Maharashtra's Agriculture Minister, Abdul Sattar, has announced that the state government will now include agriculture as a subject in the school curriculum.
Abdul Sattar, the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra, stated that a preliminary report proposing the inclusion of agriculture as a school subject has been submitted to the education department and has been accepted. He added that the next step would involve finalizing the curriculum, which is expected to commence shortly.
In addition, the minister noted that this decision would not only encourage students to take an interest in agriculture, but it would also raise general awareness and sensitivity towards farmers and the agricultural industry.
Abdul Sattar further explained that the introduction of agriculture as a school subject aims to provide fundamental knowledge on agriculture to students from a young age. The curriculum is expected to align with the New Education Policy structure of 5+3+3+4. He also assured that the agriculture department would extend all necessary assistance in terms of equipment and expertise to support this new initiative.
The Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra went on to explain that the inclusion of agriculture in the school curriculum would not only increase the employment prospects of students but also provide them with a holistic understanding of various aspects such as the significance of agriculture, the challenges and solutions, business prospects, and more. By learning about these areas, students will experience all-around development and become more aware of the importance of agriculture.
According to the Education Minister, Deepak Kesarkar, a joint committee comprising of experts from the State Council for Education Research and Training and State Agriculture Council will collaborate to create the syllabus.