The process of merger of schools run by Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development Department and Urban Administration Department’s schools with School Education Department has commenced in the State.
School Education Department Minister Kedar Kashyap has directed the officials to complete the merger process by April 30 this year. He was chairing the State-level review meeting of School Education and Tribal Development Department on Thursday.
Kashyap said Chief Minister Raman Singh had taken this historic decision at a Cabinet meeting on February 27 this year. The ultimate aim is to improve the quality of education, bring uniformity in curriculum and bring the Education Department under one roof, he said.
The Minister ordered the Education Officers to follow the instructions and complete the process as soon as possible. During the meeting, Kashyap also reviewed the various programmes of the Education Department like Saraswati Cycle distribution, Mid-Day Meals’ Scheme, scholarship distribution etc.
School Education Department Secretary Subrat Sahoo and a number of senior officers were present at the meeting. The Chhattisgarh Government is constantly making efforts to improve the student-teacher ratio in Chhattisgarh besides enhancing the educational facilities in State, officials stated.
As a result of these efforts, student-teacher ratio in schools of Chhattisgarh has reached close to the national average of 25 students per teacher. This ratio in primary schools of the State is around 23 students per teacher and in middle schools it is 24 students per teacher. likewise, the State also has 83 per cent of the children enrolled in government schools.
School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap last month stated that the current year has been observed as ‘Education Quality Year’ in State. While mentioning from the report of social service organization ‘Asar’ he said that the State Government has been taking continuous measures to reduce the student-teacher ratio in the State so as to ensure sufficient number of teachers in schools as per the national average.
Effective steps have been taken to enhance infrastructure ofschools. Kashyap said that in year 2010, only 79 per cent schools in State had their own offices, store-rooms or office-cum-storerooms. In year 2014, this figure has improved to 82.3 per cent. likewise, in year 2010, only 45 per cent of the schoolshad the facility of playground. But by 2014, this figure has increased to 64.2 per cent.
He further stated that as per the survey, number of schools equipped with boundary walls has increased from 48.8 per cent to 60.8 per cent in last four years.
In the same period of time, the State Government took up a special campaign of providing lavatory and safe drinking water facilities in schools. In this campaign, the number of schools equipped with these facilities, which was 82 per cent earlier, has increased to nearly 90 per cent at present.
Moreover, nearly 92 per cent schools have been equipped with the facility of lavatory in year 2014. Earlier, this figure was only 71 per cent previously. For Midday meal scheme, schools are being provided with kitchen facility. In year 2010, only 86 per cent schools had kitchen shades. This has increased to around 93 per cent in year 2014, officials stated. Incidentally, Higher Education Minister Prem Prakash Pandey last month stated that ‘Smart Classrooms’ will be built in all government colleges of the State.
The colleges should send their budget proposals for the year 2015-16 as soon as possible, he said. He had stressed upon the need to improve the quality of education and completing the syllabus on time. Pandey stated that the college authorities should ensure that their institution premises have wi-fi facility.
The Minister had also directed that the professors and assistant professors besides other employees of the government colleges will have to remain in college from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm. The teachers and staff of the colleges running in shifts will have to perform duty for minimum seven hours divided in shifts, he stated.