Noida, April 27. Learning outcomes of government school students in the state’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district are better than of private government-aided school students, according to a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) survey.

The survey found the average environment studies score of class III students in government and aided schools last year was 65.59 percent and 65.53 percent respectively. For the same subject, class V government school students averaged 25 percent more than aided school children. 

In language, the average score of classes III, V and VIII government school children was also higher. “The higher scores attainment of government school students is the outcome of the concerted efforts we’ve been making to improve the learning outcomes of children in government schools. Regular parent-teacher meetings have also contributed,” says Bal Mukund Prasad, the district’s primary education officer. 

 Assam
Defalcation suspensions 

Guwahati, April 29. The state’s Hailakandi district administration has suspended three head teachers of government-run lower primary schools for misappropriation of funds. These funds had been allocated for purchase of uniforms for the schools’ children. 

The suspension order was issued after completion of an inquiry by block accountant Arpita Dey, and endorsed by the block elementary education officer, on April 27. The suspension order prohibits the teachers from leaving their headquarters without prior permission, says a media release of the district adminstration.

Haryana
Daycare centres drive

Chandigarh, April 20. The state government has resolved to increase the number of daycare centres for children of construction workers from 22 to 88 statewide, says labour and employment minister Nayab Singh Saini. 

These daycare centres will provide education, nutrition and healthcare services to children of construction workers. The minister added that government will soon initiate a campaign to register migrant labour to provide vocational programmes for construction workers to upgrade their skills.

Tripura
New IIIT sanctioned 

Agartala, April 12. The newly-elected BJP state government has sanctioned a sum of Rs.50.67 crore for establishing an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Bodhjungnagar in Mohanpur block, under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

According to education minister Ratan Lal Nath, the proposal to construct the institute was stalled for six years by the predecessor CPM-led Left Front government. The institute will be built on a 52-acre campus at a project cost of Rs.128 crore.

Of this aggregate amount, the Central government will contribute Rs.73.60 crore, state government Rs.44.80 crore and private partners Rs.9.60 crore. Public sector companies such as North Eastern Electric Power Corp and ONGC have offered financial cooperation, added Nath.

Gujarat
Successful grading programme

Ahmedabad, April 6. Chief minister Vijay Rupani launched the state government’s Gunotsav programme in Govindi village of Panchmahal district. Under this annual programme, ministers and bureaucrats visit Gujarat’s 32,780 government primary schools, 863 grant-in-aid schools and 804 ashram shalas, and rate and rank them from A+ to D.

“The annual drive for qualitative improvement in school education which began 15 years ago has resulted in the rise in the number of A+ grade schools from five to 2,117 and A grade schools from 3,823 to 12,556. Simultaneously, the number of B grade schools has dropped from 12,883 to 1,613 and D grade from 14,582 to 300. These numbers are testimony to the success of the Gunotsav programme,” Rupani informed the media.
According to the chief minister, adult literacy in Gujarat has risen from 50 to 74 percent since the Gunotsav programme was launched in 2009.

Jammu & Kashmir
Outsourcing proposal

Jammu, April 3. The state government has directed the secretary of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (secondary school programme) and directors of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (primary schools) to examine the option of outsourcing implementation of the mid-day meal scheme to private contractors. This will relieve teachers from discharging non-teaching tasks.

“Initially, the mid-day meal provision will be outsourced to non-government organisations in two or three districts on a pilot basis,” the state’s education minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said at a meeting convened to discuss the modalities of the new scheme. 

Meanwhile, representatives of two NGOs managing the mid-day meal programme in some states have already made a presentation of their execution capabilities to the ministry, added Bukhari.