Srinagar, Mar 11: Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday announced that since the implementation of the Samagra Shiksha initiative in 2018-19, a total of 10,419 civil works have been sanctioned with an approved budget of Rs. 1,477 crores.
To date, 4,000 of these projects have been completed. Additionally, approximately 3,000 civil works have been finalized under the Union Territory’s Capital Expenditure over the past five years to address infrastructural deficiencies in schools.
In response to a query from MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone during the Assembly session, the Minister responsible for the school department outlined the measures taken by the School Education Department to enhance the educational framework in Jammu and Kashmir:
AAO SCHOOL CHALEIN CAMPAIGN: An annual enrollment drive is conducted to encourage children to attend school, resulting in a notable impact. In 2021, 71,000 children were enrolled in pre-primary classes, and the current enrollment stands at 1.80 lakh children in these classes.
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): To support the comprehensive development of children at an early age, particularly in social and linguistic skills as outlined in the New Education Policy, 2020, the School Education Department has initiated Pre-Primary Classes in 15,550 government schools. Furthermore, 13,804 AAYA/helpers have been appointed to assist the enrolled children in these classes.
Teacher Training and Capacity Building – Upgradation of DIETS as Centres of Excellence (COE): To enhance student learning outcomes, there is a concentrated effort on the training and capacity building of teaching staff through District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETS).
All District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) are undergoing enhancements as part of the Centre of Excellence initiative. DIET Kulgam and DIET Beerwah in Budgam have received approval for their upgrades, while five additional DIETs—namely DIET Kupwara, DIET Shopian, DIET Kathua, DIET Poonch, and DIET Rajouri—have been proposed for similar improvements to the Ministry of Education, Government of India. Over the past two years, more than 75,000 teachers and school heads have received training aimed at enhancing their skills and competencies. Furthermore, all teachers in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have completed training under the NISHTHA program.
In terms of digital initiatives and experiential learning, efforts are underway to leverage technology to enhance educational outcomes. This includes the establishment of ICT labs, smart classrooms, and astrophysics labs. To date, 3,000 ICT/CAL labs have been set up, along with 376 astronomy labs (Aghaaz Labs). Additionally, virtual reality labs have been established in 10 schools, with plans for 40 more.
The Vidya Samiksha Kendra (Command and Control) has been established at Teacher Bhawan in Jammu to facilitate the monitoring of real-time data.
Every year, free textbooks and uniforms are provided to students from Class 1 to Class 8. Under the Beti Anmol Scheme, a financial incentive of Rs. 5,000 is granted to each eligible girl student who successfully completes matriculation and enrolls in Class 11. The PM POSHAN scheme ensures that mid-day meals are provided to students from pre-primary to middle school levels.
To enhance employability in Jammu and Kashmir, vocational education has been introduced in 1,350 schools, with an additional 554 schools set to be included, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all high and higher secondary schools.
Residential facilities for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds are being established, with 89 KGBVs (Residential Schools) and 85 girls’ hostels currently in development. Presently, 5,500 girls from these groups are receiving education and residential support within the Union Territory, along with access to various facilities.
Infrastructure development is being advanced through centrally sponsored schemes and Union Territory (UT) Capital Expenditure (Capex), focusing on both physical and digital enhancements in educational institutions. This includes the establishment and upgrading of additional classrooms, smart classrooms, ICT labs, boundary walls, toilets for children with special needs (CWSN), separate toilets for boys and girls, teacher quarters, science laboratories, art and craft rooms, library facilities, computer rooms, as well as physics, chemistry, and biology labs in elementary, secondary, and senior secondary schools, along with girls’ hostels.
