In what is probably the most ambitious education scheme in Maharashtra, the State government has decided to prepare students from 100 selected municipal and government schools for international examinations. This is the first step for Progressive Education Maharashtra, a scheme that seeks to introduce international curriculum to bring government school students on par with international education benchmarks.
“We are in the process of hiring an international consultant, probably from Cambridge [University], who will set the curriculum and also design teacher training courses. We are also planning to set up a separate international wing or board within our own State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT),” Nand Kumar, Principal Secretary (School Education), said.
Students of Class IV will have to take the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), an exam generally held every four years. Students of Class IV and Class VIII will have to appear for Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Students who complete 15 years of age, i.e. around Class X, will be expected to appear for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) level of examinations, which are conducted every three years.
Currently, the State government is in the process of shortlisting the 100 schools. The criteria stipulate that the school be large with more than 500 students, have an active principal who can be adaptive to learning and introducing new changes, and be able to contribute resources beyond the scope of the government. “It will be a three-pronged selection process, with the head teacher, the local body and the local school management being considered for the selection,” said Nand Kumar.
He added that they wanted to choose a minimum of one school and a maximum of four schools from each of the 35 districts. They would also be shortlisting and training 2,000 teachers from the available pool of 5.6 lakh teachers in the State.
“The principal will be the crucial factor as he or she will spearhead the scheme. Our only concern is that they should not shy away [from the responsibility] after we train them. Teachers at these international schools will be retained only for five years, after which they would have to get re-selected till they retire. This is meant to keep them refreshed and motivated,” Nand Kumar said.
The scheme is said to be a pet project of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “This is possibly the best scheme that has been introduced in the field of education. It will propel huge changes in the education sector. I am already visiting schools to recommend them for this scheme,” Mahesh Palkar, education officer, BMC, said.
The writer is a freelance journalist
Teachers here will be retained for 5 years, after which they’ll have to
get re-selected
