Gandhinagar

The 13th statewide Shala Praveshotsav to ensure cent percent enrollment of students in primary schools will be held two phases – in rural areas from June 11 to 13 and in urban areas from June 18 to 20, 2015.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel will a number of teams, each comprising her Ministerial colleagues and bureaucrats that will fan out across the state during the six-day campaign in two phases.

Addressing the education department’s preview meeting at the Swarnim Sankool auditorium here which was telecast live by BISEG to all district headquarters, she said that Kanya Kelavani and Shala Praveshotsav campaigns were started 12 years ago with people’s participation to lift the education department out of long neglect. During this period, there has been exponential growth in particularly girl students’ enrollment ratio and in reducing the school dropout ratio.

Over the last few years, she said, extra attention is paid to qualitative improvement in teaching, helping weaker students overcome fear of learning new things particularly in Standard-1 and Standard-2. They are encouraged to develop their latent talents. Care has been taken for their health and hygiene and overall cleanliness, providing basic infrastructure facilities in schools like drinking water and toilets.

The Chief Minister recalled the government has started ranking of schools into A, B, C and D grades as per the pass percentage of students in the examinations. The C and D grade schools are encouraged to come up the ladder. She said that each officer and office-bearers covering the school during the campaign would maintain live contact with that particular school throughout the academic year.

She asked school managements to celebrate World Yoga Divas, and competitions among child poets and child artists, summer camps, encourage them to participate in Khel Mahakumbh. She suggested starting computer literacy and music talent courses, and then NCC, NSS, Student Police Cadets schemes in schools in the years to come.

Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma said the two campaigns initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the then Chief Minister of Gujarat 12 years ago has resulted in improving quality of education in the state. He called upon the teams to give extra stress of schools ranked C and D grades where dropout rate has increased.

Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary for Education Sujit Gulati welcomed all. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Mission Director Mukesh Kumar presented an outline of the two campaigns.

Others present during the meeting were Minister of State for Education Vasuben Trivedi and Nanubhai Vanani, Chief Secretary G. R. Aloria, senior officers and office-bearers.

– Information