Set up academic excellence cell in schools: edu dept

MUMBAI: In a bid to improve the quality of education across schools, the state school education department has recently asked every school, including unaided institutions, to set up an ‘ academic excellence cell’. These cells will function in tandem with the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in the schools to monitor students’ learning levels, and to suggest ways in which they can be raised.

The cells will be headed by school principals and consist of representatives from parents, teachers and the school trust as their members. Experts of particular subjects, from the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), a scheme by the Central government for students from classes 1 to 8, will also be included.

“This is part of a larger effort to raise the standard of learning in schools across the state,” said BB Chavan, in-charge deputy director of education, Mumbai region (including Thane and Raigad). “We expect schools to set up these cells within this academic year itself.”

These cells will study the learning levels in the schools and prepare reports on improving them. The reports will have to be submitted periodically to the education department. “Based on the results of the school exams and competency tests, the cells can come up with programmes to improve students’ performance,” said Chavan. “They can also suggest changes in the prevalent teaching methods.”

Last year, the government had set up a seven-member quality cell at the state-level, which had for med various committees at district level. The school cells will also be expected to coordinate with these committees.

But the idea has not caught the fancy of school principals in the city. School principals said that these cells were unnecessary, because every school has its own academic council. The council consists of the school principal, teacher and trustees, but doesn’t include parents or government members.

“As per t he Secondary School Code, we have formed academic councils that perform similar functions, and the two cells will certainly overlap,” said Prashant Redij, spokesperson, Mumbai School Principals Association. “It will also be tedious to maintain documents such as minutes of the meetings and records for both the cells.”

Source | Hindustan Times | 13 October 2015