New Delhi.Dec. 22: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called for a complete revamp of the school education system to ensure that children enjoy schooling and become life-long learners.

Addressing students of Jubilee Hills Public School, Hyderabad, at their annual day function, the Vice President said the school curriculum should be oriented to make students think rationally, independently and express cogently.

The education system needs to focus on making a child curious, creative, caring, communicative, confident and capable. It should prepare each child to be an active, caring citizen ready to participate in the world of today and capable of shaping the world of tomorrow.

Such an environment will instill confidence in children, apart from inculcating a spirit of tolerance and accommodation in them, he added.

Pointing out that education was the foundation for all efforts to improve the quality of our lives, Naidu said, “Our life is multi-faceted and so must education be.”

He said life encompassed a range of activities which help us to acquire new knowledge and skills, make us physically strong and healthy, please our hearts and bring out the finest qualities lying dormant in each one of us.

Stressing that it was important to ensure that students do not confine themselves to academics alone, he said, “Studies are important but equally important are sports, fine arts, dance, music, art and culture.”

“I have been advocating that students should spend 50 per cent of their schooling hours outside classrooms and that sports education should be accorded greater importance by parents”, he said.

He added that the school curriculum should include sports, yoga and physical education.