at lunch session....

 The Midday Meal Scheme is the popular name for school meal programme in India which started in the 1960s. It involves provision of lunch free of working days. The key objectives of the programme are: protecting children from classroom hunger, increasing school enrollment and attendance, improved socialization among children belonging to all castes, addressing malnutrition, and social empowerment through provision of employment to women. The scheme has a long history, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. The scheme was introduced statewide by the then Chief Minister K. Kamaraj in the 1960s and later expanded by the M. G. Ramachandran government in 1982. It has been adopted by most Indian states after a landmark direction by the Supreme Court of India on November 28, 2001.

National Programme for Nutrition Support to Primary Education

Although the programme in Tamil Nadu was initially termed as an act of "Populism", the success of the scheme made the project hugely popular. The success was so spectacular that in 1995, the then Indian prime minister P.V.Narsimha Rao hailed the success of the project and suggested that the scheme be implemented all over the country, and thus began the "National Programme for Nutrition Support to Primary Education".
According to the programme the Government of India will provide grains free of cost and the States will provide the costs of other ingredients, salaries and infrastructure. Since most State governments were unwilling to commit budgetary resources they just passed on the grains from Government of India to the parents. This system was called provision of ‘dry rations’. On November 28, 2001 the Supreme Court of India gave a famous direction that made it mandatory for the state governments to provide cooked meals instead of ‘dry rations’. The direction was to be implemented from June 2002, but was violated by most States. But with sustained pressure from the court, media and in particular from the Right to Food Campaign more and more states started providing cooked meals.
In May 2004 a new coalition government was formed in the centre, which promised universal provision of cooked meals fully funded by the centre. This promise in its Common Minimum Programme was followed by enhanced financial support to the states for cooking and building sufficient infrastructure. Given this additional support the scheme has expanded its reach to cover most children in primary schools in India. In 2005 it is expected to cover 130 million children.

The Supreme Court Direction

In April 2001 People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Rajasthan) initiated the now famous right to food litigation. This public interest litigation has covered a large range of issues relating to right to food, but the best known intervention by the court is on midday meals. In one of its many direction in the litigation the Supreme Court directed the government to fully implement its scheme of providing cooked meals to all children in primary schools. This landmark direction converted the Midday Meal Scheme into a legal entitlement, the violation of which can be taken up in the court of law. The direction and further follow-up by the Supreme Court has been a major instrument in universalising the scheme.

Always be united....students !

Be proud to be an Indian !

Sing our National Anthem......

Wish you all the students - " SUBHO BIJOYA"

Wish you all the students - " SUBHO BIJOYA"

My dear students, enjoy Puja Vacation from 20th Oct. to 15th Nov.......

My dear students, enjoy Puja Vacation from 20th Oct. to 15th Nov.......

My students are involved with action research

Tumi nirmalo karo......

Tumi nirmalo karo mongalo kare, malino marmo muchhaye....

Enjoying hand wash........

Handwashing with soap (HWWS) is among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, which together are responsible for the majority of child deaths. This behavior is projected to become a significant contribution to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015. October 15 has been appointed to become Global Handwashing Day in accordance with year 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation by the United Nations.

Hands often act as vectors that carry disease-causing pathogens from person to person, either through direct contact or indirectly via surfaces. Humans can spread bacteria by touching other people's hand, hair, nose, and face. Hands that have been in contact with human or animal feces, bodily fluids like nasal excretions, and contaminated foods or water can transport bacteria, viruses and parasites to unwitting hosts. Hand washing with soap works by interrupting the transmission of disease.

Washing hands with water alone is significantly less effective than washing hands with soap in terms of removing germs. Although using soap in hand washing breaks down the grease and dirt that carry most germs, using soap also means additional time consumed during the massaging, rubbing, and friction to dislodge them from fingertips, and between the fingers, in comparison with just using water for handwashing.

Effective hand-washing with soap takes 8 – 15 seconds, followed by thorough rinsing with running water. acute respiratory infections (including SARS and bird flu), helminth infections (especially ascariasis), and eye infections.

In a research published by British Medical Journal on November 2007, physical barriers, such as regular handwashing and wearing masks, gloves and gowns, may be more effective than drugs to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza and SARS. In the case of such respiratory diseases, washing your hands is especially important before touching your eyes, nose or mouth. The finding was published as Britain announced it was doubling its stockpile of antiviral medicines in preparation for any future flu pandemic. The researchers found that simple, low-cost physical measures should be given higher priority in national pandemic contingency plans. Other evidence suggests that the use of vaccines and antiviral drugs will be insufficient to interrupt the spread of influenza says the report. Handwashing and wearing masks, gloves and gowns were effective individually in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses, and were even more effective when combined. However, further trials needed to evaluate the best combinations. Another study, published in the Cochrane Library journal on 2007, finds handwashing with just soap and water to be a simple and effective way to curb the spread of respiratory viruses, from everyday cold viruses to deadly pandemic strains.

