Evaluation of 45,000 govt schools soon

BANGALORE: With the objective ofproviding quality education to children and ensuring that those in the 6 to 14age-group go to school, the state government decided to evaluate the 45,000-oddgovernment schools in October 2001. The process is expected to be completed by2003. Already, 7,000 schools have been evaluated and that of another 15,000 isexpected by this year-end. ``As inspections by block education officers failedto provide a clear picture of what ailed a particular school, we decided toconduct a comprehensive evaluation of schools,'''' education department officialstold The Times of India. The evaluation process involves teams with people fromDIET, cluster and block resource centres and retired teachers and experts, whovisit the schools, spend a few days with them and evaluate them against pre-setparameters. Manuals published by the department to help the team contain theobjectives of the evaluation process. It has also laid down guidelines forevaluation. The team observes the following aspects of each school: learningenvironment, seating arrangements, textbooks and learning material, teachingaids, lesson plans and time schedule for each subject, teaching and learningmethods, teachers interaction with students, students involvement and teachers''attitude towards students. Besides, information about students who regularlyabstain from school and the retention rate is also collected during evaluation.Later, the team prepares an evaluation report, copies of which are given to theschool head, block education officer and education coordinator/deputy directorof public instruction. ``After the report is submitted, the school head preparesan action plan for its implementation and submits an action taken report within30 days. The education coordinator and block education officer monitor theimplementation of the report,'''' officials explained. At the district level, ateam headed by deputy director and senior department officials monitor theimplementation of the report and submit a consolidated report to thecommissioner of public instruction. ``It is for the first time that such amammoth exercise of evaluating schools is being carried out on such a largescale. We propose to conduct the exercise once in three years to understand theprogress made in the development of a school,'''' officials said. The departmentalso plans to make copies of the reports available to the public so thatprospective parents get a clear picture about a particular school.