About The Programme: The Panchayat & Rural Development Department, with a view to open 1000 Child Education Centre (later known as Shishu Shiksha Kendra) in the state of WB, issued an order, dated 04/08/1997. After about two years, the Paschim Banga Rajya Shishu Shiksha Mission, under the Panchayat & Rural Development Department, Government of West Bengal was formed on 24/11/1999, as a registered Society under the Society Registration Act 1961 (Registration no : S/96500 of 1999-2000), to look after the CECs by implementing the Shishu Shiksha Karmasuchi. Later on from 2003, the Mission is implementing the Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchi also, as per the decision of the P&RD Department.
The Mission acts, as the apex body for implementation of the Shishu Shiksha Karmasuchi & Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchis under the direct administrative control of the Panchayat & Rural Development Department, Government of West Bengal. The Paschim Banga Rajya Shishu Shiksha Mission functions to assist the efforts of the SE Department for bringing about the fundamental changes in the field of ElementaryEducation and through it overall improvement of socio-economic and cultural atmosphere of the society.
The specific objective of the programme :
A. Universalization of Elementary Education:
a. Access to primary education through Shishu Shiksha Kendra & upper-primary education through Madhyamik Shiksha Kendras, for the learners who don’t have access to school till then.
b. Retention of every child till the age-appropriate, so that they can complete the elementary education, i.e. up to standard – VIII.
c. Ensuring quality education for the learners enrolled.
B. Provision of reduction of disparity, if any, in enrolment, retention and learning achievement amongst gender and social categories.
Implementation of Karmasuchi : Since formation, the primary function of the Paschim Banga Rajya Shishu Shiksha Mission is to implement the Shishu Shiksha Karmasuchi & Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchi, in the rural areas of the state of West Bengal including GTA, as per the rules & guidelines laid down by the Panchayat & Rural Development Department, Government of West Bengal and with the help of the District SSK-MSK Cells, situated at the office of the Zilla Parishad / Mahakuma Parishad and Gorkha Territorial Administration.
ORGANOGRAM
Functions :
To undertake all activities that may be necessary for implementation of the Shishu Shiksha Karmasuchi and Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchi.
To secure ownership of the community and active involvement and participation of the educational institutions and persons interested in education, voluntary agencies, teachers and individuals committed to improvement of education and to extend financial assistance to them, if considered necessary.
To bring about effective decentralization in elementary education by involvement of the people through the process of awareness generation.
To secure constructive and participatory involvement of Shiksha Sahayikas / Sahayaks, Samprasarikas / Samprasaraks
To take up experimental and innovative programmes in elementary education.
To undertake and promote research and studies related to elementary education and its management.
To ensure technical resource support by harnessing the existing institutions.
To organize training and workshops on matters related to or in connection with the programme.
To undertake preparation and production of educational materials and dissemination of the same.
To interfere / participate in all legal activities related with Shishu Shiksha Karmasuchi & Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchis in the Court of Law of any tire to defend the State.
The key features of the Karmasuchis are as given below:
Established by community initiative and later approved by the three tire of Panchayati Raj Institutions & P&RD Department, Govt. of WB (in case of MSKs).
Under the Shishu Shiksha Karmasuchi, functions the Shishu Shiksha Kendra (SSK), which are Primary Educational Institutions (from Pre-Primary to Std-IV) for the learners of age group 5+ to 9+ years, and under the Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchi, functions the Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra (MSK), which are Upper Primary Educational Institutions (from Std-V to VIII) for the learners of age group 10+ to 14+ years.
All the SSK & MSKs are affiliated by the School Education Department, under the administrative control of the Panchayat & Rural Development Department.
Both the SSK & MSKs function in the rural school less areas (1 KM Radius for SSKs and 3 KM Radius for MSKs) only and are monitored by the three tier of the PRI bodies. At the Panchayat Samiti, for each 20 SSK, one Academic Supervisor have been engaged, who not only monitors the SSKs but also provide hand holding support to the Sahayak / Sahayikas. The Academic Supervisors also visit the MSKs for administrative purposes.
At the District Cell, District Quality Managers have been appointed by the Mission among the fresh Graduate / Post-Graduates having First Class B.Ed., who also monitor the SSK & MSKs on behalf of the district administration and provide both academic & administrative support to the SSK & MSKs.
