Seminar on Life Skills Education begins at Harkamaya College

GANGTOK, 30 July: Harkamaya College of Education is hosting a two-day national seminar on “Life Skills Education: Challenges and Prospects”. The seminar began at the college today. This is the third time that the seminar is being conducted by the college.

The seminar, sponsored by Indian Council for Social Science Research [ICSSR], has 49 participants [Associate Professors, PHD scholars and students] from Sikkim, WB, Bihar, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, UP, and Meghalaya.

The main reason behind conducting the seminar is to create awareness about life skills education, its need, importance and rationale for inclusion in school curriculums, and also to discuss the changing roles of teachers and knowledge society in response to social diversities, and especially in the context of effective executive of life skills and value education.

Addressing the inaugural session, VC, Sikkim University, Prof. Tanka B Subba, who was present as the chief guest, said that, life skills are more important than reading history.

Something we are lacking in the schools and colleges is proper communication between teachers and students which has got to do with inter personal skills, he said, adding that better communication could help in bringing down the number of suicide cases in the state.  

The VC also appealed to students to take full of advantage of this two-day seminar for a successful future.

Similarly, Prof cum HoD, Department of Extension Education, NERIE, Nityanda Pradhan, accompanied by Prof cum Head, Department of Sociology, RTM Nagpur University, BK Swain, retired Prof cum Principal, Radhanath Institute of Advanced Study in Education, SM Pany also addressed the seminar.  

The programme was also addressed by the Seminar Director, Prof. Prem Lata Mohapatra, Seminar Convener, Dr. Savita Mishra, and was also attended by the Founder cum Director for College, Dr. HP Chhetri, Principal for Damber Singh College, Dr. PK Mishra, who is the organizing secretary for the seminar.