Education about holistic development of child: Sibal

New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) Observing that education isnot about acquiring degrees but about holistic development ofa child, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today said several reformmeasures are being initiated towards this end like destressingthem and incorporating value system into every discipline.

He felt the need of the hour is to move away from examcentric system of education which evaluates the personality ofthe child rather than the ability of the child.

"We did away with board exam and we are now movingtowards making the exam system such ...not allowing the childto answer the exam paper based on test but testing the abilityof the child to respond to situations because when he respondsto situations there is an element of creativity that isinherent in that process," he said.

Noting that modern education system should be suchthat it imbibes value system, he said their vision is also tointegrate the value system in every pedagogical disciplinewhich a child receives.

"We don''t want a separate moral science class but wewant morality to be integrated in every subject whether it isteaching of Physics, Chemistry or teaching of any otherdiscipline", he said at a function here.

He said the aim is to enable a child develop a properperspective about discipline in question and putting it togood use of the society.

"What''s the purpose of science, why do children learnscience, what ultimately is the objective of any science inthe process and how science is to be used for the good or badof the mankind.

Either participate in the process or help somebodymake an atomic weapon through science or participate in usingatomic energy for producing electricity is a matter ofchoice," he said.

Sibal felt a child should also acquire skills as hegrows up which could be taking to carpentry or dance and musicor anything else which is at the heart of Indian culture sothat he begins to appreciate the world of art and the richculture the country possesses.