That paradigm shift…
Blurb: The community mobilisation programme in the government education system can be called a ‘paradigm shift’ in the educational policy!
Mir Tanveer
IN any nation or country, the role of educational institutions in imparting knowledge among students is of prime importance and is instrumental in transforming the society.
As for our educational system, we need to build up efforts in revolutionising the system so that the future students are well-armed with working knowledge necessary for the upcoming challenges in the academic field. Presently, our system of governance needs to focus on the educational system of our schools and connect it with other sectors. Education forms the bedrock of a society’s development and transformation. That’s what sets the future discourse of development in different fields of life. Without education, it would be impossible generate development and intelligence in the society.
In the Kashmir valley, the administrative machinery has taken up the initiative – Samiksha Samigra Abhiyan –wherein government-run educational institutions have started a series of programmes regarding community mobilisation to bring awareness on education and its role in shaping the future of our children. As per this scheme, government-run educational institutions are organising different events at different institutions from primary to secondary level in the education system to reach out to the community whose children are enrolled in these institutions. In all these institutions, students and parents are connected with these institutions’ working and the parents participate in a well-coordinated and cooperative manner.
Community mobilisation is a process through which action is stimulated by a community itself or by others, and is planned, carried out and evaluated by a community or individual groups and organised on a participatory and sustained basis to improve the health, hygiene and education level so as to enhance the growth of education and community mobilisation. It comprises activities like door-to-door outreach, public meetings, health fairs, participatory cultural programmes and activities. In all these efforts, the community comes closer as it works on varied common issues and also participates in the institution and its working.
Speaking in context of the programme, Zonal Educational Officer, MAGAM, Budgam zone says: “In this programme of community mobilisation in educational institutions of the Valley, the three essential components are of students, teachers and parents who need to work together in a collaborative way so that better results can be yielded from the targeted programme. All the three stakeholders are active partnership leaders in making the transformative change in the educational working of the schools at grassroots levels. The teachers selected as resource persons for the programmes need to work hard for effective programme management and research methodology so that the students can find all these initiatives worthy of attending”.
Another education head says that all these initiatives are actually taken in order to bring about upliftment of educational institutions and of their role in imparting knowledge to students. He adds that teachers’ role is of prime importance as mass mobilisers and nation builders. “They need to work hard, need to be dedicated and committed to their profession and to teaching students at different levels of education. Their contribution in grooming and shaping the talents of students is of prime importance. Meanwhile, the students too need to show interest in different programmes and events organised by educational institutions in their academic working. They need to work dedicatedly on assignments given to them,” he adds.
Parents and the civil society also need to offer a cooperative hand towards educational institutions and their working programmes so that the overall face of the educational system in the Valley can be brought on track. While interacting with parents whose children are enrolled with government institutions, this is what we heard them say: “These kind of initiatives bridge gaps between teachers and parents as these programmes provide us a chance to meet them as a community. Also, we are able to convey our grievances and problems about the institutions to the higher authorities. Since a majority of the parents whose children are enrolled, belong to the marginalised communities who don’t have much interest in monitoring children’s education on a regular basis, this programme provides them a chance to show interest in their children’s education”.
