Indian Tribal News Service
Jammu
Aiming to make tribal children ‘future-ready’, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Thursday (November 25) dedicated the UT government’s ambitious project of transforming 200 schools into Smart Schools in tribal areas at a cost of Rs 40 crores by the end of next year.
The modernization of Smart Schools, under the tribal education plan, will be executed in two phases. In the first phase, works related to 100 schools will be completed by March 2022 and another 100 schools by December 2022.
“In 1991, the Gaddi, Sippi community was declared tribal but their children were denied scholarship. For three decades they kept approaching governments but no decision was taken. This issue was brought to my notice just a few days back and we immediately decided that scholarships will be provided to the 21,000 children of Gaddi, Sippi, Dard, Sheena communities,” he said, adding it is the historic beginning of a new era of educational empowerment of tribals in J&K.
The UT government has formulated a visionary framework for the functioning of the Smart Schools. Members of the tribal communities, PRI representatives and the people associated with voluntary organizations will be involved in the management so that these schools could perform the role of ‘changemakers’ in our society, LG Manoj Sinha outlined.
“Our priority is to secure the future of tribal children. Smart schools in tribal and remote areas equipped with modern facilities will develop scientific temper in children and make them future ready, besides arresting the drop-out rate,” the Lt Governor said
The Lt Governor highlighted that the J&K administration is collectively spending around Rs 104 crore to strengthen school infrastructure in tribal areas and establish a strong educational eco-system for the tribal community.
Earlier, B K Singh, Administrative Secretary, School Education, said that the Smart Schools will mark the beginning of the digital revolution for the tribal population. For his part, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Administrative Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, informed about the workshop being organized on the occasion for awareness on various schemes of the government.
Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Deputy Commissioners; HoDs, Chief Education Officers, besides a large number of students, parents, teachers and members from tribal communities were in attendance.
