Quality education is top priority in 12th five year plan: D Purandeswari

The human resource development (HRD) ministry will accord top priority to providing quality education in the 12th five year plan by not compromising on national entrance test and state level entrance test to bring out skilled teachers, HRD minister of state D Purandeswari said in Chennai on Saturday.

"The 11th Five Year Plan will end by 2012... and in the 12th Five Year Plan we will give extraordinary focus on strengthening quality education", she told reporters at the sidelines of a conference in Chennai.

Purandeswari said her ministry will not compromise on national entrance test and state level entrance test as quality teachers are the need of the hour.

"We are not compromising on it. To have highly qualified teachers we need to have NET and SLET in our institutions", she said after inaugurating a conference on 'Education for Sustainable Development' organised by industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The minister said education at the primary level should be strengthened to enable bright students pursue further studies in higher secondary schools.