Mangal Prabhat Lodha Urges Private Schools to Adopt Municipal Schools in Mumbai
Maharashtra Skill Development and Employment Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has appealed to renowned educational institutions, schools, and academic experts in Mumbai to take the initiative and contribute to the development of at least one municipal school in their vicinity. Speaking before eminent representatives from the education sector at an event in the city, Lodha stated that institutions working in the field must not restrict themselves to their own campuses, but should actively fulfil their broader responsibility toward society.
Lodha advised private institutions to go beyond merely extending financial assistance to civic schools. He urged school authorities to select a municipal school nearby and help arrange expert guidance across various fields while making modern educational resources available to students. He suggested that teachers from established private schools visit their adopted municipal school once a month to share effective educational and management practices.
Placing special emphasis on skill development under the new National Education Policy, Lodha noted that students should be introduced to diverse practical skills at an early age. He explained that early skill training builds student confidence, creates respect for people engaged in skilled and labour-intensive professions, and serves as an important means to alter social perceptions surrounding blue-collar jobs in India.
The minister remarked that India’s traditional education system historically offered a rich legacy of skill development, values, dignity of labour, and practical, life-oriented learning, rather than book-based knowledge alone. He pointed out that this traditional system was disrupted during British rule, when emphasis shifted to rote learning and employment-oriented education. Under the new National Education Policy led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, efforts are being made to revive this heritage by blending modern skills and technology to help build a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Lodha further underlined that education cannot be judged solely by examinations, marks, and degrees, asserting that values, culture, traditions, heritage, and self-confidence are equally vital components. He also observed that the education system must continuously evolve to keep pace with changing times, particularly with artificial intelligence driving significant shifts across the education sector.
During the gathering, the minister also called on schools across the state to actively join the ‘Drug-Free Mumbai’ campaign to protect students from addiction. He proposed that every school establish a dedicated committee comprising two parents, two teachers, and a representative from a social organisation or a counsellor to build awareness against substance abuse from an early age.
Lodha stressed that parents cannot consider their duties fulfilled merely by providing good schooling and facilities, noting that children equally need parental time, love, affection, and active involvement. Emphasising the need to counsel parents as well, he urged that the ‘Drug-Free Mumbai’ drive evolve from a government initiative into a broader social movement driven collectively by schools, teachers, and parents.
