Minister for Education Naeem Akhtar, Saturday, visited Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Rajbagh, Srinagar to get a first hand appraisal of the working in the institute in an endeavour to identify problems and setting up standards to improve the educational system.The Minister was accompanied by Joint Director Education, Kashmir, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Principal, Institute for Hotel Management (IHM), Rajbagh, Nisheed Srivastava and other officers.During his visit the Minister, interacted with the staff and students and took stock of entire gamut of infrastructural and educational facilities, student-teacher ratio, and quality of education and learning outcomes.Urging the teachers to provide focussed attention and extra care to students, the Minister said that at least two teachers shall adopt each class for providing special mentorship to students. This will benefit the students by way of providing guidance and support to those in need, the Minister said.With regard to enhancement of IT knowledge among the students, the Minister said there should be one computer class regularly on daily basis for the students.Meanwhile, Principal IHM said that the IHM shall help establish the computer facility along with an audio-visual centre in the school.
The Minister asked the school authorities to adopt Middle School Kursoo, in order to provide guidance and handholding to them.Akhtar called upon the school authorities to guide students to pursue career oriented vocational subjects besides their traditional focus on academic education. He said the vocational course on Boutique technology should be formalised and a boutique centre should be set up in the school on commercial lines. He asked the concerned to immediately arrange an expert for the same on academic arrangement basis. Principal IHM said that the institute shall procure uniforms for their trainees from the said centre.In order to promote extra-curricular activities like field visits, mountaineering etc. the Minister, instructed the concerned to organise a trekking expedition for the school students in the first week of next month.