|
AMC’s first English-medium public school inaugurated in Shahpur
Tuesday, 14 May 2013 00:00
administrator
The Indian Express 14.05.2013 AMC’s first English-medium public school inaugurated in Shahpur
The state's first government English-medium public school threw its doors open to the public on Monday. The Ahmedabad Public School (APS), a project launched by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), was inaugurated by the city mayor Meenaxiben Patel in the walled city area of Shahpur. The school is tucked away inside the building of Shahpur Municipal School No 5 and 6.
So far, about 63 students in the age group of 4-6 years have registered for admissions to KG I, II and Class I. While the first session will start from June 6, the AMC school board sought good luck for the maiden project by keeping the inauguration on Akshaya Tritiya, locally known as akhatrij. In the classrooms, the routine wooden benches have been replaced with individual colourful folding study tables, supported by floor-seating on mats. The mundane monochromatic walls have given way to hundreds of colourful tiles on each wall and around the blackboard.
With colourful pictures and names of animals, plants, flowers, vegetables, fruits, numbers, human body parts and even freedom fighters on the white background of tiles, the walls seem to be like giant books. "The students of KG I and KG II will not have books as the teaching will be interactive and innovative. Once the classes start, interactive games and toys will also be added to these classrooms," said AMC school board chairman Jagdish Bhavsar.
More than the little children, it was their parents who looked more excited about the school. "I am an autorickshaw driver and want my daughter Afrin to have good education in an English- medium school. From my meagre earnings, I cannot afford to send her to a private school," said Javed Sheikh, a resident of Shahpur. "I have not studied in English medium, but I want it for my children," said Rakesh Dataniya, a vegetable vendor.
While one classroom is ready, other two are almost complete. "We will provide one set of uniforms to all students. Books will be given to students of Class I free of cost. Though registrations are over, if we receive any application from any deserving candidate even now, we will consider it," added Bhavsar.
Apart from the registration fee of Rs 11, no other charges will be levied on students. The school will run from four classrooms in the double-storey building that houses 30 rooms in total.
|
Municipal school boards all set to lose autonomy
Monday, 13 May 2013 00:00
administrator
The Times of India 13.05.2013 Municipal school boards all set to lose autonomy
PUNE: Municipal school boards in the state are all set to lose their autonomy following an order from the centre to merge them with municipal corporations. The state government is likely to take a decision on the matter soon as it has been receiving complaints of irregularities in their functioning and fund usage.
Education boards in various municipal corporations enjoy autonomy and the board's chief takes all administrative and financial decisions.
Once the municipal school boards are dissolved, a new committee for municipal schools will be formed that will be under the direct control of the municipal commissioners of respective areas.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was in the city on Friday, said the state government had received several applications to cancel the autonomy of the municipal education boards and merge them with the municipal corporations. "The issue was raised in the cabinet meeting. We will soon take a decision," Chavan said.
Merging the boards with the municipal corporation would also improve the state's compliance with the Right to Education Act (RTE), and an order to this effect was issued by the centre to the state recently. The proposal was then placed before the cabinet meeting on Wednesday for discussion.
Mahavir Mane, director of education (primary), said, "According to RTE , the responsibility of primary education should be shouldered by the local self government. And now, all the municipal school boards will come under the purview of the municipal corporations in the respective cities."
Mane added that the proposal is likely to get a nod from the state government since the orders have come from the union government. According to the notification, once the municipal school boards come under the purview of the municipal corporations, they must be headed by educationists and experts in the field education.
Mane further said, "Despite being autonomous, there were allegations from various corners that the functioning of municipal school boards was not transparent. Even the funds granted for free uniform, stationery and books never reached the students of the municipal schools many times."
The PMC school board runs 310 schools, including 226 Marathi, 48 English, 34 Urdu and two Kannada schools imparting education to over 85,000 children.
NMC to acquire land for school
Monday, 13 May 2013 00:00
administrator
The Times of India 13.05.2013 NMC to acquire land for school
NASHIK: The Nashik municipal corporation (NMC) has decided to acquire land reserved for primary school at Agartalkli in the city. The standing committee of the NMC at its meeting last week approved the civic administration's decision to send a proposal to the office of the deputy collector (land acquisition) for acquisition of 3,600 sq metre of land at Agartalkli.
The step was initiated after the owner of the land served a legal notice to the NMC to acquire the plot reserved for a primary school. After the legal notice was issued, the civic administration submitted the proposal for land acquisition.
Standing committee chairman Ramesh Dhongade gave his approval to the proposal.
