Wednesday, May 24, 2023 06:15 [IST]
Last Update: Wednesday, May 24, 2023 00:35 [IST]
GANGTOK,(IPR): A day-long outreach programme was organised by Education department at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok today.
The programme was chaired by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang as the chief guest along with Education minister Kunga Nima Lepcha, additional chief secretary, Education department, R. Telang, advisor Mohan Prasad Subba, secretary Sumita Pradhan, OSD Sonam Paljor Bhutia, and officials from various line departments.
During his address, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang emphasized the significance of teachers in fostering a strong society. He highlighted the efforts of the State government in the education sector. Furthermore, he mentioned the dedication of the State government to enhancing the quality of education in the State, with a strong focus on the remote and isolated villages of Sikkim.
In addition, the Chief Minister remarked on the importance of the upcoming State universities, emphasising the advantage for students with a broader spectrum of choice for different subjects and diverse disciplines. He also informed about the Nar Bahadur Bhandari fellowship scheme, which has allowed two students to pursue higher studies at esteemed institutions like Stanford University and Imperial College in London. This initiative supports quality education and helps foster academic growth, he added.
The Chief Minister also mentioned the upcoming launch of the Bahini scheme at college level and said that the education system always serves as the backbone of the State. He further addressed the regularisation procedure of teachers performed according to the guidelines set by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
The Chief Minister also declared that individuals who have donated land for school buildings will be granted regularisation within a period of three years. He highlighted that the renovation and facelift of schools are currently in progress. Furthermore, he added that in 767 schools, mid-day meals would be prepared by women aged between 40-60 years with a provision of salary incentive.
In his welcome address, additional chief secretary, Education department, R Telang, expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for prioritising the education department and acknowledging the department's advancements.
Moreover, he gave an overview of the outreach programme and said it primarily aims to summarise the department's accomplishments. He informed that 73 government school buildings have been constructed successfully.
Telang further discussed the SCERT innovation approach, which aims to incorporate effective techniques in the teaching-learning process. He also mentioned the upcoming launch of a Management Information Centre that will digitise student records and track the attendance of both teachers and students.
Furthermore, he acknowledged the support of the State government as the education system in Sikkim has become more student-centric, and a noticeable improvement in the quality of education is now evident.
The Chief Minister virtually inaugurated 73 government schools in Gangtok, Pakyong, Soreng, Gyalshing and Namchi districts. This was followed by a video presentation on teacher training facilitated by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
Thereafter, a video presentation showcasing the exposure trip to Chennai and Kerala, which was attended by 59 State Awardee Teachers, was screened. Songmit Lepcha from Pakyong Dikling School summarised the trip and thanked the Chief Minister for providing the opportunity. The 10-day exposure trip served as a valuable learning experience, she added.
During the event, Mala Jigdal Dorjee, principal of Modern Sr. Secondary School, and Sidharth Yonzone, principal of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), shared their insights from the exposure trip to Japan.
Mala Jigdal Dorjee expressed her aspiration to incorporate certain aspects of the Japanese learning systems while also expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister for the valuable opportunity.
The programme was then followed by token distribution of 437 regularization orders of teachers from different government schools.
Thereafter, 66 job appointment orders were distributed under the land donor scheme, recognizing those individuals who had donated land to construct school buildings. The land donors were categorized as single and multiple donors, followed by token distribution of Teaching Learning Materials.
The programme included the release of a career guide booklet for students, followed by the distribution of tokens to beneficiaries of the Bahini scheme.
Secretary, Education department, Sumita Pradhan, delivered the vote of thanks.
