Created by: Sarah Meyers, Joint-Chief Economist and Press Secretary
Orissa’s governmental ideology and structure is defined by the tenets of pure democracy and classical conservatism. Our solid foundation in values of freedom, independence, and equal consent are compounded by the ideological values of security, order, stability, and harmony. This structure is a direct result of an effort to avoid domestic violent conflict among factions. Leaders of Orissa instituted a Civil Service Requirement of individuals to become a voting member of the state. Due to the demanding intellectual requirements for voting in elections and participating in the Civil Service requirement, collective moral responsibility must be instituted into Orissian schools. An educated population is central to the success of a fully participatory citizenry.
The history of education in Orissa can be traced back to before clan warfare. Before the clan wars, education was the privilege of the elites. In structuring education policy, one must reconcile two distinct paths: 1) How to avoid future clan warfare/domestic turmoil, and 2) How to train children to positively contribute to society as they grow older. Equal opportunity in education for a child in Orissa shall not be defined by the precinct in which he or she is born. It shall be universal for all children.
Children need to be educated to have an interest in political participation and civic virtue. In the past, Orissa lacked a standard curriculum. The lack thereof is an atrocity to the state’s preservation of a conservative pure democracy. Since collective moral responsibility underscores our values as a nation, cultural wisdom, norms, and responsibilities need to be cultivated in our youth, starting from the first grade and continuing to the second year of high school.
This policy prescribes the passing of a compulsory education law, making ten years of education mandatory for all Orissian children. This reform of universal ten-year basic education will ensure students over six years old will have free education in elementary (five years), middle (three years), and high school (two years, respectively).
This policy will be funded by the government of Orissa, through tax revenue appropriations, and is thereby free to all who qualify.
The curriculum of the ten-year compulsory education reflects our values as a nation. It shall be both interdisciplinary and Socratic. First, a liberal arts foundation will secure a deep and appreciative understanding of math, science, philosophy, government and political processes, foundations of law, history, literature, and the arts. This combined interdisciplinary program encourages critical thinking agility. Second, the Socratic Method shall be the guiding method of educators and students in Orissa. This process uses questions to examine values, principles, and beliefs of students, focuses on moral education, and supports a classroom environment characterized by “productive discomfort.”
Next, the last two years of high school are not funded by the Orissian government, but instead by Orissa’s own National Association of Financial Firms. This conglomerate of banks and financial institutions shall agree to provide funding for junior and senior high school students to complete their education in Science, Technology, or Energy; this funding will be delivered in the form of grants or fellowships, with the goal of training our youth to enter into a practical trade industry that will undoubtedly support Orissian development.
Institutions in Athens, Greece inspired the choice of curriculum for our schools, which is in line with our ideology of sharing cultural wisdom in an open, safe space. Liberal Arts programs across the country, particularly the Global Liberal Studies program at New York University, inspired the interdisciplinary program. Our education law will adequately prepare students for our unique Civil Service requirement and encourage respect for all walks of life in Zamia.
The concept of compulsory education is inspired by China’s nine-year compulsory education, although the leaders of Orissa determined the standard nine-years shall not be sufficient for our nation. Thus, we extended compulsory education to ten years.
To conclude, it is apt to reiterate Edmond Burke, a classical conservative philospher, who argued, “[society is] a living and changing organism, a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.” We hope to empower every child living in Orissa to be mentally and spiritually able to participate in a society driven by classical conservatism in a pure democracy. Challenging our students while they are in school and guiding them using the Socratic method in an interdisciplinary context will promote individual development, thus contributing to the stability of the state in the long-run. This ten-year compulsory, free education, funded by the state, along with our fellowship during the last two years of high school, shall define our education policy in Orissa moving forward.
Amendment in Relation to Immigrants in Orissa
We promote integration of immigrant children into the social fabric of our country, believing that where a person is born should not determine whether he or she receives access to education. Thus, the children of non-citizens are also eligible for the grants and fellowships funded by the National Association of Financial Firms.
Second Amendment in Relation in Immigrant Education in Orissa
The second amendment to Orissa’s education policy proposes partnerships with other countries to develop transitional education programs for children coming from outside Orissa. These charter schools, one in Santhia, the capital of Orissa, and one in the Fishing Village, are exclusively for expat children.
This additional academic accommodation for the foreign-born population is enacted to support the growth of knowledge among immigrants. We aim to assist immigrant children that come to Orissa from other nations and to integrate these children into our Socratic and interdisciplinary program over time.
Works Cited
About Global Liberal Studies. About global liberal studies. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://liberalstudies.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/liberalstudies/about/global-liberal-studies.html
Ball, T., Dagger, R., & O’neill, Daniel. (Ed.) (2017). Political ideologies and the democratic ideal. (10th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Reis, Rick. The Socratic Method: What it is and How to Use it in the Classroom. The Socratic Method: What it is and How to Use it in the Classroom | Tomorrow's Professor Postings. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/810
www.chinaeducenter.com. (n.d.). Education in China. Overview of Education in China - China Education Center. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.chinaeducenter.com/en/cedu.php