Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar today chaired a meeting to review the overall functioning and progress of various schemes in education sector in district Kathua.During the meeting, the Minister took detailed and component-wise review of various schemes.The meeting was attended by MLA, Bani Jeevan Lal, MLA Hiranagar Kuldeep Raj, Director RMSA/SSA, Mr Saugat Biswas, DC Kathua, Ramesh Kumar, Director School Education, Jammu, Babila Rakwal, SSP Kathua, Pawan Parihar, Principals of Degree Colleges and Higher Secondary Schools, Chief Education Officer and ZEOs.The Minister stressed the need for augmenting the standards of government schools and improving the quality of education through technological interventions. He said that e-learning is a major intervention which will raise the level of education, literacy and boost socio-economic development. He further said to achieve optimum academic results teachers should enjoy teaching and shift to latest teaching aids.
“Local and folk languages have strong connect among masses but to equip oneself with latest teaching terminologies, learning English is the need of the hour,” the minister added.The minister directed CEO Kathua to make all the KGBV (Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya) residential and introduce new vocational courses viz. Basholi Painting, IT & Networking, Pashmina Weaving, Art & Music in all the 4 KGBVs of Kathua under skill development programme. He further said that team of teachers will analyze the aptitude of students so that they can be trained accordingly.He said it is high time to integrate schools to provide better exposure and environment to the students so that they can interact with the fellow students and teachers for better learning and directed CEO Kathua to integrate Higher Secondary School Machedi, Lowang, Plassi and Lohai-Malhar and start nursery classes from the next academic session. He further directed CEO Kathua to connect CAL Centres and ICT with internet immediately.Education minister also directed all the Principals of Degree Colleges to utilize computer labs for conducting short term community courses after college timing to help them connect to the e-world and generate employment.
Detailed deliberations were also held on various issues like shortage of staff, number of vacancies and infrastructure of various educational institutions raised by MLA Bani, ZEOs and CEO.The minister appreciated the efforts undertaken by DC Kathua Ramesh Kumar under ‘PROTSAHAN’, with an initial target of benefitting 220 poor girls every year, to provide free education to girls in the government recognized private institutes of the district.Earlier, the Minister also conducted surprise inspection at Government High School Chhan Arorian and Government High School Rajbagh and interacted with the students and inquired about the quality of education and facilities being provided to them.The minister assured that new and innovative academic and vocational courses would be introduced for the all-round development of students. He also impressed upon improving infrastructure, revisiting the curriculum and maintaining required teacher-student ratio in the Government in schools.