Ensure equity, inclusion in schools: Secy Edu to stakeholders

Srinagar, Aug 17: The State Consultation meeting-cum-workshop for third Chief Secretaries Conference on promoting ease of living in schools was held today at SCERT auditorium here under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Education, Alok Kumar.
He asked the concerned stakeholders for ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels of school education with a focus on Children with Special needs. He also stressed for reducing the dropout rate to a minimal value among all grades, so that the department may achieve the Sustainable Development Goal, by 2030 as per National Education Policy, 2020, which is the gate way for promoting Ease in Schooling.
The workshop was organised by School Education Department (SED) for preparing State specific note for 3rd Chief Secretaries Conference, scheduled to be held in month of October-November, 2023 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of India.
The workshop was organised by Samagra Shiksha in which more than 650 stakeholders of SED including teachers, students, parents of students from various government and private institutions, representatives and heads of more than 20 private institutions, NGOs, Civil Society organisations, JK BOSE, SCERT and other stakeholders participated.
While chairing the panel discussion of the workshop, Principal Secretary, School Education Alok Kumar interacted with different stakeholders who posed questions on different domains of education like uniform academic calendar, school complex system, smart classrooms, creation of District Advisory council, aligning NEET and JEE as per NEP 2020, besides others. He replied all the questions of students and other stake holders.
While replying a query of l student on digital access, the Principal Secretary said that results of the class 10th and 12th stands uploaded on the website through Digi locker.
Reacting on the establishment of smart classrooms, he reiterated that, this year more than 1300 Smart classrooms, 1000 ICT labs shall be established, besides Virtual Reality Labs, Astro physics labs and other innovative initiatives are in pipeline.
Principal Secretary further said that providing quality education to students, pave ways to further increase their learning outcomes and bridging the social-gender gaps in school education is our main motto. He added that improvement in the manpower, through capacity building and mentorship programmes, ease in schooling shall be ensured.
Private stakeholders from various schools, during the workshop, suggested for ease in transfer certificates/migration certificates.
In his welcome address, Project Director Samagra Shiksha briefed about the context of the workshop. He informed that during 3rd Chief Secretary conference, five sub themes have been selected in promoting ease of living for the citizens and this meet is being conducted to obtain feedback on different parameters like ease in issuance/reissuance/modification of marksheet, transfer/ migration certificate, introduction of re-evaluation/improvement in examination through online mode, verification of certificate/marksheet, twinning of school for ease in admission, facilitation in registration of Aadhaar, universalisation of use of digilocker, quality of infrastructure in schools, improving learning outcomes and others.
He added that the suggestions and feedback given by all stake holders will be summarised to prepare state specific note on promoting ease of living in schools through Good Governance and use of Technology.
He urged all the participants to take active part in sharing their input about the reforms required by use of good governance and technology to make the access and quality of education better.
Earlier, Deputy Director Planning, briefed the participants regarding the workshop through Power Point presentation.