According to the NMC's development plan (DP) approved in 1993, around 8,000 sq metre land in survey no. 38 and 41 in Agartakli was reserved for a primary school. Of this 3,600 sq metre of land is from survey no. 41 and is owned by Kamlesh Shah.
Shah issued the notice on December 24, 2012 to the NMC to acquire the land at the earliest.
According to the law, it is mandatory to acquire land reserved in the DP within 10 years from the date of approval. The 10-year deadline of the land at Agartalki ended in 2003.
According to guidelines, it is mandatory for the NMC to start the land acquisition process within 12 months from the date of issuance of the notice. If this is not done, the reservation will be automatically abolished. This deadline of one year will end on December 23, 2013 and the NMC will have to acquire the land by that date.
|
Kozhikode corporation set to launch website for schools
Saturday, 11 May 2013 00:00
administrator
The Times of India 11.05.2013 Kozhikode corporation set to launch website for schools
KOZHIKODE: Soon, Kozhikode corporation will have an exclusive website featuring all schools in its limit.
The working group committee on education, sports, entertainment and youth welfare that functions under the education standing committee of the civic body is preparing to launch a website under its comprehensive education project.
The city corporation is planning to develop an exclusive site with the help of IT@School Mission.
Preliminary work for the project including collecting data on each school within its limit, is already underway. The website will feature details on lower primary, upper primary, high school and higher secondary schools that fall under the limits of the corporation.
The project to launch an exclusive website for schools has been included in the budget for the 2013-14 financial year. Considered to be the first such initiative taken by a civic body in the state, the city corporation aims at providing all information on schools to ensure better planning while preparing development projects for the schools.
The website will feature all government, aided and unaided schools from standard one to plus two in its limit. The website will give information on the school such as student and faculty strength, location, facilities available, location and achievements of the school.
The website will also highlight accolades that a school has received over the years in various fields.
Education standing committee chairperson Ushadevi said there are around 140 to 160 schools in the corporation limit. "The coordination committee has started collecting data on the number of schools in its limit and other preliminary details. We hope to launch the website within three months," she said.
T Ashok Kumar, coordinator of the comprehensive education project of the city corporation said the website would help the civic body and education department plan projects for the infrastructure development of educational institutions in the corporation limit.
"The website will provide sector-wise information on LP, UP, HS and HSS schools which will help them allot funds just by visiting the website. A link to the website will be provided on the home page of the corporation website," he said.
PCMC to start two English medium schools next year
Wednesday, 08 May 2013 09:39
administrator
The Indian Express 08.05.2013 PCMC to start two English medium schools next year
Semi-English medium divisions set to be introduced in 35 PMC schools from the next academic session.
As the Pune Municipal Corporation takes final steps to introduce semi-English medium divisions in PMC-run schools from next year, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has gone one step ahead. Apart from introducing semi-English medium divisions in civic-run schools, PCMC has decided to start two English medium schools.
The proposal to introduce semi-English medium divisions in schools run by the Pune Municipal Corporation has set a precedent for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. The PCMC will be emulating the same in its schools from the next academic year. "We have identified 33 schools where semi-English medium divisions will be introduced. We had planned to cover 50 schools, but only 33 have voluntarily accepted this proposal," said Vijay Lokhande, chairman, PCMC School Board.
Apart from this, PCMC will be starting two new English medium schools in Kasarwadi and Pimpri villages. "It is the need of the hour to have our youth well versed in English. Hence, the PCMC, in collaboration with Thermax Ltd, will set up two schools here. The coming academic year, we will start these two schools with Lower Kindergarten classes," said Lokhande. "The Pimpri school will have two divisions of 20 students each and Kasarwadi school will have three divisions of 20 students each," he added.
The education here in these schools will be free of cost. "Even books, bag and uniform will be given free. Infrastructure facilities like building, playground etc will be provided by PCMC and the teachers will be appointed and paid by the Thermax management. This will help students from poor families get a shot at education in English medium. Every year, one class will be increased," said Lokhande.
"The final stages of introducing semi-English medium divisions in the PMC-run schools are underway. We have already trained the teachers for a week," said PMC School Board chief Shivaji Daundkar.
The semi-English medium divisions were supposed to be started in all PMC-run schools that had classes with two divisions and were willing to adopt this medium. One division will be converted to semi-English. "There are 310 PMC-run schools and this scheme will be introduced in 35 schools, i.e. 35 divisions will be converted to semi-English medium," said Daundkar. "The parents will have a choice of admitting their children into semi-English or Marathi medium divisions," he added.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 9 of 44 |
