Teachers of Government schools in the district will no longer be able to carry and use mobile phones in classrooms. District Collector Bhim Singh has ordered to ban use of mobile phones by teachers in school classrooms across the district. The decision has been taken to keep teachers focussed on teaching, he said.
The Collector while addressing a meeting called for assessing quality of education in the district, directed to take strict action against teachers using mobile phones in classroom. He stressed over teachers paying attention to students weak in English, Science and Mathematics subjects by taking special classes during summer vacations. Homework should be given to students during summer vacations so that their continuity with studies may not be lost, the Collector said.
Issues like cent percent attendance of teachers and students in school were also discussed. He asked officials to make surprise inspections of primary and middle schools in every block through Ajzm Premji foundation and get prepared minimum learning level analysis report decided by State Government. The cluster resource coordinators and block education officers were directed to regularly check the understanding ability of students through minimum learning level criterion while inspecting any school.
The district administration officials were also asked to ensure that retired teachers are made members of school development and management committee. So that whenever meetings of the committee are held it may be easy to evaluate the learning level of students in school. The Collector directed cluster coordinators to present report of teachers who remained absent without permission. “The Gram Sabha meeting falling on April 14 would be held in schools, so it should be ensured that students and teachers mandatorily attend meeting. If any exams are scheduled to be held in that school, then the meeting would be held after the exams,” the Collector said.
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.
Notably, 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 organisation ‘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 of schools.
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 schools had 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. A Circular on duty hours was issued to the principals of all the Government colleges by the Department of Higher Education, officials said. The circular issued by the Secretary, Higher Education Dr Bl Agarwal stated that the Government has noticed that the professors and assistant lectures besides other employees of the Government colleges do not remain present in the colleges during duty hours.
The principals, professors, assistant professors, and other Government servants should remain in their offices during the prescribed time period and perform their duties. In case the staff is found absent without granted leave or permission, it will be considered as negligence towards work and action will be taken against him or her as per rules.