Other research conducted by the World Bank regarding health policy shows that health measures like hand washing with soap did not get enough promotion compared to the promotion of influenza drugs by medical staff. This was worse for people living in isolated locations who were difficult to reach by mass media (like radio and TV).

• Diarrheal disease. A review of more than 30 studies found that handwashing with soap cuts the incidence of diarrhea by nearly half. Diarrheal diseases are often described as water-related, as the pathogens come from fecal matter and make people ill when they enter the mouth via hands that have been contact with feces, contaminated drinking water, unwashed raw food, unwashed utensils or smears on clothes. Research shows handwashing with soap breaks the cycle and is effective in reducing diarrhea cases in comparison to other interventions. Reduction in diarrheal morbidity (%) per invention type shows that handwashing with soap (44%), point of use water treatment (39%), sanitation (32%), hygiene education (28%), water supply (25%), source water treatment (11%).
• Acute respiratory infection. Handwashing reduces respiratory infections by two ways: by removing respiratory pathogens that are found on hands and surfaces and by removing other pathogens (in particular, entreric viruses) that have been found to cause not only diarrhea, but also respiratory symptoms. A study in Pakistan found that handwashing with soap reduce the number of pneumonia-related infection in children under the age of five by more than 50 percent.
• Intestinal worm, skin infections, and eye infections. Hand washing with soap also reduces the incidence of skin diseases; eye infections like trachoma and intestinal worms, especially ascariasis and trichuriasis.

when they clap...........

 Children clap when they are happy.......
A clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval (see applause), but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance.
Some people slap the back of one hand into the palm of the other hand to signify urgency or enthusiasm; others consider it uncouth.
Perhaps the best-known koan involves (at least superficially) consideration of the act of clapping: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
Clapping is used as a percussion element in many forms of music, for example in Gospel music. In flamenco and sevillanas, two Spanish musical genres, clapping often sets the rhythm and is an integral part of the songs. A sampled or synthesized clap is also a staple of electronic and pop music.

When girls dance..........

Right-To-Education

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE), which was passed by the Indian parliament on 4 August 2009, describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010.

History

Present Act has its history in the drafting of the Indian constitution at the time of Independence but are more specifically to the Constitutional Amendment that included the Article 21A in the Indian constitution making Education a fundamental Right. This amendment, however, specified the need for a legislation to describe the mode of implementation of the same which necessitated the drafting of a separate Education Bill.

A rough draft of the bill was composed in year 2005. It received much opposition due to its mandatory provision to provide 25% reservation for disadvantaged children in private schools. The sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education which prepared the draft Bill held this provision as a significant prerequisite for creating a democratic and egalitarian society. Indian Law commission had initially proposed 50% reservation for disadvantaged students in private schools.

Passage

The bill was approved by the cabinet on 2 July 2009. Rajya Sabha passed the bill on 20 July 2009 and the Lok Sabha on 4 August 2009. It received Presidential assent and was notified as law on 26 August 2009 as The Children's Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act. The law came into effect in the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1 April 2010, the first time in the history of India a law was brought into force by a speech by the Prime Minister. In his speech, Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India stated that, "We are committed to ensuring that all children, irrespective of gender and social category, have access to education. An education that enables them to acquire the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes necessary to become responsible and active citizens of India."

Highlights

The Act makes education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14 and specifies minimum norms in elementary schools. It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children from poor families (to be reimbursed by the state as part of the public-private partnership plan). It also prohibits all unrecognized schools from practice, and makes provisions for no donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission. The Act also provides that no child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education. There is also a provision for special training of school drop-outs to bring them up to par with students of the same age.

The RTE act requires surveys that will monitor all neighbourhoods, identify children requiring education, and set up facilities for providing it. The World Bank education specialist for India, Sam Carlson, has observed:

The RTE Act is the first legislation in the world that puts the responsibility of ensuring enrollment, attendance and completion on the Government. It is the parents' responsibility to send the children to schools in the U.S. and other countries.

The Right to Education of persons with disabilities until 18 years of age is laid down under a separate legislation- the Persons with Disabilities Act. A number of other provisions regarding improvement of school infrastructure, teacher-student ratio and faculty are made in the Act.

The Act provides for a special organization, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, an autonomous body set up in 2007, to monitor the implementation of the act, together with Commissions to be set up by the states.

Implementation and funding

Education in the Indian constitution is a concurrent issue and both centre and states can legislate on the issue. The Act lays down specific responsibilities for the centre, state and local bodies for its implementation. The states have been clamouring that they lack financial capacity to deliver education of appropriate standard in all the schools needed for universal education. Thus it was clear that the central government (which collects most of the revenue) will be required to subsidize the states.

