which academic year.
Agricultural Education’s Importance:
- School students should understand how things grow, live, and die.
- They would be able to learn anything from flowers to potatoes, from cows and pigs to tractors and soil, and they would have an understanding of how food gets onto their tables, clothes go onto store shelves, and seeds germinate through this subject.
- Students would be able to understand basic scientific procedures and learn how to apply these teachings in everyday life if agriculture was taught in schools.
- They’d be able to understand how trees grow and produce fruit or nuts, as well as how corn is processed into oil.
The Maharashtra government’s plan to include agriculture in the school curriculum will help students gain a better understanding of their life and the world around them.