Latest news with #VidyaSamikshaKendra
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Will replicate Guj's success stories: Delhi edu minister
Gandhinagar: Ashish Sood, Delhi minister for home, power, urban development, and education, said that the BJP-led Delhi state govt will adopt and replicate success stories of Gujarat's education system. He was speaking on Sunday, a day after his visit to Surat on Saturday. In Surat in connection with an urban development project, he also visited a municipal school where education is imparted using digital platforms. "Delhi should have been a model for the country in education, but when the BJP took over, there were just about 700 or 800 smart classrooms in govt schools in the national capital. We intend to roll out 7,000 smart classrooms in the coming months," the minister said on Sunday. Commenting on Gujarat's Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), a centralised project to monitor learning outcomes in govt schools, Sood said, "We will definitely adopt the concept of the VSK and implement it in Delhi with better ideas." tnn You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kanya Kelavani-Shala Praveshotsav: Getting potential drop-outs back to school— has Gujarat aced the test with its enrolment drive?
At a government-run school in Maninagar, Minister of State for Co-operation, Jagdish Vishwakarma, is leading the Kanya Kelavani-Shala Praveshotsav, a three-day statewide school enrolment drive. Students of Classes 9-12 took part in a quiz where they were asked: 'Fifty years back, an incident happened that was taken note of by the world, what was that?' 'Bandharan Hatya Divas' (Constitution Assassination Day)', a girl studying in Class 10 at Sri Ramkrishna Vidyalaya answered after two-three attempts by others. She got a silver idol of Lord Rama as a reward. The annual drive, which kicked off on Thursday, sees the chief minister, ministers, state and district officials travelling to urban and rural areas to encourage parents to enrol their children in schools. On Friday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was at a government primary school in Gandhinagar's Pundrasan village, where he urged parents to ensure enrolment of their children in schools and avail the benefits of government schemes. When the drive started, Gujarat would record a nearly 40% drop-out rate in Classes 1-7. Launched by the then CM Narendra Modi, now the Prime Minister, in 2003-04, where his team of ministers and bureaucrats would lead enrolment drives in Class 1, the state's flagship initiative has over the years incorporated a technology-driven tracking of children by assigning them a unique identity through the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK). This year, it is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to 'predict' drop-outs so that there could be specific interventions. The objective of the drive is to ensure no child, who is eligible to go to school, is left out. The focus this year has gradually shifted from primary to secondary and higher secondary schools. However, the disproportionate number of secondary and higher schools available for children from the economically weaker sections becomes a deterrent. For instance, against the 32,000 primary schools run by the government or municipal bodies, there are just 6,100 government-run or grant-in-aid schools for secondary and higher secondary sections. 'The focus this year is enrolment in Classes 9 and 10. Among the three government schools to be visited by officials on each day of the drive, two are secondary and higher secondary schools and one is primary,' Principal Secretary, Education, Mukesh Kumar, told The Indian Express. As per the Education department records, the drop-out rate of Classes 9 and 10 was 21 per cent in 2023-24 against 23.8 per cent in 2018-19 — a decline of only 2.8 per cent in five years. The reasons range from availability of schools in the neighbourhood, especially in case of girls; parents migrating for work to other districts to children aiding the family income by engaging in skill-based labour. 'After this success (decline in drop out rate in primary classes and increase in enrollment), it was also very necessary to reduce the drop-out rate in Classes 8 and 9. That is why the state government is intensively mapping all students of Class 8 for them to get admission in Class 9 and Class 10 for Class 11 admission through the VSK. Efforts are being made to get all such students admitted in the nearest government or aided secondary schools,' the state government said in a statement issued this week. The state government has set a target of getting 25.75 lakh students enrolled for the 2025-26 academic session. Of these, most (10.56 lakh) are eligible for admission in Class 9, 6.5 lakh for admission to Classes 10 and 11, and 8.75 lakh for admission in Class 1 and Balvatika (equivalent to nursery). Further, the Gujarat State Open School, an initiative to facilitate distance learning for secondary and higher secondary students, was revived this year and rules are being made 'student-friendly', government sources say. Children who dropped out after Class 8 are also being sought out and enrolled in Gujarat State Open School Board. Details of students enrolled in the Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) are also being integrated with VSK for tracking. As per the state government records reiterated at every education programme and attributed as the 'success' of Shala Praveshotsav, the drop-out rate in Classes 1 to 5 has declined from 20.93 per cent in 2001-02 to 1.07 per cent in 2023-24. Also, the drop-out rate in Classes 1 to 8 was 37.22 per cent in 2001-02, which came down to 2.42 per cent in 2023-24. However, as per the AI-enabled Early Warning System (EWS) data accessed by The Indian Express, the potential dropouts identified for Classes 1-8 for the current academic year is 1.67 lakh from 50.42 lakh — of which 55 per cent are likely to be girl students. In its initial year, the data has been generated for Classes 1 to 8 which will be analysed and replicated for secondary and higher secondary classes, said government sources. As a statewide EWS predictive data of possible drop-outs has been generated for the first time this year, Banaskantha has the highest number at nearly 18,000 students, including a higher percentage for girls — at 60%. With over 15,300 students, Kutch is also among the top districts with the highest number of students who are likely to drop out of school, followed by the tribal district of Dahod and Surat city with nearly 12,000 students each. Ahmedabad city stands at 7,200, Jamnagar has over 6,700, Surendranagar at nearly 6,400, Rajkot with over 5,600, Morbi at over 5,500, Bhavnagar at over 5,600 and Chhota Udepur has nearly 5,200 such students. This was based on data sets recorded by the VSK on parameters like students' attendance, academic performance, behaviour patterns, economic background, migration, parents' mindset, number of children in the family, population, etc. Based on the AI-generated algorithm, such children are being monitored and before they drop-out, schools are informed so that authorities can take preventive actions. 