A committee set up to study the funds requirement and funding initially estimated that Rs 171,000 crores or 1.71 trillion (US$38.2 billion) across five years was required to implement the Act, and in April 2010 the central government agreed to sharing the funding for implementing the law in the ratio of 65 to 35 between the centre and the states, and a ratio of 90 to 10 for the north-eastern states. However, in mid 2010, this figure was upgraded to Rs. 231,000 crores, and the center agreed to raise its share to 68%. There is some confusion on this, with other media reports stating that the centre's share of the implementation expenses would now be 70%. At that rate, most states may not need to increase their education budgets substantially.

A critical development in 2011 has been the decision taken in principle to extend the right to education till Class X (age 16) and into the preschool age range. The CABE committee is in the process of looking into the implications of making these changes.

Status of Implementation

A report on the status of implementation of the Act was released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on the one year anniversary of the Act. The report admits that 8.1 million children in the age group six-14 remain out of school and there’s a shortage of 508,000 teachers country-wide. A shadow report by the RTE Forum representing the leading education networks in the country, however, challenging the findings pointing out that several key legal commitments are falling behind the schedule. The Supreme Court of India has also intervened to demand implementation of the Act in the Northeast. It has also provided the legal basis for ensuring pay parity between teachers in government and government aided schools

Haryana Government has assigned the duties and responsibilities to Block Elementary Education Officers–cum–Block Resource Coordinators (BEEOs-cum-BRCs) for effective implementation and continuous monitoring of implementation of Right to Education Act in the State.

Precedents

It has been pointed out that the RTE act is not new. Universal adult franchise in the act was opposed since most of the population was illiterate. Article 45 in the Constitution of India was set up as an act:

The State shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.

As that deadline was about to be passed many decades ago, the education minister at the time, M C Chagla, memorably said:

Our Constitution fathers did not intend that we just set up hovels, put students there, give untrained teachers, give them bad textbooks, no playgrounds, and say, we have complied with Article 45 and primary education is expanding... They meant that real education should be given to our children between the ages of 6 and 14 - M.C. Chagla, 1964

In the 1990s, the World Bank funded a number of measures to set up schools within easy reach of rural communities. This effort was consolidated in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan model in the 1990s. RTE takes the process further, and makes the enrollment of children in schools a state prerogative.

Criticism

The act has been criticized for being hastily-drafted, not consulting many groups active in education, not considering the quality of education, infringing on the rights of private and religious minority schools to administer their system, and for excluding children under six years of age. Many of the ideas are seen as continuing the policies of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the last decade, and the World Bank funded District Primary Education Programme DPEP of the '90s, both of which, while having set up a number of schools in rural areas, have been criticized for being ineffective and corruption-ridden.

Quality of education

The quality of education provided by the government system remains in question. While it remains the largest provider of elementary education in the country forming 80% of all recognized schools, it suffers from shortages of teachers, infrastructural gaps and several habitations continue to lack schools altogether. There are also frequent allegations of government schools being riddled with absenteeism and mismanagement and appointments are based on political convenience. Despite the allure of free lunch-food in the government schools, many parents send their children to private schools. Average schoolteacher salaries in private rural schools in some States (about Rs. 4,000 per month) are considerably lower than that in government schools. As a result, proponents of low cost private schools, critiqued government schools as being poor value for money.

Children attending the private schools are seen to be at an advantage, thus discriminating against the weakest sections, who are forced to go to government schools. Furthermore, the system has been criticized as catering to the rural elites who are able to afford school fees in a country where large number of families live in absolute poverty. The act has been criticized as discriminatory for not addressing these issues. Well-known educationist Anil Sadagopal said of the hurriedly-drafted act:

It is a fraud on our children. It gives neither free education nor compulsory education. In fact, it only legitimises the present multi-layered, inferior quality school education system where discrimination shall continue to prevail.

Entrepreneur Gurcharan Das noted that 54% of urban children attend private schools, and this rate is growing at 3% per year. "Even the poor children are abandoning the government schools. They are leaving because the teachers are not showing up." However, other researchers have countered the argument by citing that the evidence for higher standards of quality in private schools often disappears when other factors (like family income, parental literacy- all correlated to the parental ability to pay) are controlled for.

Public-private partnership

In order to address these quality issues, the Act has provisions for compensating private schools for admission of children under the 25% quota which has been compared to school vouchers, whereby parents may "send" their children in any school, private or public. This measure, along with the increase in PPP (Public Private Partnership) has been viewed by some organizations such as the All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIF-RTE), as the state abdicating its "constitutional obligation towards providing elementary education".

