The state government has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the ministry of human resource development, government of India, to improve the learning outcomes and undertake infrastructural up-gradation of government schools in the state.
The MoU was signed by the state’s chief secretary and secretary MHRD on Monday during the two-day 65th central advisory board of education meeting convened by the MHRD in New Delhi.
The meeting, convened to review school education systems, was chaired by HRD minister Prakash Javadekar and attended by union minister of state MHRD Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and union minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtiar Abbas Naqvi and ministers of education from all states, including Jammu and Kashmir.
“On Tuesday, another meeting will be convened to review the higher education sector,” an official said.
Other representatives from J&K who attended the meeting were secretary, school education Farooq Ahmad Shah, state project director RashtriyaMadhiyamikShikshaAbhiyan (RMSA) TufailMattoo and state project director SarvaShikshaAbhiyan, Abdur Rashid War.
The MHRD, as per the MoU, has agreed to support the state government in effective implementation of all centrally-sponsored schemes including the RMSA and SSA, besides consider providing additional financial assistance both within and outside the existing schemes and programmes.
“The main objective of the MoU is to improve learning outcomes in schools and make J&K among top-performing school systems in India,” minister for education Syed Muhammad AltafBukhari said.
The categories which will be in focus are human resource management, quality improvement, outcome orientation and accountability. There will also be a special focus on poorly performing schools in some districts.
“The MHRD has agreed to help us financially, give trainings and provide technical assistance for implementation of the road-map,” the education minister said.
He said that the union ministry has also agreed to help the state to “share best practices in other parts.”
“MHRD will consider J&K state as priority state for implementing best practices, help improve learning outcomes, undertake trainings and students tours,” Bukhari said.