The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has rolled out a project to strengthen pre-schools in the State.
With an increase in the number of students taking admission to government schools following the implementation of the Public Education Rejuvenation Campaign, pre-schools are being viewed as a critical feeder point in boosting student enrolment at the primary level. To attract new students, pre-school infrastructure and academics need a makeover.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has sanctioned over ₹5 crore for strengthening pre-schools this year.
The SSA is piloting the project in 420 pre-schools, which get government honorarium, from among the 2,000-odd pre-schools in the 168 block resource centres in the State. Colourful classrooms, toys, play areas, butterfly park, and garden will come up in 30 schools in each district for students to play, hone their creative talents, and have fun.
The funding for schools will be as per their requirement – infrastructure, academic, and social - and priority in the master plan to be prepared by each school.
Workshop held
A State-level workshop was held in four schools – Government LPS, Thycaud; Government UPS, Pangode; Government LPS, Vellayani; and Government UPS, Fort - for preparation of master plans. Teacher, parents, and panchayat officials, after holding discussions and presentations, listed their vision for the preschool, their requirements, and the support they expected to translate the vision into a reality.
Following the ‘tryout’ in the four schools, master plan preparation is under way in all the schools where the project is being piloted.
SSA staff members, DIET Principals, education activists, and AEOs under the leadership of DDEs provide external support to make the schools child-friendly and further the idea of school campuses becoming students’ textbook. Masterplan preparation will be completed in all schools by November 7.
Development of preschools will ensure that students attending it go on to study in lower primary wings of the schools they are attached to, SSA officials said.
Status study
A status study of preschools is also under way. The results will be consolidated at the State level with the help of the State Council of Educational Research and Training to gauge, by December 31, the areas where intervention is needed. It will also form the basis of a plan to be submitted to the MHRD next year.
The pre-school strengthening will also help realise the concept of cluster-school complex that the SSA is trying to revive. The preschools will function as lead institutions of the cluster school complex with other preschool centres nearby such as anganwadis and those run by various agencies functioning as feeding schools.
Sharing of resources
This will help in sharing of infrastructure and academic resources for the benefit of all students in such institutions.
Talks have been held between Minister for Education C. Ravindranath and Minister for Social Justice K.K. Shylaja for convergence of activities of both departments in this regard, SSA officials said.