Infringement on private schools

The Society for Un-aided Private Schools, Rajasthan (in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 95 of 2010) and as many as 31 others petitioned the Supreme Court of India claiming the act violates the constitutional right of private managements to run their institutions without governmental interference. The parties claimed that providing 25 percent reservation for children from economically weak section in government and private unaided schools is unconstitutional.

Forcing unaided schools to admit 25% students has also been criticized by saying that the government has partly transferred its constitutional obligation to provide free and compulsory elementary education to children on “non-state actors” like private schools while collecting a 2% cess on the total tax payable for primary education.

On 12 April 2012, a three judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered its judgement by a majority of 2-1. Chief Justice SH Kapadia and Justice Swatanter Kumar held that providing such reservation is not unconstitutional, but stated that the Act will not be applicable on unaided private minority schools and boarding schools. However, Justice KS Radhakrishnan dissented with the majority view and held that the Act can not apply to both minority and non minority private schools which do not receive any aid or grant from the government. In September 2012, the Supreme Court subsequently declined a review petion of the Act.

Barrier for orphans

The Act provides for admission of children without any certification. However, several states have continued pre-existing procedures insisting that children produce income and caste certificates, BPL cards and birth certificates. Orphan children are often unable to produce such documents, even though they are willing to do so. As a result, schools are not admitting them, as they require the documents as a condition to admission.

W.B.Board of Primary Education

Historical Background

"A" state level Primary School Education Board for which provision already existed in the Primary Education Act of 1973, has been established. The Board is supposed to exercise jurisdictional authority on the District Primary School Councils, The objective is as much to decentralise as to democratise the primary education system." (Ashok Mitra Commission 1992, Page 39)

Though the West Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973 West Bengal Act XI, III of 1973 as referred to above by the Commission was passed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as early as on the 20th September, 1974, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education could be established

as provided in the Act only in 1990. It actually started functioning on and from the 2nd July, 1990. Several inhibiting factors were instrumental for the late implementation of the Act. The Left Front Government with the assumption of its office took up with the Act and made extensive but necessary changes in it. But it took a long time for getting assent of the Hon'ble Governor. Hon'ble Governor, as a matter of fact, sent it to His Excellency the President of India and the assent of the President reached after long lapse of several years. But court case again acted as a stumbling block. Some teachers of the then North 24 Parganas district filed a case against the said Act. The formation of the Board as well as the District Primary School Councils as per the revised act was further delayed. At last on 2nd July 1990 the West Bengal Board of Primary Education could be established with Prof. Partha De, Ex-Minister, School Education as its President and Shri Amal Das, the then Additional Joint Director, Directorate of School Education as its Part-time Secretary. With the establishment of this Board, unique in the whole country in respect of supervision, development, management and control of Primary Education in the State, four segments of education in the State came under four such autonomous Boards, viz.

* West Bengal Board of Primary Education

* West Bengal Board of Secondary Education

* West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education

* West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education

It is worthwhile to mention in this connection that the Ashok Mitra Commission set up in August 1991, immediately after the Board was established in July 1990, suggested not only the exercise of jurisdictional authority of the Board over the District Primary School Councils but also indicated its responsibility to induce the District Councils to coordinate effectively with the district inspectorates of schools and the Panchayet Samitis. (Ashok Mitra Commission, Page 42)

Introduction of a Modern and Scientific Curriculum and Syllabuses:
After independence curriculum and syllabuses based mostly on the Gandhian Philosophy of basic education were introduced as early as in 1950. After a lapse of some 31 years a new curriculum and syllabi subject-wise were introduced from 1981. Based on the recommendations of Prof. Himanshu Bimal Majumdar Committee 1978 this curriculum claims an innovative approach on counts more than one. In its bid to seek a total development of child, it kept in mind all the requirements for reaching this goal. With a view to making education life skill oriented and to making it realistic and practical, Co-scholastic subjects such as (a) Direct Experience-based works, (b) Creative and Productive works had been included as the basis of the curriculum. Emphasis was laid on Games, Sports and Physical Education, formation of scientific attitude and promotion of inquisitiveness and power of observation. The system of Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation along with the policy of No-Detention upto class IV was introducedmaking it realistic and practical, the Directorate of School Education then took the initiative to develop the instructional materials such as text-books and some Guide-books. The SCERT, West Bengal since its inception in eighties took up the initiative to prepare the text-books and the Guide-books. Subject-wise Committees as recommended by the Himanshu Bimal Majumdar Committee were formed for the purpose and the SCERT developed the manuscripts of text books and subsequently some guide books in early eighties. The manuscripts were then handed over to the Department of School Education for publication and distribution. With the introduction of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) and the Policy of No Detention as per the new Curriculum it became an imperative on the part of the Government to impart training in all these respects to all the educational functionaries both at the State and District levels and then to the Primary teachers as well. It was the SCERT that took the initiative to impart necessary orientation in all these respects. A three-tier and time bound Orientation Programme could however, be undertaken in 1994 - 1995 after the Primary Board was set up in 1990.

