STATES TO CODIFY BEST EDUCATION PRACTICES UNDER NITI AAYOG PLAN

NEW DELHI : The Niti Aayog has begun an initiative under which states will discuss and codify their best practices and innovations in education so they can learn from each other.

On January 29, the government think tank held its first workshop in which Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and other states shared measures they took to bring about a systemic transformation in education.

“We have come from a situation where enrolment figures have improved. The real challenge now is to focus on learning outcomes. Therefore, a key aspect is that states should learn from each others’ best practices. This was the idea behind the workshop,” said Alok Kumar, adviser, Niti Aayog.

He said there were several initiatives that could be widely replicated, including Haryana’s Saksham scheme or Rajasthan’s school consolidation exercise.

Under the Saksham scheme, the Haryana government had introduced a system of remedial classes for weak students unable to grapple with the curriculum.

In Rajasthan, where there were several schools with just a couple of teachers and a few dozen students, the state government merged them to create integrated schools having better resources.

“Federative cooperation in academic improvement is a welcome step,”said eminent educationist Inder Mohan Kapahy. “In such a situation, a better off entity helps other ones to raise their standard. This will also help in creating a repository of best practices,” he said.

A WORKSHOP WAS HELD ON JANUARY 29 WHERE STATES SHARED MEASURES THEY TOOK TO BRING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL REFORM