The Jharkhand government has inducted Azim Premji Foundation to mentor principals and senior teachers as ‘changemakers’ in the model schools touted as ‘centre of excellence’.

The Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian Institute of Management (IIM Ranchi) in September for imparting leadership training to the headmasters/headmistress and senior teachers entrusted with administrative affairs of the identified model schools.

The model schools concept, a pet project of chief minister Hemant Soren aims to provide quality education at par with the CBSE pattern reputed private school chains and is tying up with prestigious academic centres to train the secondary school principals/headmasters and senior teachers as ‘changemakers’.

“Azim Premji Foundation through its faculties from Azim Premji University have begun training of headmasters/principals and teachers of the model schools. We have formed a comprehensive action plan through which special attention is to be given to subjects like English, science and mathematics, social science and Hindi,” said a senior official in the JEPC.

The department of school education and literacy has collaborated with the foundation to conceptualise and conduct the capacity building program for principals, DIET (district institute of education and training) faculties, subject specific master trainers and other key stakeholders.

“The program will provide training through a series of workshops for around 405 model schools in the state with an aim to create an effective ecosystem and provide better education to the children of the state. In the first phase of the training, the Azim Premji Foundation has designed a 10-month comprehensive training program with the principals/ senior teachers of 80 schools identified as “Changemakers” to develop a better vision for the schools, raising the standards of education, enhancement of leadership skills so as to provide quality education to the children, development of learning culture and creation of learning environment,” said Abhinav Kumar JEPC component director.

Capacity building workshops for stakeholders have also been planned in the coming months in addition to 10-months of training. Through this, subject expertise of teachers, teaching at secondary and senior secondary level will be identified.

“Comprehensive capacity building programme will be organized for 150 DIET faculties, which will include visualisation and job description of the DIETs. Under this scheme a total of three workshops will be organised every five days. These workshops will be conducted with an aim to develop the capacity of 200 subject specific master trainers of English, science, mathematics, social science, Hindi and science,” said the JEPC official.

A total of 405 model schools have been identified across all the 24 districts of Jharkhand in the first phase.

“It is a big step towards bringing about a complete change in schools under the holistic reform approach by focusing on providing quality education. In the first phase, 80 plus-two level schools have been taken up at district level. Model schools will be set up in each of the 245 rural block headquarters and 62 urban local body areas,” said Kiran Pasi, JEPC project director.

The IIM has developed modules for improving leadership, soft skills, digital literacy and effective administration skills.