DIRANG, 24 Oct: “We must ensure that, along with modern education, our children should also be aware of our traditional values,” Chief Minister Pema Khandu said after dedicating St Vairotsana Academy, situated in Chug valley here in West Kameng district, to the people of the state on Monday.
St Vairotsana Academy is a
residential school for underprivileged children, run by Kyabje Ugyen Choephel Rinpoche. It was established in 2016 with donations from philanthropists, especially from Vietnam and Malaysia.
Expressing gratitude to the rinpoche and the donors, who were present on the occasion, Khandu said that their “gift” to people would be “cherished forever.”
“I am grateful to His Eminence Kyabje Ugyen Choephel Rinpoche for choosing Chug valley from among all the places that he surveyed for establishing the school, despite the fact that he is not native to Arunachal Pradesh,” Khandu said.
He said that the school will impart “customary and religious values of the Mon region to its students, besides contemporary education.”
“Modernity is necessary, but not at the cost of our traditional values. We must ensure that, along with modern education, our children should also be aware of our traditional values,” he said.
Emphasising on “quality education at the pre-primary level,” Khandu said that “kids in pre-primary level should be taken utmost care of, as this stage forms the foundation of their educational careers.”
The CM urged every member of the society to support the school administrations and the school management committees, “especially of government schools,” in being proactive and ensuring discipline.
To a request for government support in the form of a corpus fund for the school, Khandu gave assurance that it would be provided at the earliest.
“Constructing buildings is the easiest task, but using these buildings to impart quality education to the students is the hardest. The onus is now on the principal and the faculty members. I believe they will live up to our expectations,” Khandu added.
The CM also inaugurated the school’s 150-bedded hostel.
Also present were local legislator Phurpa Tsering, Kalaktang MLA Dorjee Wangdi Kharma, district administration officials, representatives of the ITBP and the SSB, and Buddhist monks from various states and countries. (CM’s PR Cell)
