Innovative 'Vidyaa Daan, Ek Aadarsh Daan' campaign to improve primary education


Devdiscourse News Desk | Bahraich | Updated: 16-11-2018 15:52 IST | Created: 16-11-2018 15:43 IST
Innovative 'Vidyaa Daan, Ek Aadarsh Daan' campaign to improve primary education
(Image Credit: Twitter)
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The Bahraich district administration in Uttar Pradesh has embarked on a campaign to give a new dimension to imparting primary education, roping in people across different fields to interact with the children for almost one hour a week.

Elaborating about the campaign, 'Vidyaa Daan, Ek Aadarsh Daan' (Imparting Education, An Ideal Donation), District Magistrate Mala Srivastava said: "Intellectuals of the society, be it the government officials, retired employees, teachers in schools and colleges, educated housewives or youngsters, were urged to join the campaign (which was started in September).

"Today, in more than 400 government primary schools, the campaign has started giving positive results and people themselves are taking out time to teach the children."

She added that concrete efforts were being made to provide quality education in the government primary schools.

Plans are also on to build 10 'aadarsh vidyalaya' (model schools) in each of the development blocks of the district. These schools will be known by the school structure, creative research by the teachers, hold children parliament and children cabinet, and give meritorious results, the official said.

The district magistrate said the model schools would not only impart education to its students but also become a demonstration school for rest of the 3,400 government primary schools in the district. Primary schools are from Class I to Class V.

When contacted, state Basic Education Minister Anupama Jaiswal told PTI, "Almost four months back, I was chairing the review meeting of the district, along with the district magistrate, and I wanted that such system (where the intellectuals teach the kids) should evolve. Until and unless the society forges a direct relationship with government schools, people will continue to remain indifferent towards it."

She said it was not necessary to go and teach the children, suggesting they could share their experience, interact with the children, even narrate a story and inquire the well being of the kids.

"I want that such campaigns should be gradually replicated across the state. And, for the first time, it seems that people have started to realise that they will change the perception and picture of the education system in the government schools," the minister said, adding that "basic shikshaa, buniyaadi shikshaa hai" (basic education is underlying education).

"We have named this unique initiative as 'shikshaa ki door, Bahraich ki oar' (thread of education towards Bahraich)," she added.

Last week, the Niti Aayog tweeted, "#EducationForChange: In the #AspirationalDistrict Bahraich, over 700 youth, doctors, retired teachers & government officials volunteered for the 'Vidyadaan Campaign' last month. @DMBahraich Mala Srivastava is looking forward to developing 200 demonstration schools in the district."

(With inputs from agencies.)

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