INITIATIVES  
 
  • UNIVERSALIZATION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
    		•
  • INTEGRATED EDUCATION FOR DISABLED CHILDREN
  • PROGRAMMES FOR MINORITIES
  • INCENTIVE SCHEMES

    • UNIVERSALIZATION OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION:

    The children of 5+ to 13+ years age group not enrolled in any school or any alternative system will be enrolled. Number of out of school children comprising never enrolled and drop outs of the said age group as per district reports as on 1-10-2008 was 2,88,647. Necessary steps will be taken to reduce this figure. New primary schools will be set up in the mapped out unschooled areas.


    As per the report of the NUEPA, drop out rate in average primary grades (I-V) was 11.55%. As per the trend, a decline of 5% in the drop out rate is expected during the plan period of 2008-09.


    In moving towards UEE, reduction out of school children and increase of enrolment, construction of 86.53% classrooms has been taken up against sanctioned target. 85.99% of para-teachers were appointed against sanctioned post. 47.20% of children have been enrolled in Regular Formal School/EGS / AIE centres in comparison to target.


    To reduce existing gender and social gaps 54352 Mother Teacher Associations have been formed. 32.81% female teachers have been serving the school system. Steps have been taken to form MTA in all schools and to recruit female teachers.


    Civil works as on 31-10-2008 in regard to cumulative physical target are that 78.64% New School Building , 68.24% Additional Classrooms , 84.77% of Drinking Water 69.58% of Toilet , 21.5% of Boundary Wall , 56.62% of Cluster Resource Centres , 101.26% of Circle Resource Centers have been completed. During 2008-09, it has been proposed to construct 9543 units of ACRs in Elementary Level.


    NPEGEL: Total clusters covered in 59 Educationally Backward Blocks (covering 11 districts) are 1064. 344 cluster Coordinators have been engaged. Orientation of 2436, Head of the Institutions including Asst. teachers has been accomplished.


    KGBV: Under the scheme 59 hostels are operational with enrolment 2189 (785 SC, 677 ST, 260 OBC, 192 Minority Communities and 265 belong to BPL). 44 Hostel buildings have been completed and 15 are in progress. 5 more KGBVs have been sanctioned in areas predominantly occupied by minority population.


    INTEGRATED EDUCATION FOR DISABLED CHILDREN:


    1, 28,698 out of 1, 99,671 identified children with Special Needs (CWSN) have already been enrolled. 34,707 no. of aids and appliances have been provided, 46,421 no. of ramps have been constructed. 1, 40,343 no. of CWSN have been benefited with IEDC scheme. 722 no. of Special Educators are working under 196 DLRO units to provide resource support. 1, 49,116 no. of teachers have been trained on IED issues.



    PROGRAMMES FOR MINORITIES:

    Under SSA West Bengal, requisite fund has been utilized to meet up the needs and requirements of all Madrasahs (from Primary to Upper Primary sections) in usual manner as a part of implementation of DISTRICT ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PLAN (DEEP).

    A Schematic fund (about Rs. 10 lakh) under Innovative Head of Account of SSA, 2008-09 has been approved for each Educational district by MHRD, GoI for Minority Action Plan particularly with reference to the children belonging to the Muslim Community.


    In addition to the district plan, an amount has been earmarked for supporting the activities of WBBME under SSA, 2008-09 as a part of state component SSA, West Bengal.


    Moreover, in the Annual Work Plan & Budget, SSA, 2008-09, the emphasis on Minority Action Plan is given in 12 districts namely Birbhum, Burdwan, Coocbehar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Howrah, Kolklata , Malda , Murshidabad, Nadia , North 24 Pgs , South 24 Pgs , Uttar Dinajpur having Minority population over 20% as indicated by MHRD, GoI


    In addition to SSA intervention, Minority specific interventions for girls are being taken up under NPEGEL & KGBV during 2008-09 as per approval of MHRD, GoI



    INCENTIVE SCHEMES:

  • National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education : National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education [commonly known as Mid-Day meal Scheme] was launched as a Centrally sponsored scheme on 15th August, 1995 to attaint universalisation of primary education. Its objectives were to increase enrolment, improve attendance and retention simultaneously to have an impact on nutrition of students in primary schools. The programme originally covered students in primary stage (Class-I to V) in Government, Local Body and Government-aided schools and was extended in October, 2002 to cover students studying in Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) Centres also. From 2008-09, the scheme was extended to all students upto Class VIII in the State.In 2008-09, 70,850 Primary Schools were covered. The PAB has approved 71, 33,880 Lakh primary students for 2008-09. In 2008-09, 3,509 Upper Primary Schools were covered. The PAB has approved 38, 16,192 Lakh students for 2008-09.


