Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that Uttar Pradesh has made a big leap in the field of basic education over the past six years and many schools which were on the verge of closure have been rejuvenated during this period because of a strong will, determined efforts, resources, technology and innovation.
Inaugurating the ‘Sampark Smartshala-Smart Block’ programme, a joint initiative of the Basic Education department and Sampark Foundation, held at Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath Auditorium, the CM said that the Skilled India Mission, with better use of technology, was giving great results in improving the quality of education in the state.
Under the programme, 58 council schools in the city area and 68 in Chargawan block were equipped with LED TVs as well as maths and English kits. The CM personally provided kits to the teachers from five schools and also released the magazine of Sampark Foundation.
The chief minister said education is the foundation of society. He said that prior to 2017, there were insufficient toilets, flooring, and drinking water facilities in the schools. With around 1.34 crore children attending about 1.56 lakh schools, there was also a severe shortage of teachers in schools, he added.
“To address these issues, the government made a commitment to improve the education system and recruitment, hiring 1.65 lakh teachers from basic and secondary schools in a transparent manner. ‘Mission Kayakalp’ was launched to transform schools, ensuring they had proper infrastructure, including furniture, toilets, drinking water, smart classes, libraries, and digital libraries. As a result, 1.36 lakh schools have been rejuvenated and the number of school-going children has increased to 1.91 crore,” Yogi said.
The CM said that in the past, children attending basic schools lacked basic facilities, and they used to be barefoot and had no uniforms.
“Today, the government is giving them all the basic facilities. Currently, students are given two sets of uniforms, sweaters, shoes, and bags during the winter season. Also, for providing these facilities, the amount is directly transferred to the parents’ accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT).
While discussing the importance of technology in the field of education, the CM said that with the effective use of technology, the educational landscape has advanced rapidly. “It was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when technology ensured that schools operated in an effective manner,” Yogi said.
Stressing on the importance of strengthening education, as it serves as the foundation of both the country and society, the CM said: “To achieve this, there is a need to integrate education with technology and innovation.”
He said that after witnessing the result of smart schools, the smart block programme as a pilot project in Gorakhpur, a plan would be made to implement it in the entire state.
Yogi visited the stalls set up by the Basic Education department for Nipun Bharat Mission and Sampark Foundation, and also interacted with the schoolchildren present there.
He inquired about the activities of Nipun Bharat Mission and the work of Sampark Foundation and appreciated the innovations in education.