Education in mother tongue is ideal for elementary level students: CM Bhupesh Baghel
Ahead of the first HT Education Summit, scheduled for 24th August 2022, the chief minister of Chattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel shares his vision and action plan for taking learning to every household. He highlights that education is a critical focus area in the state and he intends to provide the best educational facilities and environment to them to help students achieve their full potential.
Q: How will the implementation of NEP in Chhattisgarh help India achieve its goals of becoming a superpower?
A: Education is a critical focus area in our state. Our children are our future. We must provide the best educational facilities and environment to them to help them achieve their full potential. The government of Chhattisgarh has started the Swami Atmanand Schools of Excellence in the State for this purpose. We started with a modest number of 51 schools last year. This number increased to 279 within one year. We have planned another 422 new Swami Atmanand Schools, which will start functioning before the next academic session begins on 15 June next year. These schools have state of the art laboratories, well-stocked libraries, facilities for art, sports and other co-curricular activities. These schools have become very popular in a short span of time and there is even a long waiting list for admissions in these schools. Wherever I go in the state, there is a demand for opening new Swami Atmanand Schools.
We believe that education in mother tongue is the best tool at the elementary level. Keeping this is mind, we have prepared bilingual primers for grades 1 and 2 in Hindi and 16 tribal languages spoken in Chhattisgarh. We also believe that proficiency in English language is important for better higher education and employment opportunities in India and abroad. We have therefore started English-medium education in 247 Swami Atmanand Schools. We have planned English-medium colleges for higher education from the next year.
We firmly believe that vocational education is the need of the hour. Children should learn skills which can help them in getting jobs. We have therefore started vocational courses in several higher secondary schools with the help of ITIs located close to these schools. Students can get an ITI certification in a trade of their choice along with a higher secondary certificate. Already more than 12000 students are studying in this dual certificate course so that they have an option of getting a job based on their ITI certificate immediately after passing higher secondary examination.
Our effort is to provide world-class education to children of Chhattisgarh so that they have the best opportunities to grow and bring laurels to the state and the nation.
Q: Technology has become a critical tool in last-mile education delivery. How is the state using technology to ensure better access and coverage of education in the state?
A: Chhattisgarh was the first State to start an on-line education portal during COVID lock down. We lovingly call it Padhai Tunhar Duar in Chhattisgarhi, which translates to Education at your door step in English. More than 50 lakh students and more than 2 lakh teachers are registered on this portal. The portal has huge free education resources in the form of education videos, photographs, lessons etc. It also has a facility for teachers to take classes online and conduct assessments as well as offer feedback online.
However, I would also like to point out that in a state like Chhattisgarh, there are several issued with respect to use of technology. Internet availability is a challenge in many remote areas. Availability of devices is also a challenge for poor families. We therefore strongly believe that technology, therefore, should be appropriate and effective. We have used bluetooth technology in areas with poor Internet to disseminate education material. We have used loudspeakers for Mohalla classes during COVID times, where a teacher can give lessons to the students sitting in their home using a loud speaker. Our teachers have used technology in many innovative ways. One such innovation is the use of a TV screen for giving off-line lessons in remote forest areas, by casting the screen of a mobile phone on TV. Our teachers have carried these TV screens on the back of their motorbikes to remote villages during COVID times. Niti Ayog has also praised the use of off-line technology innovations in aspirational districts like Dantewada, Narayanpur etc.
Q: What steps are being taken to improve the condition of teacher training?
A: The SCERT of Chhattisgarh has taken the lead in training teachers. Even during the pandemic when there was a complete lockdown, teacher training was done using online methods. We have laid special emphasis on training of teachers not only in pedagogy, but also school management, community participation and remedial teaching among others.
Q: Given the diversity of population in the state, how is the govt trying to make education more inclusive?
A: Chhattisgarh has made several innovations in the field of education to reach out to the difficult areas. In the tribal areas of Narayanpur and Bijapur, we have made school buildings in porta-cabins. We have started residential schools in many areas for children in remote areas. We have gradually been able to open many schools which were closed down due to the Maoist menace in Bastar division. Last year more than 300 such schools were re-opened after a long time. We have created bilingual primers in 16 tribal languages for teaching-learning in mother tongue. We have a scheme of giving bicycles to girl students in high schools to help them go to schools. We give free text books and other teaching-learning material to all students. We have started a special programme to bring back out-of-school children to school and I am happy to report that the programme has been very successful and we have been able to re-enrol more than 20000 children in the last one month.
Q: What is your message to the attendees of the first HTES?
A: Children are the future of our nation. We must be untiring in our efforts to give the best educational opportunities to our children.