Bureaucrats to mentor govt school students for competitive exams
In a bid to raise awareness and aspirations among students in Haryana’s government schools, IAS, IPS, HCS and HPS officers will now visit schools in their respective districts to motivate pupils for appearing in competitive examinations. The initiative was launched by Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda. Under this programme, an HCS officer visits four government schools in a month to provide guidance on education and career opportunities. He also makes a report of the overall infrastructure and facilities available in schools.
What initiative was launched by the Education Minister?
Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda said after visiting scores of government schools and interacting with students in the state, it was decided to develop their intellectual skills and prepare them for competitive examinations. “Under the vision to improve image and the level of education in government schools, all IAS, IPS, HCS and HPS officers in the state will participate voluntarily in the programme,” he said. This time the result of Class X and XII of government schools was much better in comparison to private schools, he said. The Education Minister said, “Haryana is the first state in the country to implement the National Education Policy 2020. Curriculum is being prepared in accordance with this policy.”
How would the programme be beneficial for students?
Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda said, “The programme has been launched with a clear vision of improvement in government schools. Earlier, no one was interested in visiting government schools. Dhanda himself started regular visits to schools and interacted with students and shared several experiences with them. Gradually positive reports started coming from schools.
What information will officers share with students?
When officers would visit government schools, they would not only share their success stories, but their life experiences, about the new education policies, about traffic rules and amendments in law with students. This would not only enhance the knowledge level of students, but also motivate them to appear in higher level competitive examinations. Following officers’ regular visit, the people in villages or towns would also start visiting government schools. This would reduce the gap between private and government schools, the Education Minister claimed.
What kind of reports do officers prepare during their visit?
Under this programme, officers have to encourage and motivate students to take more interest in studies and competitive examinations. They would also prepare a report of the basic amenities available in schools and upload it at the Education Minister’s official email. HCS officers will submit detailed reports on the school’s infrastructure, hygiene, availability of clean drinking water, condition of toilets, sports grounds, lighting and other basic amenities. “Officers should send a detailed report with their remarks and suggestions about facilities in schools,” Dhanda said. Apart from it, letters have been written to village sarpanches to take care of school buildings and sports grounds, especially during the monsoon so that structures do not get damaged.
How is programme being implemented in the state?
“I have written letters to all Deputy Commissioners in the state to visit schools in their respective areas four times in a month,” the Education Minister said. Following this directive, Sonepat Deputy Commissioner Dr Manoj Kumar Yadav issued orders to several senior district officers to begin school visits. These officers include the Additional CEO of the Sonepat Metropolitan Development Authority (SMDA); SDMs of Sonepat, Ganaur, Gohana and Kharkhoda; DTO; CTM; CEO of Zila Parishad; MD of Sugar Mill; Joint Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation and the Joint Director of Bhagat Phool Singh Medical College, Khanpur. The DC has asked officers to engage with students, assess school needs and send reports on time.
Haryana Tribune