The state government is set to launch Maharashtra Shikshan Samruddhi Kendra, a centre that will collate data on government, aided and civic-run schools from across Maharashtra.
The idea is to analyse the data and create a targeted roadmap to improve the standards of education imparted in these schools, said officials.
To be set up on the lines of Vidya Samiksha Kendra in Gujarat, the tech set-up of the centre, along with the software, is ready to be inaugurated in Pune. The Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad (MPSP), which has taken help from IT companies to develop the software, will track students from classes I to VIII under the initiative, said officials.
A team of 20 education and technology experts will work on data analysis at the centre, which in turn will create a roadmap for each district.
The government envisions having real-time performance reports of each district, school and student with the help of the software.
“The idea is to be able to check the progress report of all students at this centre. As part of the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation, schools will be asked to conduct small tests each month on whatever has been taught until then. Teachers will upload students’ performance on the software through a user-friendly cellphone application. The real-time data will help experts create a targeted plan of improvement,” said Kailas Pagare, State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha, MPSP.
Aware that data can be fabricated, the MPSP has started creating awareness among teachers that this will only to help better their students’ performance.
While a recently released Performance Grading Index report showed that Maharashtra schools have topped among all states, the National Achievement Survey (NAS) report declared in May leaves much to be desired.
Officials said the target of MPSP is to make 30 per cent improvement in each category of NAS assessment. This centre is expected to provide a support mechanism for the ongoing process, they added.
“District-level project management units have been formed, which will comprise block-level education officers and teachers. They are responsible for creating a plan for holistic development of students, which is best suited for local requirements. Involvement of parents is ensured through groups of mothers formed at village levels,” said an official.
