Education department to start exchange programme between government-private schools

The state education department is initiating an exchange programme for elementary level schools with the aim of facilitating knowledge exchange between schools of

The state education department is initiating an exchange programme for elementary level schools with the aim of facilitating knowledge exchange between schools of different backgrounds. The programme — titled ‘Milan — Partnership between schools’ — seeks to rope in diverse schools in a twinning arrangement with the aim of ensuring that partner schools adopt the best practices of each other.

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In a letter shared with all district education officers last week, the department said that as part of the programme, different schools will enter into a twinning arrangement as part of which knowledge-sharing will take place through a range of activities. The programme seeks to bring students on a common platform while strengthening school management and administrative capabilities.

Sangeeta Chaudhary, district project coordinator, said that the initiative was aimed at linking students in schools of different backgrounds. “As part of this initiative, schools in rural areas will be linked with schools in urban areas, government schools with private schools, so that students can interact with each other and share their experiences,” said Chaudhary. She said that the aim was to familiarise students with diverse experience, beyond their own classrooms. The partner schools will also be expected to share available resources with each other

The programme targets children in the age group of 10-14, in classes 6 to 8. The schools that will be considered for the programme will include government middle schools, central government schools and private unaided schools in rural and urban areas. Chaudhary said that the department will start working on the programme soon by identifying schools in different blocks. A joint meeting between the two partner schools will be organised to prepare a detailed outline of the program, she added. “We will be forming a district-level core committee to discuss and finalise the program in line with the directions that we have received. The program will take place from November to January once schools reopen,” said Chaudhary

The department has shared a number of collaborative activities which can be chosen by the partner schools. These include sports activities, cultural activities, quizzes, discussion among teachers, visits to laboratories and libraries. In view of the pandemic, the program will be organised as per the SoPs . “Schools have been asked to select activities that can be done with zero contact and physical distancing. NoC from parents will be sought and all Covid-19 precautions will be observed during the visits,” said Chaudhary.