The SSK & MSKs follows the syllabus, curriculum and Text Books as designed by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education & West Bengal Board of Secondary Education respectively under the School Education Department of the State Government.
Local people, selected by the School Managing Committee and approved by the concerned Panchayat Samiti provide service for providing quality education. For SSK, they are termed as “Sahayak / Sahayikas” (99% of them are local women) and for MSKs they are termed as “Samprasarak / Samprasarikas”. The academic qualification for both the cases are same as set by the SE Department. But at present recruitment of Sahayika / Sahayika & Samprasarika / Samprasaraks are not being done.
Learners of SSK & MSKs receive all the facilities as provided in the Formal Primary & Upper Primary Schools respectively, run by the SE Department & as per guideline of the RTE Act 2009.
Various type of Activities :
Payment of Honorarium : The district SSK-MSK Cell arranges to pay the monthly honorarium to the Sahayikas / Sahayaks, Samprasaraks / Samprasarikas and the Academic Supervisors through the United Bank of India in due course of time.
Infrastructure Development : The district SSK-MSK Cell receives fund from the Paschim Banga Rajya Shishu Shiksha Mission for development of infrastructure of the SSKs and MSKs, which are distributed among the Panchayat Samities.
Supply of Nationalised Text Books : Each academic session the district SSK-MSK Cell arranges to supply the required number of Nationalised Text Books of different title and medium to all the Panchayat Samities.
Distribution of School Bags : In current academic session (2018) District SSK-MSK Cell has been distributed School Bags for all the learners of MSK in Purba Bardhaman District.
Grants for SSK & MSK : After receiving various type of grants from the Paschim Banga Rajya Shishu Shiksha Mission district SSK-MSK Cell distributed this fund as per DISE data. The grants are as follows :
School Uniforms Grant for the learners of SSKs & MSKs.
TLE / TLM Grant for the SSKs & MSKs.
Maintenance Grant for the SSKs & MSKs.
School Grant for the SSKs & MSKs.
Legal Activities : The district SSK-MSK Cell also discharged obligation and defends the interest of the State Government in the court of law at all levels in various court cases.
Enrolment drive in SSKs & MSKs : Every year before the commencement of the academic session, the enrolment drive programme is taken by the Sahayikas / Sahayaks and Samprasaraks / Samprasarikas with the members of local authority to ensure enrolment of each and every child at their age appropriate classes residing in their catchment areas.
Supervision & monitoring : The district SSK-MSK Cell regularly monitor the implementation of the Shishu Shiksha Karmasuchi and Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchi by conducting monthly review meetings with the Block functionaries, like the Samity Education Officer, Block Nodal Officer and Academic Supervisors.
Capacity building of the Sahayak / Sahayikas and Samprasarks / Samprasarikas : The district SSK-MSK Cell conducts capacity building / trainings for the Sahayaks / Sahayikas and Samprasaraks / Samprasarikas in all the subjects.
National Children Science Congress (NCSC) : The learners of the MSKs of different blocks regularly participate in the National Children Science Congress (NCSC) organised by the department of Science and Technology, Govt. Of India with the help of Paschim Banga Rajya Shishu Shiksha Mission.
The Health Education Programme : The activity for Health Education Programme in corporate in normal classroom activity.
External Evaluation : In every academic year district SSK-MSK Cell will organised external evaluation in all the SSKs & MSKs collaboration with Paschim Banga Rajya Sishu Shiksha Mission.
8. Sishu Shiksha Karmasuchi at a glance in Purba Burdwan District :
1
No. of SSKs
:
803
2
No. of Sahayikas
:
2335
3
No. of Children enrolled (Std.-I to IV)
:
Boys
Girls
Total
20143
24026
44169
4
No. of Academic Supervisors engaged
:
33
5
No. of SSKs having own building
:
803
6
Total no. of SSK having Sanitation
:
803
7
Total no. of SSK having Own Drinking Water
:
803
8
Total no. of SSK having permanent kitchen shed
:
757
9
Total no. of SSK running Mid-day Meal
:
803
10
Total no. of SSK having Electrification
:
803
9. Madhyamik Shiksha Karmasuchi at a glance in Purba Burdwan District :
