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Azim Premji on improving the standard of education in India

Wipro chairman Azim Premji on Friday said that the government should increase investment in education sector from the 'claimed' 2.5 percent of the GDP and hire quality teachers to improve the standard of education in the country. “The government’s claim of 2.5 percent of GDP in education has not been completely realised and the current spend should be utilised with reason,” Premji said, adding, “China spends about 5 percent of GDP on education and the world’s average stands at 6 percent.”

Addressing the 19th Annual Polestar Awards in Chennai on Friday, Premji said that consistent efforts and investments should be made to improve infrastructure, teacher training and quality of education.

“About 83 percent of the primary and secondary schools in the country are run by the government but there are not many that measure up to a standard,” he observed.

He said the new education policy, which is expected to come out in December, will provide significant uplift to the education sector.

"There are fewer teachers graduating from India than from Finland, which has a population of 7 million. India has a population of 1.2 billion. The Azim Premji Foundation has trained teachers who work with government schools, looking to bridge the gap," he said.Premji also emphasised on the need for early childhood education by integrating Anganwadis with the current education system. “There are 13 lakh Anganwadis in the country. We need to invest more in them,” he added.

He pointed out that a study done by Azim Premji Foundation revealed that public education offers better quality education than private schools. Additionally, the proximity of public schools encourages parents to send their girl child to school. But the challenge is the dearth of quality and committed teachers, who could make a difference, he stated.

“Empowering teachers in government schools by improving teacher education is key to improving public education,” he noted.

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