With the whole nation going gaga over the recently drafted ‘National Education Policy Reform’ under the instruction of the MHRD , Burdwan is taking big strides in undergoing what can only be described as a complete shift in the West Bengal School education pattern thus far. In what has been termed as a revolution in the way teaching is conducted in schools, the entire teacher-student-education balance is poised to witness a change with more productive teaching at school and reducing the after-class tuition time. In fact the new policy tends to increase the competitiveness amongst the schools by introducing the system of incentives provided to good performing schools and teachers. So instead of going at the tutorial centers, the new policy has made schools facing off against each other for glory.
The following guideline listed below gives an overall idea regarding the things which the committee will look over:
- Whether schools and colleges are opening and closing within the respective time
- The attendance of teachers are as per the guidelines or not
- Basic civic facilities such as light and ventilation are there or not and also special care towards the cleanliness and hygiene of not only the toilets but also the classrooms and school campus as a whole
- Whether the mid day meal is properly cooked and distributed
- Whether the things taught by the teachers can be grasped by most students or not and also whether the teaching methodology is up to the mark or not
- Whether students likes/ dislikes a teacher more or not and their respective reasons
- Whether the schools have primary healthcare treatment/first aid facility available for sudden mishaps.
- A check on the number of school dropouts of a school
The incentive model instructs that every school will have their report card prepared at the end of each month over certain performance parameters and will submitted at the end of the year to the Education Department. The school with the best result will be duly assisted by the government of the State. Apart form this, awards such as ‘Best Model School’ in State will be there. Along with the primary schools, secondary and higher secondary schools are also a part of this programme. Gradually, if the event works out as planned, then the policy will be reinforced in the colleges as well. Not only the school, but also the Principal of the school with the best performance will be rewarded. Recognition for contribution to the schools performance by even single or a group of teachers will also be given by the District Council.
In the meantime, the government has in fact created a committee for the purpose which has 6 sub divisional officers, school inspectors as well as BDO and other ranked officers in it. The District Head is also appointed as the chairman of this committee. The Vice chairman rank is given to the Chairman of the District Primary Education Council. Every month on the 26th , everyone associated with this committee will sit down and submit the schools performance reports and discuss issues at hand in the presence of the District Magistrate. If a school is found to be not obedient to the guidelines, the respective principal will be warned by the committee.
A great benefit of this new change of education policy is the betterment of the school inspection procedure. Previously due to political pressure or other work, the inspection wasn’t done properly, often with the school inspectors ending up submitting made up stories. While the AI’s are supposed to inspect 7 schools the SI has the duty of inspecting nearly 10 schools. In fact, inspection has revealed that it is more of politics and less of education which is the doting scene at most schools. A great number of teachers have been ‘show-caused’ and a few have been warned to increase the level of education there. In the words of the Chairman of the District Primary Education Committee, ”the change is going to bring a great positive change about the way in which education is perceived.
Source: http://goo.gl/8hnCoL