'A sensible use of this data will help not only improve learning levels among children, but also their comprehensive growth. The VSK, which was started in Gujarat, has already been replicated in 17-18 states and funded by the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan,' Kumar told this paper. Experts and activists, however, question the lack of transparency in government records. Raising concerns, Sukhdev Patel an education activist from Ahmedabad, told this paper, 'The exercise of Shala Praveshotsav seems like drawing a target around the arrow after it was shot. The enrolment data should be made public and the manner in which it has been arrived at.' At the Pundrasan Government Primary school, CM Patel enrolled 197 children. He also appealed to the members of the School Management Committee to get more actively involved in the functioning of their respective schools. The SMCs were instituted in non-granted schools, as mandated by the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE), aimed at ensuring community participation in the governance and monitoring of elementary education. However, after it was revealed that a majority of such committees lie either only on paper or are defunct, the Gujarat government directed restructuring these decision-making bodies at government primary schools. As per a Gujarat government notification from 2011, in a 12-member SMC, 75% members should comprise parents of students, with weightage to be given to the economically weaker sections. Among the rest of the members, one should be from the elected wing , one teacher, one person nominated by the parents. One of the objectives of the committee is to seek out eligible children and enrol them in schools from the villages and the neighbourhood. On the reconstitution of SMCs, Principal Secretary Kumar said, 'Till the time we don't nudge them, how will they improve?' The first-ever restructuring of the SMCs across 32,800 government primary schools, since these were formed following the implementation of the Act in Gujarat, was followed by a virtual interaction between Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the members of the SMC in April this year. To identify eligible children to be admitted in Class 1, data from the Health department from 2019 was integrated with the Education department's Child Tracking System (CTS). Further, birth record data from 2023-24 is also used for enrolling children in Balvatika. The TeCHO (Technology for Community Health Operations) app used to track vaccination of children has also been integrated with the CTS application to create pre-enrollment data. These details are then shared along with contact details of parents to the respective schools. VSK is also collecting details of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and of private pre-primary schools from 2023-24. This is used to identify children to be admitted in Balvatika and Class 1 and a list is prepared to ensure 100 per cent enrolment. From 2025-26, to ensure students are enrolled in their nearest government or grant-in-aid schools, primary school principals and CRC co-ordinators will be roped in. The Socio-Economic Review (SER) 2023-24 revealed that the number of primary schools declined by 1,027 in the last five years — from 45,315 (including private schools) in 2019-20 to 44,288 in 2023-24. This reflected in the decline of 7.67 lakh in enrolment in Classes 1 to 8 in primary schools — from 86.14 lakh to 78.47 lakh. While government primary schools in rural areas reportedly increased from 2,225 in 2019-20 to 2,310 in 2023-24, government or municipal bodies run schools in urban areas either closed or merged as they declined from 31,337 to 30,626 during this period. On the other hand, the number of secondary and higher secondary schools increased during the same period, from 12,445 to 13,037, including around 6,100 run by government or grant-in-aid schools. This, however, resulted in a decline in the total enrolment — from 28.67 lakh in 2019-20 to 27.41 lakh in 2023-24. While the total number of secondary and higher secondary schools increased, the number of only-girls secondary and higher secondary schools decreased from 594 to 576 in the last five years. Meanwhile, the drop-out rate in primary education in Gujarat from Class 1 to 5, which stood at 22.3 per cent in 1999-2000, was reduced to 1.04 per cent in 2022-23.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Edu dept wants students' evaluation report by Monday, teachers say deadline difficult to meet
Pune: The state education department has set a target for students from Std II to V to achieve at least 75% learning competency under Nipun Bharat programme. But teachers are facing difficulties meeting the June 30 target. Govt schools across the state have been provided with specific action plans for first language and mathematics subjects for students in these grades. Teachers are directed to evaluate students' competencies and submit reports through Vidya Samiksha Kendra by Monday. Schools reopened two weeks ago and teachers said that the deadline was difficult to meet. Director of primary education Sharad Gosavi said, "Teachers and headmasters are required to make regular efforts to help students achieve the expected competency levels. The department expects teachers to utilise all necessary educational resources to provide enjoyable foundational education to students." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune After imparting the lessons, schools must verify whether students have acquired the expected learning abilities. Zilla parishad school teacher Santosh Jadhav said, "We have just begun school and students are still settling in. Sending their performance reports immediately is a tough task. That is why there is a lag in submissions from several teachers."
