“Recently, we’ve launched a report, which says 54 percent of the young people within the South Asian region do not have the skills they need for employability in 2030. It means these countries cannot contribute to the growth of the world economy.”
Henrietta H Fore, executive director of UNICEF (Forbes India, November 6)
“Public education gives you tremendous exposure. Your perspective matures, it shows you the challenges, it makes you empathetic and makes you very patient. You know reality very fast in public education when compared to private education.”
Dr. R.S. Praveen Kumar, IPS officer, in ‘JNU protests: Why public education is crucial in a country like India’ (The News Minute, November 18)
“Why have the children of affluent people studied in English medium? But when it comes to protecting Telugu language and culture, is it only the responsibility of the downtrodden and rural youth? This is not fair, we have to give everyone a level playing field. Most of the people from the SC/ST communities are celebrating today.”
Suresh Audimulapu, Andhra Pradesh education minister, defending the government’s decision to introduce English medium in government schools (Mint, November 18)
“As a child, I promised my mother I would win the Nobel Prize in physics. 50 years later, I said to my mother, ‘See, I have kept my promise. I won the Nobel Prize.’ ‘No,’ said my mother, ‘You promised it would be in physics!’”
Kenzaburo Oe, who was awarded the 1994 Noble Prize in literature (twitter.com, November 20)
“Why are people being forced to live in gas chambers? It is better to kill them all in one go, get explosives in 15 bags at one go. Why should people suffer all this? Instead, a blame game is going on in Delhi, I am literally shocked.”
Justice Arun Mishra of the Supreme Court, admonishing the government for failing to curb Delhi’s air pollution
(November 25)