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UP govt to introduce NCERT pattern in state run primary, upper primary schools
The move will replace the course material being taught in 1.59 lakh primary and upper primary schools across the state and will impact more than 15 million students studying in these schools.
Newly-appointed basic education minister Satish Dwivedi on Tuesday said that all the state government-run primary and upper primary schools are set to switch to the NCERT pattern from April 2020.
The move will replace the course material being taught in 1.59 lakh primary and upper primary schools across the state and will impact more than 15 million students studying in these schools.
Saying that directives have been issued to senior officials to begin work in this direction he said, “It has been observed that primary and upper primary students find their confidence-level low while competing with students from other boards. I believe that it is time to give our students an edge to excel in academics so they can give tough competition to students of other boards.”
The move comes after the UP Board Examination, 2019, was conducted on the NCERT pattern.
Bio-metric attendance for students on the cards
Soon, bio-metric attendance will be introduced for students studying in government-run primary and upper primary schools. While teachers will mark their attendance through the Prerna app by posting three selfies per day, students will mark their attendance via the biometric machine. The minister, however, did not specify any time frame for this. He further that said chief minister Yogi Adityanath has agreed to launch Prerna App on September 4, a day before Teachers’ Day.
When asked about growing opposition against Prerna app, particularly by several women teachers who have objected to taking selfies with male teachers fearing that their photos may get leaked, the minister said, “Many of these teachers post their photographs on Facebook. They should be scared about their photos getting leaked from social media as well.”
Director General of School Education for focus on quality
A Director General of School Education will be appointed to bring about qualitative improvement in government schools. He said directives have been issued to set up a new directorate for education. The minister said DG education would only focus on ensuring quality education.
UP Basic Shiksha Parishad office to be shifted to Lucknow
Another major announcement he made was that the headquarters of Uttar Pradesh Basic Shiksha Parishad, which has been operational in Prayagraj since 1978, will be shifted to Lucknow for better coordination with the state government and basic education directorate.
“Coordination meetings take place between the officials of the Parishad, director (basic education) and the secretariat here in Lucknow. The secretary and the finance officer of the Parishad are required to come to Lucknow from Prayagraj which results in unnecessary waste of time and delays normal functioning.”
