Focus on Qualitative Development in Teaching: Chief Secy
In another step towards reform in school education, Govt has initiated steps to start award system for encouraging good performing teachers and functionaries working at filed level. The system has been taken up as a pilot in 300 schools. This has been discussed in the Executive Committee of Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority ( OPEPA) held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Gokul Chandra Pati in secretariat conference hall last day wherein Secretary School & Mass Education Smt Usha Padhi presented the updates and outlined the issues for discussion.
Reviewing the progress, Chief Secretary has advised to department to strengthen evaluation and monitoring of various projects being implemented by OPEPA. It has been decided to take up 3rd party concurrent evaluation of the programmes along with improvement in teaching and learning outcomes. Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Sri R. Balakrishnan, present in the meeting suggested to adopt technology enabled teaching-learning system developed by IIT, Madras for carrying forward qualitative improvements. It has also been decided in the meeting that the awards to be given for better performing teachers and filed functionaries will be associated with a prestigious title. Chief Secretary Sri Pati has directed to coin an appropriate title for this award in discussion with academic experts.
Secretary School & Mass Education Smt Padhi said that The text books and other e-contents for class-1 to class-X will be made available in eBasta in phased manner with technical assistance from Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). This e-platform for text books bears the name http://ebasta.in. The books will be available in popular digital formats such as ePub, kindle, ipad and pdf etc. The books will be available to teachers, students, guardians and schools free of cost. The students can also download the text books and other e-contents on their devices like tablets, smart phones or a pen drive and carry it as per their convenience.
It has been decided in the meeting to strengthen the video conferencing system of OPEPA. Chief Secretary has advised to upgrade the system for imparting refresher and orientation training to teachers on regular basis. Various subject experts and scientists of national and international repute coming to Bhubaneswar can also be scheduled to talk with teachers and students through the video conferencing which would provide wider exposer for the students in Govt schools. The committee also reviewed the progress of different schemes of SSA during 2014-15. Review shows that utilization of funds under SSA has been to the tune of around 100% during this fiscal with total spending of Rs.1377.16 cr. The committee has considered Annual work Plan and Budget of Rs.2321 cr for 2015-16. The major interventions in the Annual Action Plan includes construction of toilets, residential hostels, transport and escort facility, special training, seasonal hostel, free text books, free uniform, inclusive education, teachers training, learning enhancement programmes, community mobilization and girl child education.
Development Commissioner Sri U.N. Behera along with representative from Govt of India, senior officers from school & mass education department ND DPCs of various districts participated in discussions.