Leverage the system with good faith and a learning approach,
Education minister urges teachers
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 13: In a bid to enhance the overall delivery of education in Meghalaya, the Education department on Wednesday launched the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) at the Directorate of Educational Research & Training (DERT) Annexe in Malki, Shillong.
According to a statement here, the centre, which aims to streamline data collection and leverage data visualisations for better understanding of the realities within the state’s education frameworks, will now act as a nerve centre for real-time data collection, information management and analysis.
“As an AI-driven learning enhancement and analytics platform, VSK is fed with data from a range of learning processes – attendance, budget and salary, mid-day meals, and student-teacher performance. The platform is uniquely customised for a range of processes including school monitoring, child tracking, rationalisation and accreditation, and driving AI-driven skills assessment and career counseling,” the statement said.
The analysis is then aimed at identifying training and capacity building needs of teachers and schools.
“The VSK call centre is also aimed at providing teachers and stakeholders with ready access for issue addressal and query resolution,” it said.
Launching the centre during a programme here, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma urged the teachers to leverage the system with good faith and a learning approach.
“By having the system in place, we can now track the performance of the Department, institutions, students and teachers more efficiently,” he said.
The education minister also informed that the process, despite being challenging initially, will produce rewarding outcomes in the long run.
“The system is designed to understand the reality of the ground situation of our children and our schools. The system is just another technology, unless we contribute to its betterment and for improved changes in our state,” he added.
Advisor to the Education department HM Shangpliang, on the other hand, lauded the department’s efforts in achieving a milestone with the launching of VSK.
“I am impressed that real-time data is going to come in the hands of the Director, the senior officers and to the minister himself. We will be able to know the proficiencies of students and teachers, and the standard of our schools,” he said.
Similarly, Principal Consultant, Project Management Unit, Dany K Lyngdoh informed that the VSK was conceptualised, procured and monitored entirely by the Education department. “This accomplishment has garnered appreciation from the NCERT, which has prompted other states and consultants to explore/consult the Meghalaya model,” he said.
Commissioner & Secretary, Education department, Syed Md. A. Razi, in his address, referred to the performance of the schools and students of Meghalaya, particularly in Language and Mathematics, which, he said, is below national average.
“The assessments are released every year and Meghalaya is near or at the bottom. However, with these interventions, we will have the information to act on it. If we have the data, it is half the solution,” he said.