Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 18: The efforts of the J&K Governments School Education Department (SED) are bearing results as a new enrolment drive ‘Aao School Chalein Campaign’ for bringing children to schools has witnessed 14.5% increase in the enrolment in 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21 under National Education Policy.
After the unique initiative of the School Education Department, TALAASH Survey, 1,65,000 students have been enrolled in various schools of J&K UT.
Through this initiative, 20 lakh children have been surveyed and out of which, 93,508 students have been found out of schools or never enrolled. Mainstreaming of out-of-school children has been initiated in the appropriate age schools. Government is committed to provide education with a value system to all meritorious students.
The focus is laid on vulnerable segments for enrolment of students in pre-primary classes and primary classes which includes nomadic children, children of far-flung areas, girls as well as children of SC & ST communities.
More so, around 100 best Teachers and lecturers of J&K are being sent outside UT for training this year, who shall act as master trainers, mentor teachers, and will work to improve the cognitive skill of the mapped children.
For capacity building of Teachers, a student mentorship programme, Student & Teacher Engagement for Educational Reinforcement (STEER) has been launched in the UT which focuses on student performance in academics and to strengthen the learning outcome. Also under unique initiative, Matri Bhojan Yojana implemented in UT, where under mothers are visiting the schools to ensure quality of cooked meal.
The Education Department has also signed MoU with Akshaya Patra for Community Kitchen in Jammu & Samba districts which will be replicated in other districts too.
Around 70,000 students enrolled in 714 Government schools are being imparted vocational education in 14 different trades. 803 vocational labs have been established, 1122 more labs and 1352 smart class rooms are being established during the current financial year. A revolutionary step has been taken to establish 127 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and 1420 Computer Aided Learning (CAL) Centres. Around, 500 additional Atal Tinkering Labs will be established this year to translate commitment into action.
To provide technical skills class 12th pass outs in the UT, an MoU has been signed with HCL TechBee, for providing skill training inquisitiveness, scientific temper, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students as per the recommendation of National Education Policy.
The quality of education is being ensured in every school through various reforms and the dream of universal education is being realized through community participation. Government is not only ensuring students go to school but a good school having all kinds of facilities. To achieve this goal, quality education is being ensured across the schools in UT and it is one of the paramount goals for the government which is determined for effective implementation of other interventions.
The government also gives emphasis on building cognitive abilities of students, better learning transactions using toy based learning, experiential and competency based learning. Under “Each One Teach One” campaign, primary and upper primary students are teaching their neo-literate family members so that they could become literate, a module and material has already been developed and distributed by Samagra Shiksha among the beneficiaries.
The thrust of the J&K Government on the education sector with different policies and interventions have led to an increase of over 7 percent and 1 percent Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher secondary and secondary level respectively.
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