Faleiro opposes value education curriculum by Ramdev's organisation

Panaji, April 5: Former Union Minister Eduardo Faleiro has opposed the BJP-led Goa government's proposed move to introduce value education curriculum in schools, to be framed by yoga guru Baba Ramdev's organisation.

"Chief Minister (Laxmikant Parsekar) has announced recently that Goa government will introduce yoga training and value education in government primary schools," Faleiro said to media today. "Yoga training is welcome. However, it should be dissociated completely from the proposed value education," the Congress leader said.

Faleiro said as per the chief minister, the syllabus for value education will be developed by Patanjali Yogpeeth, which is an organisation established by Baba Ramdev. "In 2000, the then BJP-led Union government had proposed a national curriculum framework for school education to introduce value education," he said.

"This national curriculum framework was rejected by all opposition parties in Parliament and by almost all the state governments because it would give a sectarian and chauvinistic orientation to school education in the name of value education and it contravened the constitutional mandates of secularism, equality and democracy," he said.

Faleiro claimed that a similar value education curriculum is now being sought to be introduced by the central government at the national level as well as in states controlled by it. "The value education proposed by Goa government should be discussed threadbare across the state and it should be rejected," he said.

The Congress leader also opposed the ongoing helicopter joy rides in South Goa. "Government should not go ahead with the helicopter rides in Salcette village. It will cause immense disturbance and cause environment damage," he claimed.

On tourism front, he said Goa government should provide quality infrastructure, clean and hygienic toilets, and changing rooms at the beaches.

PTI