The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Sikshana to cover schools in Kanakapura taluk

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Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008
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Sikshana to cover schools in Kanakapura taluk

Staff Reporter

The scheme has so far helped more than 10,000 students

Kanakapura is one of the backward taluks in terms of education
Schools to be encouraged to fix their own goals

Bangalore: “We are all working to achieve three goals — increase in the number of admissions in government schools, increase in the attendance, and improvement in the standard of education. To achieve this, the department has initiated several schemes and has taken help from the non-governmental agencies,” said T.M. Vijaya Bhaskar, Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education.

He was speaking at a programme organised to announce expansion of the Sikshana programme to include all higher primary schools in Kanakapura taluk, here on Monday. The Sikshana Charitable Trust has been working to improve the quality of government schools for the past five years.

Mr. Bhaskar said that Kanakapura taluk was one of the backward taluks in the State in terms of education. “One of the reasons for the backwardness may be due to the fact that teachers posted there always seek transfers soon after,” he said.

The department had initiated the Nurturers’ Scheme as a next step to the school adoption scheme. “Those who were adopting government schools were mainly providing help to improve infrastructure. However, to ensure that all round improvement, corporates or NGOs will look after the schools for a period of three to five years and turn them into centres of excellence.” He said that the department hoped to have at least one centre of excellence in every education block. “The department will soon call for expression of interest in this regard. We are expecting a good response to the scheme,” he added.

Mr. Bhaskar said that based on the results of the Karnataka State Quality Assessment Organisation, schools would be encouraged to fix their own goals and draw up plans to achieve them. “Through the School Academic Plan, we hope that the government schools will work towards achieving at least one goal every year.”

Ravindra Krishnappa, trustee of the trust, spoke about Sikshana programme. “We adopt government schools, work with the existing staff and set in motion a process of change and upgradation. Sikshana has been introduced in 49 government primary schools in Bangalore Urban and Kanakapura school zones over the past four academic years.” More than 10,000 students in these schools currently benefit from our programme. He said that the trust hoped to cover around 30,000 students in the next three to five years.

A. Ravindra, former Chief Secretary; Farida Raheem, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Ramanagara district; Shivarame Gowda, Block Education Officer, Kanakapura taluk, spoke. More than 150 headmasters from higher primary schools in Kanakapura taluk attended the programme.

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