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Indian Express
Gujarat to launch AI-based system to cut dropout rate in schools
With Gujarat being among the states with the highest dropout rate in secondary education, the state government has devised an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Early Warning System (EWS) to curb dropouts. To be launched across the state during Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani, a three-day school enrolment drive to be kicked off on June 26, the EWS will provide information and send out alerts on potential dropouts in Classes 8 and 9. Already piloted in a few schools during the 2024-25 academic session, the EWS uses students' data maintained at the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK). Each student enroled in government-run and aided schools has a unique identification number, which is stored and tracked by the VSK. 'The Early Warning System aims at identifying students at risk of dropping out of school at the secondary level, based on identification of key indicators. Once 'at-risk' children are identified, they will be provided support through preventive response strategies and interventions to meet their specific needs. Continuous monitoring and tracking will be done at the school, cluster, district and state level to retain children in schools,' an Education department official told The Indian Express. All government and aided schools in Gujarat are equipped with Child Tracking System (CTS). Based on algorithm, factors considered to ascertain possible dropouts include absenteeism, child's behaviour, academic performance and other factors like migration, socio-economic background along with demographic information. Data on potential dropouts will be shared with every school during the enrolment drive in the state. To prevent children from dropping out, the School Management Committees (SMCs) and School Management Development Committees (SMDCs) will also seek the local community's help to interact with the children and their parents, as alerted by the EWS. The list of potential dropouts will also be shared with the coordinators of block resource centres (BRCs) and cluster resource centre (CRCs), school principals as well as teachers and the school management committee (SMC) to ensure these students are provided all the necessary assistance. Officials at the education department also said that schools will be directed to involve children's parents in the admission process to make them understand the importance of school education for the development and progress of the child. The school administration will also have to ensure that children attend school regularly. Under behavioural issues, disruptive classroom behaviour, conflicts with peers or teachers, increased aggression, or withdrawal from social activities have been listed. As per the Department of School Education and Literacy's UDISE dashboard for 2023-24, the retention rate in secondary schools in Gujarat was 44.3 per cent. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) at the secondary and higher secondary levels is 58.7 per cent, whereas the dropout rate at these levels is 16.7 per cent. Gujarat is ranked with states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, which have a GER of 50.1-60 per cent in secondary classes. Shala Praveshotsav was launched by the Gujarat government in 2003 to promote school enrolment and keep drop-out rate in check. As part of the initiative, ministers, bureaucrats and police officers visit schools in teams to enrol students. The government has set a target of getting 25.75 students enroled for the 2025-26 academic session. Of them, 10.5 lakh are eligible for admission in Class IX, 6.5 lakh students for admission to Classes 10 and 11, and 8.75 lakh for admission in Balvatika. The Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani this year will target secondary and higher secondary schools. Out of a total of three schools to be visited by each official on each of the three days of the exercise, one should be primary and two secondary and higher secondary schools.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
27% increase in students opting for science stream: CM
Gandhinagar: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel said on Monday that state govt schemes like the Namo Lakshmi and Namo Sarswati schemes encouraged students to opt for the science stream. In one year, there was a 27% increase in students opting for the science stream, he added. While the Namo Lakshmi scheme provides financial assistance for girls studying at the secondary and higher secondary level (Class 9 to 12), the Namo Sarswati scheme offers financial support to girls who opt for the science stream in Class 11 and 12. Speaking at the inauguration of a Swaminarayan Gurukul at Dabhoi in Vadodara district, the CM said that the Mission School of Excellence programme and the Vidya Samiksha Kendra contributed towards upscaling the quality of education being provided in govt schools. Patel said that the new education policy will "shape the future citizens of India with modernity and values. In the Indian education system, values are indispensable along with knowledge. " He added that India's 'gurukul' culture is now being revived with modern methods. He added that institutions like the Swaminarayan Gurukul provide students not only with academic knowledge but also value-based training for life. Commenting on the steps being taken by the state govt to improve the quality of education, the CM said that through the Gunotsav campaign, learning outcomes of students are being monitored regularly. He added that special attention was given to girls' education through initiatives like Kanya Kelavani and the school enrolment drive (Shala Pravesh Utsav).
