Schemes like ‘Swacch Bharat Abhiyan’ and ‘Cashless Jharkhand’ and initiatives to make villages and blocks open defecation free (ODF) the State is also going all out against the menace of school dropout. If all goes well, soon Jharkhand will become the first State in eastern zone to have ‘Zero dropout panchayats’ by March 2019.
Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) is ensuring all essential basic amenities at Government schools across the State to implement the concept of ‘Zero Dropout Panchayats’ at every block. In the first phase, the council plans to target 1000 panchayats.
“The concept is to sensitise all Gram Panchayat ‘Mukhiyas’ to curb dropout rate. All gram panchayat heads will ensure that children falling in the age group of six to 14 years in their respective panchayats are admitted in nearby schools. This will inculcate besides awareness, the behavioral change among the citizens. The performance of each panchayat will be minutely assessed and those giving remarkable results will be felicitated as DSE of the year, Mukhiya of the year and so on under this innovative programme,” said, JEPC Director Mukesh Kumar.
Approximately, 3000 panchayats in State will be covered under this initiative by March 2019. Ensuring all basic amenities, the Department of School Education and literacy has already given Rs200 crore to the electricity Department. Furthermore, Rs150 crore is being utilised for upgrading the classrooms and ensuring benches and desks in every class. Notably, the school management committees (SMCs) had to ensure availability of benches and desks at each government schools on and before January 26 as per the instructions of Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
Radically utilising unique components for attracting ample number of kids and getting them admitted in schools, the council is all set to establish 20,000 reading corners at government schools with all reading materials available under one roof. Making Science and Mathematics subjects more alluring for kids, JEPC will distribute subject kits as well among 20,000 students across the State under the PANKH scheme that denotes (Pandhna Ab Nahi Kathin Hai) and is one vital module in curbing dropouts in State.
“The council has demarcated 240 schools in all the 24 districts for setting up computer aided learning centers in collaboration with private institutions as well. Huge amount have been given to as many as 48,000 government schools functioning in State for boosting up the existing infrastructures,” Kumar pointed out.
The team of education officers ‘Shikshakdoots’ will monitor and prepare a detailed report of panchayats under the supervision of DCs before declaring any panchayat ‘Zero Dropout Panchayat’. The officials of JEPC are also planning to put up the proposal in cabinet for getting consent on giving some incentives to panchayat ‘Mukhiyas’ whose panchayat wins the coveted title of ‘Zero Dropout Panchayat’ as gesture of appreciation and on the concept of ODF and welfare schemes.