The Hindu : `Education for every child by 2010'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Education for every child by 2010'

By Our Special Correspondent

The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, who inaugurated the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan scheme, handing over a computer to a teacher in Chennai on Tuesday. Looking on is the Education Minister, M. Thambi Durai. — Photo: K. Gajendran

CHENNAI July 16. The State Government today launched its ambitious Rs.1,800-crore `Education For All' movement with the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, declaring ``no child would be left out of school education by 2010''.

At the Nehru indoor stadium here, Ms.Jayalalithaa formally launched the components of the Centrally-funded EFA movement (Sarva Siksha Abhiyan), which includes providing school buildings, block-level training centres and creation of a State Institute of Educational Management Administration and Training in Chennai, all costing Rs.573 crores. She unveiled plaques to mark the start of 1,008 new schools. The EFA funds would be used for recruiting/training 1,600 secondary grade teachers, 18,000 B.Ed teachers and 4,120 teacher trainers.

Other components of EFA include a maintenance grant for school buildings, construction of block resource centres and classrooms, provision of drinking water and sanitation in schools, promotion of research, evaluation and monitoring, apart from spawning innovation in education delivery systems. Another Rs.29 crores would be allocated for educational awareness programmes.

``The EFA movement is a major scheme of the Government's educational activities, in which all sections, including the people's representatives, would take part. On this occasion, I seek your cooperation for reaching the objective of ensuring that by 2010, not a single child in the State is left without education,'' she said.

In all, Rs.3,600 crores would be spent in the next eight years.

She gave away appointment orders to 3,060 block resource teachers and provided computers and financial grants to district project offices. The Chief Minister told students: ``Your only duty is to serve your parents, teachers and your motherland. I wish many of you go abroad for higher education. But do not forget to come back and use your knowledge to develop our motherland."

Ms. Jayalalithaa had a word of appreciation for the Education Minister, M. Thambi Durai, and the School Education Secretary, V.K. Subburaj, for ensuring the smooth launch of the scheme.

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