  • Textbooks are being distributed free of cost to all the students of recognized primary schools upto Class V. The Scholarship schemes in vogue in the Sate are as follows :


  • Central & Middle Scholarship Scheme :- For the students of Class VI. The State quota of which is 747 and rate of scholarship is Rs. 75/- per month. In 2007-08, 270 candidates awarded for Central Scholarship and 477 candidates were awarded for Middle Scholarship Scheme in the state.


  • West Bengal Merit-cum-Means Scholarship :- For providing with the financial assistance to the poor but meritorious students on the basis of Madhyamik Pariksha result securing at least 75% marks. Family Income has been fixed to Rs.80, 000/- per year and rate of scholarship is Rs.500/- per month in favour of 500 students, the quota. During the session 2007-08, 4142 candidates have been awarded with such scholarship. There is no quota fixed for SC, ST, OBC, and Minority students under the scheme.


  • National Means-cum Merit Scholarship Scheme :- Introduced by the MHRD for providing with the scholarship in favour of meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections to arrest drop out rate in class VIII. Family Income should not exceed Rs. 1, 50,000/- per year and the students have to secure at least 55% marks and 50% in case of General and SC/ST/Disabled students respectively in the Annual Examination of Class VIII. In 2008, 3551 students appeared in General category, 729 students appeared in SC category, 58 students appeared in ST category and 291 students appeared in OBC category.


  • National Talent Search Examination :- To find out brilliant students at the end of Class VIII and to provide them with financial assistance for obtaining quality education. In 2008, 10506 students (General-9171, SC-1223, ST-111, and P.H-1) appeared in State Level NTS Examination and finally 24 students (General-10, SC-11, and ST-3) were selected for award in 2008.


  • Centrally Sponsored National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education :- The scheme covers- (i) All SC/ST Girls who pass Class VIII and enroll in Class IX in State Govt., Govt. Aided and Local Body Schools in the academic session 2008-09 onwards, and (ii) All Girls who pass Class VIII from KASTURBA GANDHI BALIKA VIDYALAYA ( irrespective from SC/St or not) and enrol in Class IX in State Govt., Govt. Aided and Local Body Schools in the academic session 2008-09 onwards. The Girl student should be unmarried and below 16 years of age (as on 31st March) on joining Class-IX will be eligible for the scheme. Under the scheme , a sum of Rs.3,000/- will be deposited in the name of each eligible Girl student and the student should be entitled to withdraw the amount reaching 18 years of age.


  • Incentive Schemes for Girl Students of Class-IX to XII in the State Of West Bengal :- The State Govt. has introduced a new scheme of Scholarship for Girls Students specially belonging to poor families with effect from the academic year 2008-09. The Rate of Scholarship is Rs. 100/- per Month per Student.


  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Schools Scheme : Computer education was introduced in 757 Schools and School Education Department has covered 543 schools under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Information and Communication Technology in schools benefiting 35,751 students with 286 full time teachers recruited through S.S.C in 2007-08. In 2008-09, the State Government is implementing ICT @ School scheme for the secondary stage through West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and 1400 schools will be covered under ICT Scheme as approved by MHRD, GOI. Computer Technology is applied as Learning Aid for the learners at Upper Primary School Level. Under Computer Aided Learning (CAL) Programme, 610 schools have been provided computers with educational CDs and 1512 teachers have been oriented.


  • E-Governance : Detailed Project Report for introducing e-governance as a part of the State e-governance programme under National e-Governance Plan(NeGP), namely leveraging Information Technology (IT) as a tool in improving the quality of service delivery of the department and its component units at a cost of Rs. 263 crores has been recommended by the Department Of School Education & Literacy, MHRD, Government of India and forwarded the same to the Department of Information Technology, Government of India for taking further action from their end.