Shillong, Septe13: World Literacy Day was held at U Soso Tham Auditorium, Shillong on 13th September 2013. Mass Enrolment Drive and Launching of GIS Applications of schools were also held during the function.
Addressing the gathering as Chief Guest Prof R C Laloo, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Meghalaya lauded the activities of the education department for their hard work and dedication to improve the literacy target in the state. He further urged every citizen of the state to cooperate and work for lOO per cent literacy of the state which is not impossible but possible if they work together.
Mr. P S Thangkhiew, Principal Secretary, Education Department, Government of Meghalaya, expressed his views and opinions of RTE Act and significance of GIS Application. He explained about the importance of neighborhood schools and its benefit especially for the parents as they can find out all the information about the schools and teachers of the area by accessing the GIS server. Mr. Thangkhiew hopes that once the RTE Act is implemented quality education will be provided to students even in remote villages.
System Analyst, Smti Mebaiada Dkhar informed that as mandated under RTE, the Education department has taken up school mapping exercise on GIS platform in order to demarcate neighbourhood schools and identify different types of schools located in the neighbourhood boundary. The GIS Application will be hosted in NIC, Andhra Pradesh until such time when NIC, Meghalaya acquire their own GIS server which will be accessible on public domain after the launching of the GIS Application of schools from today onwards, she added.
The chief guest also felicitated six lecturers who have been selected from different districts of the state by the Government of India for 3 months advance learning programme in United States of America under the India-Support for Teacher Education Programme. The programme is sponsored by Arizona State University, USA in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India.
Since the main objective of the programme is to mobilize Out Of School Children (OOSC); drop-out and never enrolled children to enroll themselves in a regular school and special training centre as mandated in the RTE, the chief guest enrolled OOSC and also handed transport and escort allowances to the students from different blocks i.e Laitkroh, Mylliem, Pynursla, Mawryngkneng, SheIla Bholaganj, Mawkynrew, Mawphlang and Mawsynram C & RD Blocks. Earlier in the programme Shri F R Kharkongor, State Project Director, SEMAN (SSA) flagged off the rally and presented the introductory speech during the official function while Director School Education and Literacy propose the vote of thanks.
Others present on the occasion are Shri Sanjay Goyal, Deputy Commissioner cum Chairman, SSA, East Khasf. Hills District, Shri D P Wahlang, Commissioner & Secretary, Education Department, Shri Akash Deep, Addl Secretary, Education Department, Shri C C Mihsil, Joint Secretary, Education Department, students and teachers of various schools of the state said the DIPR statement.(SP News)
