Govt uses GIS to map the entire state's rural region to translate the plan into
reality
The school education department of the Maharashtra government
has finalised the master plan for the new primary, higher primary and secondary
schools in the rural areas of the state.
Using Geographical Information Service (GIS), the department has mapped the entire
state's rural regions and plans to set up a primary school at every kilometre. "We
have done a meticulous school mapping with the help of GIS and tagged all the schools
in the Google Earth map as per district and tehsil," a senior official said. "As
per the norms of the Right to Education, the mapping has been done for earmarking
schools, with a primary school to be located at every kilometre, a secondary school
to be located every three kilometres and a higher secondary school to be located
every five kilometres," he said.
Sources said that following the school mapping process, further action will now
be initiated. "All the existing schools will be marked on Google Earth. A district
information school education code will be generated to link it up with the census
figures. This will make it easier for us to take decisions on the basis of a particular
village's population," he added.
"The opening of new schools will be taken up on the basis of this plan," he said.
The plan has been prepared through MR Sac, Nagpur and Maharashtra Primary Education
Council, Mumbai and education director (primary) and education director (secondary
and higher secondary).
"District-wise details of the plan are open to public and they can send us their
objections and suggestions in this regard with testimonials," he added. The objections
and suggestions can be sent to the education officer (primary and secondary) of
the district concerned by July 26, 2011, and a copy of it to the deputy director
concerned.
The findings have also revealed the skewed ratio of educational
institutions in rural areas. "In certain areas, there are no schools for kilometres
at a stretch and, in some townships, they are very closely located. The study has
given us a sort of a ready recknor for each district and tehsil and we now know
the exact number of existing schools and the requirement for new ones vis-a-vis
the latest census figures," the official said.
Courtesy: DNA India
