Srinagar: With an aim to bring a paradigm shift in the school education ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today called for constituting Educational Reforms Committee of teachers at various levels for developing scientific temper in students, besides providing them with quality education.
Chairing a review meeting here at the Civil Secretariat, the LG asked the School Education department to identify “high-performer teachers” who shall work as a member of this Special Task Force.
“This new initiative will develop a sense of empowerment amongst teachers; making them more responsible and accountable towards their duty, besides improving student’s enrolment and performance. The committee shall also aim towards integrating secular and democratic values in teachers as well as students,” added the LG.
According to an official press release, Sinha termed the education as a catalyst for growth and development of the nation, and underlined the importance of making new educational reforms so that no one remains deprived of education.
“We are working to bring reformative improvements in the education sector to achieve the bigger goal of ‘education for all’. The government is taking comprehensive measures to bridge the social and gender gaps in school education, besides ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels to improve J&K’s literacy rate,” the LG observed.
The meeting was informed that J&K topped the country under National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) programme with 80,600 Elementary Teachers trained through online mode using DIKSHA portal.
Emphasizing on capacity building of teachers, the LG asked the School Education department to rationalize pupil-teacher ratio, besides conducting regular training of teachers in order to make them acquainted with the know-how of the modern educational tools which will go a long way in improving the quality of education and enhancing learning outcomes.
The LG further stressed on giving a dedicated focus on competency-based learning so that students can develop a better understanding of concepts that can be implemented in real situation.
During the meeting, the LG sought the status of implementation of key features of National Educational Policy-2020 and directed the department to include digital and financial literacy components in the school education curriculum.
“Take requisite measures to strengthen the pre-primary education ecosystem in the UT. Incorporate students’ feedback to make qualitative improvements in the assessment of the students’ feedback system for evaluating the performances of teachers,” the LG asked the officials.
He directed the School Education department to ensure that the benefits under the Prime Minister’s “PM CARES for Children” and J&K Government’s ‘SASCM’ scheme, reached every child affected due to Covid pandemic.
Underscoring the significance of sports and other extra-curricular activities for holistic development of students, the LG directed the concerned department to ensure playgrounds and eco-clubs in schools across the UT.
Work in collaboration with Department of Youth, Services and Sports to engage students in sports activities in various disciplines, the LG added.
Reiterating directions passed previously, the LG asked the School Education department to include stories of real heroes of J&K in textbooks to make the new generation aware about their life history.
He passed the necessary directions pertaining to effective implementation of centrally sponsored schemes; ensuring water, electricity and sanitation facilities, besides attendance in every school.
He also took stock of the functioning of vocational labs, centres for seasonal migratory students and community schooling in the UT.
Bishwajit Kumar Singh, Administrative Secretary to Government, School Education department briefed the meeting about Category-Wise Schools & Gender-Wise Enrolment; Educational Indicators; Teaching Learning during COVID time; “Aao School Chalein” Enrolment Drive, the press release said.
