School Education Minister Brijmohan Agrawal on Saturday directed his department officials to pay special attention to the quality of mid-day meal served to students of primary and middle schools in the State.
He also asked district level officials to convene meeting of block education officers and Sankul coordinators for regular review of Mid-day meal scheme in their respective districts.
Agrawal said giving a special attention on Mid-day meal is personal responsibility of school education department officials, head master as well as teachers of the respective schools. If any complaint regarding the quality of mid-day meal is received strict action will be taken against the department officials, the Minister warned.
Agrawal instructed officials concerned to ensure that amount of the Mid-day meal is deposited in the account of the respective school one month in advance. He also reviewed departmental work district wise.
While reviewing the work of Dantewada district, Agrawal asked to conduct extensive survey of the children in Dantewada, Sukma and Bijapur districts who are neither enrolled in education department run Pota Cabin schools nor Ashrams and hostels run by Tribal/ Scheduled Castes Development department.
He also expressed displeasure at the wrong information sent in departmental schemes and achievements and highlighted the need for improving the arrangement at Sankul level.
Agrawal told in the meeting that under the Right to Education Act there is mandatory provision to send students of primary pre middle school in next class regularly and in this situation we have to prepare a work plan to improve the quality of education in the state.
Under the work plan, for the continuous evaluation of these children there would be provision to hold quarterly, half yearly and annual exams at school level. Though none of the child should be denied promotion in the next class but through exams their evaluation and grading must be done which would help teachers provide educational help to students according to the need. He also instructed to teach lessons of Yoga, moral values and life history of great personalities.
In the meeting Agrawal also reviewed the status of teachers training, distribution of free of cost text books, distribution of dress, scholarships, availability of basic facilities in schools, promotion of teachers and principals and implementation if Right to Education Act in schools. He asked the officials to appoint retired teachers to overcome the scarcity of lecturers and also to appoint educated unemployed youth on honorarium for teaching in schools.
Agrawal asked the department officials to initiate strict action against private schools who violate the provisions of 25 per cent seat reservation for under privileged children under Right to Education Act and also told them to ensure availability of urinal/latrine separately for girl students in each school besides filing report in police if any child is given corporal punishment.
The meeting was attended by department secretary Dinesh Shrivastava, managing director of State secondary education drive Reena Kangale, Managing Director of Text book Corporation Alok Awasthi, director of State Educational Research and Training Council Anil Rai and other officials.