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Lesson on disaster management for students

PUDUCHERRY: Education Minister M.O.H.F. Shahjahan told the Assembly on Friday that a lesson on Disaster Management would be introduced in schools for students of Classes III to IX.

Replying to the debate on related demands, he said the move was aimed at creating awareness among students of disasters such as tsunami, earthquake and fire accidents to protect themselves. The lesson would be part of Social Science and was compulsory for the students, he added.

“Activity-Based Learning (ABL) would be started in all government primary schools, except Smart Schools, in Puducherry and Karaikal in 2008-2009. The methodology would facilitate better understanding, peer learning and self-learning among students,” he said.

For students of classes VI, VII and VIII, Active Learning Methodology would be introduced in 2008-2009. The government had planned to start alternative schools and bridge courses for children who had not attended schools at Puducherry and Yanam at Rs. 20 lakh, he said.

“From this academic year, computer aided learning would be implemented in all schools and Rs. two crore has been allotted for this purpose,” Mr. Shahjahan said.

To facilitate learning through EDUSAT, studios would be established. For virtual classrooms, 12 places in Puducherry and three in Karaikal had been selected to set up studios. In the first phase, telecast would be available at 15 places and the facility would start functioning from June, he added.

In 2008-2009, the government would start five primary schools in Puducherry. Ten new primary schools at a total cost of Rs. 80 lakh and 180 classrooms would be constructed, he added.

The grant for school maintenance and repair would be increased from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,000, while grants for purchasing equipment would be increased from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000.

“To start new schools and girls’ schools, a committee consisting of education officials would be formed to frame the norms,” he said. In the academic year 2009-2010, vocational higher secondary education would be brought in, he added.

A three-tier monitoring committee at the school, constituency and district levels would be set up to look into the functioning and requirements of schools, Mr.Shahjahan said.

“A total of 21 tsunami-affected students will visit Germany under the student-exchange programme in September and five volunteers of the National Service Schemes will travel to Japan,” he said.

The government would provide in-service training to primary school teachers and school assistants at Rs. 74.26 lakh. It would create 316 posts of pre-primary school teachers, he said.

He said Assured Career Progression would be implemented for teachers of private and government schools.

The University Grants Commission has granted autonomy to the Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Postgraduate Studies, he said, adding that integrated courses such as M.Sc. Chemistry, M.Com and M.A. Economics would be started.

“The engineering college at Karaikal has obtained the approval of All India Council for Technical Education for the second year,” he said.

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