Maharashtra Education Dept unveils 100-day action plan for schools

In a bid to strengthen school education across Maharashtra the statersquos School Education Department on Monday presented a comprehensive 100day action plan to Chief Minister CM Devendra Fadnavis The plan outlines several key initiatives aimed at boosting teaching quality improving infrastructure and ensuring holistic student developmentAmong the top decisions proposed is the making the State Song Rajyageet mandatory and Marathi language enforcement All schools will now be required to begin each day with the state song The government also plans to reinforce Marathi as a medium of instruction and communication ensuring its effective implementation at every levelA discussion was held in a meeting of the School Education Department chaired by CM Fadnavis regarding the plan of work and measures to be undertaken in the next 100 daysSchool Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai Marketing Minister Jaykumar Rawal Public Works Minister Shivendrasingh Raje Bhosale Ministers of State Indranil Naik and Meghana Sakore Bordikar Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik Principal Secretary of the School Education Department Ranjit Singh Deol School Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh along with Additional Chief Secretaries Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of various departments were present Deol provided information about the departmentrsquos action plan through a presentationTo streamline the implementation of the National Education Policys structural guidelines every school and Anganwadi centre in Maharashtra will be geotaggedPhotographs and mapping data will help monitor infrastructure development and resource allocation the department concludedAdditionally it announced a timeline to introduce a revised State Curriculum Framework SCF starting in the 2025ndash26 academic year The framework will align the statersquos education system with evolving national standards and global best practicesTaking inspiration from the PM SHRI Schools initiative one school in each cluster across Maharashtra will be branded and developed as a CM SHRI School These flagship institutions will receive prioritised resources infrastructure upgrades and quality teacher support serving as model schools for surrounding areasMeanwhile the government plans to expedite the verification of studentsrsquo Aadhaar numbers to ensure accurate recordkeeping and seamless delivery of benefits such as scholarships and midday mealsIn a move to empower local stakeholders the School Management Committees SMCs will be reorganised with training sessions conducted to enhance their role in school governance decisionmaking and community engagementRecognising the urgent need for quality educators the state also aims to fasttrack teacher recruitment Transparent selection procedures and timely postings are expected to address teacher shortages in remote and underserved areasImplementation of these measures will begin immediately with progress reviews conducted every two weeks Officials stressed that the ultimate goal is to enhance educational outcomes nurture wellrounded citizens and ensure Maharashtra remains a national leader in school educationSpeaking on the occasion Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lauded the School Education Department for its forwardthinking initiatives emphasising that quality education is crucial for Maharashtrarsquos continued growth ldquoA strong school system paves the way for a brighter future We are committed to ensuring that every child irrespective of background receives the best possible educationrdquo he saidSchool Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse reiterated the departmentrsquos commitment to inclusive growth ldquoFrom infrastructure upgrades to curriculum reforms our focus is on building an education ecosystem that is both innovative and accessiblerdquo he remarkedMaharashtra will remain at the forefront in school education CM Devendra FadnavisFadanavis addressed officials following a presentation of the School Education Departmentrsquos 100Day Action PlanThere is immense talent among school teachers in the state By encouraging their quality positive transformation can be achieved Building on this strength Maharashtra will definitely remain at the forefront of school education he saidThe CM also directed that on the occasion of the Amrit Mahotsav 75th anniversary of the Constitution students should be taught constitutional values Fadnavis stated that there is immense talent among students in government schools and their excellent teachers are a great asset Make use of these outstanding educators as role models for others he said adding that the information of good educators should be compiled digitally He also suggested that preprimary institutions must be registered and provided with certificates after starting at least the minimum necessary requirements To ensure parentsrsquo trust he proposed that there be a condition to display this certificate prominentlyReferring to evidence that distributing bicycles to female students has increased their school attendance Fadnavis said that this scheme should continue He also suggested that the officials welcome students on their first day at school Emphasising the importance of cluster schools CM Fadnavis noted the need to clearly explain the benefits to parents of students in underenrolled schools so that they understand how merging them can be advantageousMaharashtra to focus on providing students with quality enjoyable educationDuring the meeting Bhuse mentioned that his department would proceed with a positive outlook in every aspect in achieving the 100day action plan He highlighted the importance of cleanliness and neatness in school premises and among students the adoption of the CBSE Central Board of Secondary Education pattern along with necessary modifications as per the statersquos needs ranking schools based on quality and developing at least one school up to Class 10 in every cluster Bhuse also stated that one class in these schools would be turned into a smart class The minister underscored the goal of providing students with quality enjoyable educationMinister Bhuse also stated that students from Marathimedium schools are found to excel in higher education To ensure schools have excellent infrastructure the department plans to explore various funding sources including CSR Corporate Social Responsibility funds He said that teachers who undertake innovative initiatives will be made role models and that their excellence will be encouraged and called upon all dignitaries to adopt one school in their area and visit it regularly for its betterment Regarding longterm measures he mentioned that arrangements will be made to bring into the mainstream those outofschool children who migrate with their families to brick kilns sugarcane fields or farm work and added that indepth discussions were held with school administrators and teachers and the positive conclusions drawn from those discussions will be incorporated into their workThe minister also suggested making special efforts to include children of sugarcane workers in the education process ensuring at least one teacher at the cluster level for cocurricular subjects such as arts and sports and encouraging enrollment in Marathi schools Chief Secretary Saunik suggested completing the task of linking studentsrsquo Aadhaar numbers at the earliest and effectively using funds from the Samagra Shiksha scheme for the development of schoolsKey Points of 100day action plan for MaharashtraMaking the state song Rajyageet mandatory in all schools along with the effective implementation of the Marathi languageGeotagging all schools and Anganwadi centers and mapping them with photographs in order to implement the structure outlined in the National Education PolicyImplementing the State Curriculum Framework from 2025ndash26On the lines of the PM SHRI Schools scheme developing one school as a ldquoCM SHRI Schoolrdquo in each clusterVerifying the validity of all studentsrsquo Aadhaar numbersRestructuring and strengthening School Management CommitteesAccelerating the teacher recruitment process