MP School Education Dept Aims For STARS Again Despite Zero Output Earlier

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The school education department is planning an international visit for its employees and officials yet again though similar trips in the past had failed to bring changes in schools. The department officials will visit Singapore this time. The State Education Centre has sent WhatsApp messages to seek consent from departmental officials for the overseas visit.

Five years ago, the department had organised a similar trip to South Korea when more than 200 officials, including the then-minister Prabhuram Choudhary, principal secretary and other department officials went on the trip. The visit, conducted in phases, incurred an expenditure of Rs 5 crore. After the South Korea trip, the team prepared a detailed report suggesting educational reforms such as infrastructural improvements, high-tech classrooms and vocational course inclusion but the recommendations yielded little impact.

Despite workshops held to discuss implementation, no significant changes were seen in schools. Besides, the department had sent school principals on four observation visits to Delhi’s government schools followed by visits to Bengaluru. These domestic trips cost Rs 5-7 lakh. The Singapore trip is organised under Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS), aims to provide international-level training to select public servants based on their excellence in exam results.

Additional director of State Education Centre, Shitanshu Shukla, said that officials whose performance had been exemplary were being asked to give their consent. The government will bear all expenses, including travel, training, accommodation and meals.