We should now focus on quality education: Modi

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the focus now should be on the quality of education rather than its spread and on learning than schooling.

"So far, the government's focus was on spreading education across the country. But the time has now come to shift the focus on quality education. Now, the government should emphasise more on learning rather than schooling," Modi said in his 19th 'Mann ki Baat' address broadcast by All India Radio.

"We need to move beyond enrolments. We may use technology to improve our education system. We have managed to expand our education system by building new schools and colleges and hiring new teachers. Now we must focus on improving the standard of education too," he said.

The prime minister said awareness among the parents regarding their wards' education may help improve educational standards in the country.

"I urge the parents to talk to their kids at length about their school activities. Their vigilance can reduce the faults in our education system," Modi said.

Observing that every government had worked in its own way to improve education, he listed out the steps taken by his government to raise educational standards.

"We came up with out-of-box ideas in the Budget whereby we asked our universities for their requirements to make them the best in the world. We have put emphasis on skill-based and long-distance education formats. You will see the results of our efforts in a very short span of time," Modi said.