E-Paper
NGO to help students of govt primary schools improve learning
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to rope in experts from a non-government organisation (NGO) to help students of government-run primary schools in Sangam
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to rope in experts from a non-government organisation (NGO) to help students of government-run primary schools in Sangam City get a better understanding of different subjects, two officials of the education department said.
“The primary aim of this graded learning programme is to improve the learning levels of children in basic reading and arithmetic. Another motive is to introduce and sustain innovative teaching-learning practices in these schools,” said BSA-Prayagraj Sanjay Kumar Kushwaha.
In the first phase, 14 schools each have been identified in Bahadurpur development bloc and city area of the district where schoolteachers and experts from NGO Pratham will work together.
Kushwaha has issued directions in this regard on September 16 asking nagar shiksha adhikari Jyoti Shukla and block education officer of Bahadurpur to issue instructions from their level to the heads of these 28 schools to extend due support to this initiative.
He said in the city area the government primary schools of Bakshi kala, Daraganj, Old Katra and Baihrana are among those chosen.
As per the plan, the NGO experts and teachers will hold two hour classes each every day of language and mathematics for classes 4 and 5 students.
Once a week they will also hold classes for class 2 students as well.
The second official of the education department, who is in the know of things but didn’t want to be named, said: “These 28 schools will form a control group and later on a comparative study would be undertaken regarding the performance of students of these schools with their counterparts of other government primary schools.”
He said the initiative seeks to target all primary schoolchildren in UP with the aim of improving their learning levels in basic reading and arithmetic, introduce and sustain innovative teaching-learning practices in schools besides building monitoring, mentoring and academic support capacity at bloc and district levels.
The move, however, has not gone down well with teachers of government-run primary schools who see the move as an attempt to privatise primary education in the state.
“We oppose this move. If the NGO people wish to work, why engage them for Bahadurpur bloc and city-based government primary schools which have adequate number of teachers? Why not in schools in remote areas of Manda, Koraon and Shankargarh which lack resources as well as teachers? Any comparative study would be meaningful only if the NGO experts are also engaged in works like distribution of school bags, socks, preparation and distribution of mid day meals and books besides full-time teaching lke a regular teacher of these schools as only then the real picture will come to fore,” said Devendra Kumar Singh, district president of Prathmik Shikshak Sangh.
