Sonbhadra a ‘champion of change’ after boost to edu infra
It is the first district in UP to equip all its 2,257 primary and upper primary schools with dual desk benches under aspirational dist prog
Sonbhadra has become a ‘champion of change’ after becoming the first district in UP to equip all its 2,257 primary and upper primary schools with dual desk benches under the aspirational district programme (ADP). Now, around 2.6 lakh children in these schools will not have to sit on the ground while attending classes.
It is ranked first among 112 districts in the country this year in March for overall good performance in key areas like health, nutrition and school infrastructure, skill development and financial inclusion under the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) by NITI Ayog.
Launched in 2018, the ADP focuses on overall infrastructure improvement, with special focus on school infrastructure, health, nutrition, and skill development.
“Sonbhadra has been ranked first in the country for its overall performance in different sectors such as education and infrastructure development under the ADP,” said Amit Pal Sharma, chief development officer.
A senior officer, working closely for effective implementation of ADP, said the programme is based on convergence, collaboration and competition for positive transformation in aspirational districts like Sonbhadra.
Soon after Sonbhadra was included on the list of 112 developmentally challenged districts by NITI Ayog under the ADP, a survey was conducted here to assess the condition of infrastructure in government schools in 2018.
The survey revealed poor essential infrastructure, defunct toilets, lack of child and girl friendly infrastructure in 89% schools in the district.
The officer said to improve the overall infrastructure in primary and upper primary schools, the district administration launched Mission Son School Kayakalp under ADP.
In May 2019, the district administration established collaboration with panchayati raj, education departments, PWD and Jal Nigam on Google forms and Google sheets to share the issues, task and progress to save time and monitor the progress in real time.
The dashboard was shared with the district administration, chief development officer and basic education officer. Some NGOS provided technical support and training to gram pradhans, head teachers and masons under Kayakalp.
The officer said efforts to arrange funds required for improving infrastructure in schools were made. District administration officials spoke to various companies and urged them to use corporate social responsibility funds for developing infrastructure in schools. The district administration used District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund for Son School Kayakalp at a large scale first time.
A total of 31,823 dual desks and benches were provided to 2,257 schools. For the purpose, around Rs 13.47 crore was released from the District Mineral Foundation Trust, Sonbhadra.
An official associated with the implementation of the ADP said no government school in the district had dual desks and benches in 2018. But now, all 2,257 government schools are equipped with dual bench desks.
Likewise, 1,646 schools had toilets for girls in 2018. But at present, all 2,257 schools in the district are equipped with toilets for girls.
District magistrate, Sonbhadra, Abhishek Singh said, “A lot of work has been done in the district under the ADP. The dual bench desks have been provided to all government primary and upper primary schools. Walls have been painted. Potable water facility has been made and toilets for girls with tap water have been built in all schools. Around 300 schools have been equipped with smart classrooms.”
A smart classroom has a digital black board connected with a computer uploaded with audio-visual lessons, including moral stories, elementary mathematics and science. The moral stories or elementary mathematics lessons are played on the digital black board and children watch them with full concentration.
Kukumlata Tripathi, a teacher at multi-storey primary school in Robertsganj, said: “Smart classes are a new thing for children. The tablet/computer comprises syllabi of all subjects of Classes 6 to 8. When moral stories, elementary science lessons or rhymes are played on the system connected to the digital blackboard, children watch them with full concentration and learn.”
Headmaster Suman Tiwari said: “Children learn faster in a smart classroom. In fact, smart classroom helps generate interest among kids for learning.”
Besides, a convergence meeting was organised for anganvadi, Asha workers and ANMS for better coordination to provide nutritious supplements to maximum possible lactating mothers and pregnant women in the district, said the officer.
The efforts yielded desired results. A total of 42,000 (84%) lactating mothers and pregnant women were now getting nutritious supplements every month in 2021 as compared to only 25,794 (43%)in 2018.
Skill development training was imparted to 5,703 people in 2021 – up from 1,267 in 2018.
Some of them were trained in home appliances repairing and solar panel installation and others were trained in sewing, embroidery, as linemen in power sector, masons and so on.