SCERT UP, USAID collaborate to establish model libraries in DIETs

The ministry of education (MoE), government of India, has also been encouraging SCERT to set up Centres of Excellence (CoE) in District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs).

As part of Room to Read’s flagship program, Scaling-up Early Reading Intervention (SERI), the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Uttar Pradesh and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) organised a two-day consultation workshop on July 9 and 10 in Lucknow.

Thirteen DIETs are being developed in the first phase and fourteen DIETs in the second phase, funded by the MoE. (Sourced)

The ministry of education (MoE), government of India, has also been encouraging SCERT to set up Centres of Excellence (CoE) in District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). Thirteen DIETs are being developed in the first phase and fourteen DIETs in the second phase, funded by the MoE.

The SERI programme has been running in six states—Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana—since 2015.

The event aimed to support SCERT, UP, in designing and establishing model libraries in 27 CoE DIETs. These CoEs, through these model libraries, will act as learning resource centers, especially for in-service teachers and Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) students.

The workshop brought together DIET faculty members, experts from prestigious higher education institutions such as Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Lucknow University (LU), and Delhi University (DU), and representatives from the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities, Dehradun, to share valuable insights on creating holistic and functional libraries.

The framework considered for designing these model libraries included resource collections, e-resources (e-granthalaya and National Digital Library), community engagement and services, facilities for the inclusion of students with disabilities and provisions for sustainability.

Experts provided crucial guidance on developing model libraries for D.El.Ed students and enhancing resources for in-service teachers. Rajesh from BHU shared his experience in designing and establishing various departments within the BHU central library. Dr. Pravish from Lucknow University emphasized the importance of e-resource content for D.El.Ed students. Professor Sandeep from Delhi University introduced the concept of public libraries and the community’s role in making them functional. Dr. Pankaj discussed relevant acts and policies supporting blind students and children with special needs, ensuring that libraries are inclusive and accessible.

The workshop was attended by SCERT officials, including Pawan Sachan, joint director, and Deepa Tiwari, deputy director. Sachan said, “There has been no such event in the state with respect to the establishment of model libraries, and the experts invited have shared valuable insights that will help in finalizing the guidelines for the development of model libraries under CoE DIETs.”