As part of an on-going campaign to bring school dropouts for various reasons back to school, the Uttar Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is gearing up to impart specialised training to them soon after their readmission to the school.
The special training aims to bring approximately 2.85 lakh out-of-school children and dropouts at par with their counterparts in age- appropriate classes and provide them with special training during academic session 2023-24.
It is important to note that according to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act-2009 and the state government’s regulations, there is a provision of providing special training to out- of- school and dropout children between the ages of 6 and 14 by enrolling them in age- appropriate classes. This provision is being implemented through the Sharda program, which will enroll out-of-school children identified during the 2022-23 academic year in age- appropriate classes and provide with special training during academic session 2023-24.
As per the directives issued by State Project Director, Vijay Kiran Anand, it should be ensured to start operation of a special training program for out-of-school children identified under Sharda program starting from 1 July. The program will provide them with training for 9 months. If a student is unable to achieve the expected learning level within the prescribed period for a specific class, then the period of the special training will even be extended.
Each school has designated a nodal teacher, appointed by the Block Education Officer, who will be responsible for the special training of out-of-school children. Additionally, periodic assessments will be conducted on a quarterly basis during the training to ensure the students reach the appropriate educational level for their age group.
The initial evaluation of out of school children will be completed by July 20, 2023 through Sharda App. Based on the assessment results, the nodal teacher will create a customized teaching plan to bring each student up to the level appropriate for their respective class. During the period of special training, the nodal teachers will assess the out-of-school children on a quarterly basis. The tasks and worksheets done by the children in the special training centers will be preserved in the folders or profiles of the children.
By monitoring the schools of Nyaya Panchayat allotted to Special Educators, nodal teachers will be assisted in conducting special training for out-of-school children. 20 schools will be monitored every month by the special educator. All out-of-school children will be evaluated on an initial and quarterly basis in the designated schools.
The Divisional Assistant Director of Education (Basic), District Basic Education Officer, and Block Education Officer will conduct regular inspections of the special training centers. The school principal will actively engage in regular meetings with the guardians and parents of the children attending the special training program. During these meetings, the principal will provide updates on the children’s attendance, learning ability, and overall progress. In case of irregular attendance, efforts will be made to identify the reasons for the absence and address them accordingly. The participation of the school management committee will be ensured in the identification, enrollment, and education of disabled children and they will be monitored until the completion of their elementary education.