New Delhi: School principals from 30-odd private schools and school bodies congratulated Mr. Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), for various educational reform proposals announced recently.

All of them unanimously complemented him for his proposed reforms in the education sector.

All principals held the view that the reform was overdue in the education sector. They said that the focus of education should be on children and learning not on examinations.

Kapil Sibal, while talking to these principals, underlined the necessity for educational reforms as India is expected to have a surplus of 47 million students by 2020.

"Thus, while the west is seeing negative growth in population, these Indian students must be empowered to take up the opportunity that will be created", he added.

For this, he said all stakeholders have to be consulted, whether public, private or municipal.

In reply to a question on whether the Government would be proposing 25pc seats of private schools to be reserved for weaker sections, as stated in the Right to Education Bill placed in the Rajya Sabha in the last session, Sibal reiterated the government's commitment to the proposal.

He said that we all have our societal obligations and we must contribute towards this end.

The HRD Minister stated that this was the beginning of the consultation process. He would be holding consultations with the people in rural areas and in smaller towns also. He also stated that he would be setting up a group for interaction regarding education reforms and some of the school principals would be part of this group.

Kapil Sibal, emphasized that in order to enable quality schooling for greater number of children, flexibility of planning is required.

One idea that he threw up was private management for some dysfunctional government schools. "This private management could do two shifts, with one shift as a private school and the other shift with Government school norms", he opined.

Among the school principals who were present included Mr. Arun Kapur of Vasant Valley School, Mrs. Shyama Chona of DPS, R.K. Puram, Mrs. Abha Sehgal of Sanskriti School, Mrs. Anjali Aggarwal, Chairperson of the Forum of Public School, Mr. Marc Parkinson, Director of Shri Ram School, M. Qayam-ud-din, Forum of Minority Schools, and Mr. S.S. Minhans of Guru Harkrishan Public School.