The West Bengal Board of Primary Education since its establishment in 1990 undertook all these activities and by 19931994 Guide-books in different subject areas were developed through different workshops involving experts & teachers along the line followed by the SCERT.
The Guide books developed by the Board were done keeping conformity to the national level approaches.

Policies, Functions and Challenges

The West Bengal Primary Education Act promulgated as early as in 1973 and amended from time to time vests in the West Bengal Board of Primary Education the development both in quantitative and qualitative terms, supervision, management and control of the entire primary education in West Bengal. The Board claims uniqueness on two distinct counts:
* In the whole country the Board is the only one that has been created and entrusted with the sole authority to manage, supervise, develop and control primary education in the state.
* Quite in tune with the avowed policy of the State Government, the Board, a democratically elected autonomous body, symbolizes democratization and decentralization of the entire primary education in the State. As many as 19 District Primary School Councils in the districts, all democratically elected bodies, work for primary education under the aegis of the Board which is headed by its President, who is assisted by an Executive Secretary.
A resume, however of powers & functions of the Board including those vested in it by the West Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973 is given below:
A resume however, of the powers and functions of the Board including those vested in it by the West Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973 is given below:
* Framing up of the syllabi and curriculum of the Primary Stratum of School education and developing learning competency based text-books for the students of the Primary level.
* Preparing and providing books to be studied in the Primary Schools.
* According approval to setting up Primary Schools on the basis of the quota of the Schools fixed by the State Government.
* Prescribing the curriculum, the syllabus and the Courses of Studies of the Primary Teachers' Training Institutes.
*Granting recognition to Primary Teachers' Training Institutes to be run by Registered Societies without any financial assistance from The Government.
* Conducting Primary Teachers' Training Examination.
* Awarding Diplomas, Certificates, Prizes, Scholarships in respect of any examination conducted by the Board.
* Holding Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation as school-based evaluation system, an External Evaluation (at the end of Class II) and finally a Diagnostic Achievement Test at the class IV to ascertain gaps in learning-competencies in order to ensure remedial teaching-learning) both at Board level and District level with co-operation from the District Primary School Councils and other district authorities namely District Magistrate, Sabhadhipati, Sabhapati of Panchayet Samity and BDO's (of all the blocks) and other organisations and distinguished persons in the district.
* Conducting need based extensive teacher-orientation programmes to empower teachers for imparting proactive, participatory and joyful instructions.
* Developing teacher guide books / manuals, teacher orientation modules along with Course-books of different classes on different languages at the Primary stage.
* Transferring any teacher or non-teaching staff from a Primary School within the jurisdiction of one Primary School Council to another Primary School Council.
* Transferring any officer or employee other than the Secretary and the Finance Officer, from one Primary School Council to another Primary School Council or to the Board or from the Board to a Primary School Council.
* Exercising general supervision and control over the work of the Primary School Councils and for that purpose to issue such instructions to the Primary School Councils relating to Primary Education and to call for reports from the Primary School Councils on matters relating to Primary Education.
* Advising the State Government on all matters relating to Primary Education referred to it by the State Government.
* Performing such other functions and discharge such other duties as may be prescribed by the rules made or notifications or orders issued by the State Government under the Act of 1973.
* School sports - awarding scholarships, distribution of clothes to the students of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar State Sports School, Banipur, 24 Pgs. (N) before festival.
* Undertaking projects in collaboration with national & international agencies such as NCERT, NIEPA, NCTE, UNICEF, BRITISH COUNCIL, EUROPEAN COMMISSION etc.

Making of the Curriculum and Materials

Revision,Modernization and Renewal of Curriculum and syllabuses 

After a lapse of some 23 years it became an imperative for the Board to undertake the task of renewal/revision/modernization of the curriculum and syllabuses introduced as early as in 1981.

The need for changes:

The change in socio-political and socio-economic condition, rapid advancement of science and technology, changes in the national and international scenario, particularly in the world of education (reference may be made for example, to the Dakar Framework for Action, Delor's Commission etc.) and introduction of English as per recommendations of the Pabitra Sarkar Committee from the second semester of Class II called for renewal and modernization of the existing curriculum and syllabuses. This challenge was meticulously and efficiently met by the Board. Subject Expert groups were formed. Members of each group thoroughly discussed the pros and cons of the existing curriculum and syllabuses and incorporated the necessary changes into it. Suggestions were collected from large number of teachers and experts who participated in the workshops.

