During COVID-19 lockdowns, the worst sufferers were the students of Government schools, especially in rural areas where poor had no mobiles to attend online classes. This was not an ordinary situation, poor students who usually come to school for a midday meal were severely affected, not only by the loss of their studies but also by a one-time meal. The situation has improved dramatically since the last academic year, and now LG Administration is focusing on the education sector with innovative plans like “Aao School Chalein” and “Class Campaign” to get the students enrolled in school again. A 14.5 percent increase in enrolment is a testimony that the education sector of UT is moving in the right direction. To improve the education standards of rural schools also, new hard zones and soft zones are to be classified, and every teacher has to serve both zones for the benefit of students. This is one of the plans, but there are several new methods already employed to make studies interesting in an interactive way instead of just cramming. The New Education Policy (NEP 2020) is a sincere effort to make education in sync with market requirements and de-stress students. Efforts are underway to streamline the transfer policy to get staff out of their comfort zones. The attachments with the directorate office were routine, and the whole system was chaotic beyond comprehension. At many schools in rural areas, there used to be a cartel of staff; out of the sanctioned strength assigned, only a few were present by mutual agreement. Students suffered immensely. The information technology solutions of biometric and IRIS-based attendance were applied but were of no use.
The Education Department has now come up with an out-of-the-box solution: GPS-based attendance with a simple app-based attendance system that not only tracks attendance but also the teacher’s geographical location, ensuring the presence of teachers in the school. The whole set of information is available in real-time to all concerned officers. Teachers have to apply for leave online now, and officers can sanction or reject such applications; no more fraudulent leave applications will be produced during inspections. In a matter of seconds, the entire system has been transformed by a single app. The Education Department has not stopped here; a feedback app for teachers’ performance has also been developed. Students from the sixth grade onward will be rating their teachers based on set parameters. This will reveal the true performance of the teachers. Good performers will be rewarded, and non-performers will be taken care of by the department. When combined with the “hard zone” and “soft zone,” these measures will go a long way towards improving the standard of education in schools. The Government is sincerely trying to improve school infrastructure, and all efforts are being put into bridging the gap between Government and private schools. The necessities of classrooms, toilets, drinking water and staff are being taken care of on a priority basis.
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