‘Come up with effective, comprehensive strategy to tackle problem’
By: Ibni Maqbool
Srinagar: Amid decrease in enrolment in schools, the Government of India has directed the administration of J&K Union Territory to come up with an effective and comprehensive strategy to improve the enrolment.
The minutes of the meeting of project approval board (PAB) for consideration of the annual work plan & budget for J&K UT under Samagra Shiksha scheme for 2021-22 lays bare that the Centre directed that “UT needs to develop effective and comprehensive strategy to improve the gross enrolment” at different levels in School Education department.
As per the record note, the Centre directed the UT that enrolment at elementary as well as at secondary/higher secondary level needs to be focused on priority.
“It decreased by 0.2 lakh at Primary level, 0.1 lakh at Upper Primary level resulting a decrease of 0.34 lakh enrolment at Elementary level. The decrease is 0.07 Lakh at Secondary level and 0.04 lakh at Hr. Secondary level. UT requires inclusive planning to improve enrolment,” read the document.
The administration of UT was also directed to improve gross enrolment at secondary and higher secondary level. “Gross enrolment ratio (GER) as per UDISE+ 2019-20 at secondary level is 58.66 and at Higher secondary level is 38.40 respectively,” read the note.
UDISE (unified district information system for education) is a database about schools in India. It records information such as the level of dropouts, enrolment etc.
The UT’s School Education department was also asked to focus on drop-out at secondary level and identify causes behind it.
“Drop-out rate at secondary level as per UDISE+ 2019-20 is 16.68 % which needs to be focused by the UT. To meet the target, UT should expedite community based survey identifying issues for such drop out,” read the record note.
In the meeting, the UT administration was also asked to identify and mainstream out of school children.
“Talaash survey shall be conducted by JK UT on priority for identification and mainstreaming of out of school children. Focus to be made on training and tracking of learning process/ learning achievements of out of school children,” read the minutes of the meeting.
The meeting chaired by Anita Kerwal, secretary, School Education, Ministry of Education was also attended by senior officials from J&K’s School Education department including B.K. Singh, principal secretary (Education),Anuradha Gupta director, School Education, Jammu and Dr. Arun Manhas, outgoing State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha.