The Basic Features:

In the renewed curriculum and Syllabuses along with the contents, hints on the mode of classroom transaction with emphasis on activity-based and participatory group learning (Peer Learning) have been incorporated into and more about writing textbooks and guidebooks, workbooks particularly for co-scholastic subjects have been given.

* Competencies to be attained by the learners from the lessons have been identified and clearly mentioned in the beginning of each lesson of all text books.
* Exercises have been elaborately given not only to promote self-learning but also to facilitate the conduct of evaluation - instant (Sub-Unit based), Unit Based, Periodic and summative; sample evaluation sheets have been given to facilitate the mode of implementation.
* Exercises have been designed in a way that the competencies identified earlier, have been acquired through teaching learning of the specific lesson.
* Views and opinions of erudite persons in the field of education and more than one lakh teachers participating in different orientation programmes were also given importance to.
* Special emphasis has been given on value education and values that are inherent in the lessons have been identified and mentioned. A separate chapter has been added to incorporate into the basics of value education. But no separate book has been prepared for this purpose.
* A separate chapter has also been added to impress upon the clientele, the teachers, the basics of continuous and comprehensive evaluation.
* Another separate chapter has been given on the method of teaching-learning and methodology of preparing text books.
* With a view to promoting health and environmental consciousness special emphasis has been given in this regard in the curriculum.
* Special attention has been paid to imbibe in the curriculum the basic spirit that the four pillars of learning as referred to in the International Commission on Education for the 2151 Century (Delors Commission, UNESCO). Basic educational thoughts of our great thinkers such as Ram Mohan Roy, Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, Shri Aurobinda and others have also been kept in mind while giving a shape to the curriculum.
* The update NCERT curriculum and other reports of different Commissions, Committees etc. were taken into consideration before giving shape to the renewed curriculum.
The renewed curriculum has been be introduced from the current session, i.e., the session of 2004-2005.

Training and Orientation:

1. Short-term In-service Courses:

With necessary amendment In the Act of 19:h, the Board is now the sole authority to conduct all sorts of training at the primary education level. The important training programmes that have recently been conducted by the Board are enumerated below:

Orientation of teachers in Teaching Science deserves in this connection special mention. A training module in sets has been meticulously developed by the experts basically incorporating into it activity based methods for teaching-learning science with low cost or no-cost materials that are easily available in the locality. A cascadecum-concentric model has been strictly adhered to. A large number of teachers have so far been trained.
It may be mentioned in this connection that the effort on the part of the Board to introduce improved method of science teaching through activity-based module is unique in nature and has drawn wide admiration from the NCERT, the joint Review Mission of DFID which visited us earlier and the UNICEF. The programme created immense enthusiasm and curiosity amongst students, teachers, guardians, educationists and public in general.
For making a study of the impact of the training/orientation already implemented the Board is also thinking to involve trusted organizations for monitoring and feedback. Distribution of science kits also seems to be indispensable.

English Orientation Programme & preparation of English Text Books
Following the recommendations of Pabitra Sarkar Committee for teaching English as second language at the primary level from the second semester of Class II and acting upon the order of the School Education Department, Government of West Bengal, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education introduced the study of English in the year 1999. Thereafter, in 2000-2001, a massive Orientation Programme was conducted by the Board for providing training to more than one lakh primary teachers with the emphasis on the learner's empowerment. In continuation of the previous programme, further initiative was taken by the Board during 2003 in collaboration with the British Council and the English Language Teaching (ELT) experts of our state, i.e, the Institute of English, Kolkata and from other organizations to make the teaching-learning process more effective by empowering the primary teachers so that they may teach English successfully with emphasis on teacher-talk device that may be instrumental to encourage the learners by reciprocating with desired answer.
With that purpose in view the WBBPE arranged for a two-day English Orientation Programme with the ELT experts from British Council and from our State in April 2003 at the AIKATAN COMPLEX Salt Lake City, Kolkata.
The Master Resource Persons discussed in great details the possibilities for exploring specific areas in the text books where teacher-talk could be developed. Following this, a massive training programme was taken up with the warm co-operation and assistance from the British Council Division, Kolkata. The programme was conducted at three phases:
i) School visit from 10.09.2003 to 13.09.2003;
ii) Development of training materials from 14.09.2003 to 19.09.2203 and
iii) Training of the Key Resource Persons from 20.09.2003 to 27.09.2003.

All through this programme, Dr. George Raymond Mackay, the noted ELT Expert from the British Council worked along with other State Experts, conducting very effectively the entire schedule of training in which 75 KRPs took part from all the districts of our State.

