MANIPUR: Amid growing efforts nationally to improve education and enrolment in government schools, Manipur has emerged as a rising star. As bucking the trend of migration from government to private schools, the northeast state registered a 21 per cent increase in enrolment in government schools.
Moreover, Manipur also registered 45 per cent rise in schools where System Transformation and Rejuvenation of Education (STAR Education) was implemented by collaborating with NewGlobe, an international education support organisation, two years ago. STAR Education is a part of the Chief Minister’s “School Fagathansi Mission”.
The programme provides an innovative technology and data-driven platform, coupled with high-quality materials, training and coaching for teachers and tech-enabled support teams.
The project resulted in a paradigm shift from traditional to technology-based teaching methods, which helped in increasing enrolment.
Moreover, the teaching methods, learning model and assessment system helped improve the learning outcomes of students and made the teaching-learning process in classrooms more engaging and effective.
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The government said STAR Education measures performance of schools, attendance of students and teachers, adherence to curriculum, management of schools and instructional practices, among others.
Phase 1 of the programme was implemented in 253 schools and the training provided to 1,172 teachers impacted 24,290 students across 16 districts.
“The project aims to improve literacy and numeracy skills of students in public schools and empower teachers with cutting-edge technology and training, resulting in significant improvement in learning outcomes,” a statement said.
Teachers are equipped with the latest teaching methods and resources, enabling them to create dynamic and effective lesson plans that cater to the needs of each student.
“In addition, STAR Education leverages technology to enable real-time data tracking, providing teachers with valuable insights into student performance and learning gaps. By harnessing data, teachers can adjust teaching strategies to better meet the needs of their students,” the statement said.
Zonal Education Officer of Imphal West district, Sucheta Khumukcham said a positive impact is an increase in enrolment in government schools where the STAR Education project is being implemented.
“For instance, students’ enrolment in Sardar Patel High School, Imphal West was only 75 in the 2022 academic session and then, it drastically increased to 356 in the current academic session. This can be attributed to the increased trust of parents brought about by innovative changes,” Khumukcham said.
She also said that teaching strategies such as small group practice to study students’ post-lesson reflection and reserved time for teachers to provide positive and targeted feedback cater to the learning needs of different categories of students – both slow as well as fast learners.
H Sayarani, teacher of Ramlal Paul Higher Secondary School, said under the STAR Education programme, there is a common lesson plan for all schools for uniformity in content. She said it helps teachers complete each lesson on time.
Sujatha Muthayya, vice president, Asia, Policy & Partnership, NewGlobe, said the project is focused on foundational literacy and numeracy with customised supplementary learning materials.
“We demonstrated improvement in literacy and numeracy by 27 and 40 per cent respectively. The average student in a STAR Education school experienced an acceleration of eight additional percentage points on a numeracy assessment, relative to their counterparts not in the programme,” she said.
“We also increased enrolment by 45 per cent. This shows we increased the confidence of communities in the provision of education in government schools,” she said.