In a bid to improve the quality of education and increase the regular attendance of students in government schools, Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) has issued a letter to all the district superintendents of education to organize parents-teachers meet in all school across the State.
The letter mentioned that in 2018-19, PTMs were organised in schools of seven districts, namely Godda, Ranchi, Dumka, Dhanbad, East Singhbhum, West Singhbum and Khunti, the results for which were positive and more public involvement was seen in these schools. In the PTM organized in 2018-19 a total of 1.8 lakh parents and 70,000 students participated across the seven districts.
JEPC director Uma Shankar Singh has directed to organize such PTMs in all government schools from this year. The PTM is to be organized any day between September 12 and 14 in all the schools from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, preparations for which will commence from the beginning of the month.
“A district level workshop for Mukhiyas has to be held on September 3, followed by block level workshop for block resource persons and circle resource persons on September 6 and 7. The DSEs also have to spread awareness among parents and teachers regarding the PTM through newspapers, mobile messages, flexes and hording and other local means," Singh said.
The letter mentioned that as per a survey, only 66 per cent students attend classes regularly, which is a matter of concern. "Organizing PTMs will raise awareness among people and they will be encouraged to send their children to school," Singh said.
The PTM will not just focus on education quality but will also focus on spreading awareness about cleanliness and water conservation among parents to reach out to community at large.
Some of the major points to be discussed in PTMs include infrastructural facilities available in schools, regular attendance of students, discussion on facilities available to students, water conservation, hygiene practices, and role of parents in overall development of children.
JEPC director said, "We are not just making PTM mandatory for all government schools across the State but have also given out directions to organize it every trimester. After September, the next PTM will be held in the last week of November 2019 and then again in the last week of February 2020. In case there is a change in date for the PTM in November due to imposition of model code of conduct, schools will be notified accordingly."