 Orientation of KRPs in teaching English as Second Language 

As the follow-up action of this training programme, the teaching-learning materials developed in the workshop were further developed for the preparation of a Training Module at the Board's initiative. A series of meetings were held with MRPs to give effect to this purpose keeping an eye on the teacher-talk section. The module has been prepared and printed both in Bengali and Hindi versions and the copies have been collected by all the District Primary School Councils.
Thereafter,massive training programmes have been held in as 17 (Seventeen) Districts and approximately one lakh primary teachers have been trained through the cascade cum concentric mode in which about 400 KRPs and 1000 RPs from each District acted as trainers. The training of the large number of primary teachers all over the State has been completed. We are now planning for launching fresh programme for receiving the feedback from the grass root level of the Districts Primary School Council in this regard. We also undertook a key Resource Person Development Programme at the end of October 2005 in the premises of the Board Office for updating the skill of the Key Resource Persons for the forthcoming training programmes.
Another development programme has also been taken up in respect of revising the syllabuses for English language upto Class V. As directed by the Govt. of West Bengal English being introduced from Class I from 2004, the text books of English for Classes I, II and III have been prepared and handed over to the Textbooks Section of Directorate of School Education, Government of West Bengal. The manuscript have been printed and the copies have reached all the District Primary School Councils for distribution amongst the students in time.
The Board is expected soon to arrange for taking up the task for developing all the text books for Classes IV and V in the context of the changed scenario in education and in accordance with the revised curriculum and syllabuses for Primary Section with an emphasis on the development of the competency of the learners in using English through the communicative mode in the class room situationsand in practical situations outside the classroom.

SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAMME: ORIENTATION PROGRAMME
The West Bengal Board of Primary Education in collaboration with the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal has launched a massive school health programme (consisting of both physical and mental health components) to promote health consciousness and to imbibe in student the culture of good habits for healthy living. The basic components of the programme are as follows:

* Orientation of Teachers and other stakeholders
* Organization of Health check-up Camps for the students and
* Establishment of the liaison between the teachers and guardians/parents and hospitals and NGOs working in the area thus community mobilization towards health education
* Distribution of Medical Kit and First Aid Box among the schools.
A carefully developed Health Education Module through successive workshops has been distributed among the District Primary School Councils. In the inaugural progamme held on the 3rd and 4th November, 2003 Shri Kanti Biswas, Hon'ble Minister-in-charge, School Education, Government of West Bengal, Shri Surya Kanta Mishra, Hon'ble Minister-in-charge, Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal, Shri Protyush Mukhopadhyay, Hon'ble Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal and Smt. Eva De, Hon'ble Minister of State, School Education, Govt. of West Bengal graced the occasion. Subsequently four workshops each of 5-day duration were held in January-March, 2004 in four zones involving personnel from all the districts for preparation Key Resource Persons. In the districts 25 camps each consisting of 50 teachers have so far been completed in the districts.
The European Commission's Support
The novelty and utility of this type of progrmme impressed the European Commission and they came forward under the Sector Investment Programme with necessary fund for supporting the implementation of the programme.

Birbhum Dist. Primary School Council

About the Organization

                   The District Primary School Council (DPSC) was established under section 37 of the West Bengal Primary Education Act 1973. The objective of establishing the District Primary School Council is to govern the educational administration of the district including the qualitative academic upliftment of the primary schools. Prior to the inception of Sarva Siksha Avijan, the District Primary School Council (DPSC) was the only agency, which rendered the services for infrastructure development as well as academic development of the primary schools.

The Birbhum District Primary School Council was established to carry out multidimensional activities related to the upliftment of the standard of primary schools of Birbhum District. Presently the DPSC, Birbhum managing 2380 primary school in the district. In managing the activities of the schools, the DPSC closely worked with the Office of the District Inspector of Schools (PE) and Office of the District Project Officer, Sarva Siksha Aviyan. The DPSC perform the following activities

01. Inspection and Supervision of Primary Schools under District Primary School Council.

02. Monitoring the activities related to Sarva Siksha Abhiyan

03. Inspection of Mid-day-Meal.

04. Distribution of Nationalized Text Books through Office of the DI of Schools (PE)

05. Enrolment drives for Primary Schools.

06. School Sports from Gram Panchayat Level to State Level.

07. Child Health Check-up Programme through governmental and non-governmental organizations.

08. Orientation and Training of Teachers through Sarva Siksha Aviyan.

09. Planning of Education at different level.

10. Matters relating to Primary Teachers Training Institutes.

11. All programmes related to Primary Schools including Teacher’s incentive    Programme.

12. Appointment of Primary School Teachers.

When our pupils play......

Education is our God

When the students learns.........

A school with natural beauty

                                                            Mashra Primary School

Mid-day-meal

The Midday Meal Scheme is the popular name for school meal programme in India which started in the 1960s. It involves provision of lunch free of cost to school-children on all working days. The key objectives of the programme are: protecting children from classroom hunger, increasing school enrollment and attendance, improved socialization among children belonging to all castes, addressing malnutrition, and social empowerment through provision of employment to women. The scheme has a long history, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. The scheme was introduced statewide by the then Chief Minister K. Kamaraj in the 1960s and later expanded by the M. G. Ramachandran government in 1982. It has been adopted by most Indian states after a landmark direction by the Supreme Court of India on November 28, 2001. The success of this scheme is illustrated by the tremendous increase in the school participation and completion rates in Tamil Nadu.

History

One of the pioneers of the scheme is the city of Madras that started providing cooked meals to children in corporation schools in the city in 1923. The programme was introduced on a large scale in the 1960s under the Chief Ministership of K. Kamaraj after visiting Sourashtra Higher Secondary School – Madurai, where this program had been implemented by the linguistic minority people since 1922. The first major thrust came in 1982 when the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. M. G. Ramachandran, decided to universalize the scheme for all children up to class 10. Tamil Nadu’s midday meal programme is among the best known in the country. Less known, but equally interesting is the history of Pondicherry, which started universal school feeding as early as 1930s.

There is an interesting story about how K. Kamaraj got the idea of a noon meal scheme. He saw a few boys busy with their cows and goats. He asked one small boy, "What are you doing with these cows? Why didn't you go to school?" The boy immediately answered, "If I go to school, will you give me food to eat? I can learn only if I eat." The boy's retort sparked the entire process into establishing the midday meal programme.

Several other states of India also have programmes. The most notable among them is Gujarat that has had it since the late 1980s. Kerala started providing cooked meals in schools since 1995 and so did Madhya Pradesh and Orissa in small pockets. On November 28, 2001 the Supreme Court of India gave a landmark direction to government to provide cooked meals to all children in all government and government assisted primary schools. The direction was resisted vigorously by State governments initially, but the programme has become almost universal by 2005. Recently Govt. of India has launch new Mid day Meal Scheme Website i.e. http://mdm.nic.in

National Programme for Nutrition Support to Primary Education

Although the programme in Tamil Nadu was initially termed as an act of "Populism", the success of the scheme made the project hugely popular. The success was so spectacular that in 1995, the then Indian prime minister P.V.Narsimha Rao hailed the success of the project and suggested that the scheme be implemented all over the country, and thus began the "National Programme for Nutrition Support to Primary Education".

According to the programme the Government of India will provide grains free of cost and the States will provide the costs of other ingredients, salaries and infrastructure. Since most State governments were unwilling to commit budgetary resources they just passed on the grains from Government of India to the parents. This system was called provision of ‘dry rations’. On November 28, 2001 the Supreme Court of India gave a famous direction that made it mandatory for the state governments to provide cooked meals instead of ‘dry rations’. The direction was to be implemented from June 2002, but was violated by most States. But with sustained pressure from the court, media and in particular from the Right to Food Campaign more and more states started providing cooked meals.

In May 2004 a new coalition government was formed in the centre, which promised universal provision of cooked meals fully funded by the centre. This promise in its Common Minimum Programme was followed by enhanced financial support to the states for cooking and building sufficient infrastructure. Given this additional support the scheme has expanded its reach to cover most children in primary schools in India. In 2005 it is expected to cover 130 million children.

The Supreme Court Direction

In April 2001 People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Rajasthan) initiated the now famous right to food litigation. This public interest litigation has covered a large range of issues relating to right to food, but the best known intervention by the court is on midday meals. In one of its many direction in the litigation the Supreme Court directed the government to fully implement its scheme of providing cooked meals to all children in primary schools. This landmark direction converted the Midday Meal Scheme into a legal entitlement, the violation of which can be taken up in the court of law. The direction and further follow-up by the Supreme Court has been a major instrument in universalising the scheme.

Other aspects of the programme

The programme in Gujarat also includes regular provision of iron tablets (to counter anaemia) and deworming tablets once in six months. In Tamil Nadu also the children are dewormed at regular intervals. Mid Day Meal scheme is implemented by Annamrit

School meal programmes in other parts of the world

A school meal programme is now a standard welfare measure for school children in developing as well as developed nations. Even countries such as USA have it in many states. World Food Programme, among other organisations, are involved in the programme in many countries across the world.

Details on September,2012

No. of students-207
No. of Teachers-4
No. of classroom-4
Head Teacher Room-makeshift
Store Room-1(small)
Playground-available
Computer-1(first in Rampurhat Sub-division)

Teachers

Nilkantha Biswas (Teacher-in-charge)

Chhanda Mondal (Asst. Teacher)

Pradip Sardar (Asst. Teacher)

Anil Tudu  (Asst. Teacher)